What are your Do's and Don'ts of networking?
Eating: Do not got to a networking event on an empty stomach and do have an occasional beverage, little or no food. When hosting a business event, remember do not drink any alcohol. Your non-drinking guests will appreciate it.
Baby-sitting: Do not stick with your friends, co-workers or close associates. Networking is a time to meet new people. Do sit at different tables with all new people. You can compare notes afterwards with your peers on the new connections you made.
Business Card Collector: Do not run around the room just to collect business cards. Do meet a couple of people you connect with for the first time and ask them for their business card.
Go through the Motions: It is obvious when someone does not want to be there and they say "I was asked to go" or "It's my job to attend". Do bring some energy and genuine interest to network with others. Mingling and making new connections is the fun part of networking!
Follow-up: Do follow-up with the person in the next day or so, thanking them for their time. Do not simply meet someone and never follow-up again. We all remember the Building Circles Golden Rule for Maintaining Customer Relationships (http://buildingcircles.blogspot.ca/2014/11/maintaining-customer-relationships.html): follow-up, follow-up and follow-up.
Balancing Time: Do not monopolize the conversation and do not spend the entire networking event engaged with one person. Invite someone new to join your conversation and if you know them, make the introductions. It is OK after a while to politely thank them for their time, ask for their card and let them know you look forward to continuing the conversation soon. You will want to meet a couple of new people and finding the right balance will take some practice.
Your Business Cards: Do not forget your business cards. This is worth repeating. Do not forget your business cards. Do bring plenty of your cards to hand out when requested. Building Circles tip for you: always have cards in all your vehicles, in your wallet/purse and carry a business card holder.
Connecting professionals to share stories of making new business relationships and creating opportunities.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Are You The Brave One?
Every year Leadercast brings us great speakers from around the world. One of my favourites is Seth Godin. Seth' session inspired this week' topic from the Leadercast 2015 theme "The Brave Ones".
We have to hold something back because it is expected we give more when we are asked. It's always too soon: we can be prepared and yet we can never be ready.
Here are the 5 traits to be a Brave One:
1. Tension
We need to have some tension about something that matters to us. Be unreasonable in your desire to own it. Channel this tension to be a Brave One and make it happen. Make changes that make a difference.
2. Obsession
The Brave Ones have a desire to achieve a specific goal or outcome. Being obsessed until we hit our goal or outcome. Never give up. Do not let the "nay-sayers" stop you or take you off your path until you are successful.
3. Connection
Make the connection between people and your work that matters. Communicate this connection, over and over again until the message is clear. It takes time for people to get your meaning crystal clear. Make the connection.
4. Direction
Even if you are not sure how to make this change, stay the path and ask for others to follow you. Give the direction you are going to achieve the end result.
5. Compassion
Your heart has to be in it. You need to care and you need to show everyone you care. You really need to care a lot. Be compassionate. Bring your idea that is in your heart to make a world of difference.
Are you one of the Brave Ones?
We have to hold something back because it is expected we give more when we are asked. It's always too soon: we can be prepared and yet we can never be ready.
Here are the 5 traits to be a Brave One:
1. Tension
We need to have some tension about something that matters to us. Be unreasonable in your desire to own it. Channel this tension to be a Brave One and make it happen. Make changes that make a difference.
2. Obsession
The Brave Ones have a desire to achieve a specific goal or outcome. Being obsessed until we hit our goal or outcome. Never give up. Do not let the "nay-sayers" stop you or take you off your path until you are successful.
3. Connection
Make the connection between people and your work that matters. Communicate this connection, over and over again until the message is clear. It takes time for people to get your meaning crystal clear. Make the connection.
4. Direction
Even if you are not sure how to make this change, stay the path and ask for others to follow you. Give the direction you are going to achieve the end result.
5. Compassion
Your heart has to be in it. You need to care and you need to show everyone you care. You really need to care a lot. Be compassionate. Bring your idea that is in your heart to make a world of difference.
Are you one of the Brave Ones?
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Leading by Example
Effective leaders know how to set good examples to lead their team. What are you doing to lead by example?
Leaders strive to be consistent with the kind of behaviour expected. Set the bar high enough to challenge everyone yet not too high to discourage some of the members.
