The Case Study:

I attended a networking event and, as the chair of a networking group and president of my own company, I wore a rather large name tag.  As I was standing there an attendee approached me, practically jumped in front of me, threw his hand out and said “Hi, My name is Tim I am in IT, I fix and program computers. I am off site and I am on site. Here’s my card let me know if you need my services.”  In a flash he was gone.   As I observed him, he went around the whole room doing this. For years we have been taught to work the room at networking events. Working the room usually end up with receiving or giving out 50 cards and nothing ever happening.

Outcome: 

Networking is a means to an end. It is not the end or the appropriate place for sales. Networking meetings are a time to seek and begin authentic and honest connections.

The notion of going to networking meeting to make sales is ineffective.  An effective approach to networking is to have tremendous clarity about who you would like to meet and seek to meet one or two people you would like to spend more time with.  It is the building of the relationships with the right people that leads to building trust in people, and their products and or service.  It is through trust that we gain and give referrals and build a resilient network of relationships. It is the relationship that drives referrals and sales!

Before you head into your next networking event, ask yourself:

• Who are the three people I would I like to meet at this event?
• What do I want to learn about each of them and their businesses?
• When during the next two weeks am I free to meet them for coffee? (so you can schedule that meeting immediately)

The Case Study:

I was in a networking meeting last week and met a number of business owners. As they introduced themselves to me, the need to say everything about their business left me saying “Ok, now what exactly do you do?” An example of this was a woman who said, “Hi my name I Lori, I teach computer skills, but I also make jewelry and I even work with seniors teaching art.” It is very hard to understand what she wants me to buy or who I could introduce her to, because she offered too much information for me to get it immediately.

Outcome: 

When mastered effectively, the art of business communication can build a lucrative, impressive, and respected company beyond imagination. A company that embraces solid communication saves and makes time and money-the two hottest commodities in the business world.  The ways in which we articulate the messages about our business must be simple, direct and effective:  This level of clarity will lead to the right conversations, meetings and sales!

Here are some questions that you must be able to answer for yourself before you write your website, your marketing collateral or speak to anyone about your business:

Of all of the things I do, what am I focusing on right now?

How can I say those things succinctly?

How can I get a meeting?

In today’s world it is normal for a person to re-think what they want from life. A large percentage of our population, from college graduates through the 55-plus generation, is still is trying to figure out what they want to do. They are looking for a way to seize control… of business and of life. The classic dream of making one’s way up through the ladder of an organization or even, these days, to find and accept a reasonable job, has changed and continues to change dramatically.  One trend indicates that many of these people want to create a business on their own terms.  I hear this often from my own clients. They tell me they are drawn to do so many things that it is overwhelming. They can’t choose a single direction and they want to so many things that they become stuck without a true direction… or revenue.

Outcome: 

The reality is this: The guidelines for leading a good life are the same as for being successful business owners and for leading a good company. The approach is the same -develop a vision for how we see ourselves and our companies, devise a plan to attain it, go for it, and then be accountable for our progress.   In actuality, we need to be the entrepreneurs of our lives as well as our business.  The basis of choosing what to do with our lives, personally and professionally, must be driven by our values, our beliefs and a sense of purpose, and that needs to be aimed at a distinct horizon not a random direction.  

Good questions to explore:
How do I see my business unfolding?
How do I see myself using my strengths?
What direction am I steering my company in and is it the direction I envision?

The Case Study:

One of my clients, a man in sales, came in last week for a business consultation feeling very down and lacking the determination to continue. He’d had five meetings that week, all of which had gone poorly, and he felt like he just couldn’t sell anything. “What am I doing wrong?” he asked.  When I inquired about the people he was meeting with and asked what he could tell me about their companies, he replied, “I don’t really know.”

Asking questions and being curious is the first step to tapping into your customer’s needs and wants. When you ask the right questions, you get to the core of what your customer needs and gain an understanding of what is and is not working for them.  A business relationship is strengthened immeasurably when you enable your customer to articulate what they are experiencing for themselves… their visions, their fears, their successes, and their challenges. This discovery will pave the way for your product or services, and clarify the value you bring to your customer.

A few examples of ways to begin the conversation:

• Tell me what is going on for you in your business.
• What’s the best thing that happened in the last 30 days?
• What’s the worst thing that happened in the last 30 days?
• What would help look like for you?

