A NEW NETWORKERS GUIDE

I am just finalising the launch of the first monthly networking event, TopTips@TheLoft, at The Business Loft  tomorrow. This got me thinking about how difficult I found networking as a new business person. I fell into all the usual traps of forgetting my business cards and spending a fortune on attending events without any significant business development outcomes.

Networking costs money so don’t waste it. Here are the a few things I learnt along the way…….

Tips for Effective Networking

* Do your research to find the right networking event for your business need

* Prepare by setting out what you want to achieve from the networking event

         o   New contacts and potential clients

         o   Knowledge

         o   Preferably both

* Think carefully about what you wear but be yourself

          o   Do not go ‘suited and booted’ if that is not your style

          o   Dress for smartness and confidence

* Make  sure you have lots of business cards with you

*  Remember the 80:20 rule - get the other person to talk about themselves and their business 80% of
    the time

* People buy from people so don’t sell to them, develop a relationship

* Exchange business cards and write on theirs to remind you of important details about them

* If you discover a link to what your business offers only briefly tell them how you can help. Do not
   start to sell to them

* Follow up after with an email within 24hrs

* Follow email with a phone call, within 48 hours of email, to set up an appointment

* Get 3 strong leads to follow up from each networking event

* Always evaluate your networking activity regularly to make sure there is a good return on    
   investment

It can be a daunting prospect to walk up to someone and start a conversation. Some people prefer to wait until people come to them. I used to think this was a complete waste of time until I experimented and tried it out. Much to my amazement some people did come over to talk to me. One of them was from the Royal Bank of Scotland and became a new client!

Whether you approach others or they approach you there is still a need to think of some questions so that your nerves don’t get the better of you and make you talk only about yourself! So here are some tips…….  

Opening a Conversation

·         Decide what makes you a little more comfortable engaging with a group or just one individual.

          o   If you are not sure, try it out at an event  and you will soon
               know which is best for you

·         Introduce yourself and shake hands.

          o   The hand shake is very important in the business world.

          o   Practice a firm handshake as a week one says under confidence & a strong one dominance
               and controlling

·         Give good eye contact and smile

          o   Body language is so important for a first impression

·         Start with the simplest of questions to open a conversation

           o   “How far have you come today?”

           o   “How many of these type of events do you go to?”

           o   “What networking events do you find are best for your
                 business?”

·         Comment about the weather, sport or a topic linked to the event to open up the conversation.

·         Move on to some more delving questions

          o   “What was it that interested you about this event?”

          o   “What do you know about the speaker……… today?”

          o   “What line of business are you in?”

·         Now ask them questions about their business.

·         Use mostly open questions that start with ‘How,’ ‘What,’ Where’ and ‘When’

          o   This opens the conversation up and stops them giving ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answers

·         Learn to enjoy finding out about the other person and what their business is

·         Ask one or two questions later on that are linked to the services/products you provide

          o   Do not start selling to them just note when you find a ‘gap’ you could fill

         o   Make a mental note to follow this person up afterwards as they are a ‘Hot’ Lead

Now get Networking and Enjoy Yourself!

5 TIPS ON HOW TO DEAL WITH LEMONS

Self-Motivation for the Self Employed

 

Running a business is an exciting challenge but what do you do when you have lost your ‘Mo Jo?’ It is bound to happen from time to time. Things get tough, disappointments happen, money gets tight or problems raise their cranky little heads. These are the times when you need to delve into your inner resources and find ways to re-motivate yourself. So when life gives you lemons what do you do with them?

Why is this so important? Well, quite frankly, you have a business to run and customer confidence is lost (as well as business) if you are in a downward spiral of demotivation. If you are lucky enough to have business partners or directors who can take up the slack when the going gets tough for you, then you’re lucky. Remember thought, their patience and understanding will wear thin if you do not learn how to get back on the motivation track quickly.

So here are a few tips for re-motivating yourself when the going gets tough…..

1.       Carefully Consider The Actions Open to You.  Is there any action you can take to change things?

a.       If yes, then take action

b.      If no, move on to point 2.

