Is Networking Enough

February 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Written by Debbie Mrazek

So you’ve decided to do some networking. You attend an after-hours event, arriving early with a stack of business cards. By the end of the evening you’ve met a lot of people and exchanged a lot of business cards. On the way home, the faces are all a blur. You’re stressed out—all “networked out.”

A few days later, in a better frame of mind, you call each person you met, working your way through the stack of cards you collected. You ask each one if they need your product or service. Most say they do not. You’re exhausted again.

This could give networking a bad name.

But is this what networking is all about? Does it have to be a nerve-racking, enervating process that leaves you with an empty feeling? No, it doesn’t have to be. In fact, it can be a fun, fulfilling process.

“Fun?” you ask. “Walking into a room full of strangers is your idea of fun?” Trust me, it can be fun, but first you’ll have to make a paradigm shift, move beyond networking into what I call the “R Zone”—the “R” stands for “relationships”—to a place where you’re not really networking so much as building relationships.
Here comes the simple, unadorned truth: One of the most effective ways to build a relationship is to help the other person get what he or she wants first.
This “give first” approach will turn everything you’ve ever known about networking on its ear.

And it’s very simple: Just go into a room full of strangers telling yourself, “All I’m here to do is to help each person I meet get what they want.” Obviously, that requires that you first find out what they’re looking for, and that you actively listen and ask questions that help you understand their needs. Also, that you be resourceful when it comes to coming up with contacts and possible options for your new contact.

When you’re in the “R Zone,” you’re not talking to people about high school reunions or past jobs. You’re not searching to find names of people you know in common. You’re not discussing current movies. You’re not even being witty. You’re focused on only two things: What the other person is looking for and how you’re going to help them find it. When you come up with the name of someone they can call—even if it’s only someone who can point them in the right direction—it’s amazing how they’ll warm to you.

There’s an old adage, “It’s not what you know, but who you know that counts.” While the statement is true, it also oversimplifies. For, as many will tell you, simply knowing an important or powerful person is no guarantee your calls will be returned. The other person must perceive you as worth knowing. That’s what gets calls returned. And, there’s no faster way to be perceived as someone worth knowing than to give first.

Here are some other thoughts that can guide you as you develop your ability to work in the “R Zone.”

Do less better. One reason so many people finding networking exhausting: They get frantic. They feel obligated to meet everyone at a given meeting. They have to “work the room.” Leave working the room to the professionals. Go into a networking event with limited objectives. Just tell yourself, “I’ll count this as a good experience if I can have five quality conversations with five quality contacts.” And after you meet five, don’t feel obligated to hang around and meet more …unless you want to. Pace yourself and do less better.
Speak with confidence. Don’t be shy when it comes to telling new contacts about what you can do for them. Speak with calm conviction. Project confidence. Believe in yourself. If you don’t believe what you’re saying, no one else will.
Prepare a memorable introduction. In a quiet moment, reflect on why clients or customers like to do business with you. Then, write down what you would like to say that sets you or your business apart—the benefits more than the features. The introduction should begin with your name followed by your business name. Then it should tell them, from their point of view, why they should want to do business with you—in 20 seconds or less. Practice saying your “introduction” in front of a mirror. You don’t have to repeat it word for word each time. Feel comfortable with the general concepts and phrases. Then begin saying your introduction to new contacts.
Join a contact group. Whether it be an industry association, a charitable organization’s board, or a religious group, make an effort to put yourself in situations where you meet new people.
Tell people what you want. Although in this article I’ve focused mainly on helping other people get what they want, when building a relationship you should be clear about what you’re looking for, as well. When you give first, it’s amazing how quickly people look for ways to help you find what you need. An effective strategy is to tell people what you’re looking for right after your introduction—something like, “And this week I’m looking for someone who can introduce me to …” or “This week I’m looking for companies who need…” naming a specific person or need.
Practice putting yourself in the R Zone. When meeting new people, make an effort to really listen to what they’re saying. As much as possible, find out what they want. Put yourself “at source” to help them find it.

