Jack of all trades?

Jack of all trades ... expert in none.

Do people look at you funny when you try to explain what you do? Do you find yourself suffering from "jargon jaw" to the point that no one can repeat your message because it has no meaning to them? Have you ever performed "verbal throw-up" on someone ... talking about all the things you do because you don't want to forget something important?

The bad thing is ... in the mind of the person listening to you ... they are saying to themselves ... "whoa man ... stop talking so much! I have no idea what you just said to me. You are so not focused ... obviously you're a jack of all trades ... expert in none!" Have you heard these conversations in your head while listening to someone else? I did. I spoke to a business coach who was not at all clear on what she did ... how the heck could she help anyone else to clarify their business?

Who would you choose to do business with ... jack or the expert?!

What do you have to do to become perceived as the expert?

Survival of the Fittest!

Every day I watch a herd of 8 female white-tail deer from behind my office windows. They are very ritual creatures ... showing up nearly the same time of day, hanging out in the same area of the yard, nibbling on the same bushes, etc. Just the other day, I noticed that one of the more mature females was limping. She has injured her back foot in some strange way, yet continues to hobble along with the gang.

Being the nature oriented person that I am, I wondered if survival of the fittest will impact her over the winter. Will she survive and manage to avoid the occasional car on the road or stay one step ahead of the coyotes? Time will tell.

How does survival of the fittest impact your business referral system? Only the fittest referral marketing plan will produce enough business to stay ahead of the competition! How will you keep your business away from the lurking coyote?

An effective referral marketing plan begins with your ability to identify your target market. The more specific the profile, the more referrable you will make yourself. The bottom line is this ... referability makes or breaks your referral marketing plan. If what you're doing and saying makes it difficult for people to refer you ... you will not survive the winter!!

What are you doing to increase your referability?

Stuck?

Does it ever feel like your business is stuck ... like you're standing there with one leg in a hole above your knee?

You're not sure which way to go. Prospects are passing you by. Opportunities are knocking on your competitor's door. What do you do? How do you get your leg out that hole in order to move forward once again?

Accountability partners can keep you moving in the direction you need to be going. They can help you meet your goals, keep you focused when there are distractions, and celebrate in your successes! Accountability partners understand what motivates you and they don't accept excuses. Wether you're implementing a referral marketing plan or a weight loss program, an accountability partner will help to ensure that you do what you say you're going to do.

My three tips in choosing the right accountability partner: 1) choose someone you respect; 2) choose someone you will listen to and 3) choose someone who is not afraid to hold you accountable.

What other tips do you have in choosing an accountability partner?

THAT GUY!

I just started reading a book by Scott Ginsberg "That Nametag Guy" called "How to be That Guy". Scott is going to be in Pittsburgh on February 6 as the keynote speaker for our local International Networking Day event. If you aren't aware of International Networking Day, visit the links in this blog entry and come out of your cave!

Chapter 43 in this book starts off with "What have you done today to market YOU?" Your word of mouth button needs to be "on" 24/7 (okay, except for sleep ... but you get the idea). Marketing needs to happen every day not just when it's convenient or when it's easy. This guy Scott Ginsberg marketed himself every day by making a commitment to wear a name tag every day for the rest of his life ... even at his parent's dinner table!! He created his identity and from there a very lucritive enterprise.

What are you doing to market yourself daily? Have you created a word of mouth message so simple that people are sharing it every day? Are you creating clients or FANs? Are you creating an identity to be That Guy (or Girl)?

Read the book. Trust me ... if I'm reading it, it's worth it. You will never quite look at yourself in the mirror the same again. And if you're in Pittsburgh on February 6th, seek out Scott at the International Networking Day event!

What a Day!

I just got back from a work weekend in Toledo, Ohio! My friend and colleague, Debby Peters owner of Certified Networker of Ohio, invited me out there for a jam packed day of presentations. It became an even better experience when my buddies, Emil and Ed joined me for the trip!

The morning session of 3 hours, focused on designing training sessions using the experiential learning cycle (ELC). This is not something that's easy to grasp and use effectively in a short amount of time. I am pleased to say that this group of 6 trainers GOT IT! Now, they're not experts yet ... but they clearly had a grasp of the concepts enough to demonstrate their new knowledge. The room was getting pretty bright as the light bulbs were going off!

The second half of the day (another 3 hour session) involved a larger audience of nearly 60 people. The purpose of this session was to help "subject matter experts" understand their adult audience and their role and impact as presenters. The big hit of the afternoon was this exercise that demonstrated the learning styles of the people in the room! Look at the dots! We were all over the board! The second hit of the afternoon were the special guests: Power Pam, Inactive Annie, and Mediocre Michael! (the volunteers nailed their role play to a tee!)

It was a productive, thought-provoking day! The people who left that day were different than when they arrived. They had a new understanding and appreciation for the adult audience. I am grateful to have been a part of it. Thank you, Debby for the opportunity! And, thank you Ed and Emil for making the trip that much more meaningful!

