Master Networks News

Smart Talk for Fast Times: 5 Rules

2012-02-24T11:19:00.000-06:00

In the business world, no one has time to listen to chit-chat. Use these tricks to get more out of less in conversations.

Adapted from Tom Searcy's article on inc.com

INC.COM Who has the time now for long conversations? I hope you make time for them with your family and friends–but in the workplace, we tend to avoid people with the reputation for being long-winded.

So when you get the ear of someone you admire and want to connect with, how do you make the most of the moment? Use these tips to be more effective when talking with that busy professional.

1. Think in 30-Second Increments

Half a minute is forever in a boring conversation. Studies indicate that on the phone, the listener is considering whether to exit or stick around every seven to 11 seconds. In face-to-face meetings, you get a little more grace–say, all the way to 30 seconds. If you are not constantly generating someone's interest, you are losing him.

Successful business people seem to have their own form of attention disorders. They are constantly trying to come to a decision about any interaction: “Do I delegate this, avoid this, deny this or run away from this?” You are fighting that internal dialogue in small battles. Keep it interesting.

2. Watch for Signs of Boredom

We know the signs, right? Checking the watch, looking over your shoulder, fidgeting, glassy eyes. On the phone, it’s the prolonged pause, the “email launch” sound in the background, the vague “uh-huh, uh-huh ...” That's your "uh-oh" moment.

Really effective sales people respond to those moments. They interrupt the conversation with an honest interjection. It might be, “The bottom line is ...” or “The thing we need to decide right now is ...” The pattern interruption brings the conversation back to point and gets engagement.

3. Ask Permission for Stories

Stories are very important in conversations, to set points and ideas in context. Without context, it is hard for your listener to integrate your issues into all of their circumstances. However, when a person launches into a story, the instant reaction is resistance: No one wants to be trapped for who-knows-how-long in a pointless story.

If you need to tell a story, get the permission for extended attention. Just ask, “Can I tell a quick story to illustrate what I mean?” This shows respect to the listener and it prepares them for a sustained attention period.

4. Know What Your Point Is

Do you have a point? This is especially critical when talking with successful professionals, but the truth is that it should be a general rule for all business conversations. You are asking for action, input, a decision, or support. To honor someone's time and get to the next step, you need to know exactly what you want.

A compliment I hear from professionals and clients about their best suppliers is: “I really appreciate that they don’t waste my time. Whenever they need something, they come to me–and we take care of it and move on.”

5. What's in it for Someone Else?

Sales people have joked for a long time that everyone has the same radio station playing in their head: WIIFM (What’s In It For Me). By no means do I believe that every interaction has to be a selling conversation, or that there has to be something for your listener in every conversation. However, if you want to hold their attention, it’s good to keep it in mind. What is in it for the listener to be having this conversation with you?

Get to the point and everyone will benefit. And let me know how it goes. If you find these tips helpful, post your experience in the comments section.

Power Networking in Rochester, MN

2012-02-08T15:24:00.004-06:00

Monday, February 27, 2012

Asian Kitchen, Barlow Plaza

Dinner 7:30 - 8:00pm

Power Networking 8:00 - 9:00pm

Social 9:00 - 9:30pm

Cost: $12 (includes tip)

Beer and wine reasonably priced!

Power Networking - How It Works

It's quite simple. At 8:00pm, participants will pair off and spend 9 minutes conducting a one on one.

A new pairing will occur every 10 minutes.

By the end of the hour, you will have Power Networked with 6 new people.

RSVP now to reserve your spot! Only 40 spots available.

This event is sponsored by the Master Networkers Chapter of Master Networks

Marketing 102 Expo in Rochester, MN

2012-01-25T14:40:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we all cleared out of the office early to man a booth at the 1st annual Rochester "Marketing 102" Expo. It was an ideal atmosphere to meet and talk to a bunch of new people and connect with our members who attended. We are glad to have been involved! Nothing can replace the value of meeting people and connecting face to face.


Our table is set up and ready to go

Co-Founders Chas and Ed

Found this magazine at the expo and voila! it applied to us!


One of our members, Patty Thompson, sets up a mini exhibit and talks about how Master Networks has helped her business

Dr. Ed, Vice President and Co-Founder

How to Sell Yourself as an Expert

2012-01-10T10:00:00.001-06:00

INC.COM One of the best ways to drive business is to become an expert or thought leader in your field online. Of course, you need some expertise first. (That part is up to you.) But once you have it, you need to let the world know about it.