Networking really isn’t enough because it’s not enough just to make contacts. To be effective, we must build relationships, something that sounds easier than it is. It takes genuine caring and listening skills that make you a valuable asset in any work situation. Don’t always assume that a person you meet at a networking event is looking for a new client or a job. The person may really be looking for a golf instructor, an electrician, a PC technician, a new car … or even a friend! Be there for them. And stay in the R Zone.

Getting The Right Sales Mindset

February 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Written by Debbie Mrazek

Have you ever noticed when it comes to daytimers or pocket organizers, there are three kinds of people? One kind buys the next year’s daytimer in September so they can hardly skip a beat moving from one year to the next. Yet another group of people pony up to the sales register with organizational tools in hand. They aspire to be organized, yet never seem to get the shrink wrap off. And, finally, there are those who have just accepted they will never be organized and they will have to come to terms with their constant state of disorganization.

And what does this have to do with sales? Simply, put, it’s the same way with sales. Are you the type of person who absolutely hates sales and believes you can’t sell? Or the type who buys all the latest sales books yet hardly cracks the spine? Or do you take sales on with the vigor of an Olympic athlete?

Let me just say, as a member of the 1% club (the top 1 percent of sales professionals), there was a point where I HATED sales (and selling). The last thing I wanted to do is sell. We all move through phases of sales power. Some days it seems like we could sell ice to eskimos. Other days, it takes all we can to summon the courage to pick up the phone to make the calls we know will result in the filled pipeline that we need to continue to be successful. And, then, there are days when we just want to throw in the towel.

And that’s okay. If there’s anything I would like for you to know today it is the idea that you CAN sell and, if you don’t give up, you WILL accomplish your sales goals. I think Woody Allen said it best. Eighty percent of success is just showing up. Be honest with yourself, do your best and it will come. Accept that there will be ups and downs on the way to the finish line.

I wish there was some super magic bullet I could give you that would be the panacea for all of your sales ills. But there’s not. And, truthfully, anyone who says there is may be thinking they have some oceanfront property in Arizona they may like to sell you. The reality is that sales are not a ‘one point’ process where things happen from doing ‘one thing.’ It takes consistent, forward motion to excel in sales.

The best advice I have for you from the field is for you to stay in motion with intention and focus. Do one thing each and every day that adds to your company’s (and your) bottom line. If you stay focused today, tomorrow’s results will take care of themselves!

The 4-Hour Work Week

February 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Want a whole new mindset about how to work smarter and not harder? Get this book immediately. Or read a PDF overview now to see if it’s worth a trip to Amazon.com.

29-year old Timothy Ferriss came out of nowhere with his runaway bestseller hit #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list without the aid of any advertising. Utilizing social networking and the power of blogs and other online media, Ferriss’s book has become a subculture phenomenon among entrepreneurs.

If you are an entrepreneur feeling trapped in your own business, The 4-Hour Workweek promises to be the compass for a new and revolutionary world.
Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan—there is no need to wait and every reason not to. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, high-end world travel, monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, this book is the blueprint.
You can have it all—really.
Join Tim Ferriss, popular guest lecturer in entrepreneurship at Princeton University, as he teaches you:

How to outsource your life and do whatever you want for a year, only to return to a bank account 50% larger than before you left
How blue-chip escape artists travel the world without quitting their jobs
How to eliminate 50% of your work in 48 hours using the principles of little-known European economists
How to train your boss to value performance over presence, or kill your job (or company) if it’s beyond repair
How to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and frequent “mini-retirements”
What automated cash-flow “muses” are and how to create one in 2-4 weeks
How to cultivate selective ignorance—and create time—with a low-information diet
Management secrets of Remote Control CEOs
The crucial difference between absolute and relative income
How to get free housing worldwide and airfare at 50-80% off
How to fill the void and creating meaning after removing work and the office

The 4-Hour Workweek also includes the sample e-mails, voicemails, and real-life deals (with dollar figures and all) you will need to master the new world of luxury lifestyle design.

And, if you are interested in hearing all about how Tim worked his magic on the social networking scene, email me, and I’ll give you information about how to tap into his secrets!

Google.com and Goog411

February 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Tired of paying a buck and a quarter for every information call? The planet’s greatest mover of information has an answer for you. I tried this out just a few days ago and was stunned at how easy it was to use, and how fast the voice recognition software worked. “Wow!” was all I could say.

