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Archive for Networking

Success in Business and Life is Found Through Failure

Sep 14, 2011 · By Mitch Tublin Business Strategist
Comments 3

bike Success in Business and Life is Found Through Failure Do you recall when you first learned to ride a bicycle? You probably had an adult hold your seat for you, or at least escort you to a safe place to try it out. You probably fell often. Once you knew how to ride your bicycle did you ever once reflect back to when you were not able to do it? If you picked up a bicycle today after years of not riding your bicycle would you be able to ride the bicycle?

This is a fairly accurate analogy to compare to how we form a new habit or learn a new method of conducting ourselves or our business. There is fear of the unknown. We seek guidance or a helping hand. We fail a few times. We continue to try. We gain confidence with success. We learn how to do something so well we never forget how to do it again.

In your networking, take with you the attitude of ‘helping others’. Ask first how you may be of service to the person you are meeting for the first time. Practice this process over and over again. Overcome any self doubt or fear you may have of networking in this manner. Be sincere and always follow up and follow through.

You will find this to be one of the seeds you will continually plant. One day you will look back and wonder how the beautiful forest grew so tall around you. This method of networking is going to be one of the most rewarding processes you will follow. You will
continually grow and build your network, your referral sources, and your contacts for your business and your life.

Some of you may feel this is unrealistic; you feel you cannot possibly speak this way.
Ask yourself if you have ever heard, “Treat your customers, as you would want to be treated”. How would you react if you met someone networking and they asked you:
“How may I be of service to you?” or “How may I help you?” Are you going to tell me
this would upset you greatly and you would hope to never interact with this person ever again?

There will be a time or two where you may feel taken advantage of or not appreciated. Over time these will be in the minority. The positives will far outweigh any negatives.
Let me know how this is working out for you and share your experiences with me.

If you are ready to network in your most authentic voice and grow your network quickly, start today and contact expert Executive Coach Mitch Tublin, www.thementorguy.com.

Categories : Networking

Comments 3

Honey I’m Falling and I Can’t Get Up

Sep 07, 2011 · By Mitch Tublin Business Strategist
Comments 11

handshake Honey I’m Falling and I Can’t Get Up Ever have that feeling that you are spiraling in a downward spin and just cannot get it to stop? Let’s back track a bit to a time before you felt this way.

Do you attend networking events? Do you network?

At this point, we must address anyone who may have said ‘no’ to both questions.
It does not matter what your business is, you are networking or exposed to a networking opportunity every single day, multiple times a day, unless you live in a cave.

Networking is simply meeting people. You meet, and you engage in a conversation.

You offer to learn how you might be of service to the person you are speaking with. If the ‘be of service’ wording blows your mind, than think, ‘help this person achieve their goals for no other purpose than to be helpful’. Are you still with me? Networking is really nothing more than this exact definition. There are more formal networking events and less formal networking events. Just keep in mind the definition above and you will always be memorable and a great networker.

An additional item for you to add to your networking skill set, which as shocking as it sounds 99% of all ‘networkers’ forget to do, is to follow up. Follow up with the people you meet. Confirm you understood how you might be able to help them.
Make the connection or the introduction for them. Follow up that the two parties connected.

You know you want to obtain more customers, more clients, sell more and grow your business. This is the same agenda for everyone else who is in a business. The way to differentiate yourself is to give. Offer to become the connector. Become the hub.
Be memorable. Be the person who when people say “I need to meet someone who…”
everyone points to you and says “Oh just ask, connector over there, she knows everyone.”

You may be thinking now, “Okay, so how do I get business out of this?”
The answer is to give it time. Keep acting this way and strive to live this way.
You will begin to see the referrals soon enough. If you should have a time of need where you are spiraling in a downward spin, you may just find your network will be there to pick you up.

Are you ready to network like a pro? Work with expert Executive Coach Mitch Tublin today to craft the necessary networking skills needed in today’s business environment, www.thementorguy.com.

Categories : Networking

Comments 11

Networking Not Working or is it Your Business Strategy?

Mar 25, 2011 · By Mitch Tublin Business Strategist
Comments 4

Do you return from networking events and wonder why you spent the time, the effort and often the money (if there was a fee to attend) when you are not obtaining clients, new business or quality contacts? Are you feeling like your networking is not working?

starbucks 300x225 Networking Not Working or is it Your Business Strategy?

Flickr - marcopako

Let us assume that you are attending the right events to network with your ideal client niche or the people who will be able to connect you with your ideal client.

