Month: June 2010

Categories
Networking

All Networking is Not Created Equal

They say that the key to happiness and longevity is having meaningful relationships with others. This means having a support system of family, friends, business associates and clients who are there for you because you are always there for them.

In business this concept conjures up the word networking. Don’t run screaming into the night: this does not mean dragging yourself to meetings and seminars where you exchange business cards with people you don’t know and pursue meaningless threads of conversation trying to find something of mutual interest. I’m talking about a different kind of networking.

We call it Value Based Networking™.

Value Based Networking is about more than just selling. It’s about having people in your life who are in a position to help you gain access to key decision makers and to new and exciting opportunities. It’s about not just surviving – but thriving – in today’s complex economy. It’s about having people in your life who can help your career and who also can enrich your life.

As the name implies, Value Based Networking is about creating value for others before you expect to receive value from them. It is the mutual give and take that results in a winning situation for everyone involved.

People naturally want to repay the kindness of others, and if cultivated properly, Value Based Networking can not only lead to strong and positive relationships, it also can lead to personal connections, more referrals, increased sales, measurable success and lasting impressions.

We all have lots of people in our lives. Most we barely know, some are nodding acquaintances, a few are everyday associates and co-workers, and a small number are family and friends. The key question is: in what ways can we provide unselfish value to them without expecting anything in return? Here are a few ways:

o Helping solve a problem
o Supporting their dreams
o Helping them understand their thinking
o Letting them help others, including you
o Connecting them with others
o Helping to make them more successful
o Making them feel connected and appreciated

What you need to do is tap into their needs, adapt your communication style to accommodate theirs, and be a WOW person to be around. Networking isn’t that difficult if you simply keep in mind that most people:

o Want unbiased advisors
o Have a limited set of friends
o Have access to a limited set of social events
o Want to help others
o Need people in their network

So approach your social portfolio like you do your financial portfolio: plan, build and diversify. Foster relationships with family, friends and co-workers. Nurture older relationships, but also make new friends.

Value Based Networking is the sincere and constant effort to help others, anticipating that you will, in turn, be helped. So if you do happen find yourself at one of those networking events, ask for two business cards from everyone you meet: one for yourself and one to pass on to somebody else. You never know who you may be able to help; and later, that someone may help you.

About the Author:
The Balanced WorkLife Company is dedicated to helping the best get better while they enjoy the journey. Our programs give you access to tools and methodologies that allow you to break through the barriers and achieve your goals while also helping you enjoy a balance between and within your job, your career and your personal life. Whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting your career, the Balanced WorkLife Company can help you achieve your ultimate potential. To learn more, visit www.balancedworklife.com and download our free report “The 16 Most Common Networking Mistakes to Avoid,” which is jam-packed with information to help you develop and build long-lasting business and social relationships.

Categories
How-To Guides

How to Influence Employees to Get Things Done Correctly on Time Without Using Positional Authority

Can you achieve results without authority?

The simple answer is yes.

The challenge is how to do it.

Each of us have a limited amount of authority. And the positional authority that comes with our title enables us to have some influence, but far less than what is required to get the work done. In order to get things done on time and with the highest quality expected so you can meet the demands and expectations of our customers and those with whom we work, we need to rely on others. And to do that, we need influence – but the right kind of influence.
Influence is a Leadership Quality and a Management Skill.

Influence is the ability to achieve our objective (to get work done) when we do not have complete control or enough authority to accomplish our objective. Influence is not manipulation. Done well and done right, influence is also not:

o A demonstration of power
o A method to gain greater control
o A way to promote your personal agenda
o A way to look good to others in the organization
o A means of self-promotion

Influence is about mutuality.

While influence is a powerful tool for getting work done, there are barriers that can stand in your way of influencing others. These barriers cause us to rely on positional authority to get things done.
10 Barriers You Need to Overcome to Influence Employees and Your Peers

1. Fear – This is the number one issue that stops us from using influence to get work done. And fear appears in many forms. It can be the fear of failure, the fear of being rejected, the fear of appearing foolish, the fear that we are not good enough. Regardless of what you are afraid of, fear stops us dead in our tracks. We don’t succeed, we don’t exert influence because we’ve convinced ourselves before we even start that we may not or will not be successful.

2. Inability to develop real relationships — People work with people they like. They buy from people they like. They provide support to people they like. To think otherwise is to miss an important component of organizational success. It is impossible to exert influence on someone with whom you have not developed a real and positive relationship.