Just dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) from any phone, and Google411 takes it from there. Simply state the business name or type and location. Then choose your number from the list of numbers provided. Once you choose, Google connects the call for free. It’s super easy and it’s f r e e!

Play Dates Pay Over and Over Again

February 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment

If you are like other entrepreneurs, according to recent statistics, you are likely to be working a lot more hours. The question is, “Are those hours working you or are you working them?”

Many books have been written on various ways to cut the hours, to increase productivity, and to do more in less time. Not as much has been written on ways to rejuvenate yourself, and reenergize after long periods of burning the candle at both ends. No matter how much we love what we do, we must still take time to let our mind, body and soul rest.

Some clients have shared they feel guilty about taking time off when there’s so much to do. Others have said they can’t relax when there’s work to do so why bother. Yet others say that playmates seem like child’s play and aren’t responsible.

Play dates pay you back in many ways. First, they give all the parts of your mind a chance to catch up to each other. This means that some of your best ideas will come when you finally stop to take a break. Edison, Einstein and other great creative geniuses knew the secret behind focusing intensely on work and following it by a break.

Second, play dates allow you to check out and detach from your business in a good way. When you let go, all of those things that you’ve been holding onto so tightly have a way of finding answers. You may feel that by working on something harder you will get the answers, but consider whether or not that is really true.

Third, by taking a break, you can be a better you. That means a better boss, a better spouse, a better parent, a better technician, a better sales person, and a better marketer. This one pays dividends upon dividends – improved relationships, improved life, and improved sales.

Last, but not least, when you take a play date to take care of yourself, you give others permission to take care of themselves. The big façade is that successful people work themselves into the ground, but really successful people have figured out that when they push away from the table, they really increase how effective they are. There’s a reason why Richard Branson does business from a tropical oasis, and why Oprah steals away to Hawaii.

Three Steps To a Great Play Date

Schedule Time During the Week. Plan your break during the week, and make it a special time for yourself. Do plan your time off. You can of course take a break when an appointment cancels, but when you plan it, you can breathe easy that people aren’t looking for you. A good play date is at least two hours long, but could be several days if you like.
Make it personal. Do something you’ve been putting off because you haven’t had the time. Choose something that you will really enjoy – golf, visit a museum, take in a movie, hit the spa, or just spend some time alone. If you enjoy being with a favorite friend, invite your friend to come with you and see how much the two of you can do in an afternoon!
Unplug – completely. A play date isn’t relaxing if it is interrupted by a Crackberry or a cell phone. Turn off the phone, put an auto responder on your email, and unplug so you can be fully present for your play date. Enjoy this time you’ve given yourself knowing that everything is a-okay.
Take notice. When you return to the office, take notice of what happened that was unexpected. What pleasant surprises popped up? Did a sale go through? Did a problem correct itself? Consider making a note of these – mental or written – so you can remind yourself how valuable these breaks can be.
Be great-full. When you return, share your rested, vibrancy with everyone. When people comment on how great you look (and they will), share your secret, and encourage them to do the same. When you are grateful, your greatness is fully available to others to see. When you give to yourself, you give to others as well.

Play dates don’t just happen. They require your attention. If you’ve been secretly feeling like you would like to steal away, pull out the calendar and schedule your play date. It’s time!

Just What the Sales Doctor Ordered

February 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Written By Debbie Mrazek

Okay, you’ve decided your sales are in poor health. How do you get your sales healthy again?

The first step is the sales examination. We’ll talk about where you are and whether the cause is internal (that means you are responsible for what’s going on) or external (that means someone else is impacting your efforts). Internal issues could include fear or lack of certain skills or tools needed to be successful. External forces could point to something in your business or company that affects your sales. This could be anything from poor customer service to unfulfilled customer expectations. What are your sales? How do your sales stack up against your sales goals? How do you set sales goals?

Once you’ve disclosed everything about your sales life, it’s time to move to the diagnosis. Asking someone else to walk through a sale with you can give you great insight into what’s working and what’s not. You need a safe environment to explore what’s going on and then pinpoint what’s causing the pain. Choose someone who can be both objective and honest and has a successful track record in sales. The diagnosis might include something that can be quickly addressed, or it might be something that requires longer treatment. It could be a combination of two or more things. What is important is figuring out what it is and moving past it.