ACTION MOTIVATES, INACTION STAGNATES

2.       Carefully Consider Your Other Options. What actions can you take to move forward in a positive way?

THERE ARE ALWAYS OPTIONS – YOU HAVE TO BE OPEN TO THEM

3.       Seek Out New Opportunities. Are you doing enough to seek out and find opportunities?

BACKWARD LOOKING & NEGATIVITY WILL BLIND YOU TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES

4.       Find Ways to De-stress. How can you reduce your stress levels and get back in the game?

TAKE A BREAK, DO SOMETHING YOU LOVE OR GET CREATIVE.

SWITCH OFF FROM WORK & SEE MORE CLEARLY

5.       Fill Your Mind With Positive Thoughts. Ever realised that what you think about is your own choice?

MAKE A CHOICE TO FILL YOUR MIND WITH POSITIVITY & SEE THINGS WORKING OUT WELL

Whatever you do, always make sure you continue to give the service your clients deserve and expect. Take control and never, never, never run away from the problem that faces you. Work through it and find the keys to re-motivate yourself.

Tell me what things re-motivate you.

Setting up a Partnership? Here’s some good advice:

5 Keys to Building Rock Solid Partnerships (by docstocTV)

ARE YOU AN OSTRICH OR AN EAGLE?

How to Manage Your Business through Change

When change happens how do you react? For those of us in businesses, or thinking about starting a business, change is something we need to learn to love and manage effectively. Why do I say this? Because in business nothing ever stays the same, markets change, fashions change, the economy changes, customer’s needs and wants change. So we must learn to live with, love and adapt to change.

Lessons in Change

I remember years ago when the market for my hand made designer appliqued knitwear (my first business) changed. I had been so busy producing and selling that I was oblivious to the fact that the market was being swamped by cheap appliqued knitwear from the Far East! That was a huge lesson for me – always to keep my eye on the market, watching for and anticipating change.

THE CHANGE PROCESS

The first thing to realise is that change is a process that we have to move through. How quickly and effectively we move through it is the key to success in business……

Immobilisation

Some people are so immobilised by change that they refuse to see it or even talk about it. This is a very dangerous place to be if you are in business because if you are not seeing it you have no opportunity to do anything about it.  These people are the ostriches who bury their head in the sand and then when they finally come up for air and see the reality it is often too late to change.

Keep your head out of the sand and watch on a daily basis for any changes on the horizon.

Denial

In this stage of change the person has identified that things are changing and is telling themselves and others that it will never work. They can give you all the reasons under the sun why the change is no good. Whilst they are doing this they are missing the fact that it is actually working and they are getting left behind. This was highlighted recently in the TV series about Swansea Market. A couple who sold wedding accessories in the indoor market were so busy finding fault in the vast amount of their goods that were sold cheaper online that they missed the opportunity to develop their own internet business.

Listen to yourself and watch for what you are denying will ever work. Then decide what you need to do to get onboard the change.

 

Frustration

It is fear of the unknown, fear of mastering new skills and anger at the change itself that holds us back. By the time we hit ‘Frustration’ we are entrenched in negativity about the change. This is where many people get stuck and it does two things in business. Firstly is puts customers off because all the person does is moan, complain, blame others and put down their competitors. Secondly, it saps all your energy and attention to the point where you miss opportunities and your business suffers.

Watch your own level of negativity and look for the positives.

Acceptance

Now you are on the right path to making change work for you and your business. At this stage of change you are looking for the opportunities it creates for you. Now you have become an Eagle. You are souring upwards, looking forward, watching for opportunities and seeing the changes as opportunities for success.

Feel the fear and do it anyway!  Look for opportunities, assess the risk factors and decide on what changes are right for you.

Identity

Once you have assessed the changes thoroughly you can then begin to form a new identity for yourself. A couple of years ago at the age of 60yrs I was thrown into change when I realised the market for bespoke wedding jewellery (a new business I was developing)  was moving more and more online. The young people were using social media and not email as a means of communication. Being somewhat of a technophobe my fear levels were rising as I realised my new identity needed to be in social media!