3. Poor responsiveness — The quicker you respond the more responsive you appear. And if response is important to the person you want to influence, you have just made a positive impression on them, and have often added value by a giving them something they were interested in.

4. Overselling – This is not just an issue we see in sales people; it is an issue we see throughout an organization regardless of an individual’s position. Overselling is annoying and it also communicates uncertainty in your position. When a person says yes, and you continue to try to convince them– what are you really communicating?

5. Quitting at No – Now, nobody likes rejection. Yet “no” is sometimes the response we get when the timing of the request is wrong (i.e.,“no, not right now”or “no, I need more information”). Oftentimes, an objection is not a rejection. It’s a request for more information and an opportunity for further discussion. Don’t let no be an immediate lost opportunity.

6. Perfectionism — Too often, we believe that unless a project, proposal, request is perfectly framed, it cannot move forward. This is dead wrong. Perfection sends an unintended message of you being indecisiveness and in the worse case it can create immobilization. While you may believe you are striving for perfection, the other person wonders what’s taking you so long.

7. Over-Expressing Personal Beliefs — Some managers and executives just can’t seem to keep their opinions to themselves. Have you heard a manager criticize their peers, their tenants, their subcontractors with statements such as “they just don’t get it”. Another danger is to express personal political or social beliefs such as “the democrats version of healthcare is socialized medicine” or “teachers are overpaid and they underperform”. Expressing personal beliefs has a way of tearing through an organization and irritating others. (By the way, these two examples are examples only and do not reflect either of our beliefs.)

8. Lack of Focus — It’s difficult to get work done or to garner much respect if you go from one project to another; one idea to another; one strategy to another and finish nothing. Often people will just give up, quit listening or no longer support your efforts.

9. Poor Impression Management (Executive Presence) — This is not just about looking the part. It’s about being the part. It’s about managing your image thoughtfully and not artificially. Like it or not, unsuitably presented, tired, overweight, out of shape, sloppy people present a poor and unconvincing image.

10. Lack of Gratitude — People like recognition; they like to know they are appreciated; they like to be noticed in a positive way. Ignore this at your peril. Remember, if you are unwilling or think it’s unnecessary to recognize and express appreciation for others, your chance of influencing them is remote.
Is One of the Top 10 Barriers Holding You Back From Influencing Others?

We have often found that one or more of the above behavioral traits is present in individuals who believe (or who others believe) are less successful then they either want to be or can be. These behaviors are the intangibles that inhibit good performance.  We believe these intangibles are so important to recognize and attend to (if you see these in your own thought processes or behaviors) that should you refuse to address them, you will come up short of exerting the influence necessary to get work done on time the right way.

About the Authors:

Management Consultants and Business Performance Improvement Specialists Sara Laforest and Tony Kubica have 50+ years of combined experience in helping small and large businesses accelerate their business growth in record times. Failure to properly motivate your team is just one way that you can be sabotaging your business. Get the full report on Self-Sabotage in Business now at: http://www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com/resources.php

Categories
Work Life

Sales Coaching Tips: 5 Reasons Why Sales Professionals Need A Vacation

In a 2009 International Vacation Deprivation Survey from expedia.com:

One in three employees do not use their allotted vacation days each year, even though they said they are more productive after returning from vacation.

In the sometimes grueling world of sales, the negative impact of not taking vacations could be even greater.

Sales professionals are becoming less and less productive as they push on without vacations. They often feel compelled to keep working without vacations, to be available for every client call, and for every lead that may come their way. They don’t want to miss a beat. They end up “over working” and hurting their progress.

Here are 5 reasons why sales professionals should take all of their vacations days each year:

Avoid Burnout: We all need a break. Think about how refreshed and motivated you felt after your last vacation. If you keep going full force without a break, where are the rewards for all your hard work? Once you reach the burnout stage, you will often feel out of control and even less likely to take a vacation. Sales results will suffer and motivation will be lacking.

Reduce Stress: We all know stress can literally be a killer and no one is immune to stress. However, vacation can be one of the great ways to reduce stress and rejuvenate your energy and spirit. The bad stress won’t stop building until you give yourself some time to recover.

Increase Quality of Life & Work: We remember experiences more than anything. Science has even shown that material objects do not provide the lasting joy or happiness that positive experiences can create. Vacations are often all about experience and help to increase the quality of life. When a person experiences a greater quality of life, it is often the case that their quality of work will improve as well.

Creativity Boost: When we are constantly living on a schedule going from one task to another, it is hard to have the space and freedom to be creative. Think about when some of your best ideas came to you? Most likely, you were not at work. You were probably not even thinking about work at all, and were in a relaxed state. Those are the moments that creative genius can strike. But, it can’t strike if you are always on the go!