...Keep in mind that even a whiff of self-promotion can backfire terribly, so you need to strike a delicate balance between being helpful and blatantly selling your own services/products.

The best approach is to treat the person asking the question as you would a friend or acquaintance. Here are a few things to keep in mind, using the example of contributing to online forums:

Be a clearinghouse for information. Put links in your answers that take readers to a great article or blog post. Most times, these links shouldn’t go back to ones you’ve written yourself. You’ll build trust with your audience if you act in a way that isn’t self-serving. If you do link back to your own material, be doubly sure the information is relevant to solving the problem.
Give away free and useful advice. Offer specific and detailed answers as to how to solve the problem presented by the questioner. Give away some trade secrets that demonstrate your industry knowledge.
Never give a partial answer or a “teaser” that requires the reader to get directly in touch with you. Writing something like, “We deal with that all the time—give us a call” doesn’t offer readers a compelling reason to trust you. If your answers are truly helpful, you won’t need to ask for business; it will come to you.

New Byron, MN Chapter Forms

2011-12-14T12:24:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to our newest chapter: A.M. net-WORKS in Byron, MN! President Gail Nelson is a banker at First Alliance Credit Union and brought Corey Kispert (Insurance Brokers of MN) and Gwen Maxson (Isagenix) onboard to help lead the new chapter.

They meet on Wednesdays at 7am at the First Alliance Credit Union at 1011 Tomkins Drive NE in Byron.

Leadership: When It's All About You

2011-12-09T11:50:00.002-06:00

By Brian Evje

INC.COM Unfortunately for leaders everywhere, “positive intent” is not enough. Simply wanting to do something the right way, or even a certain way, becomes harder and harder the higher up the ladder you go, as you perceive yourself as more “central” to the organization. For entrepreneurs, this often means it becomes harder to lead appropriately as your company grows.

The psychology is clear, and well-established. Starting in the 1940s, sociologist Ron Westrum studied the practices of pediatricians and noticed a pattern of behavior in doctors who failed to diagnose serious conditions, such as child abuse by parents. He found that well-intentioned doctors were hampered by their own sense of “expertise” and overlooked clear signals that something was wrong. They convinced themselves that if parents were abusing their children, the doctors (as experts) “would surely know the phenomenon if it actually were taking place.”

Westrum called this “the fallacy of centrality” – the assumption that because one is in a central position, one automatically knows everything necessary to exercise effective leadership.

In practice, that means CEOs often think, “If something serious is happening in my organization, I know about it, because my role is central to the organization.” And who is more central to an organization than its founder, especially at the early stages? The fallacy of centrality can also apply in the negative sense: “Because I don’t know about an event, it must not be going on.”

Robert Sutton, a professor at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, notes that this problem causes leaders to narrow their focus on their own needs and wants, to the exclusion of others and the organization. This is a fine insight into the all-too-common habit of leaders acting as if written and unwritten rules that others are expected to follow don’t apply to them.

So, how does a leader minimize the fallacy of centrality?

Be aware of the dynamic. Once you acknowledge the nuances of “centrality,” you can ask all kinds of questions about your personal patterns. Awareness is the first action for change.

Discuss with others. Many leaders fail to grow simply because they do not reflect on and talk about elemental issues of leadership. Reflection and discussion are essential steps for change.

Decide how and what to refocus. Ask yourself: How will I pay more attention to others in the organization? How do I embrace situations and perspectives that differ from my own? What do I do daily to discover organizational “bad news”? And when I learn things in the organization that are not as I assumed, what will I do differently to address them?

Who is Talking About You?

2011-11-30T15:17:00.001-06:00

We all know that word of mouth marketing is one of the most powerful tools we can use as small business owners. Having a third party endorse your product or service is a surefire way to establish your brand's positive reputation.

The question is: who is talking about you to their friends?

Being a part of a Master Networks chapter means that you have all those professionals plugging you and your business each week. They are like your own sales force. Because they are taking the time to get to know you in the weekly meeting, it gives them an extra edge to promote you from a personal level, which speaks to people the loudest in this age where too many businesses are becoming large and faceless.

Ready for Relationship-based Business Growth? Consider joining one of our chapters, check the map to get in touch with a chapter president in your area today!