What’s the prescription? During this phase, we look at what you can do today to move your sales in the direction you desire. Perhaps we need to begin with goals. Sometimes it can be as simple as that. Goal setting requires a structure that can ensure you are on the right track for you and your company.
How do you keep sales healthy? Once you have a specific diagnosis, you can develop the plan to keep you from returning to that situation. A regimen is a plan that helps you turn your sales efforts into actual, measurable results. This plan outlines what you will do, how often you will do it, what you can expect from your efforts and strategies on what to do when things just aren’t going as planned. It’s a scaffold for you to develop new habits that will make sales easier and that will not only help your sales grow, but will lock in more profitable sales. It’s not enough to grow sales if you don’t realize more profit at the same time. Who wants to work more and make less? Not me!

Ever have a doctor who sent you out the door with a shot and a prescription? Now, how many of you take every one of those pills you are prescribed. We start feeling better, we get our energy back and the prescription goes by the wayside. We behave similarly with sales. Once you have your regimen and you’ve tested it out and it’s helping you with your sales, it might feel like you are cured. A sales check-up can help you stay on track. Talking about what’s working and what’s not working will ingrain the process even more. After all, we all know we eventually will stop doing anything we don’t enjoy or that isn’t successful. The goal of a check up is to minimize the pain so it’s not necessary to get another shot three months, six months or even a year down the road.
So, let’s say, you’ve stuck with your regimen and we’ve talked about what’s working and what’s not and you feel good about where you are. How do you stay on track? That’s where a coach can make the difference between staying motivated and backsliding. Our clients call us the boss’s boss. Making yourself accountable to someone, even if that someone is yourself equates to bottom line success. In a lot of ways, maintenance is the most important part of your sales program. But how do you maintain your program?

The basics are the same for everyone. Apply the knowledge you’ve gleaned from the rest of the process and continue to expand your sales endurance. Like any good maintenance training program, you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone everyday – just a little. Make one more phone call, use a different sales tool, push yourself to exceed your weekly goal. Every step you take toward growing your sales repertoire makes what you’ve just learned easier. Each skill builds upon another. You can do this!

Get a Shot in the Sales Arm

February 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Written by Debbie Mrazek

Use this prescription to build healthy sales for your business.

Okay, you’ve decided your sales are in poor health. How do you get your sales healthy again?

Counterintuitive Selling Rules During a Recession

February 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Written by Debbie Mrazek

5 Tips to help your business weather a recession.

When panic about a sliding economy hits the airwaves, the first impulse is to react. Most business react by constricting into a ball. The strategy is to drop and hide until the recession passes – no matter how long that might take. Businesses that take the counterintuitive track of boldly staying the course and selling more – not less – will find that the competitive landscape is largely void of the usual suspects.

The sales mentality during a recession is just like it is in the summer. Sales people think everyone is on vacation, so they don’t make the calls. Similarly, they think everyone is not buying during a recession, so they don’t make the calls. The sales go to those who make the calls.

Recession-proofing sales begins with a counterintuitive mindset. Your mind might be saying, ‘run, run’ but if you will have the courage to go forward during this time, you will find that there’s actually a better chance for you to rack up sales. I have worked with many companies during recession periods and some of these booked as much as 110% of their goal while competitors were closing their doors.

Here are her five suggestions for surviving – even thriving – during an economic downturn:

Sales and marketing rule. A recession is the time when you really want to pull out the sales and marketing magic. The key here is to stick with what you know works.
Commit to learning. Those who know everything have nothing to learn. In a recession, it’s a great time to look at things from a fresh perspective. How can you do things better? Serve clients smarter?
Go for the long shot. Why not go for gold? This is the time to be bold and go for those big accounts you wouldn’t dream of calling on during a boom time. You just never know what might happen. Chances are you won’t meet with a lot of competition.
Drill deeper. When clients are doing great and you are part of that success, see if there are other opportunities to do more. Think outside the box and have more fun – try new ideas.
Embrace change. Most companies buy into the Big Bad Recession theory and before you know it the wolf is at Grandma’s house! Embrace this time and you’ll weather the recession and do better than you think.

