johngies.com

In my last post on the subject, I shared several ideas on how the non-networker could become more comfortable at a networking event (LINK). We get prepared by:
-    Knowing who we want to meet
-    How we will introduce ourselves
-    How we will create a few moments of connection by having some prepared questions that are not “salesy”.

In this post, I want to share how we can deepen these connections so that the people you meet will become friendly towards you and want to help you. ... << MORE >>

You are a small business owner and you know you need more customers. You have heard that Networking Events can be a good place to meet people and get leads for your business. The only problem is; you are uncomfortable around people. Maybe you don’t think you can have meaningful conversations or perhaps you are afraid you have to sell.

Here are some ideas that I have gathered from over the years that may be of some help.

First, prepare for the event:
-    Try to find ... << MORE >>

An example of how one company leverages the Immeasurable Things That make a Measurable Difference.

My mother is no longer able to walk very far unassisted. Yet one of her great joys is shopping. I learned today that she can walk into Nordstrom, they will have her sit down and then the sales professionals will bring her items to look at and or to try on. Now Nordstrom is famous for their customer service policy and they way they service their clientele.

Now that Mom has reduced mobility, ... << MORE >>

I was able to gain over thirty great ideas in 90 minutes yesterday from business and thought leaders for FREE!

Yesterday I participated in two MeetUps’ yesterday. I had been watching them for a while and this week was the first Friday in months I was able to attend. I am so glad I did.

The IDEA cafe is the Brian Child of John Wren, a local small business consultant and adult educator. The concept of the cafe is, you come prepared to 1) Freely share your creative mind in generating ideas to help others with a product, service, or a problem.  2) Bring a product, service or problem that you want help with.

Here is how it went. Mark Lake, PhD presented the idea behind his new book The Inventors Puzzle. He addresses how do inventors (large and small) move from the idea and the invention into the marketplace and acceptance. We then opened up to anyone who wanted ideas.

The process a brainstorming session focused on idea generation not idea evaluation.  You share your issue (product, service or problem). Then John and the others take just a few minutes to clarify your goal or desired outcome. And then with the individual taking notes we generate ideas.

Now let me tell you who was in the room:
-    Author consultant to business on moving from idea to market
-    Marketing and Branding consultant
-    Consultant to business on unleashing innovation in their organizations
-    Small business consultant
-    Business and Leadership Coach
-    Sales Professional
-    A serial entrepreneur
-    I think the final was an engineer (he came late and I did not catch his role)

Most of us have twenty plus years experience in the world both in the corporate and small business settings. And, they are willing to share their ideas for FREE! The other benefit is that they don’t really know you and they are not in your business so they are as one person put it, so deep in the frame they can’t see the larger picture.”

•    I received 36 ideas on how to attract more readers to by blog. I will generate several more as I work through these and I will be able to boost readership.

• The Business Coach received 40 or 50 good ideas on how to attract a new segment of clientele that will also help her study leadership in a new way.

• The serial entrepreneur got dozens of ideas that he can use to help improve his referral rate from others.

John is obviously a lover of ideas. How do I know this? Because the IDEA café is followed by, the Franklin Circle, which is modeled on the Junto that Ben Franklin created over 200 years ago to help generate ideas. And that is followed by Socrates Café where individuals gather to explore the big ideas, the meaning of life and so on.

I stayed for the Franklin Circle, which delivered an interesting and valuable set of actionable items. But I’m out of time. Stay tuned.

For more information on the Idea Circle and John Wren you can find him on Facebook, Linked in and at the links below.

Take Good Care,


http://wrensjournal.blogspot.com/

http://www.meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe

    

I was driving home last night and heard a brief interview with Jack Hanna on the radio. That’s right the wild animal guy talking about the Hope for Rwanda 2010 Gala being held here in Denver tonight. Jack reminded us of where this country has been, and the incredible strides it has made to become 2009’s Top Business Reformer according to the World Bank’s “Doing Business report”.

A brief refresher; in 1994 there was another uprising and ... << MORE >>

I cleaned up some files this week and found the notes on a post I was working on back in October. (Need to drive a better desk). The post was based on an article in Business Week magazine titled The Great Trust Offensive.     The article starts with the comment “Companies …are revamping their marketing efforts to win back that most valuable of corporate assets [trust].”

