A while ago I wrote about how followup is one activity that many entrepreneurs fail to do, yet it is also the one activity that can really make you stand out from your competitors. Think about it! If very few business owners are able to effectively follow up after networking with someone, shouldn't that be a "no brainer" thing for you to get into place today? Effective networking is about … [Read more...]
Business Networking – Breaking the Ice & Starting the Conversation
Business Networking! It is either something you love to do or something you would rather not do. Many of my clients tell me that they would rather have a root canal than go to a local event to network! Does that feel familiar? Maybe that is because you don't make the most of the meetings you go to. Maybe that is because you are uncomfortable and feel like that kid that stood on the wall at … [Read more...]
Be An Unforgettable Speaker – Techniques That Make You Easy to Work With
As a speaker you have a number of things to juggle -- proposals, marketing collateral, networking conversations, presentation material, contracts, travel, etc. Unless you have business processes in place, you may find your business growing "out of control." How well you balance everything that needs to get done determines how fast your business can grow. But there is one consideration that could … [Read more...]
How to Organize Business Cards & Networking Conversations – Interview @ContactKeeper
When you attend trade shows or networking meetings, do you later experience the business card pile up? Do you have great conversations and then get back to your office and either forget action steps or details from the conversation? Do you prefer to keep your contacts in a more traditional / less electronic format? Do you need an easy way to delegate the input of contact and conversation … [Read more...]
Communication: You Don’t Have to Yell To Be Heard – Part 2
It does not matter if your team all works in the same building or if everyone is virtual. Do you have good ways to communicate with your team? If you don't the systems and processes you are trying to implement or maintain can fall flat. One critical question to ask yourself is if the current mode of communication is working in your organization. Are people up to date? Do they know what is … [Read more...]
Productive Networking: 23 Ideas to Organize Business Cards for Effective Followup
"I have no idea who those people are, but they were important to me at one time..." That is what a recent client told me when I opened a drawer in her office and found it filled with business cards. The cards had been collected over a year or so of miscellaneous networking events and trade shows. She'd had good intentions of making connections after the events, but the cards never made it farther … [Read more...]
Your Business Etiquette Practice Could Be Killing Your Relationships and Productivity
Today I received a really nice note from one of my contacts, Amy Humphreys, at Illinois State University. Last month I presented and emceed at a College of Business event on business etiquette. It was fantastic working with the students. The room was filled with college students and area employers. What I found very interesting is that both the students and employers were a … [Read more...]
Telephone Message Productivity Tips
How much time do you lose playing "phone tag?" I can't stand that game! There are things you can do to eliminate that time waster, however. Start Today! It is very rare anymore to actually talk to the person you want to reach the first time you call them. Before you pick up the phone to make another call, consider what you are going to say when you get voice mail. If you want to save … [Read more...]
How To Waste Time and Lose Money Networking
We have all heard the phrase, it is not what you know, but who you know (and in today's social networking environment it is even about who they know!) On Wednesday I had the pleasure of attending a fantastic business women's conference. (Look to the right and you'll see the awesome Cindy Fleming on the left, Martha Mayhood Mertz on the right and I'm in the center.) Connections with the right … [Read more...]
Spending Time on Social Networking – Make it Count!
Have you set up a Web 2.0 strategy for your business? Do you use social networking sites to build your prospect listing? Do you know if the sites you have chosen are a fit with your target market? Before you take a lot of time managing various social networking sites, make sure that the people using that network are in your target market! Today I'll tell you about a great tool that will help … [Read more...]