Decide what your new identity needs to be to move you into the new field of change.

Skills

Now you have a clear picture of your new identity there may be new skills you need to learn. This was certainly the case for me with regard to social media. I had a Facebook page and was not even using that properly! So I enrolled on what I thought was an 8 week course only to find on the first evening that I had signed up for a 2 year Foundation Degree in Social Media! I’m into my second year now and loving it.

Identify any learning needs you have and find ways of filling them with courses, reading and YouTube tutorials; whatever it takes.

Ongoing Change

Change is never ending, especially in this fast-moving digital age. So the deal here is to be ever vigilant for the next changes. Lean to love it, find the fun in moving through it and grow your business because of it.

 

So are you an Ostrich or an Eagle?

START AN ACTION LEARNING REVOLUTION

Group Mentoring For Dynamic Results

One of the problems with working as a freelancer or sole trader is that you often have no one to bounce ideas around with or fully support you when you hit rough waters. Turning to our nearest and dearest, especially with a problem, may not be the best option.  Whilst it is important not to shut them out, they are usually too close to us or the issues and quite often fearful because they love us. See the dilemma?

So where can you get the support and help you need when you work alone?

Action Learning Groups

One way is to find or develop an Action Learning Group. These are also known as Peer Mentoring Groups. They are groups of two to six people who meet once or twice a month to support each other in a structured way.  They are facilitated, reflective sessions with the main aim of developing skills, competence, confidence and your business. The facilitator is usually a person with experience and skills that will aid the learning process.

 

Each person comes to the meeting, which lasts usually an hour or two at the very most, with an issue they want help with.  Sometimes individual group members may not have an issue and just be there to support the others. This is perfectly acceptable. The meeting is then facilitated in the following way:

 

·         One member of the group starts by quickly explaining the issue
          they want help with. The importance here is to be as succinct as
          possible.

·         Each person in the group then says what they would do in the
          same situation (from experience or just gives their ideas).

·         To clarify an issue they may ask one or two questions before
           expressing their thoughts.

·         Each person in the group has their say or abstains if they have
          nothing they feel they can add. This is quite acceptable in an
          Action Learning Group.  

 

·         The person who ‘owns’ the issue listens and takes notes.

·         The facilitator makes sure that no discussions arise (very
          important if you are to keep the meeting short, sharp and
          focused) and that one person puts their ideas forward at a time.

·         When  everyone in the group has had their say the facilitator may
          add in thoughts and ideas from their experience

·         Finally, the person who ‘owns’ the issue states up to 3 actions
          they will commit to undertake. These can be from what they have
          heard in the group or ideas they have had whilst listening.

·         Each person in the group is given the opportunity to share their
          issue and so the above process is repeated.

·         At the start of the next Action Learning Group each member very
          quickly feeds back the action they took following the last session
          and how it has worked. This is great for holding you accountable
          for taking action and moving yourself and your business forward

 So how do you find an Action Learning Group?

You can choose a group of people you know and invite them to join you or join a facilitated group such as the one I am shortly starting at The Business Loft in Newport, South Wales (contact me or watch out on Linked In if you want more details). Look for a good facilitator with knowledge and expertise in the field you want the Action Learning to focus on e.g. business, marketing, leadership etc. Or run the group yourself if there is enough experience in the group.

Have a go and let me know how it works or what  experience you have of being part of an Action Learning Group.

Inspiring video of students with Bright Ideas and and enterprising attitude Trading Places 2013 (by Anytime Films)

10 WAYS TO RECESSION PROOF YOUR BUSINESS

Starting or growing a business through a recession is not as silly an idea as it may appear. It certainly makes you hone your skills more sharply in marketing, selling and financial management. I set up my management training business 25years ago in a recession and learnt a number of lessons very quickly……

 1.   Get creative and look for what customers need in a recession

Finding the right angle or USP (Unique Selling Point) for your market is vital in a recession. This may be a gap in the market or it may be offering special deals to help people’s budgets go further. Get creative and stand out from the crowd.