Is it, really, that simple? Change your marketing message and you can regain trust? The article goes on to describe how companies are attempting to regain trust by changing their messaging and by attempting to become more transparent.

Can you have trust without trustworthy intent? That is can I just change my messaging to emphasize trust in order to sell more without actually being more trustworthy? I don’t believe so. I believe trust, is earned and real trust is earned over time.

Dictionary.com has 24 definitions of trust. They all boil down to the reliance upon another to deliver upon a promise.

The first time we trust it really is based on an act of faith. We don’t have the experience to back up our decision to trust. Most business relationships start on this leap of faith. We do our due diligence, ask questions, and check references and so on. But until the product or service is delivered, it is still just a promise.

As an example, I have been with my Financial Advisory firm now for several years. The original Advisor took the time to discover my needs, fears, goals and dreams. This took place over the course of, I think, four meetings. So, I invested a piece. As time progressed and our investments performed, we invested more. Then John retired!

We were assigned one of the partners (who looked very young). We gave him the benefit of the doubt (we let him ride on the trust that John had built) for a few months. He delivered on his promises so we continued to invest.

It is no longer benefit of the doubt or faith that keeps us with Paul. He has earned our trust and we continue to invest to our mutual benefit.

So for companies wanting to go on a trust offensive that is not offensive let me offer some thoughts:

1.    Listen – This is different than hearing. It is intentional with the goal of understanding.
2.    Deliver on your promises big and small. I like the idea of under promise and over deliver.
3.    Make trust more than just a message it has to be your intention.
4.    Trust others, it is contagious

Take good care,

    

In an article from Hospital Impact we learn that the University of Michigan has reduced Malpractice Costs by $57.0 million be being transparent and open about mistakes AND apologizing where appropriate.

This is not a new concept.  I wrote about this in a post fromOctober 2009 . What is encouraging to me is that the idea seems to be catching on. In spite of the Scandal and Greed that makes the headlines, business people and leaders are every day making decisions that may seem “soft” like whether or not to apologize for a mistake. And as you can see there is a monetary value to this kind of decision making.

See the article here

Take Good Care

    

Buyers are liars, so they say.

I participated in some sales training last year. One of the trainer’s big points was that buyers lie to you. In fact, his whole approach was very aggressive and even a little combative “in a nice way”.

I am not sure that is the best way to approach a relationship. My experience has been that if I move through the world trusting others, they typically repay me in kind. On those occasions where I run into a buyer that is not trustworthy, it is usually up to me to determine if I chose to go along with the deception or not.

If we are self aware, (and most professionals, I have met, are) we know when someone is not telling the truth. We can then choose, whether or not, to call them on the deception or to go along with it. I have observed many professionals chose to accept the lie (perhaps a stall or delay) in order to avoid hearing “NO”.  They just move on or they keep the deal alive for something to do. This is waste of everyone’s time. I think it is much better to ask the direct question and get the direct answer.
 
More importantly, we want to go into the transaction with the right mindset. Your mindset, your thinking, your beliefs will all affect the way the buyer (or anyone else) responds to you. We all have been through the courses in Consulting Selling, where we learned how to ask questions to “lead” the buyer to a decision. Buyers can sense your intent very quickly and if they feel they are being “sold” as opposed to being helped to buy; you will see more sales lost than won.  

How are you approaching the relationship? Are you helping them make a decision or are you selling them?

Take Good Care,

    

I came across this Dilbert Comic strip the other day. I had to laugh out loud and then cry, because it represents the views of many sales professionals. In the strip the sales executive says, "If we both win, it's not selling."

I strongly disagree. You have heard me say this before in other ways but look at how many sales executives talk; “I eat what I kill,” “I am a hunter,” “we have to be aggressive.” All of that language has ...

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In order to enhance our success at making a sale we want to make sure we understand what the buyer is seeking. I know, it sounds obvious. How many times have you gone into the store looking for something and the seller tries to sell you what they want to sell.

Before we can present the best solution, we need to understand more about the buyer’s situation:
-    Where they see the need
-    The impact of that need on him/her personally
-    Impact on their ... << MORE >>