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Will You Add? - Work an Event, Not Just a Room
Is the pressure of being in business getting to you? Do you feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders? Do you lie awake nights with a thousand points of worry flashing through your poor, tired brain? Welcome, my friend, to the wonderful world of entrepreneurship. Come on now, you really didn’t think it was going to be that easy, did you?Forget all those reasons you’ve heard as to why businesses fail. It’s the pressure of entrepreneurship that sends many folks running back to the supposed security of a real job. I’ve seen perfectly good businesses flushed down the tubes simply because the owner couldn’t handle the day-to-day pressure of keeping the doors open.So I ask you again: is the pressure of being in business getting to you? Is worrying about your business taking up so much of your time that there’s no time left to actually work on the business? If so, take a deep breath and count to ten because there is hope. Here’s how I went from being a chronic worrier to someone who doesn’t sweat the small stuff. And that’s what most topics of worry are: small stuff.The first step is to make a list of everything t
Is the event business casual or formal business? Whatever the answer, remember
It seems to have started harmlessly enough, this business of retailers misleading their customers. But after several years first of stretching the truth, then nibbling hungrily away at it, it appears many retailers wouldn’t know the truth if they stepped in it.It began a decade or so ago, I’m told, apparently because of the “plumping” of America. Ladies clothing stores began being questioned by a growing number of women – no pun intended – about why their dresses and slacks didn’t seem to fit as comfortably as they once did. To be fair, we men were asking similar questions.“Fit” had apparently become much tighter, almost uncomfortably tight. The answer to poor fit with women’s clothing was for manufactures to put a size 6 label on a size 10 garment. Those numbers may be off a bit, but the practice worked. And the ladies were happy because they could again fit into a “size 6.” For men, one answer was to create a line of roomier “comfort fit” jeans.I can’t swear those stories are true, but I’ve heard them repeated too many times from too many sources within the industry for them not to have some basis in truth. Anyway, satisfied wi
Most organizations provide opportunities for connections to occur rather than making the connections. While organizations need to shoulder the responsibility for offering creative and multiple venues locally and nationally, members also need to take more control of their destiny. They need to learn to network strategically rather than just network. Most people like to step up to the plate when they get to the room (and sometimes strike out!) rather than doing all the preparation involved in a planned approach to this vital art.
Working an event entails knowing what to do beforehand, how to work it once you get there and what to do afterwards. We’ll examine each more carefully after we look at what networking is.
What is networking?
Networking is an active, dynamic process that links people into mutually beneficial relationships. It is planting seeds. A sale is harvesting. The more fertile the ground in which you plant your seeds, the more likely you are to reap a good crop.
What to do Before the Event
An element that is key to all your relationship building is to make a plan! Word-of-mouth is the most successful marketing tool, which means networking needs to be part of your written marketing plan. Once you have an overall plan, it can be a first step in choosing any events to attend. Answer questions like:
What is the focus of your business or career?
1. What do you do?
2. What would you like to do?
3. Are you satisfied with your job?
4. Do you want to move laterally, get promoted,
change jobs? Stay where you are geographically?
Who is your target market?
1. Describe them specifically.
2. When, why, where, how do they buy?
3. Where can you meet them?
4. What organizations/clubs do they join?
5. What conferences do they attend?
6. Whom do you know who knows them?
Prepare yourself.
Your “practice sessions” help make sure you are ready for the real thing: the room.
1. Become a Student of Impression Management.
Know what impression you want to create and how to create it. People decide 10 things about you within 10 seconds of seeing you. It is based on your image, a combination of your appearance and behavior. Every color you wear sends a message. Decide what you want it to be. Authority, responsibility and knowledge? Then, wear navy blue. Successful? Then wear darker gray. Dependable, practical, stable – brown. Intuitive, regal, spiritual – purple. Powerful, dignified, sophisticated – black. While black is the most slimming color, it also can be too powerful for some situations.