2.      Do your research well

All too often I see new businesses set up with little or no research into their market or business idea. You can have the most wonderful product or service but if no-one wants it you will be quickly out of business. Remember that your market research should be constant and on-going. I know of a jewellery designer who could not understand why his sales were so low, last Christmas, even though he was in a prime location. The truth of the matter was that his style of jewellery was old fashioned and out of date. He had been making enameled jewellery for years and not changed to meet new demand and fashions.

3.      Listen to and act on your ‘gut feeling’ and intuition

With so much advice and help out there, when you start your own business, it is important to carefully consider it all before taking action. If I had acted on 90% of the advice I was given I would have been out of business before the end of my first year!

 4 .      Choose a mentor carefully

Find one who understands you and your business; someone who stimulates and challenges your ideas, a person who supports and encourages you to make your own decisions. Also choose different mentors for different roles e.g. finances, marketing etc.

  5.      Make sure you are skilled in financial management

Even if you have a bookkeeper or accountant helping you it is vital that you understand how to manage the business finances on a day by day basis. Knowing and understanding the finer details of your margins and cash-flow is imperative if you are to successfully navigate the tricky waters of a recession.

  6 .      Learn the skills of sales and telesales

To develop a business you have to be able to sell and to make appointments. Sounds like common sense, yes? You would be amazed at how many businesses fail because the owner is reactive and not pro-active with their selling. You know they say Location, Location, Location is vital when buying a business property, well Sales, Sales, Sales is imperative in growing a business. This is especially true in a recession when you need to increase your sales activity dramatically to keep ahead of the game.

 7 .      Have sufficient insurance cover for your business

Never skimp on your business and professional indemnity insurance. I knew a lawyer in the USA whose business partner failed to renew their professional indemnity insurance. Shortly after this a client sued them and he lost everything including his home!  With the increase in the UK of no win no fee litigation you really can’t afford to take the risk.

 8 .      Always use a professional written client contract, job spec, terms and conditions

It does surprise me how many small businesses have now written terms and conditions or they think the one on the web site will suffice when doing business face to face. It won’t. Make sure you have them and use them as if there is a dispute with a client you may find your legal position compromised.

 9 .      Get your policies and procedures in place

When you are about to employ or if you set up a Limited Company a raft of policies and procedures from Human Resources to Health & Safety need to be in place. This can be time consuming and costly which means that many small businesses either don’t have them or don’t have relevant or up to date ones.

 

10.      Have a Personal Development Plan - keep adding to your knowledge and skills base

Professionals such as lawyers and accountants have their requirement for CPD (Continuing Professional Development) to ensure that their knowledge and skills are kept up to date. The same is needed when you are in business; the only difference is that we do not have a professional body requiring us to do this. Growing your knowledge grows your business.

If you work smarter rather than harder you can make a business thrive in any economic climate.

Sales Secrets: Closing Sales (by docstocTV)

What’s your brand’s personality?

Isn’t it amazing how we’re all totally unique? If you think of your own circle of friends, each one has their own compelling personality. It’s the way we form emotional connections with people. Brands are no different.

Understanding our brand’s personality can help us differentiate ourselves in the market-place. It can also help us see how our customers perceive us.

Think of the personality of some well-known brands.

Apple innovative, stylish, intuitive, cool, casual, easy-going and friendly

Innocent playful, cheeky, naughty, big character, cool, natural, creative

Chanel classical, elegant, comfortable, simple, chic

BBC excellent, reliable, safe, inclusive, quality, benchmark

Which personality traits do you want to convey to your customers? Are they the same traits your customers would attribute to your brand? Who would be your ideal spokesperson? Who would be your nightmare spokesperson?

When we see individual friends they evoke specific feelings in us. How do your customers feel when they buy from you?

 

First posted on SmithHolland’s blog on 19 February 2013

 

Created By Deborah Holland

Deborah Holland is a partner at branding and creative agency SmithHolland Creative. They work with companies who are experts in their field, and know that their branding has the power to make or break them. Deborah is fascinated with how people choose to communicate their messages and has been lucky enough to work in the arts, education, health, and homelessness sectors. For more information or to get in touch visit www.smithholland.co.uk.