Your success at building relationships and increasing sales is dependent upon your ability to get into your customer’s world.

The Case Study

An independent sales representative was working out of her home. In addition to struggling in her work to build clients and increase sales, she was also feeling pressure from her husband to either earn money through her business or walk away and get a regular-paying job.

Outcome

This case came up while we were working in a business development group, discussing how to achieve focused daily results. When it was her turn to her to talk, the subject of the case study admitted that she loved to listen to music and watch television, but realized that these behaviors were interfering with her productivity.  She made a commitment to change this behavior by treating each day as a “work day”. She made a promise to herself to not turn on the music or the television between the hours of 9am and 5pm. This would mean that she would instead spend her time in business meetings and being very sales focused.

Two weeks later at our next meeting, she announced that the changes she made were a success!  Because she was so much more focused, she was able to successfully present her product and her recruitment ideas to a group of bank employees. Not only were they interested in her products, they also asked her to present the information directly to their wives.

TAKE A LOOK AT ONE DAY IN YOUR PAST WEEK AND EVALUATE:

What actions did I take that led directly to my success?

Which of my activities blocked my path to success?

What could I have done more of?

What could I have done less of?

What could I have stopped doing altogether?

The Outcome:
The benefits of time off can be preventative in nature. Time off can curb burnout, stress, and the mental and emotional effects that tend to follow a non-stop, work-only lifestyle. Aside from these obvious benefits, a commitment to taking time off is a commitment to work-life balance that says to the people in my life (e.g. family and friends) they are as important as or more important than work. With this in mind, I wish you a wonderful, relaxing yet productive and prosperous holiday season!

The Case Study:
Jonathan knew this was another high pressure day at work where an enormous amount of work needed to be done. When he arrived at work, he spoke to a co-worker and said, “We don’t even have the resources we need to get this job done. Why do they think loading me with all of this work and pressure will make things better? What do you think Mary?” Mary answered, “I think the pressure is good. It makes us feel like we are really a part of change and growth.” Before she could finish, Jonathan cut her off saying, “I would rather they leave me alone to work on one thing and get it done than pile me with work.” Mary attempted a few more times to change his negative attitude and approach to the work environment but found it futile to argue or try to change him. His constant complaining was infecting the work place and everyone around him. Over time she needed to stay away from him as emotions are contagious and can bring down even the most positive, productive people.

The Outcome:
Complaining and criticizing has become epidemic. The problem is that negativity spreads. For most, this issue requires us to find productive methods and develop a positive, solution-oriented attitude toward the inevitable day-to-day challenges we face. There are a lot of opportunities to be affected by outside factors which include everything from job responsibilities, supervisors, colleagues, office supplies and even the weather! What’s more, repeat offenders are actually unaware of the impact they have on everyone around them. It is important not to buy into their misery. When they are complaining, try to stay positive and do not argue with them. Here are three recommended responses you might try to break the pattern:
1. Ask, “Is there something specific you think I can do to help you?’
2. Ask, “Did you want me to comment or just listen?”
3. Say, “I am sorry you feel this way, I don t happen to see it that way”.
As a business owner, it is important that you are aware of all the issues that affect the health of your business because they all have an impact on the success of your business.

What have you done to improve the work environment at your company? How do you ensure a positive work environment for you and your employees?

What are you doing to stay committed to your business, keep a positive perspective, focus your time and energy on issues you can influence and build your social and professional support network? What other traits have you seen in resilient business owners and entrepreneurs?

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The Outcome:
Many small business owners and entrepreneurs have multiple streams of revenues in addition to an endless bank of great ideas. In today’s world, there is little time to sit on these great ideas, but too often we find business owners trying to sell too many things and therefore end up selling nothing! There is nothing wrong with multiple revenue streams. The problem with pursuing each new idea comes with it the challenges to ensure that a company’s principal stream of revenues and means for paying the bills does not get over shadowed in the excitement.
After looking at our client’s business model, we were able to come up with a plan to coordinate marketing efforts for both their new and existing offering. We were able to help them with a balanced approach that did not neglect their primary revenue stream or dilute their messaging.
Juggling multiple ventures can spread you thin and limits both effectiveness and productivity. Selling one thing perfectly, not 10 things poorly is often a much better strategy.
What system or strategy would be helpful for your business? Where do oyu struggle with focus?