Is the event business casual or formal business? Whatever the answer, remember t
Recently I posted a question on yahoo answers to better understand what peoples attitudes are towards toilet advertising. The overall response was overwhelmingly positive, with one person boldly stating that it is the only advertising that still has an impact on him.A study conducted at Rice university has shown that the retention of the marketing message is 40% more effective than retention for any other media.Barbour and Monroe’s survey data concluded that:• 84% recalled seeing specific advertisements in the restrooms.• 92% were able to name specific advertisers without prompting.• 88% recalled at least FOUR selling points in the ads surveyed.• 98% reacted positively or neutral to seeing ads in restroom facilities, as is now backed by my yahoo answers experiment.These are all very impressive figures compared to any other media, and as the study via yahoo answers shows, the media isn’t viewed in a negative way by the general public, in fact, most lauded toilet advertising as a welcome distraction.It proves that it is the advert that makes the campaign relevant, not the environment. Unilever’s Axe
Working an event entails knowing what to do beforehand, how to work it once you get there and what to do afterwards. We’ll examine each more carefully after we look at what networking is.
What is networking?
Networking is an active, dynamic process that links people into mutually beneficial relationships. It is planting seeds. A sale is harvesting. The more fertile the ground in which you plant your seeds, the more likely you are to reap a good crop.
What to do Before the Event
An element that is key to all your relationship building is to make a plan! Word-of-mouth is the most successful marketing tool, which means networking needs to be part of your written marketing plan. Once you have an overall plan, it can be a first step in choosing any events to attend. Answer questions like:
What is the focus of your business or career?
1. What do you do?
2. What would you like to do?
3. Are you satisfied with your job?
4. Do you want to move laterally, get promoted,
change jobs? Stay where you are geographically?
Who is your target market?
1. Describe them specifically.
2. When, why, where, how do they buy?
3. Where can you meet them?
4. What organizations/clubs do they join?
5. What conferences do they attend?
6. Whom do you know who knows them?
Prepare yourself.
Your “practice sessions” help make sure you are ready for the real thing: the room.
1. Become a Student of Impression Management.
Know what impression you want to create and how to create it. People decide 10 things about you within 10 seconds of seeing you. It is based on your image, a combination of your appearance and behavior. Every color you wear sends a message. Decide what you want it to be. Authority, responsibility and knowledge? Then, wear navy blue. Successful? Then wear darker gray. Dependable, practical, stable – brown. Intuitive, regal, spiritual – purple. Powerful, dignified, sophisticated – black. While black is the most slimming color, it also can be too powerful for some situations.
Is the event business casual or formal business? Whatever the answer, remember
Many of you conduct year end performance evaluations with your employees. In this article we will presume that these have been positive experiences for both you and your employee and that you mutually agreed upon opportunities for growth, development, and improvement. As you look back over the past year did you see progress toward the achievement of those opportunities or did the employee start off enthusiastic but soon returned to the old way of doing things or behaving? Are you wondering why? Well first let’s agree that nearly every employee truly wants to do a good job and gain the approval of their employer. Those rare birds that don’t are another discussion entirely. That means that when employees aren’t giving us what we ask of them we need to evaluate our systems and pinpoint the systemic problem. So what could possibly be wrong with our performance evaluation process?Given that only 3% of the entire population knows how to truly set and get goals, goal getting may be a big part of the problem. If you and your employee(s) haven’t truly established a plan, you have a low probability for success. So let’s review how to help your employe
What to do Before the Event
An element that is key to all your relationship building is to make a plan! Word-of-mouth is the most successful marketing tool, which means networking needs to be part of your written marketing plan. Once you have an overall plan, it can be a first step in choosing any events to attend. Answer questions like:
What is the focus of your business or career?
1. What do you do?
2. What would you like to do?
3. Are you satisfied with your job?
4. Do you want to move laterally, get promoted,
change jobs? Stay where you are geographically?
Who is your target market?
1. Describe them specifically.
2. When, why, where, how do they buy?
3. Where can you meet them?
4. What organizations/clubs do they join?
5. What conferences do they attend?
6. Whom do you know who knows them?
Prepare yourself.
Your “practice sessions” help make sure you are ready for the real thing: the room.
1. Become a Student of Impression Management.
Know what impression you want to create and how to create it. People decide 10 things about you within 10 seconds of seeing you. It is based on your image, a combination of your appearance and behavior. Every color you wear sends a message. Decide what you want it to be. Authority, responsibility and knowledge? Then, wear navy blue. Successful? Then wear darker gray. Dependable, practical, stable – brown. Intuitive, regal, spiritual – purple. Powerful, dignified, sophisticated – black. While black is the most slimming color, it also can be too powerful for some situations.