Relationships are Key for Growing Businesses

2011-11-18T14:35:00.004-06:00

By Nell Merlino

OPENFORUM.COM Are you involved in your community outside of work? Are you the go-to person for your PTA, local farmer’s market or church? What kind of relationships have you built from those connections? I’ve built an organization from relationships I’ve developed through different circles that have been invaluable for my business and social life.
Professionally, people tend to confuse networking with relationships. Networking is the act of finding out who’s around. You go to a networking event to meet people with which to build relationships. And you build relationships by doing things with people. Talking on the phone does not constitute as a relationship if you never interact with that person face-to-face.

...Relationships are key. I can’t stress this enough. They are what organizations are built from. People tend to be unsure about how to expand their universe, but it’s something you will do for a lifetime.

The Dilemma of Coaching Yourself

2011-10-26T11:13:00.004-05:00

THE99PERCENT.COM If we want to cultivate expertise, or "genius," or whatever you want to call it, we need to be able to step outside of ourselves, observe how we are operating, reflect on what could be better, theorize how we could change it, and then test out a solution. The problem is: This is very, very hard for most people.

Pretty much anyone can work hard and adapt their performance if they understand where they are going wrong. However, identifying what needs to be fixed can be difficult. This has little to do with intelligence or even talent, I would argue, and a lot more to do with being one person, in one body.

Or, as writer Atul Gawande puts it in an excellent piece on the habits of top performers, it can be difficult to be our own "outside eyes and ears":
Élite performers, researchers say, must engage in "deliberate practice" – sustained, mindful efforts to develop the full range of abilities that success requires. You have to work at what you're not good at. In theory, people can do this themselves. But most people do not know where to start or how to proceed. Expertise, as the formula goes, requires going from unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence to conscious competence and finally to unconscious competence. The coach provides the outside eyes and ears, and makes you aware of where you're falling short. This is tricky. Human beings resist exposure and critique; our brains are well defended. So coaches use a variety of approaches – showing what other, respected colleagues do, for instance, or reviewing videos of the subject's performance. The most common, however, is just conversation.

Where are you getting your coaching from? A Master Networks chapter is a great place to develop your skills and receive feedback from other professionals.

Shining Through

2011-10-19T10:13:00.004-05:00

Help your business stand out from the crowd.

SUCCESS.COM In his new book, Selling Sunshine: 75 Tips, Tools, and Tactics for Becoming a Wildly Successful Entrepreneur, Tony Hartl offers a wealth of advice (75 tips to be exact) on how to build a strong, profitable business and at the same time maintain a culture that makes people want to be part of what you’ve created. Regardless of your product or service, using these simple yet powerful strategies will help you stand apart from the competition.

Go the extra mile.

It’s not always convenient to meet your customers’ needs, especially when they call in with a special, last-minute request or show up at closing time. But when you go above and beyond and offer excellent service, you’ll develop a reputation as the go-to person in your market space.

Create a relationship experience, not a transaction.

Take a personal interest in your customers’ lives. Simple things—kind compliments, addressing them by name, remembering their birthdays—show your customers that they’re not just a sale.

Exceed expectations.

“We had the same equipment as the tanning salon down the road. The thing that made Planet Tan truly distinctive was the experience created by our team,” Hartl writes. “Any business or service professional can look for ways to go the extra mile and stay relevant to customers. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a plumber, a piano teacher or a lawyer; you can avoid being ‘commoditized’ if you’re willing to exceed expectations and deliver exceptional service.”

John C. Maxwell: Players vs. Pretenders

2011-10-07T15:33:00.001-05:00

SUCCESS.COM In every organization there are those who would rather act the part than do their part. I’ve classified these people as pretenders. Pretenders can slow an organization down, steal momentum and damage relationships. They live for themselves. When an organization needs “we” people, the “I” people either change or get exposed.

In order for a pretender to become a player, major changes in personality and thought patterns must take place.

A good friend of mine, Bill Purvis, gave me the idea to do a lesson on this very topic. He once said, “I experienced much more success when I learned to tell the difference between the players and the pretenders.”

Pretenders look the part, talk the part and claim the part, but fall short of fulfilling the part. Let me give you five differences between players and pretenders.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PLAYERS AND PRETENDERS

1. Players have a servant’s mindset.

Pretenders have a selfish mindset.

