Remember networking events? You’d meet other entrepreneurs or like-minded business owners and you’d have coffee or a lunch meeting or even a drink in a bar or a workshop session? We all know that COVID-19 put so many networking events on the back burner or canceled them entirely, and who knows if they will return, but we have tips on how to network like a pro.
If you get to meet in person, these will help and if you’re continuing to meet on Zoom, these tips help you connect and potentially grow your business. But remember, you’re making connections, not going in thinking you’re going to make a sale. That may make you sound desperate.
There are effective ways to network and ways your networking efforts crash and burn. I have seen both and I cringe when I see the person at a networking event who is just trying too hard and isn’t interested in building a relationship first.
You’ve honed your elevator speech, shaken hands and exchanged business cards… now what? Do you talk politics, weather, how much they liked the coffee, what about that coronavirus, huh… or do you say, “hey want to buy my stuff?” You’re better talking politics and religion than saying that — believe me.
How To Network Like A Pro
Why are you attending? Most people attend to find new clients or a new job. A few attend networking events just to get out of the office. Know why you’re going, then make a plan.
If you’re having a one-on-one is this person prepared to buy? Is this your first meeting? Are you just feeling one another out to see if you’re a good fit? No matter the reason, have a few ice breaker conversation starters. You can also — and you should — pay attention to them and and take a genuine interest in what they say.
Listen as much as you talk — maybe more. Conversations are give and take. Don’t monopolize the entire conversation and have the connection go home thinking, “wow I never got to say a word.”
Have a follow up plan, then follow through.
What are your best tips for making the most of networking events?
Here it is. The time of year when my clients and friends and family decide that what they did the past year wasn’t good enough and in order to be happy in 2022 they need to change almost everything. They sit down and write down resolutions that are impossible to keep because they’re impossibly vague, too overarching and aren’t based in reality. I have 5 ways to succeed in 2022 and they involve being true to yourself.
I am a believer in visualization. Visualize your success. Visualize what you hope will happen, how you want to make it happen and then write down how to make it happen. Before you do that though you should look back at the resolutions or goals you’ve previously set and see why, if they didn’t, manifest. Did you not visualize them? Did you not have the infrastructure in place to make it a reality? Before you move forward you need to reflect backward.
5 Ways To Succeed In 2022
Write. It/Them. Down! I cannot stress this enough. Don’t let your goals be vague. Get them out of your head and down on paper because then you can see them — visualize them — and come up with a plan to make them a reality.
Just make a decision. You can lose opportunities when you don’t move on them. If you’re going to make a mistake you will make it today or you will make it a month from now. Make it, learn from it then move on from it.
Remember…the customer is NOT always right. For example if you offer XYZ and you’re great it and a customer insists that you start doing ABC, don’t. They’re not right in getting you to pivot and offer something that may be outside of your core competency. Also, if you have a customer who is rude or is never happy or treats your staff poorly, it’s time to cut ties. That negative energy will drain you and everyone around you.
There isn’t a true thing as a work-life balance and I say that because if your’e at work, you’re at work. If you’re at home, you’re at home. What you need to do is plan for both so you’re having a balance that makes you happy.
Be positive. A good attitude can flip the switch on a bad day to a good day. I am not saying to push all negative feelings under the rug, what I am saying is to embrace your good and when bad comes up, look at it determine the how and why and move on.
Sure you may never stop worrying about cash all together — that is the same whether you’re an entrepreneur or an employee. Cash is necessary to survival and if you’re living outside of your means — which many people do — you may have more money worries and woes than others.
A concern if you are always worrying about the cash flow in your business is that you will say yes to business opportunities that are not a good fit and you could also be underselling your goods and services simply because you’re frantic about making money and bringing in money. That is not a way to run a successful business.
Also, when cash is always front of mind, you can’t focus and fully lose yourself in your entrepreneurial endeavor and that will rob you of the joy of running your own business.
There are steps you can take to alleviate the worry and allow yourself to relax and free yourself to focus on taking care of clients and growing your business.
How To Stop Worrying About Cash
Here are my top three “rules” for helping alleviate cash flow concerns that I discuss with my coaching clients:
Know exactly what you need to make monthly in order to not only survive but to pay your bills and have a cushion for the future.
Know exactly what your total income is — both gross and net. You need to have a clear picture of your finances in order to know where you are and where you need to be. And honestly, maybe you do need to worry about money, but you won’t have a clear picture until you do the background homework.
How consistently are you marketing yourself and your business? You may be in feast mode today, but what if it’s famine next week or next month? If you haven’t been marketing yourself, you will be scrambling to find new clients to nurture.
Plan your marketing strategy at least quarterly. You need to know where you need to be, how to get there and how much money you need to make it happen and to keep your business running smoothly.