Is the event business casual or formal business? Whatever the answer, remember
I have been an entrepreneur for over twenty years and have absolutely embraced information that would help maintain a well managed and profitable business. We have been a part of the information era for sometime now. As business owners, we have access to more information than ever in this generation of technology. But how can we use this technology to aid our business?Today's business environment creates both opportunities and challenges. Powerful technology, including the internet, provides access to global markets and increases your potential for incredible gains. However, managing the technology and taking advantage of the opportunities it provides can be very threatening for small business owners who lack an extensive budget and a dedicated IT department or person. Ultimately, it's about vision--and developing a viable strategy! Without a defined strategy, we make poor buying decisions, adopt ineffective tools, and often experience a high level of frustration. Businesses that succeed, typically establish technology strategies that help them gain a competitive advantage through cost savings, process improvements, faster time to market, and improve
Who is your target market?
1. Describe them specifically.
2. When, why, where, how do they buy?
3. Where can you meet them?
4. What organizations/clubs do they join?
5. What conferences do they attend?
6. Whom do you know who knows them?
Prepare yourself.
Your “practice sessions” help make sure you are ready for the real thing: the room.
1. Become a Student of Impression Management.
Know what impression you want to create and how to create it. People decide 10 things about you within 10 seconds of seeing you. It is based on your image, a combination of your appearance and behavior. Every color you wear sends a message. Decide what you want it to be. Authority, responsibility and knowledge? Then, wear navy blue. Successful? Then wear darker gray. Dependable, practical, stable – brown. Intuitive, regal, spiritual – purple. Powerful, dignified, sophisticated – black. While black is the most slimming color, it also can be too powerful for some situations.
Is the event business casual or formal business? Whatever the answer, remember
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Whilst there is no sure fire route to commercial success, these processes improve the probability that good ideas will be generated and selected and that investment in developing and commercialising those ideas will not be wasted.However, no matter how good an idea, how good the selection process or how perfect the development and commercialisation of the product, sometimes all that is needed is time for the product to come into its own.A good example is the electric car. In the early 20th century the electric car scored highly on measurements such technical superiority and environmental friendliness and in New York fleets of electric taxis carried passengers across the city. At the time the internal combustion engine was cranky and unreliable yet it eventually usurped it’s rival (Franklin, 2003). The
Is the event business casual or formal business? Whatever the answer, remember that a suit jacket with long sleeves, slightly padded shoulders and a collar make you look one-third more powerful.
Body language is another key element that speaks before you say anything. Your posture can bespeak confidence or the lack thereof. Learn the meaning of the seven standard handshakes, and how to react to them. Eye contact needs to be steady without being too piercing or too weak. A good rule of thumb is to maintain it at least 80 percent of the time. You can look down or away in thought; however, you need to return to the subject relatively quickly before you appear to be uninterested.
2. Prepare a Powerful, Benefit-laden Verbal Business Card.
You want your all-important introductory words to intrigue people while at the same time inform them about what you do. They must be laden with benefits. People are most interested in how what you do affects or helps them. This is not the same thing as an elevator speech, which is 30-60 seconds long. This one is about 10-15 seconds. That’s all the longer you have to grab someone’s attention. It is also the length of time that is proper for you to speak before giving someone else a chance.
Make sure to include active verbs, the most powerful words in the English language. For example:
I am Lillian Bjorseth, and I help entrepreneurs
through Fortune 500 employees increase their comfort
level with meeting people and get along better with
others.
Notice I did not say I am a speaker, trainer, author, etc. Those words generally cause people to think, “So what.” Make yours elicit the question, “How?” That’s when you can launch into all the things you are itching to say.
3. Know Your Relationship-building Strengths and Limitations.
Use a behavioral tool such as DISC to analyze yourself in the networking arena. Even more importantly, learn to read others so you can network in their style and quickly help them feel comfortable.
If you are naturally confident like the Dauntless style and have a powerful stance, handshake and eye contact, ease up a little, lest you overwhelm others. Indefatigables, curb your natural enthusiasm and desire to do almost all the talking. You’ll benefit more from listening more.
Supportive networkers, push your comfort level, and talk with three or four
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