CUSTOMER SERVICE – WHO CARES?

How often have you felt let down by a new service and how they handle their customer service? I recently engaged a cleaning company to undertake a deep clean of my house. (Let’s face it who wants to spend their weekends cleaning after a full weeks work?) They were very professional and were on the phone nearly every day, politely chasing to gain me as a new client. I was impressed!

Their area manager called to see me and was most polite considering that I had forgotten the first appointment that we made. His attitude was very professional and he quickly built a good rapport with me. The point to remember here is that a new customer is buying the person who is selling to them. If the sales person is not the person giving the service then good management to ensure the services level agreed is essential.

The level of service and what would be undertaken was clearly laid out for me, however there was nothing in writing giving me the terms and conditions at this point. Their quote was very prompt but unfortunately on opening the attachment it was blank. Even after phoning them to say I could not open the quote it was never re-sent. Always leave a prospective customer with more than just a business card if you can. Give them something so they can read more about your business and answer some of the questions they may still have about your service after you have left.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating as the saying goes and sadly I was most disappointed with this ‘pudding’. After their deep clean service there was no follow up phone call to check that everything was to my satisfaction. A prompt follow up phone call to a new customer, immediately after the service has been undertaken, is always a great way of developing the new relationship and handling any problems pro-actively. This then prompted me to check out more thoroughly if the job had been done to the high standards they had promised. The point here is never promise what you cannot fulfil.

I left it a couple of days before sending an email to the area manager outlining the problems I had with their service. Then I waited, and waited and waited. One week on and I had no contact from them. Is it any wonder that complaining customers are often hard to handle? By contacting a disgruntled customer immediately, listening to their complaint, summarising it back to them to make sure you have got all the issues right, apologising for the situation and then communicating what action you are going to take, stops the whole thing escalating.

Now I have had to email the boss and this time I have sent her photos of the dirt behind and under the furniture, behind the microwave and where objects had not been picked up! So what is my expectation now? Having lost all trust in their service, and having had no contact from them, I have asked to cancel my ongoing contract with them. Don’t run away from a customer problem as it will only escalate.

The customer is definitely king in this new consumer market where social media is a platform for complaints as well as compliments. Don’t forget the power of social media. Messages about bad customer service via social media are to be avoided at all costs. Their public nature is far more damaging to any business than the old fashioned word of mouth! Whilst I have resisted the temptation to mention the companies name here on my blog I will definitely be escalating my complaint onto Twitter if I do not have a response in the next couple of days. The irony is that it was through Twitter I found out about the company. I only hope I do not have to end my relationship with them on the same platform.

Have you got a Bright Idea? http://bit.ly/16DYRjd Not sure who to share it with? When to Share Your Business Idea (by docstocTV)

A BLOGGERS TALE

How to Develop Your Blogging Skills

 

The Skills of a Blogger

According to marketing, social media expert and author Mark Schaefer there are different blogging skills needed for success:

·         Dreaming

·         Storytelling

·         Persuading

·         Teaching

·         Curating

The balance of the use of these skills defines the style of the blogger. With over 25 years as a management development trainer and coach/mentor it is no wonder that teaching and storytelling are my predominant skills – I use a lot of anecdotes and stories in my training sessions. As for persuading, I am practicing this skill the more I put forward my opinion. Curating is the skill I thought I use least in my blogging however, on reflection and reading the section in Mark’s book (Born to Blog) again, I actually use it every time I create a list of tips or ideas.

Dreaming is the skill I am beginning to love and indulge in. It is about infusing my writing with emotional impact. Letting my mind wander and allowing it to see stories for my blogs in my past experiences and everything around me. This is something I have only just started to do. It has lead me to write blogs such as ‘Business Lessons From a Child’ – looking for the things my four year old granddaughter can teach me about business – and ‘Taming The Dragon’ a blog about a really negative situation I experienced that offers a lesson on how to handle difficult people.

Developing My Blogging Skills

Now here’s something interesting. If you look at my 3 blogs….