If you stay the course, you’ll be that much farther ahead. During a recession, it’s better to break away from the pack.

How to Create a Win-Win-Win Sales Strategy

February 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Written by Debbie Mrazek

Think selling ends at the contract? Think again. Most clients, when asked, will tell you the point of contact is the sales person. Why? Because that’s who the client trusts.

Today’s complex marketplace has many demands placed on it by a seemingly never-ending quest for clients. Sales people play a critical role in managing client expectations, enhancing client service and preserving trust in the marketplace.

However, what, exactly, is the sales person’s role? Is it simply hunter?

The sales person is a natural extension of the company, and what many companies fail to realize is that clients don’t trust the company; clients trust the sales contact. This is an important distinction to make because not only is the relationship resting on the sales person, but the external trust a company imparts to the marketplace falls to these company ambassadors.

The win-win-win sales strategy aligns external clients (the marketplace) with the sales person and internal clients (company employees, including customer service representatives) and creates a strategy designed to retain all while enhancing overall brand trust.

Three Wins
Win #1 - The Sales Professional

With a strong labor market, top sales professionals are in demand. No longer can companies count on an endless supply of experienced professionals waiting to fill the sales function. Additionally, with the cost of replacing these positions, companies increasingly find themselves facing higher recruiting costs and, in some cases, the cost of lost intellectual capital, lost revenue, and lost client relationships can top five times a sales professional’s salary. Today, ensuring that sales professionals stay content and challenged is paramount for successful, thriving sales teams. Creating a sales process that promotes the sales professional as a critical component in that process creates a win for the sales professional as well as for client and employer.

Win #2 – The Client

The myriad of choices available to clients in our marketplace is staggering. One of the primary ways that companies differentiate competition is through human capital – the people who interface with the clients. The natural progression of putting people in front of clients is that the relationship naturally falls to the person the client sees most. Companies today realize that there is loyalty in the relationship. Facilitating a sales process that enables the client to interface with the primary sales contact offers the client access to a trusted point of contact, and allows clients an easy way to interact with the company. In many instances, a client will first go to a trusted source – such as the sales professional –before abandoning the relationship.

Win #3 – The Company

Companies seek to find a way to retain clients and to ensure that client loyalty is maximized. The sales sweet spot offers a win for companies because it aligns sales professionals with the client in a way that naturally protects the client’s welfare and, thus, the client’s lifelong revenue with the company. No longer can companies rely on an endless supply of clients or sales professionals. A strategy that serves both of these, in turn, serves the company through enhanced marketplace trust, reduced recruiting fees, reduced client attrition, and increased client loyalty, which, ultimately translates into greater lifelong revenue at a lower cost per sale.

Leverage Pays 5 Reasons to Stick with Your Ideal Clients

February 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment

One of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face is moving from fear to trust. Most new entrepreneurs go through a progression of ‘I’ll take anyone who can write a check’ and move to one where they know the clients that work best for them. What can make this transition that much easier is realizing that there is plenty of business out there. When you combine this understanding with a strategy to attract more of your very best clients (more on this in a future Marketing Mojo) you can have a virtually unbeatable marketing combination.

Here are 5 reasons to stick with your ideal client!

Reason #1 - Taking the Wrong Clients Wreaks Havoc on Your Marketplace Trust

“I don’t trust that if I give up one that I’ll get another one,” the entrepreneur says. Our entrepreneur takes the non-ideal client (misfit vs. perfect fit), loses money on the deal, and then the misfit client goes out into the marketplace and erodes external trust. The misfit tells one, two, 10, 20 people about how awful it was to work with the entrepreneur. Each of those people may tell another two or three, soon that company has a little trust leak that could have easily been avoided. If the misfit enters the online space, then there’s an immediate way for others to know about the less-than-ideal client – and about how that client was underserved.

Reason #2 – Misfits Offer Opportunities for Leverage

It isn’t about saying one company isn’t as good as another. It’s about having the integrity to bypass the companies that will not be best served by you and your company. These misfits are not a fit for your company; however, they are a perfect fit for another company. If you know what your ideal client is you use your ideal client profile, a misfit may simply be passed up. But, if you understand the law of reciprocity, you can leverage the non-ideal client for future profits. Here’s how.