Albert Einstein illustrated this point brilliantly:

Strange is our situation here upon Earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine a purpose.

From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: that man is here for the sake of other men—above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, and also for the countless unknown souls, with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellow men, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.

Einstein realized that he was a debtor to those who had previously gone before him and who had given of themselves to him.

QUESTION: “HOW CAN YOU TELL IF YOU HAVE A SERVANT ATTITUDE?”

Answer: “By the way you react when you are treated like one.”

2. Players are mission conscious.

Pretenders are position conscious.

Players will give up a position to achieve a mission, and pretenders will give up a mission to achieve a position. They are also worried about what their titles are and where they are on the promotion ladder. Players don’t promote themselves; pretenders, on the other hand, are quick to tell you how valuable they are to the organization and will go on and on about their accomplishments.

3. Players are job-happy—They love what they do and do it well.

Pretenders are job-hunters—They can’t do it where they are, but think they could do it better where they are going. Pretenders always think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

PRETENDERS HAVE THREE THINGS IN THEIR LIVES:

► Destination Disease—They think success is always somewhere else.

► Someone’s Sickness—They think success is with someone else.

► Backslider Blues—They think success today is impossible because of yesterday.

4. Players can deliver the goods.

Pretenders promise the goods.

Author Thomas Sowell says, “We hear about the haves and the have-nots. Why don’t we hear about the doers and the do-nots?”

One of my favorite stories deals with this topic. It’s about an illiterate salesman by the name of Gooch who was sent out by a large company, and the following are some letters he wrote back to the boss:

“Dear boss: I seen this outfit which they ain’t never bought a dime’s worth of nothin from us and I sole them a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of guds. I am now in Chicago.”

The second letter read:

“I come here and sole them half a milyon.”

The president of the company posted these letters on the bulletin board with this note:

“We bin spending too much time here tryin to spel instead of tryin to sel. Let’s watch these sails. I want everybody should read these letters from Gooch who is doing a grate job for us, and you should go out and do like he done.”

Gooch is a player; he knows how to bring home the goods!

5. Players love to see others succeed.

Pretenders are only interested in their own success.

Rabbi Harold Kushner said it best:

The purpose of life is not to win. The purpose of life is to grow and to share. When you come to look back on all that you have done in life, you will get more satisfaction from the pleasure you have brought into other people’s lives than you will from the times that you outdid and defeated them.

When I graduated from college and started running my first church, I was very competitive. I would find out what other churches were doing and would compare what they were doing with what I was doing. But I evolved beyond being a competitor…

► To personal achiever

► To team player

► To team builder

I started out wanting to get an advantage on the other churches; now my greatest joy is raising up and developing leaders. Out of developing them, they have added value to my life and I added value to their lives. If you can get everything accomplished by yourself, your dream is too small. One is too small a number to produce greatness. It’s always been about teamwork.

PLAYERS ARE REAL

Leaders do not try to “perform” for the followers’ benefit. They are open and truthful. They have nothing to hide. Truth really does set you free. You aren’t constantly trying to cover up. Pretending to be real is a lot more exhausting than just being real.

Perfect Your Elevator Pitch

2011-09-21T10:02:00.001-05:00

SUCCESS.COM “It’s no doubt that you have a lot of qualifications and experience. But the hard reality is that no one—except maybe your mom— wants to hear that much about your accomplishments,” Kuzmeski says. “When you are networking and getting the word out about yourself and your company, you should resist the urge to give a 10-minute introduction. Instead, prepare a short, 15-second elevator pitch that hits on your high points and top skills. Think about what’s unique about what you have done and what will help you stand out from the crowd.”

Taken from the article: Networking with New Media

Another Regional Director Joins Us

2011-09-08T10:02:00.001-05:00

Sara Bunge has a passion for teaching and training others and has spent her entire adult life doing just that in some form or another. Currently she does on site career-based training on topics like communication, leadership, and time management. She represents Norwex and believes in the importance of preserving the wellbeing of our selves and our environment. Having grown up on a farm just north of Dexter, Minnesota, Sara loves to spend time with her extended family there whenever possible. She is married to Don with two children and baking is one of her favorite activities. Her dog is even known to enjoy his portion of her banana bread, whether it’s been offered to him or not!