1.      Chrissie Designs Blog http://chrissiedesigns.blogspot.co.uk/

2.      FDSM Blog http://chrissiewebber.blogspot.co.uk/

3.      The Loft Blog http://loftblog.tumblr.com/

You’ll see that they have completely different styles! Reflecting on my first two blogs I see that the jewellery blog was more factual with a selling style whilst my FDSM blog has an open, relaxed and personal style to it. Written in the first person, the FDSM blog is a conversation with my audience that includes my thoughts and opinions. So what made me change my style? I remember feeling extremely scared about others reading my work, especially fellow classmates and my tutors. This was a reflective journal so I had no choice but to put myself and my opinions on the page.

Having never studied for a degree before (and I am now in my 60’s) putting my opinions on the line was the really scary bit. The strange thing is, as a published author of a book about weight loss (Weight Loss, Life Gain) I had no problems writing about very personal issues. I suppose that was because the book was something I never really thought would be good enough to publish. When I found a publisher it was too late to worry! Having written this book in the first person I just continued this style into my blogging without actually thinking about it.

N writing my second Blog, FDSM, my confidence was growing which is so important for ongoing success. So why did I stop writing both of my first two blogs? On reflection I was writing because I had to and not for my own enjoyment, to share my knowledge or to help others.

The Driving Forces behind Successful Blogging

Now I have a clear sense of why I personally want to be a blogger. I know what it is I want to say and achieve from blogging. This is the first key to long-term success and enjoyment.

I also believe that the driving force and key motivations behind writing an ongoing successful blog are fundamental to its long term success. In my opinion they are:

·         Love of writing

·         A desire to let your readers get to know the real person behind the words

·         A burning desire to share your knowledge and help others

·         A desire to find your own voice (your own unique writing style)

So the message in this tale of an unlikely blogger is to:

1.      Write about the things that really interest you;

2.      Put your personality into your blog;

3.      Don’t try to sell or promote your business;

4.      Give away your helpful advice;

5.      Be consistent and blog once a week;

6.      Don’t expect lots of feedback (only about 1% will engage with you)

7.      Have fun with your blogging!

Let me know how your blogging is going. Leave me a message and I will respond.

5 Business Tips Everyone Should Know | Two Minute Tuesdays (by volusion)

7 STEPS FOR FEAR BUSTING SUCCESS

Everyone is looking for success in business otherwise why start one? However there is one major thing that holds people back from success and fulfilling their potential in life – FEAR!

I have a dear friend who is so paralysed by fear, in many areas of her life, that she sabotages her success and her happiness. Her fear of failure, the unknown and making the wrong decision are all contributing factors to her lack of action. By not taking action, talking to people, finding out as much information as she can to explore her options she makes decisions without fully thinking them through or planning. Most of the time by not taking action she leaves things until the last minute, has no time to fully explore the issues and then makes snap decisions which cause her endless problems.

When fear is at a high enough level it….

·         Stops us thinking, problem solving and seeing all the options.

·         Stops us from seeing and taking advantage of opportunities.

·         Stops us from listening to and having faith in our intuition

·         Stops us from taking action as we get stuck in our thinking

·         Stops us from moving forward and realising our potential

So what fears hold you back? We all have them to one extent or another. Knowing what they are and when they raise their ugly heads is important to anyone in business. By identifying them you have the choice to take actions to overcome them. It is inaction that reduces our success factors.

So here is a 7 Step Plan for Fear Busting Success for mastering your fears:

1.      Identify what your major fears are and what triggers them.

2.      Determine what actions you need to undertake to avoid the paralysing effect of fear.

3.      Make sure that your fear does not allow you to stop listening and evaluating.

4.      Take small steps of action and watch for the results.

5.      Take careful note of the results of your actions they tell you if you are on track.

6.      Don’t be afraid to seek advice then evaluate it for yourself before taking action.

7.      Accept that to fail is to learn and to learn is to grow and to grow is to succeed.

Have a great ‘Fear Busting’ time and let me know how you have triumphed over your fears.