Productivity Spike: Think about what happens on a Friday when you have planned to leave early or take a half day. Ever notice how you get so much done in less than 8 hours? Funny how that works, but tighter deadlines and looking forward to something can sure help you get more done faster. Use the vacation as something to get excited about and to work very hard up until your last day at the office. This will increase your productivity prior to the vacation. And, after relaxing for a week, when you come back, you will be energized, stress free, and ready to make a huge impact.

Don’t wait any longer. Plan and book your next vacation now!

About The Author:

Sales Coaching Expert, Jeremy Ulmer, has helped hundreds of sales professionals, sales leaders, and business owners just like you overcome sales challenges to increase productivity and win more clients faster.

For 100’s of unbeatable, sure-fire ways to increasing your sales results, subscribe for your free sales tips or request a free sales coaching consultation at: http://www.SalesCoachingHabits.com

Categories
Online Business

Business or Blog Site? Both Can Be The Formula For Success!

Article Contributed by Tami Stodghill

Many times people starting out in their home business contact me inquiring as to whether I see more value in hosting a blog site or just a business site with blog entries. First of all, from all the experience we have had as well as instruction from several SEO Gurus, we know that blog sites are capable of ranking higher faster. So whichever type of site a new business owner decides to go with, it should be a blog site.

We actually have a number of websites for our business, but maintain one of them as a blog only site. It does nothing to push our business opportunity, really, with the exception of a couple links should people choose to check out our business. Otherwise, it exists solely to offer any small or home based business owner tips for success. We feel that it is important to give something without the marketing hype and this will remain a blog only site. Our other sites are blog sites in that they reflect our business opportunity and offer complete information regarding that business, but also allow for blog entries which keeps the content fresh and updated—a must for SEO and rankings!

I always tell people that to invest in both types of sites will do nothing but bring them more success. We actually garner as many leads from our blog only site as we do from our business-specific ones. People read our blog entries, trust that we bring honesty, integrity and support to the table and then choose to contact us through the blog site. I strongly believe that if you can offer something of value without expecting anything from the reader, then you have demonstrated that you are honest and open and would offer an opportunity filled with the honest and open ongoing training and mentoring.

We have also found other businesses pinging back to our blog site and have countless requests for sharing links. Because other businesses see our blog as informative and educational, they want to share with their followers or customers and that only serves to offer more exposure for us and our business. The types of businesses who do link back to us vary, but that also means that we gain exposure in all types of businesses and an unlimited number of potential prospects.

When you set out to design a site or sites to represent your business, try considering this approach. It means managing more than one site, but WordPress and other blog-type sites are easily updated by anyone—even those without experience. You can have fun with a variation of themes and approaches to what you want representing your business and can share content between the two sites as well. Take some time to plan what approach you want to take, but whatever the approach, keep your content updated regularly, post informative and valuable information, and share yourself with your readers or followers.

About the Author
Tami Stodghill was the Press-Relations manager, for a world-wide extensible-technology distributor based in London and the US for 20 years. She was also a freelance writer for several industry publications and is now a home-based business owner with WMI. She makes her home in Page-Lake Powell, Arizona, in the summers and Palm Harbor, Florida in the winters where she enjoys boating and reading, camping, hiking and meeting new people. She runs a blog site exclusively to offer tips for success for any small or home-based business.

Categories
Entrepreneurs

Two Entrepreneurs: Living Their Ideal Type

Every business owner has probably sat back in her chair, eyes closed, imagining what life would be like if she was living her ideal entrepreneurial type. Whether she was a Merry Jane imagining a full-scale business that still allowed her time freedom, or a Tenacity Jane imagining smartly directing a team of people to implement her vision, one thing remains important: before changing her type, every female business owner must consider her own priorities to ensure that she truly becomes her “ideal.”

A recent study from Jane Out of the Box, an authority on female entrepreneurs, reveals there are five distinct types of women in business. Based on professional market research of more than 2,500 women in business, this study shows that each type of business owner has a unique approach to running a business and therefore each one has a unique combination of needs. This article outlines two of the five types and provides ideas they may consider before changing their entrepreneurial type.

Merry Jane is a woman business owner who is building a part-time or “flexible time” business that gives her a creative outlet that she can manage within specific constraints around her schedule (whether she’s an ad agency consultant or she makes beautiful artwork). She may have a day-job, or need to be fully present for family or other pursuits. Representing about 19% of women in business, she realizes she could make more money by working longer hours, but she’s happy with the tradeoff she has made because her business gives her tremendous freedom to work how and when she wants, around her other commitments.