“Sara is a great example of what our company culture is all about. Her experience in educating others makes her the perfect addition to our Master Networks Team of Regional Directors.”

-Chas Wilson, President and Co-Founder

6 Tips for Getting the Growth You Want

2011-09-01T14:42:00.003-05:00

Feel like your company needs a boost? Here are a few strategies to jumpstart your company’s growth, increase revenues and reach new customers.

INC.COM Whether a company is an early stage start-up or a fully developed firm, the job of the CEO is to make sure that the company is sustaining a healthy amount of growth. But how do you get there?

"Most of us will never run an IBM or a GE, but millions of us around the world run mid-sized entrepreneurial companies, some of which have the potential to become significant, lasting, and difference-making organizations," writes Keith McFarland, author of The Breakthrough Company, which surveyed 7,000 companies to see what enabled 'little firms to become big.' "But which ones? What are the characteristics that will separate those that break through from those that don't? And what can we do as leaders to help our organizations maximize their potential for breakthrough?"

There are a number of routes a business owner can take to scale his or her company's services, increase its customer base, and innovate new products. Below are a few tips on scaling a business and getting the growth necessary to stay competitive.

1. Turn your customers into salespeople.

Customer referrals can be a great way to tap into your current customer base in order to spread the word about your product or service. Roku, which makes a device that allows users to stream media to their televisions, understands this concept. Last year, the company introduced a refer-a-friend campaign. "For every friend you refer, your friend gets the lowest price on a Roku player and you get a free month of Netflix," the company explains on its site.

"We knew we had an engaged customer base that was passionate about the product, and we wanted to tap into that," Lomit Patel, Roku's senior director of direct marketing, told Inc.magazine recently.

The question becomes, then, when do you ask your customers to begin doing your marketing for you?

"When you deliver the value your customers expect and you've verified that they recognize it, they see you as a very credible, valued resource," Jeff Thull, president and CEO of Prime Resource Group, a strategy and consulting group that advises companies large and small, tells Inc.om. "For those customers, a referral is a very logical and comfortable next step in the relationship."

2. Learn to delegate.

If you're in a service business that relies on skills or knowledge that you, as the entrepreneur, are required to deliver to a customer, you'll be better off if you can teach your employees how to complete those tasks effectively. In other words, you'll need to learn to delegate, and assign responsibilities to people within your organization so you can focus on the bigger picture issues.

"As organizations grow increasingly complex, duties and responsibilities across the workforce can become less well defined," writes Robert Heller in How to Delegate. "Often it seems as though everyone is doing everyone else's job. Delegation is the manager’s key to efficiency, and benefits all."

3. New products for new (and current) customers.

Innovative companies understand that in order to grow, they must continue to develop new products and services.

On one hand, companies may choose to focus their time and budget on product improvements—making the current product better, like creating an iPhone 3, 4 and 5. On the other hand, a company may decide it's time to innovate on a new product altogether, and perhaps for a new type of consumer. Apple coming out with the iPad, for instance, satisfied an itch for a tablet many consumers didn't even know they had—until the product was released.

"No executive today is unaware of the strategic need for winning new products," writesRobert G. Cooper in his book, Product Leadership: Creating and Launching Superior New Products. "And so the pressure is on virtually every leadership team to deliver great new products. The new corporate motto is "innovate or die."

4. Penetrate new markets, cross state lines, and go overseas.

Expanding your company into new regions can be a lucrative, if not risky, endeavor. In some instances, the company may need to alter the product or services—its branding, pricing, advertising—in order to remain competitive in a new market.

One of the biggest challenges for small companies wanting to export is communication, says Marc Meyer, a professor of entrepreneurship at Northeastern University, especially in emerging markets like China where little is known about marketing and consumer culture "These countries are fundamentally different fromWestern Europe and you need to go there and do your homework, learning the local selling culture, how your product will be sold and merchandised," he says.

The Obama administration in particular has advocated for small businesses to push into global markets, and has set the goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2014. Today, only about one percent of small businesses export overseas.

5. Beef up on social media.

At this point, most companies understand that they need to be interacting with their customers on the Web—answering their questions on Facebook, following them onTwitter, etc.

Social blogging can be a great way to scale a small company because the mediums are often free (it doesn't cost you anything to sign up for Facebook, Twitter, tumblr, etc.) and experts agree that most companies will get a solid return on investment from the time they spend interacting with customers online.

