Look Out World, Here She Comes!

This week I am going to the So Now (Stone Oak Network of Women) event. I look forward to this monthly opportunity to connect with new and old contacts. This group was started less than one year ago by Jennifer Wenzke, a pink Cadillac Mary Kay representative. Last month close to two hundred women showed up. There are over 100 RSVPs for this week's event.

Why is it so successful?

Two words. Jennifer Wenzke.

I have no doubt as to why she is successful in her own business.

First of all she has the energy of 10 EverReady Bunnies.

Second, she creates excitement and acts excited about all involved with this and believe me there are oh so many details.

Third, she communicates regularly about who is coming to the event and keeps the details of the event in front of us.

Fourth, she encourages attendees to bring guests. It's like you're doing her a favor if you bring one.

Fifth, she delegates and makes the people she delegates to feel special by giving a cute moniker to the task. (I have been tasked with giving a book report each time and she introduces me as "The Happy Booker!"

Sixth, she always has in mind who should meet who and actively takes one person over to another and says, "You two need to meet."

Seventh, she shares funny stories about her "ineptitude" at the beginning of each event. We look forward to what crazy situation Jennifer has gotten herself into this month!

Eighth, she learns from each event, fine-tuning each month to make each succeeding event run more smoothly.

Ninth, she thinks big and set a challenge goal to have 100 women at the event by November (I think) and we did that in September a couple months early.

Ten, she has the event at a nice country club, so the setting is one that engenders success.

There are probably another ten items I could list about Jenn's abilities, but let's just leave this Letterman style. Adopt just some of the above for whatever you do and I am sure you'll garner some pluses in your business.

Which one will you use today?

What's Wrong With This Picture

At a large networking event, a suggestion was made that we all use the directory, that had been produced of the the people in attendance, to give a referral to the person on the list below each of us.

Good in theory, not so good in real life.

For those you who read this blog on a regular basis, you'll probably know why I got a squeamish feeling when I heard the instruction. You see, for me, giving a referral is all about the relationship and how much credibility this person has banked with me. I don't just give referrals willy-nilly, but do develop thoughtful referrals for my good friends.

I realize that others may view this differently.

In the meantime, it probably would make more sense if the instructions were to get to know the person listed after you on the list to set the tone for future referrals.

What's your take?

Getting What You Want

Recently someone asked me, "But how do I find a person who will refer to me on a regular basis?"

I wish I could say, "You just need to kiss the frog and like magic, referrals start hopping your way," but I'd be sugar-coating a process that is long term, both in results and in development.

One way to catch the attention of someone who might be the best source of referrals is to give that person a qualified referral first. You ask, "But how do I do that if I don't really know what they need?"

Take a step back and get to know them better over coffee, lunch, breakfast or drinks. Or all four! If you don't know them well enough to refer them, then guess what? Probably it's comin' right back at ya'.

Once the relationship has evolved to this more seasoned level, then you can begin to listen (or hopefully you've listened all along) for opportunities. It may not be just in the person's business life, but also in their personal life.

One book that I'm recommending that really helped me to open my referral ears is, Money on the Table, Referrals in the Bank by Lee Abraham. It will change the way you listen and will offer you the opportunity to give more qualified referrals. And of course, you can teach these techniques to the very people you want referrals from!

What's your experience with developing these referral sources?

The Aqua Velva Slap!

This week one of my networking partners reminded me of how important it is to listen. I was talking with Chad Brogan, American Cellular. As a fellow BNI member I had asked him to meet to help me understand all the details of purchasing an i-Pad. So we spent a couple minutes on that, then he began to tell me about this apparatus that allows people to have just one landline phone number even if they live in two (or more) very separate locations.

That was when I did the dirty deed!

I stopped listening and also said, "I don't have a land line anymore." In my mind I didn't need or want to listen because it didn't affect me.

The old WIFM!

Chad very nicely pointed out that he was talking about it so that perhaps I could send him referrals based on this technology even though I couldn't use it. .....Oh yeah!

Thanks, Chad for the wake up call.

Goals, What Do They Have to Do With Networking?

The other day, I was cleaning out my notebook that I use to hold all my important membership "stuff" for my BNI chapter. It was getting a little thick and it had that bulging look that meant it was time!

I found an interesting piece of paper. It was a goal sheet that had used to set my target for what I wanted to achieve with my BNI membership in 2010. I remember when I set the revenue goal at $17K, I thought to myself, "That's a pretty big goal."

Well, guess what? At the end of last year, I hit almost $19K in revenue; even more that I thought was a big stretch.

OK, so what's that got to do with networking?

Two things.

1) If I set goals for networking and write them down, my brain will help to make sure I reach the goal.

2) Without networking, i.e. doing one to one meetings with my fellow members, I would not have developed the relationships needed to gain those results.

Pretty simple, but I think most of us don't want to have the chance to fail. (I must admit that it was a thought in my mind when I set the $17K goal.) So not setting goals protects us from failure, but it also helps us to settle for less.

And in my book, that is failure!

Why in the Heck Are You Here???

A couple weeks ago I attended a chamber function and at the end of the formal event, I turned to the person who sat beside me and introduced myself. As far as I know, she was a new person, one that I'd never met before. We chatted briefly and then I suggested that we might get together to get to know each other better.

Smart phones were engaged and we scheduled an appointment for sometime in the next week or so. The day before the appointment I received and email that said, "Unfortunately, I will have to cancel our Tuesday morning meeting. .....I have a full week. I’ll contact you when my schedule lightens up."

Now several weeks have gone by and yes, you guessed it, I have not heard.

So here are a couple questions that I have.

1. Why did this person even bother to attend a chamber function where the idea of the event of to meet people? After all, if one is so busy, it would seem that it would go against logic to go where there are new people top meet which takes time.

2. Why hasn't this person called or email since as she said she would. Now I know, perhaps she is still busy.

It's interesting that when I scheduled the appointment that I had the feeling that it wasn't going to be kept. I can't tell you why, just a gut feeling.

I too had a busy week that week and in fact had several people that had asked for that appointment time, but I put them off to a more distant time slot because my time was already taken.

So here are two requests.

1. Don't schedule an appointment with me unless you plan to keep it. It's OK to tell me no.

2. If you do schedule and all of a sudden your week goes to hell and back, don't wait until the day before to break the appointment. That's just downright rude. (I know there are events such as illness or family issues that may necessitate this, so I'm not entirely rigid.)

There. This has been bothering me. Now what do you think?

Two Word Poet

A little over a week ago I provided training for BNI in Findlay. Jeff Reichardt, president of Back Pain Solutions of NW Ohio, was in the class that day. He is from the New Vision BNI Chapter in Lima, Ohio.

During the break Jeff told me that he could write a poem for anyone with just a couple words supplied by that person. So I took him up on the offer and gave him "Networking guru."

I wasn't disappointed. At the end of the class, Jeff came to the whiteboard and within a few short minutes had written the poem below.

Networking Guru

I spent some time at MSP (Membership Success Program)
To learn about how to connect
I thought I knew a thing or two
About showing courtesy and respect
But what I learned in 3 short hours
Was more than I ever knew
Thank you, Debby, I learned to much
From my networking guru.

I don't know about you but I think Jeff is pretty talented.