Because time freedom and creative stretch are so important to Merry Jane, she must make thorough examinations of other potential entrepreneurial types before making a change. Most Merry Jane business owners reported high levels of satisfaction with their companies, although most also said they would like to attract new clients and increase their income.

Considerations for Merry Jane:

* Time freedom versus growth: It is possible for Merry Jane to start work with more clients and make more money while maintaining her time freedom – it just may require some juggling. For example, Merry Jane could continue working a desirable number of hours performing the creative tasks she loves, but hire someone to help her with business-related tasks, such as taking information for proposals, sending invoices, and answering e-mails. Once she starts hiring team members, she may shift into the Jane Dough group. If she doesn’t hire team members but still wants to grow her business, she may find herself working longer hours than she wants to, possibly feeling overcommitted – a Go Jane Go.
* Creativity versus growth: Because Merry Jane business owners often started their companies as creative outlets, they may be disappointed if business growth affects their ability to flex their creative muscles. Again, hiring someone to handle non-creative tasks could lessen the impact, but any growth will require additional time from Merry Jane. Whether she tries to do it all, like Go Jane Go, or learns to delegate, like Jane Dough, is completely up to her.
* Timing: Merry Jane business owners often have myriad responsibilities in addition to running their businesses. They may take care of their children or aging parents, or they may have full-time jobs in addition to running their companies. Therefore, Merry Jane must consider the timing of any entrepreneurial type change. For example, if becoming a Go Jane Go or a Jane Dough means spending more time working on her business, maybe the transition can wait until her young children enter school, or until the business can support her not having another full-time job.

Jane Dough is an entrepreneur who enjoys running her business and generally, she makes a nice living. She is comfortable and determined in buying and selling, which may be why she’s five times more likely than the average female business owner to hit the million dollar mark. Jane Dough is clear in her priorities and may be intentionally and actively growing an asset-based or legacy business. It is estimated that 18% of women entrepreneurs fall in the category of Jane Dough.

Because most Jane Dough business owners report a high level of satisfaction with their businesses and with business ownership, it is unlikely that they would want to change to another entrepreneurial type. Jane Dough often already is living her ideal type. She brings home a high personal income, enjoys the strategizing on which she spends her time, and manages to fit in time for rest and relaxation. However, Jane Dough business owners can still benefit from the strengths of some of the other types.

Considerations for Jane Dough:

* Communicate like Go Jane Go: Go Jane Go takes business personally, and values her relationships with her clients as well as with her employees. On the other hand, Jane Dough believes business is business – and therefore, in her fast-moving style, she can sometimes communicate abruptly with team members who were inspired by her passion. Even if Jane Dough does not want to change her type, she may consider improving her communication skills so her team members feel valued and appreciated.
* Create like Merry Jane: Jane Dough absolutely loves planning and strategizing for the growth of her business. However, sometimes she is so visionary that she may not be as aware as she should be of what is happening on the front lines of her business. Jane Dough, her team members, and her business may benefit from her periodic “days in the field,” when she could stay abreast of the company’s daily workings, through time spent with the people and processes.
* Be a role model like Accidental Jane: Accidental Jane business owners define success, in part, by their ability to live life on their own terms – and to encourage others to do the same. Jane Dough, a successful businesswoman by anyone’s standards, could adopt a similar mindset and create a mentoring program in her business. Not only could she be a role model to a would-be entrepreneur, but she’d be giving back, like Go Jane Go.
* Stay passionate like Tenacity Jane: Jane Dough is undoubtedly passionate – she could not have attained her level of success without that passion. Sometimes, in the day-to-day operations of any business, though, things become routine, and the passion that drove entrepreneurs to succeed fades. Tenacity Jane business owners show courage, passion and determination every day – and all business owners should strive to do the same, no matter what their level of success.

From deciding whether it is time to make a change, or deciding that she’s already living her ideal type, every business owner must periodically consider where she is, and how that compares with where she wants to be. When the two align, she’s living her ideal type – and that is pure enjoyment.

About the Author:

Michele DeKinder-Smith is the founder of Jane out of the Box, an online resource dedicated to the women entrepreneur community. Discover more incredibly useful information for running a small business by taking the FREE Jane Types Assessment at Jane out of the Box. Offering networking and marketing opportunities, key resources and mentorship from successful women in business, Jane Out of the Box is online at www.janeoutofthebox.com.