Let’s say that you interview a company that is really not a good fit service-style wise. Let’s say you are a high-touch company and this company isn’t really interested in that. This company wants a bargain basement price and does not value highly personalized service. If you have a list of referral sources ready for these occasions, then when a company comes along that wants the lowest price, it is easy for you to refer this client to a reputable firm that will offer a service-match. Likewise, with a strong reciprocal relationship, the referred-to company can refer those companies they meet that want a more high-touch relationship that they simply can’t offer due to low cost.

I see companies that let misfits go, but I don’t see a lot that take the next step to find a solution for their misfit. When you use this strategy, not only do you leverage the relationship of the referred-to company, but you also leverage the referred company – the misfit client. The way it works is that they see that you have their best interest in mind. Because this is true, you’ve ignited the law of reciprocity not once but twice. The law of reciprocity causes an individual to feel the need to reciprocate a kindness. This deal works best when you don’t expect anything. You do your best, take care of clients like they are your mom, and others tend to want to take care of you. Simple, yet oh so powerful.

Reason #3 – Like Attracts Like

One of my favorite benefits of working with an ideal client profile is that there are more ideal clients where those came from! Generally speaking, like attracts like so ideal clients tend to know others that are similar and therefore a source of better referrals. Think about how much time it takes to work with a referral that is not a good fit. It is time-consuming, even though it can still be beneficial (see #2 above). Still, in the end, wouldn’t you rather work with ideal clients who send people who are similar? I thought so! The ultimate benefit to this reason is that getting more ideal clients takes a lot less work.

Reason #4 – Builds Leverage in Centers of Influence

A big buzz word thrown around these days is social networks. The reason these social networks are getting so much attention is because they are powerful. In very short order, a connected group of social networks can build a brand virtually overnight. A good example of this is how Timothy Ferris’s book, The 4-Hour Work Week, debuted at the top of the New York Times Best Seller list after being promoted in key centers of influence through blogs and other means. When you work with your ideal clients, a similar phenomenon happens within your niche. All of a sudden your name is tossed around more than Paris Hilton. You become a big buzz in your ideal client niche. Suddenly, your marketing efforts are earning big dividends – with the same amount of, or less work.

Reason #5 – Creates a More Powerful Brand and Company

When entrepreneurs try to serve anyone and everyone, it spreads resources thin and dilutes focus. By focusing on an ideal client base, you, the entrepreneur can then dedicate time and energy to serving and constantly meeting the needs of your very best clients. The result is usually a higher per-customer sales average, a more loyal client base of raving fans, and a client base that grows with you as you grow. The more consistent your message is and the more direct your services and offering, the more powerful you appear to your market. Clarity of vision feeds clarity of the ideal client which results in strong sales and a never-ending opportunity to serve those you work with best.

In the bigger picture you do business a certain way – we all are unique in who we are. This unique service style combined with the services you offer are a perfect match for certain individuals and companies. That’s the short of it. Just like a puzzle piece, there’s an interlocking fit between you and your ideal client. Those clients that are not a good fit are free to bypass your door and move to the best company to serve them. What could be better, right?

Nothing is much better, honestly. If you are a services company, then you already know how painful (and very unprofitable) a client that is not a good fit can be. Face the fear, refer the misfits, and serve your ideal clients. It’s a winning combination that makes profit and sense.

Is Networking Enough

Similar Posts

Getting The Right Sales Mindset

Similar Posts

The 4-Hour Work Week

Similar Posts

Google.com and Goog411

Similar Posts

Play Dates Pay Over and Over Again

Similar Posts

Just What the Sales Doctor Ordered

Similar Posts

Get a Shot in the Sales Arm

Similar Posts

Counterintuitive Selling Rules During a Recession

Similar Posts

How to Create a Win-Win-Win Sales Strategy

Similar Posts

Leverage Pays 5 Reasons to Stick with Your Ideal Clients

Similar Posts

Recently Written

Categories

Archives

Blogroll

Admin