When you walk into a room at a networking event or a conference do you circle the crowd and find a way to insert yourself into a conversation? Do you stand off to the corner by yourself? Do you know how to “work the room?” If you want to be the center of attention at the next work event or if you want to be in the middle of all of the conversation, here are some things you can do to be the “center of attention”:
Know who you want to meet… then make sure you do.
Set a goal of how many quality people you want to meet. Whether it’s to grow your business team or to connect with as a potential business partner. Make sure you stay at the event until you have reached your goal.
Make it a practice to talk to the one individual who is standing by him or herself. They will welcome it, you will be a hero in their eyes and it just might be the best connection at the event! You’ll never know until you try.
Networking is crucial to growing a thriving business because you can’t work in a vacuum. Take advantage of every event you attend.
As an avid hiker I know the power of taking that one more step to achieve a goal, to finish that hike to complete a marathon. That one more step is a powerful motivator. In business, entrepreneurs are faced with so many pressing tasks on a regular basis that they may suffer “analysis paralysis” — having too many things to do and not being sure where to start.
What can you do to work the power of one? To take that one more step? Here are my best practice tips:
Every time you make a sale, suggest one more product or service to go along with that purchase. The power of the add on sale cannot be denied.
Commit to making one more warm or cold call per day. Write it on your to-do list and make it happen. Calculate how many additional customer “touches” that could lead to and then determine your conversion rate — that one call could grow your business exponentially.
Spend a day a month developing your skills. To remain viable in your industry you need to remain at the cutting edge of the technologies involved with it.
Read a book a month. Turn off the television and read a book –whether it’s in your business niche or whether it’s a novel it’s a great way to take a break and enjoy some down time.
Once a week, ask a client for a referral or a testimonial.
Get to the office an hour early or stay an hour later. If clients learn you’re there early, or late, you may have an advantage over the competition who keeps a strict 9-5 policy.
Before writing off a prospect, make one more call or send one more email. That final contact may be the one that serves as the tipping point to getting him or her to commit.
What one more thing can you do today to grow your business?
How often do you find yourself leaving your office, walking into another room and then not remembering why you were in there? It happens to the best of us. We can “blame” age or too many things in our brains or too much stress, etc. Whatever the reason, keeping your brain sharp will help you in your business life and in your personal life as well. I mean, really, don’t you want to stop walking into a room and forgetting why you’re there!?
What can you do to increase your brain’s capacity for remembering? Here are a few steps to take and you can start today:
Do something every day that scares you! You don’t have to ride a roller coaster or run in front of a speeding bus, but you can try a new food, take a different route to work, attempt to complete a task in a completely different way. If you keep doing things in the same way, it all becomes routine and doesn’t give your mind a chance to react or interact.
Take up a new hobby. If you’ve always wanted to learn to play the saxophone — what’s stopping you? Learn to knit — many people find that when they knit or crochet, they tend to pay more attention to what’s going on around them, especially if they’re in a meeting.
Learn a new language. Go online and look for programs that will teach you to speak a foreign language from the comfort of your home.
Get out of the comfort of your home! If you work from a home office or if you telecommute, you need to get up, get dressed and interact with new people. Stay connected — in real life — not simply on the computer.
Read a book. When is the last time you’ve spend time with a book? If you typically read non fiction, shake it up and read fiction.
Interact with people who are not in your industry. If you’re continually talking to and spending time with people who do what you do, you’re not opening yourself up to new experiences or new knowledge.
Volunteer. Take time out of your busy week to give back to the community or to a group that you feel drawn to.
Make a date with a friend and attend a poetry reading or view the new exhibit at a local art gallery.
Travel. Whether you’re a world traveler or if you want to visit a different state in the United States, make a plan and make it happen. Even going to a new state will be a learning experience and help boost your brain power.
Complete a cross word puzzle or Sodoku
Keeping your brain agile is something that everyone (not only business owners) need to do. This will help everyone as they age and keep your mental acuity sharp.
If you want to secure speaking engagements or have clients find you through your blog or website or your social media pages, you need to have a robust business bio. You also need to not only have a robust bio (by that I mean it should have searchable terms for your business niche) but it should be complete.
Having a LinkedIn or Facebook or Trade Business page, but not having a complete biography or profile will not help you be found. In fact having incomplete profiles may lead a prospective client to wonder, “if he hasn’t completed that, will he complete what I want him to do?”
Here are my best bio-building tips:
A bio or your profile is not a one-size fits all. Adapt your profile and your bio to the audience you’re interacting with.
What are your highest value qualifications? Is there a particular niche for which you’d like to be known? Use those words in your bio. Think “Google search” when planning your business profile.
If you have specialized training, note that in your bio and especially on your website’s About Page.
Don’t forget, when you complete your bio that you have your contact information front and center. Don’t make a prospect have to become an amateur sleuth to find you!
Add a photo. If you’re in business, chances are you have access to a professional headshot or can get one. Don’t leave this blank.
Check your business profile and make sure it is complete.
Blogging is one of those social media “fads” that is not going away. If you ever feel skeptical and wonder if there is any reason for you to be blogging, check our these statistics from Social Media Today about blogging:
Seventy percent of consumers find companies through blogs and online articles
A business that blogs generates 126% more leads than one that doesn’t
More than 60% of all consumers in the United States have make a purchase based on a blog post
These numbers don’t lie when it comes to reasons why you should take up the blogging mantle. If you don’t know where to begin, there are any number of blogging professionals (our company is one!) who can help you get started and keep going!
These 5 “tips” are strategies that have made the efforts of many great people grow exponentially.
What are you doing to stay ahead of your business competitors? There are steps you can take to edge them out and here are just five of my favorites:
Believe – Believe in yourself and your success. What you tell yourself is a self fulfilling prophesy. Tell your self great things!
Failure Is A Lie – You can’t fail if you do not quit! Do NOT quit! Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start over.
Maintain Integrity – Have a strong work ethic for yourself and your staff. Be the compass others around you use to find their way.
Be Decisive – Putting off decision-making leads to stress and will cause you to miss many great opportunities that you are exposed to every day.
Become and Stay Healthy – Operate at peak levels all the time! Take care of your mind as well as your body. Rest, eat right, exercise. Realize your most creative moments come from a healthy and rested mind.
Make these 5 things your daily experience and I assure you you will prosper at levels you never knew were possible. This is a great start in staying ahead of your competition!