Hire a financial advisor or talk with Rex Richard in a client coaching call to gain an understanding of how to price properly and gauge your success.
Do you worry about money? Did you worry about money and now you have a handle on it? I would love to know your secrets to success!
Hire quick, fire quicker — or some such saying. It means, hire when you need someone to expand your staff. Fire as quick as you discover the person isn’t working out. There is nothing worse for a small business owner to have hired someone who is a bad fit. That person could damage your business and its reputation and no entrepreneur can afford that.
We have 3 ways to hire smarter because if you’re fortunate enough to have grown your business to the point that you can expand your staff to be more than just you, congratulations! Another perk in hiring is that you can focus on your core competency and the new hire can take away those items at which you either don’t excel or that aren’t making any money for the business.
Many entrepreneurs look forward to the time when they can hire, but it is a time fraught with stress and the worry of “hiring wrong.” Here are a few ways to help ensure a new hire has your business best interests at heart.
3 Ways To Hire Smarter
What role are you hiring for? Define it as narrowly a you can, but leave a little space to expand the role if the person you hired has complementary skills that could be helpful in the future. Whether you’re hiring a vendor, a freelancer or an independent contractor for either full time, part time or per project, you need to know what you need them to do and what skills they need to have to fulfill the role. Having clearly defined – and written job tasks – with outcome metrics helps the new hire know what’s expected and helps you know whether it’s working out.
What do you need and why AND are you going to be able to delegate and let that person do his or her job? If you have an immediate need for help because you have a quick influx of opportunity, do you need someone on the payroll following that or is it a one time need? Be up front with the prospects.
Formulate an onboarding strategy to assist them in their job and you in their success. If a new hire is floundering and don’t know where to begin or what is expected of them, they will be dissatisfied and overwhelmed and will leave.
I have been fortunate in my hiring that I have had a couple of team members — my copywriter, for example — who has been with me for close to a decade. I have other project based vendors on whom I have also relied for many years. I set expectations up front, train staff, give them the tools they need to succeed and it has been a win-win!
When you’re in the middle of a problem, it’s hard to see a way out. I know. I’ve worked with so many clients both in the swimming pool industry and in other industries and when they are struggling, it’s hard to see light at the end of the tunnel. When in the middle of a problem, it’s overwhelming and you struggle to put a strategy in place.
I think if you work through these steps you will see it’s not quite as bad as you originally thought. Ready?
What IS the problem? Do you truly know what it is? Sometimes you’re so bombarded with things that you don’t know the root issue. Define the problem precisely as the first step.
Look at it from different angles. Don’t just stare at the face of the problem. Look at it from the top, bottom and both sides. Expand your view to solve the problem. Also ask yourself, “what ELSE could the problem be?”
What caused the problem? If you know where or how it originated, you may be closer to solving it.
Come up with any and all potential solutions — not matter how whacky they seem. You may find a kernel of help in even the most far out solution.
Now that you’ve examined it deeply and have written down potential solutions, you’re at the point of choosing the solution you think will work best.
Set a deadline for the implementation of the solution.
If the first solution doesn’t work, try , try again. That’s why you developed more than one potential solution.
Go back and see whether your solution remedied the problem.
Pat yourself on the back if it did!
Jump into plan B and ask for help to solve the solution. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes or perspective shines the light on something you’re too close to see.
Remember that children’s song, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”? That song has it wrong — words can wound. The wound from words could scar for a lifetime. It’s important to weigh your words whether you’re talking with a friend, family member or child and it’s important to think before you speak with a client.
You also want to think before you speak about one person to another person. It will ultimately be you that the harm comes back to, so just don’t do it.
Words carry weight. They can uplift or they can lead to upset. Think about the next time you say, “I had an awfully good day.” Sure, it sounds great, but why say “awfully?” Why didn’t you just have a good day? How about saying to a client, “I am anxious to get started working with you.” You may mean you’re really looking forward to starting BUT a client who doesn’t know you may think you’re desperate or nervous and they may not want to place their trust in you. Say, “I am looking forward to, or eager to, or excited to… work with you.”
Weigh Your Words
The words you speak to yourself can color your day and your interactions. Start your day with the mindset that, “this is going to be a great day!” Don’t think, “I have a few meetings today I hope they go well or I hope I won’t be too tired by the time the day is over.” In one instance you’re setting yourself up for a great day, in the other you are plodding toward your day like you’re walking into a firing squad.
What message do you want to tell yourself? Your clients?
How can you reframe your words? When you reframe your words, you reframe your thoughts and your day takes a turn toward the better!
I’ve been told that I uplift and encourage people. I love hearing that and I love doing that. What words do people say about you? What words do you want them to say?