Do you have a favorite place you enjoy going to? This may be a local bar, a favorite restaurant, even your local Starbucks? When you go there now are you recognized? For example, your name is used when people say hello or the bartender has your exact beverage for you as you enter the room, or at the counter at Starbucks your exactly and specifically Starbucks Language beverage is recited with the question added at the end “correct, the usual?”

Here is my question for you – do you recall the very first time you were there? The first time, no one knew your name, no one knew you drank a Blue Sapphire Gin and tonic with a lime, no one at Starbucks knew you wanted a double latte, skim milk, low foam.

The point here is this, networking is the same way.

You must have a consistent presence.
You must create the relationships.
You must follow up and engage.

Some of these items may sound familiar to you. Hopefully you will now create the habits that work for networking like a pro. Here are a few more tips for you so you may grow into the networker you want to become.

Determine the categories of people you are meeting. Make this a game for yourself. You might say to yourself, there are people I definitely know are my ideal clients, there are people I definitely know who are not my ideal clients and then there is everyone else.

Begin to track after your networking events who you meet and which category you placed them into. How many of the ideal clients you met are you actively meeting and engaging to create a relationship? Caution – this is not placing the person on your newsletter list or auto-generated email list; it is actively meeting in person or speaking on the phone.

From your category of people you are certain they are not your ideal client, how many of them know your ideal client profile and what you do? What if their brother or sister, co-worker or best friends are your ideal clients? How will they know? How will you know? Do you have a strategy to connect with these people you know are not your ideal clients to let them know more about you?

Whatever the categories are you create, track who is where and track what you are doing to further the relationship. You may find more clients are coming from the referral from the group of ‘not my ideal clients’. How will you know if you are not creating the categories and tracking?

Are you ready to take your networking skills to the next level?

Are you ready to treat your business like a business and yourself like a CEO who means business? Book your meeting now with Mitch Tublin, business strategy expert and successful serial entrepreneur.

Did you know this month if you were a subscriber to the weekly ezine, you would see articles like this one every single week! Each month is a new topic and free templates to use are given away once a month to subscribers.

Check out the last one here:
www.thementorguy.com/ezine/March22-2011.html

Categories : Networking

Comments 4

Strategy For Growing My Business Last Night

Mar 10, 2011 · By Mitch Tublin Business Strategist
Comments 11

My strategy for growing my business last night was to attend a networking event. Here is a story I heard about and witnessed first hand. Stephanie is a CPA and is just opening up her own private practice – about three months ago. She has always worked for larger organizations in their accounting or tax departments. When Stephanie learned of the networking event, she knew this was something she needed to do and at the same time she was scared to death of being surrounded by people she did not know.

She decided to call up Nicole who had opened up her own beauty salon in town about two years ago. From what Stephanie heard, Nicole had a great network and her beauty salon was doing well. Stephanie had lost touch with Nicole since she left the larger Beauty Salon to open her own two years ago. The conversation went something like this:

“Hello Nicky’s Beautiful Ladies, how may I help you?”

“Hi, is Nicole there, this is Stephanie”

“Hi, yes, this is Nicole.”

“Hi, Nicole, you might not remember me, I knew you from the Big Old School Beauty Shop.”

“Oh sure sweetie, two color process treatments, highlights, and the bangs in the front and long but neat everywhere else.”

“Yes, Wow.”

“So, what’s new, need an appointment?”

“Oh, no, I was just calling about a meeting tonite at 5 and…..”

“Oh, well, sorry, I am so booked every night until at least 8.”

“But, I thought you run your own business now?”

“I do and the customers want the times from 4 to 8 so I give them what they want, say, I have to run, you take care, come in and try us out some time.”

And Nicole was off the line.

Stephanie was in shock. Not certain why.

She decided to text her friend Marcia who is a nurse at General Hospital. Just a quick text to see if Marcia would go with her to the networking event. Marcia said she was done at 4 PM and would enjoy catching up with Stephanie. Marcia and Stephanie met and went to the networking event. They secured a table in the corner and enjoyed the free food and beverages and spent over two hours talking and catching up with each other.

What do you see going on in this story? Do you see the missed opportunities staring Stephanie in the face? Do you see the errors in her business networking strategy? Do you see some of yourself in this story?

*Please note personal and business names have been changed to protect their innocence.

If you are ready to create face to face networking opportunities for yourself and your team, connect with expert Business Strategist Mitch Tublin and book your strategic business breakthrough session today and create your networking strategy to grow your business.