Taking WORK out of Networking??

Recently, I've come to hear about something called "5 Minute Networking". It's promoted as "taking the work out of networking".

Come on. Really now.

Can you honestly take the WORK out of networking? Not from where I'm sitting. I suppose it all comes down to how you define networking. If networking to you is meeting a person, shaking their hand and getting their business card, then, perhaps you can take the work out networking.

That's NOT my definition of networking. To me, networking is about building relationships. Just getting someone's card and shaking their hand is not building a relationship with them. Networking takes time, effort and alot of work to do it right.

5 Minute Networking ought to be called, "5 Minute Hello" because that's all it really is. Now ... don't get me wrong. It's not a BAD thing at all because it does get people out of their caves, which can only be a good thing. But, it's not taking the work out of networking.

Networking without work becomes just a "net" ... a net that just sits there, unproductive, and immobile.

What are your thoughts on 5 Minute Networking or something similar, speed networking?

Snowflakes!

Finally ... winter has arrived! At least for a brief few days here in Pittsburgh. In those few days, I actually saw some snowflakes falling.

Remember looking closely at a snowflake as it landed on your jacket and you could see its intricate details and uniqueness. Its fragile nature made you move your arm slowly in order to get a closer view without it melting or breaking.

Think about how this relates to referral marketing. Many people believe the best way to operate in business is under the "golden rule" of "treat others the way you want to be treated". I disagree. I believe in living by the "platinum rule" of "treat others the way THEY WANT to be treated". Like the snowflake, we are all unique, surrounded by the intricate details that make us who we are in this world. As well, we are all very fragile beings and need to be treated with care.

The platinum rule encourages that you work with your referral partners individually. No one plan will work the same way for everyone on your word of mouth marketing team. No one incentive will have the same impact on everyone. The best success is created by truly knowing and appreciating each others differences and understanding how to work with each other to meet our specific needs.

The next time you connect with a referral partner, remember the snowflake. The platinum rule applies to all levels and elements of your relationship. Begin to recognize its impact today!

My BOOK Update!

Yesterday, I spoke to my co-author, Dr. Ivan Misner regarding the status of our book, "It's Not NetSIT or NetEAT, It's NetWORK!"

GOOD NEWS!
The publisher wants additional time to create a more comprehensive marketing campaign for this book. In Ivan’s words, they want to do even a bigger and more creative campaign than what was orginally planned!

BAD NEWS …
That means that the publisher has pushed back the release date until January 2008. In the long run, I will be happy about this … right now, it’s somewhat deflating. We all know how fast time flies, so I’m expecting that to happen here as well.

What this actually means is that this spring, I can focus on learning how to ride my new 1991 Harley Sportster 883 instead of being focused on a book tour!! Do you see how quickly I made that a really good thing?? The bike is in the garage, shining like new money and begging for spring! I can't wait to take my lessons!

In the meantime, please keep talking about the book. It's going to be a BIG book for BNI and business networking.

It's Never Too Late

How many times have you heard yourself or someone else say ...

I'm too old ...
I'm too overweight ...
I'm too afraid ...
It's been too long ...
I could never ...

The other day, I picked up this small, un-noticeable book called "It's Never Too Late ... 172 Simple Acts to Change Your Life" by Patrick Lindsay. This little book packs a big wake up punch ... especially at the beginning of a new year.

Allow me this opportunity to share a few that struck a cord with me.

It's never too late ...
to know your worth.
to listen to your body.
to get a life.
to work for yourself.
to find balance.
to listen to your kids.
to imagine.
to think big.
to find your passion.
to have fun.

It's never too late to commit to building your business by referral. It's never too late to stop cold calling. It's only too late if you make it be.

Did you ever think it was too late for something only to find yourself proven wrong?

Resolutions!

Resolution. In my dictionary, the first definition of the word as a noun is "the act or process of reducing to simpler form" such as the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones.

That's not the typical definition that one considers at this time of year. But, for our purposes with respect to referral marketing, let's see where it'll take us.

Think for a minute about the complexities of your sales cycle. What are some standard steps that take place in your system to get a prospect to become a client? For some, it might include writing a proposal or two, presenting the proposal once or twice, meeting with the prospect on several occasions, and taking the prospect out to lunch or dinner. It's also sure to involve numerous phone calls, time spent building up your credibility, and plenty of time spent convincing the prospect that you're the right person for the job. It's typically a long, drawn out process that is longer for some than others.

Imagine if in 2007 you could reduce the sales process to a simpler form. Imagine if you could simplify it to the point that a prospect comes to you ready to buy your product and services ... outright ... no selling needed at all! That's the beauty of word of mouth marketing! Word of mouth marketing is a resolution for the sales process. If done effectively and strategically, it shortens your sales cycle significantly and saves you an enormous amount of time.

This is ONE resolution that can dramatically impact your business. And, it's a resolution that is actually FUN to keep forever.