The Simple Art of Networking

Networking is something you either love or you hate. However, whichever side of the fence you sit it is something that can quickly change the fortunes of your business. It is not difficult, not expensive and done well, can generate exactly the sort of business you want right now. If you have done your networking well, when business starts to slow down, kicking in a little extra networking can turn it around in as little as one hour and for next to no expense.

If you think you are just not cut out for networking, and it's all about pushing your products and services then think again! With the right attitude and approach you may even enjoy it!

The simple art of networking to grow your business

Networking - online or offline - even the word is enough to send many capable business owners diving for cover with excuses like "I'm just too busy, maybe next month", "I'm really not good at that sort of thing", and "Oh God, I'd rather do the dishes!" Well it's time to take a whole new look at networking because targeted, planned, well executed networking can be one of the most effective marketing activities you will ever do.

Great networking is a very cost, time and energy efficient marketing activity - a recipe all businesses love! But before we delve into the details of what great networking entails, and how to use it effectively in marketing your business, let's just clear up a few misconceptions.

What effective networking is not.

• Net coffee
• Net meeting
• Net chatting
• Net drinking. NetWORKing is WORK!

What effective networking is.

Networking is all about building relationships with others for mutual gain. It's an opportunity to work together with people to grow your business while also ensuring that they are receiving benefits from their relationship with you. It's a two-way street of mutual support and assistance.

Networking is a very active marketing tactic. It's an activity you need to plan, prepare for, set goals around, and regularly evaluate and measure the effectiveness of.

Networking is a very low cost or even free marketing activity. It doesn't take large amounts of cash or require a big proportion of your marketing budget. However there may be some hidden costs that need to be accounted for.

Networking is a very effective way to gain the people and practical resources you need to grow your business. It is a tried and true method of finding customers, suppliers and staff, learning about your competitors and gaining new skills to assist you in managing and growing your business.

Getting Ready to Network - The Right Attitude

Success at networking does take the right attitude and the right approach:

• Remember 'Givers Gain". Approach networking with what you can give to others, and how you can help them solve problems.
• What can you give to the people you meet
• Think about what is in it for them.
• Be generous
• Aim to be memorable!
• Will they remember you?
• What will they remember about you?
• Will you be the person they talk about when someone asks them how the event went?
• What will they say about meeting you?
• What have you given them to help them remember you?
• Have fun - and look like you are having fun!
• Remember people do business with people, no matter what you are selling, so always start by establishing a good relationship with the person at an individual level.

"A mans feelings of goodwill towards others is the strongest magnet for drawing goodwill towards himself."
Lord Chesterfield 1694 - 1771 English Statesman

Get the whole story

To develop your own networking skills, upgrade your membership to Standard or Full to access the complete October issue of mymarketingexpert featuring:

• A simple 4-step guide to effective networking
• How to assess whether your business card is working for you, and if not what to do about it
• Knowing where to network
• An 11 point checklist to rate and improve your own networking ability
• The 6 traits of great networkers
• 22 tips on how to start and engage in conversation with people you don't know
• 10 things to take with you to networking events
• Plus 10 additional networking tips to give you that extra level of confidence

Article Source: mymarketingexpert

Greg Longstaff
Business Development Consultant
Franchise Network Specialist
greg@salesmarket.co.nz
+64 9.307.7860

Everybody lies! (Here's what to do about it)

That’s right - everybody lies.  In fact, if you never lied, you would find it very hard to function in society.  Of course, I am talking about “white lies” - the little things we say to make people feel better. For example:

• “Your table will be ready in 5 minutes” (The statement has no basis in accuracy – it just sounds a lot better than a waiter saying you'll have to wait 15 minutes, and is intended to make you feel comfortable about waiting)
• “I’ll start working on that today” (Really?  Or are they just saying that to reassure you that you are being taken care of?)
• “Thank you. What a wonderful present” (We have all been taught that it is polite to say this – no matter what you honestly think of the gift)
• “No – of course you don’t look fat in that dress” (Everyone knows there is only ever one “right answer” to this question!)

However, at the other end of the lying spectrum are the things people say to deliberately deceive others.  When these lies are exposed (and that is the key) – trust gets eroded and ultimately destroyed.

• “The dog ate my homework” / “I’ve never been in trouble with the law” / “This mess is the other party’s fault”  (Excuses invented to “avoid pain” – blaming something or someone else, because they fear punishment or loss of reputation)
• “Buy now before we run out of stock” / “I was asked to turn pro, but decided to build a career instead” / “Purchase this program now, and you too can become a millionaire”  (Persuasive stories told to “make a gain” – to impress someone, make a sale, or influence them to take the desired action)

Sadly, we see far too many examples of these lies and deceptions; in the news media, in politics, and in business communications.