Focusing on the important tasks first and completing them before moving on to the next important task helps with the team understanding how to prioritize.
Many teams have "busy" people focusing on tasks not related to the goals. Leading by example and encouraging these members to prioritize better will result in more productive activities.
Facing challenges head on and addressing each one as it arises with a plan of action is another way to lead by example.
Last week at Leadercast we witnessed an example of an effective leader stepping up to face her challenges: the power went out at lunchtime with no options to continue the event. The leader, my good friend Lora Crestan, embraced the challenge, communicated the power was going to be out for several hours and offered several options to the audience as a great way to handle this situation.
Teams who embrace their effective leader and learn by following the examples set, will learn how to blend their leader's style into their own style. This type of culture leads to successful teams.
Leaders strive to be consistent with the kind of behaviour expected. Set the bar high enough to challenge everyone yet not too high to discourage some of the members.
Focusing on the important tasks first and completing them before moving on to the next important task helps with the team understanding how to prioritize.
Many teams have "busy" people focusing on tasks not related to the goals. Leading by example and encouraging these members to prioritize better will result in more productive activities.
Facing challenges head on and addressing each one as it arises with a plan of action is another way to lead by example.
Last week at Leadercast we witnessed an example of an effective leader stepping up to face her challenges: the power went out at lunchtime with no options to continue the event. The leader, my good friend Lora Crestan, embraced the challenge, communicated the power was going to be out for several hours and offered several options to the audience as a great way to handle this situation.
Teams who embrace their effective leader and learn by following the examples set, will learn how to blend their leader's style into their own style. This type of culture leads to successful teams.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Top 3 e-mailing Tips
All of us eBlast our audience from time to time. Here are 3 tips to help achieve better results.
1. The Subject Line
First impressions are everything. The subject line is your opportunity to make this first impression. Your audience reads it and decides if they will open your message or delete it.
Make your subject line short, clear message about the topic. Remember to make it interesting and to show value to the recipient.
2. Personalize Your Message
Dear Sir/Madame is not personal. Yes you can use the same content, however, adding personal touches to your message will increase results exponentially.
The salutation should read "Dear First Name,", "Hello First Name," or "First Name,". Include the "," and skip a line. The next line should be personalized by referencing something specifically to the person.
When sending a massive eBlast the above may not be realistic due to time. Make your message specific, short and include your personal touch.
3. Be Genuine
Think about the person reading your e-mail. Think about how you would want to be communicated to if you were reading the message.
Be genuine and sincere. You can add a little humour, however, be careful as not everyone will understand your attempt at a joke or if you are sarcastic it may not read that way.
Always be professional, personal and real. Canned scripts and automated e-mails take away what you bring to your audience: you!
Overall, e-mail is a very effective communication tool to reach your audience. For challenging situations it is better to pick up the phone. Most of the time there is a misunderstanding of the e-mail message and can be easily clarified with a phone call.
Happy e-mailing and keep building your audience.
1. The Subject Line
First impressions are everything. The subject line is your opportunity to make this first impression. Your audience reads it and decides if they will open your message or delete it.
Make your subject line short, clear message about the topic. Remember to make it interesting and to show value to the recipient.
2. Personalize Your Message
Dear Sir/Madame is not personal. Yes you can use the same content, however, adding personal touches to your message will increase results exponentially.
The salutation should read "Dear First Name,", "Hello First Name," or "First Name,". Include the "," and skip a line. The next line should be personalized by referencing something specifically to the person.
When sending a massive eBlast the above may not be realistic due to time. Make your message specific, short and include your personal touch.
3. Be Genuine
Think about the person reading your e-mail. Think about how you would want to be communicated to if you were reading the message.
Be genuine and sincere. You can add a little humour, however, be careful as not everyone will understand your attempt at a joke or if you are sarcastic it may not read that way.
Always be professional, personal and real. Canned scripts and automated e-mails take away what you bring to your audience: you!
Overall, e-mail is a very effective communication tool to reach your audience. For challenging situations it is better to pick up the phone. Most of the time there is a misunderstanding of the e-mail message and can be easily clarified with a phone call.
Happy e-mailing and keep building your audience.
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