Red-Headed Snackers

My hubby Steve put a couple of those suet wire cages out for the birds this winter. I had a ball watching all the birds, but I especially enjoyed the woodpeckers. The feeder that I can watch from my office window stayed filled till about two weeks ago. The big, red-headed woodpeckers (my friend, Deanna Tucci Schmitt would tell you the actual name of the bird.) were there a lot.

Once they licked (do birds lick?) the containers clean, they no longer appeared at my porch.

This weekend I put some more stuff in the cages.

But the woodpeckers must have moved on or found some other more desirable feeder.

Hmmm, it made me wonder if I'm paying attention my referral sources and feeding them well. Or am I allowing them to move on the more favorable relationships?

Round Table Networking

In my previous post today, I talked about people sitting next to each other at networking events.

Now I want to focus on a group that has it figured out.

WEN - The Women's Entrepreneurial Network to be exact.

This 360+ member organization in NW Ohio offers five networking opportunities per month and the lunchtime session in Toledo had reached such success that a problem was created.

You see, somewhere between 70-100 people are showing up. You question, "So what?"

The so what factor is that in the past, everyone got an opportunity to have 20 seconds to introduce themselves, their company name and one thing they needed from the audience. With people passing the microphone, and getting ready to speak, figure only two people per minute made intros. For those of you math whizzes out there, that's somewhere around 35-50 minutes of individual intros. Introductions generally began at shortly after noon, leaving little time for other WEN announcements at the end at 1 PM.

The two Co-directors, Linda Everhardt Kardux and Linda Fayerweather, put their heads together and came up with a solution.

Now, we all get to say just our name and company name. (Figure 5 to 6 people per minute.) Then, at each round table, each person gets two minutes to talk about what they do just to the people at the table.

Obviously, it makes sense to sit at a table where you don't know anyone, or at least some of the people. Or your in-depth commercial falls on ears that already know you.

Ingenious.

Without saying so, the Linda's figured out a way to get people to sit with those they don't know.

Chances of Meeting

If I were to tell you that I was going to take away a 50% chance of you meeting someone that could help you be more successful, what would you say to that?

This past week, I attended a networking event, where there was a lunch. People sat at round tables.
I said "hello" to two people I had met when I was asked to speak to their sales meeting several weeks ago.

They sat next to each other.

They cut in half their opportunity to meet someone who might help further their success.

It always blows my mind when I see this happen.

Why don't they just stay in the office to develop that relationship further and save the cost of the lunch?

Yes, I know, there was an opportunity to either side of each of the offenders.

But what if that one person was not helpful? There was no fallback. They were done.

Tell me. Why don't networkers get it. Sitting next to people you know is limiting, unless that person is someone who can help you be more successful in the future.

And believe me, if your table mate is your office mate doing the same thing you do, you're really dumb.

Comments?

Seth's Words in Ann Arbor

Today I heard Seth speak in Ann Arbor and answer questions from the audience. He did not use the words target market, but alluded to them so many times.

This post is such a laugh because the ad tells us that whatever this company does, it probably won't be done well.

Doing everything for everyone satisfies no one.

Most people are afraid to limit the audience they sell to, but the ones who figure it out, are the ones the push through "the dip." Thanks, Seth. I'm glad it's not about quitting!

Intuition

I had the weirdest dream early this morning.

I dreamt that my hubby, Steve, and I were in Hawaii????? (Not even a priority on my places to visit.) We were coming back to our car from some tour, and he told me to "quick, get in the car, as an avalanche was coming." Now, it was a sunny day, but seconds after I got to the car he was gunning the engine to outrun the river of snow and ice.

I know that ALL kinds of explanations can be drawn from that.

But here's what I think my mind was doing.

Steve had told me over the weekend how glad he was that he'd hired several interns for the summer and was also in the hiring process for several other positions. One of his guys asked him how he knew to make those hiring decisions when at the time, there really wasn't enough work to warrant it. (avalance of business?)

Could it be 30 years of experience?

I think meeting new people can be as intuitive as the above story. Something either tells me "RUN!" or stay around awhile to get to know this new person.

Probably the same 30 years of experience.


What are you intuitive about?

Bicycling Business Terms

Last week I met Suzan Maxey at the monthly Monroe (MI) networking meeting. This was the first time Suzan attended the event. She came as a guest of Sue Waterhouse. Suzan is a graphic designer and printer.

Being a good networker she sent me a follow up note. Suzan asked a good question in her card. She wanted to know the difference between a business consultant, a business coach, a marketer and a networker. My answers are below, but of course they are only my opinions. Also, I am adding information to my definitions based on a presentation by Lolita Amos that I heard a couple years ago at a BNI conference.

So here goes:

A business consultant is someone who analyzes the situation and makes recommendations.


Lolita used an analogy of learning to ride a bike. The consultant will help you to determine the type of bike you should buy and perhaps recommend who should help you to learn to ride it.


A business coach is someone who instructs from the sideline.

Lolita says that a coach is someone who runs alongside you as you are learning to ride yelling, "turn right, turn left, slow down, you can do it again."


A business mentor is someone who shares his/her experiences and contacts.

Lolita says that a mentor rides his bike slightly in front of you so you can see what he is doing.

Lolita didn't weigh in on marketers or networkers, but I have my thoughts.




Debby says

a marketer uses all the tools available to gain visibility and credibility about the product or service he is trying to sell.







A Networker develops relationships with those who can buy or refer business in the future.

What are you thoughts?

Networking = Friends

Last night our phone rang multiple times in the middle of night. Actually three different times.

A friend of the family needed some help with a family situation.

When I think about networking, developing friendships, is a huge part of networking.

A friend is someone who will:

Answer your call, without question, in the middle of the night;

Tell you when you did well, and when you did not so well;

Support you in front of people who are being not so supportive;

Offer you the last piece of pizza, even when they are still hungry;

Refrain from laughing when you have two different earrings on (or toilet paper stuck to the bottom of your shoe);

Point out the truth nicely, when you are ignoring it;

Invite you to the lake for a whole week;

Be there no matter what.

That's what networking can deliver. A friend for life!