Be Thankful for YOU!
This is the time of year when we reflect on everything we are grateful for. We give thanks for all the wonderful people in our lives; family, friends, business colleagues. They all contribute to our personal and professional well being and it’s important to take the time to appreciate their presence and contributions to our lives.
I think we should also look inward and be thankful for our own talent and the wonderful and unique qualities we have. We tend to take ourselves for granted. We put ourselves down. Often we don’t take ownership of our accomplishments and successes.
This Thanksgiving give yourself the gift of YOU. Take the time to write out what is special about you, personally and professionally.
What have you accomplished this year?
What qualities do you bring to your personal and professional relationships?
Write it all down and review the list.
Celebrate and be thankful for everything you are!
You Scratch My Back and I’ll Scratch Yours
The Glass Hammer had an article this week called “Ask the Right Career Questions. Now“. This article speaks to the fact that men are better at networking to get ahead.
Men learn at a young age the concept of reciprocity – “You scratch my back – I’ll scratch yours. which helps them make casual connections that are overtly transactional, yet powerful, because both parties benefits.
Why can’t women learn this as well? We are great at relationship building, but not so great at leveraging those relationships to advance our careers or build our businesses. We are generous with our time. We graciously give away lots of valuable information and services, but when it comes to asking for something in return, we stop. Something holds us back from asking for anything in return. Is it that we don’t like to impose? Are we afraid to ask because we fear they answer will be “no”? or do we assume that people will automatically reciprocate?
The next time you are engaged in conversation with someone and are tempted to give them some valuable information or offer to introduce them to someone they would benefit from knowing, STOP. Stop and think about what you might ask for in return.
I would be happy to introduce you to Jane. I think she would be a valuable resource for you. I understand that you have worked with John Smith. Would you mind making this introduction for me? I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
It’s that simple. No one will turn you down in this type of situation unless for some reason they can’t make the introduction. If they cannot do this for you at this point in time, make sure you ask for another introduction or favor in return.
We can learn reciprocity too. The problem is we just don’t ask.
Now I’ve given you a valuable bit of advice, that can help you leverage your relationships to promote yourself and your business. I’m going to ask now for something in return!
Please help me push my upcoming FREE teleclass on Using Benefit Language to Sell Your Way to Millions or Hit the Top Rung. This FREE call is Wednesday, December 8th, 8-9pm Eastern, 5-6pm Pacific time.
This call will teach entrepreneurs and career professionals critical information on:
- How to use benefit language to kick up your sales or promote yourself at work.
- How to turn your pitch into a compelling persuasive message to attract clients.
- How the use of benefit language can dramatically improve your personal brand and reputation at work to propel your career forward.
Click here for more information and registration.
Please do your friends and colleagues a favor, and pass this info along to them!
Thanks!
5 Common Mistakes We Make at Networking Events
Whether you are a solo entrepreneur or small business owner or career professional, you probably spend a fair amount of your time at networking events to build your business.
Here are some common mistakes we make at networking events:
1. We schmooze, but don’t make the necessary connection with people to get business. It’s great to meet new people, but effective networking is not just about how many new people you can meet. It’s about making more meaningful connections; building and leveraging relationships that will over time get you new clients. It’s about quality not quantity.
2. We mingle with no strategy. Who is attending the event? Who do you want to connect with that you have determined might be a potential client or referral source or even someone to collaborate with? Make it your business to meet the people who will have the most impact on your business. Focus and be intentional.
3. We assume that people automatically understand the value of our products and services when we introduce ourselves and hand out our business card. It’s important to use benefit language to clearly communicate the value of your service so people you meet can immediately determine if you will meet their needs or if they know of someone else who could benefit from your product or service.
4. We give away too much. This includes too much information, too many things for free, and too many business cards. When we first meet someone at a networking event, we should not talk about ourselves endlessly. Craft your message so you just give enough information to stimulate curiosity and more conversation. Engage in a dialogue, not a monologue. You will learn more about the person.
Don’t offer to give away too many free products or services. Be strategic about give-aways. What product or service positions you best? What will provide a good intro so that people will want to purchase more?
Finally, don’t go to networking events with the goal of giving out as many business cards as you can. Collecting cards from the people you have good conversations with is much more important. Write notes on the back of those cards so you remember who they are and what they said. Once you have their card, you control the follow up.
5. We don’t follow up. What’s the point of going to events to meet new people and then not following up? Following up is how you begin to build relationships that will bring you business. If you tell someone you will make an introduction for them or send them information, do it and do it as soon as possible after the event. Determine who the key people were that you met and send a personal note and set up a time to talk or meet them again. This is the beginning of developing a network that will bring you business.
Using Benefit Language: What’s in it for Them?
Basic sales training instructs us to use what are called WIIFM’s, “What’s In It For Me?” statements. WIIFM’s focus our sales efforts on how our product or service benefits the customer. They are meant to shift our mindset from our own agenda to what the customer wants and needs.
It has been my experience that using this benefit language is often the missing piece in elevator pitches as well as the communication of personal brand messages. As a result, many of our pitches fall flat. The use of benefit language makes an impact on our audience.
If you are an entrepreneur, think about your own elevator pitch. Do you make this important connection from your product or service to your customer’s wants and needs? A simple way to do use benefit language in your pitch is to state clearly what you do and then add, “what this means to you is”…
Here is an example. I could say, “My name is Bonnie Marcus and I coach women entrepreneurs to promote themselves effectively.” OR, I could say, “My name is Bonnie Marcus and as a professional coach, I help women entrepreneurs overcome their negative beliefs about self promotion, feel more confident and comfortable selling, so they can grow a successful thriving business.”
The same principle holds true for personal branding. Perhaps you have identified your value proposition, but do you use benefit language to state the business impact?
For instance, maybe I’ve identified that my value proposition is building strong teams. That statement alone does not have as much impact as when I tie it to business results. Find out what matters to your contact and make the connection for them.
Here’s how you could tailor your message.
” I build strong teams. What that means to my organization is that I help create more loyal, happy, and productive employees. Increased employee satisfaction means less turnover, lower employee acquisition and training costs. Also more productive employees means faster turn around on projects that results in more satisfied and loyal customers.”
Get the idea?
Don’t assume that people automatically connect the dots and bridge the gap between what you offer and how they can benefit. Don’t leave it to chance. Everyone wants to know what’s in it for them. Clearly communicate the benefit and the business impact to make your pitch or brand statement more powerful.
-
20 Minutes For $20
20 Minutes of Interviewing Coaching For Only $20...
Present yourself with confidence!