And what should you be interacting with your customers about?

"The type of discussions you ideally should have ought to be answering questions that people out there on the Internet are searching for," Adria Richards, Organic Technology Consultant and blogger, tells Inc.com. "For me, social blogging is a way to have conversations with potential customers and to draw traffic to your site."

6. Learn how tech can help you.

Automation doesn’t just mean replacing factory workers with robots.

Mike Gorsage, a partner and Technology Practice Leader for Tatum LLC., the one of the country’s largest executive services firm, says that if you’re a CEO, you better start learning how to use technology to scale your business.

"Technology can empower your organization, helping you improve efficiencies and even expand operations," he tells Inc.com. “But to use that technology well, you must balance your needs with the realities of how you do business. That means understanding not only which technology to invest in, but also how it will affect your operations and how to maximize your returns on that investment."

How to Assess Your Leadership Skills

2011-08-18T16:06:00.001-05:00

INC.COM ...Expand your circle. Networking is critical to being an effective leader. It can come in the form of professional peer groups like industry associations or community involvement at, say, your local Parent Teacher Association. “Practicing leadership in a variety of settings and observing leaders in a variety of settings will enhance leadership skills,” says Ebner.

Don’t overlook peers as an important group with whom to network, either. “As you progress professionally, so do your peers,” points out Ebner. “By investing in these relationships and getting to know others at a similar level of responsibility and authority, you are building a community of colleagues who care about you and your success.”

Another networking tip: The aspirational—or “stretch” lunch. One of Ebner’s coaching clients regularly invites leaders she admires for a bite, and focuses on talking with them about their lives, careers, and goals. She even follows up with ideas, articles, or an intro to someone relevant she knows. But she holds off on asking for anything. Says Ebner: “Over time, the good will and relationships from these lunches has led to a powerful network of people who are more than happy to support, advise, and assist her when the time comes.”

You Can’t Do It Alone

2011-08-17T14:36:00.004-05:00

SUCCESS.COM “Today, we network for pretty much everything we need and desire. You might be a genius in some areas of your life, but you’re going to need others to assist you where you’re not strong. That’s where networking comes into play,” says Bob Beaudine, author of The Power of WHO.

“Each of us comes to a chasm in our business sooner or later that we can’t cross without someone’s help. Going it alone is like trying to speed walk on the moon. It’s hard to get traction. Conversely, tapping into your network is like walking on one of those people-movers at the airport. You just step on, and all of a sudden there’s a power underneath transporting you to your destination faster than you could get there by yourself. People are bridges you must cross to get where you want to go. They serve as catalysts. The value for business owners is that networking the right way can provide the power to help them achieve their goals a whole lot quicker than they could ever do it on their own."

Announcing...

2011-08-16T12:59:00.001-05:00

...the new Regional Director of Minnesota

ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA Micki Spors is no stranger to hard work and high achievement. She has been with Mary Kay for 13 years and a sales director for 11, leading and training a team of what is now over 60 people. She identifies Mary Kay's company priorities as key to her success: faith first, family next, and career last. She has been married for 14 years and has four children ranging from 3 - 10 years of age. Micki grew up in Osseo, MN but has called Rochester home for the last 13 years. She is always up for enjoying a margarita and chips at the nearest Mexican restaurant and is excited to help Minnesota business professionals get plugged into a Master Networks chapter.

"I am confident in the leadership Micki will provide to the Minnesota Region of Master Networks and am thrilled to have such a driven, talented person of integrity on our team."

--Chas Wilson, Master Networks President and Co-Founder

Master Networks is currently looking for Regional Directors across the country. Contact us if you are interested to find out more about this great opportunity.

Step One is Showing Up

2011-08-12T14:27:00.002-05:00

flickr

SCOTTYOUNG.COM: My roommate was trying to get in shape. He talked about the goal often, so I offered to help him stay motivated. However, on the day that we were going to exercise, he was procrastinating.

Finally, as it got later and later, I told him out of frustration that he said he wanted my advice, and, “Step one was to get to the gym before it closes!”

He laughed at my exasperation and we did go to the gym before it closed. Since then saying, “Step one!” has been an inside joke for whenever someone fails to put in the basic effort for a goal they supposedly care about.

Forgetting Step One

I had my own moment of forgetting step one. When I moved to Vancouver, one of my main goals was to meet as many people as possible. I wanted the same rich social life I had built in Winnipeg and in France.