To protect yourself from being deceived – you must “shine a spotlight” on any statements that you believe to be false (or where someone appears to be stretching the truth too far).  Very few lies can stand up to the scrutiny of these 3 approaches:

1. Separate fact from opinion

• “How do you know that this is true?”
• “What evidence do you have for this claim – can I see it?”
• “Are there any studies that claim the opposite?”
• “Who else besides you shares this opinion?”
• “What is the counter argument?”

2. Slow things down

• “Can you repeat what you just said – and give me more details this time?”
• “I’m going to sleep on this before I make a decision”

3. Simplify

• “I will not sign this proposal until I fully understand it”
• "Explain it again - this time as if I knew nothing about this subject?"
• “Can you reword this in simpler terms that a teenager could understand?”

Ignorance is not bliss.  Remember to use the spotlight approach, and as per the song from the rock band ‘The Who’, you “Won’t get fooled again!”

Stephen Lynch 

Chief Operating Officer - Global Operations 
RESULTS.com

Article Source: Results.com

 

Greg Longstaff
Business Development Consultant
Franchise Network Specialist
greg@salesmarket.co.nz
+64 9.307.7860

The Art of Asking Questions

How well do you ask questions? From my experience, most managers don't think about this issue. After all, you don't usually find "the ability to ask questions" on any list of managerial competencies; nor is it an explicit part of the curriculum of business schools or executive educationprograms. But asking questions effectively is a major underlying part of a manager's job — which suggests that it might be worth giving this skill a little more focus.

We've all experienced times when we've failed at being good questioners, perhaps without realizing it. For example, not long ago I sat in on a meeting where a project team was reviewing its progress with a senior executive sponsor. During the presentation it was clear from his body language that the executive was uncomfortable with the direction that the team was taking. As a result, without any real questioning of the team, he deferred approval of the next steps until he could have a further discussion with the team leader. When he met with the team leader later, he ripped into him for allowing the team to go off-course. Eventually the team leader was able to explain the thinking behind the plan, convinced the executive that they would indeed achieve their objectives, and was given the go-ahead to proceed. But in the meantime the team had lost its momentum (and a week of productivity), and began to focus more on pleasing the sponsor rather than doing the project in the best way.

This is not an isolated incident. Many managers don't know how to probe the thought process of their subordinates, colleagues, and bosses — and instead make assumptions about the basis of their actions. And when those assumptions are wrong, all sorts of dysfunctional patterns can be created. In a financial services firm, for example, a major product upgrade was delayed by months because the product and IT managers had different assumptions about what was to be delivered by when, and kept blaming each other for delays. When a third party finally helped them to ask the right questions, they were able to come up with a plan that satisfied both, and quickly produced incremental revenue for the product.

There are three areas where improved "questioning" can strengthen managerial effectiveness; and it might be worth considering how you can improve your skills in each one.

First is the ability to ask questions about yourself. All of us fall into unproductive habits, sometimes unconsciously. Good managers therefore are always asking themselves and others about what they could do better or differently. Finding the right time and approach for asking these questions in a way that invites constructive and candid responses is critical.

Second is the ability to ask questions about plans and projects. The examples mentioned above both fall into this category. The challenge with questioning projects is to do so in a way that not only advances the work, but that also builds relationships and helps the people involved to learn and develop. This doesn't mean that your questions can't be tough and direct, but the probing needs to be in the spirit of accelerating progress, illuminating unconscious assumptions and solving problems. This is in contrast to some managers who (perhaps out of their own insecurity) ask review questions either to prove that they are the smartest one in the room, or to make someone squirm. On the other hand, many of the best managers I've seen have an uncanny ability to engage in Socratic dialogue that helps people reach their own conclusions about what can be done to improve a plan or project, which of course leads to much more ownership and learning.

Finally, practice asking questions about the organization. Although usually unspoken, managers have an obligation to always look for ways that the organization as a whole can function more effectively. To do this, they need to ask questions about practices, processes, and structures: Why do we do things this way? Is there a better approach? Asking these questions in a way that does not trigger defensiveness and that is seen as constructive is an important skill for managers.

Most of us never think about how to frame our questions. Giving this process some explicit thought however might not only make you a better manager; it might also help others improve their inquiry skills as well.

Have you seen good and bad examples of how to ask questions? What's your own self-assessment? Are you asking yourself the right questions?

Article Source: Ron Ashkenas


Greg Longstaff
Business Development Consultant
Franchise Network Specialist
greg@salesmarket.co.nz
+64 9.307.7860