One of my strategies for doing that was to use the site MeetUp.com to join interesting groups and attend their gatherings. But after a few weeks, I had registered for a dozen groups, but hadn’t attended a single meeting. I had forgotten step one.

How often do you forget step one? Wanting to be a successful blogger, but failing to write regularly. Wanting to get in shape, but not showing up at the gym. Wanting to learn a language, but never having conversations with people who speak it.

There’s No Excuse for Skipping Step One

Step one is interesting because it only requires effort. Writing a bestselling novel requires some luck and skill. Writing a novel requires only that you show up to write every morning.

Because step one isn’t dependent on any external factor, it is also a good measure of how committed you are to a goal. If I professed a desire to be a great writer, but I never wrote anything, I’m simply not committed to that goal. There’s no excuse for failing step one.

What was funny about our comment, “Step one!” is that it immediately pointed out the obviousness of our blunders. Wanting to be in shape, but not going to the gym or wanting to meet people but not leaving the apartment were clear failures.

If I had been going to events to meet people 3-5x per week and I still hadn’t made any progress building good friends, that wouldn’t be a step-one failure. From that point, I could honestly say I was putting the effort in, but my strategy or tactics might be off.

Step Two

Step one is definitely needed for any goal, but it’s rarely enough. As I wrote about in last week’s article, just showing up to the gym wasn’t enough for me to make gains. I needed to be obsessively focused on fitness for a burst of time.

The same is true of any goal. Just showing up and putting in the prerequisite effort won’t necessarily get you there. It requires a good strategy, tactics and often an intensity you don’t get just by showing up.

However, all those things are step two. Unless you can honestly say you’ve completed step one, step two is irrelevant. It doesn’t matter what writing technique you use, if you never sit down in front of a blank page.

Having Your “Step One!” Moment

A new rule I’m trying to enforce is that I’m not allowed to complain about anything unless I’m completing step one. Before I make a comment about being frustrated with a situation, I need to ask myself if I’ve honestly showed up enough.

If I have done step one, then the patient process of experimenting, changing strategies, researching, introspecting and looking for a solution comes into play. But all that mental effort and debugging is a waste if step one remains unfinished.

Reminding myself of step one is also liberating. It short-circuits the unhealthy over-thinking of simple situations. If you aren’t showing up, then there’s no need to carefully think through the situation—just follow step one!

It's All About Attitude

2011-08-03T14:26:00.004-05:00

SUCCESS.COM We are what we think we are—not what we appear to be on the outside. An absolutely essential ingredient for success is a positive self-image. The world operates on the basis of the law of attraction: what you are and what you think will attract corresponding conditions. If you have a negative self-image, you attract negative results. If your self-image is positive, you attract positive results. This may appear simplistic, but it is absolutely true.

Your mental picture of yourself determines the measure of confidence you bring to using your potential and working toward your goals. Psychologists estimate we use less than a third of our actual potential. By increasing your potential even slightly, you can make a sizable improvement in your effectiveness.

What are your thoughts about how big of a piece attitude has in your overall wellness both personally and professionally?

8 Tips for Using Social Blogging to Grow Your Business

2011-07-21T14:25:00.001-05:00

INC.COM Here are some tips to help you make the most of social blogging:

1. Position yourself as an expert. When people are looking for a product or service, oftentimes they will first look for information about the subject on the Internet. In general, blogging is about having conversations in a public space that position you as a subject matter expert. "The type of discussions you ideally should have ought to be answering questions that people out there on the Internet are searching for," says Adria Richards, Organic Technology Consultant and blogger. "For me, social blogging is a way to have conversations with potential customers and to draw traffic to your site." For instance, you can answer questions from consumers via Twitter, which is a popular thing to do.

2. Share experiences and information. Social blogging is often used to share experiences in addition to business ideas and concepts. Always seek unique opportunities to share your ideas and offerings with not only your readers, but their associates as well, which will eventually bring in more prospects. Announce upcoming events, awards, and other news. But do it in a conversational tone. Hopefully, your target audience will retweet or share your story. Don't overlook Tunmblr, which is popular in the microblogging realm. Users can post text, photos, quotes, links, dialogues, audio, video, slideshows and "Tumble" other posts. Tumblr provides the option of custom domains. You can auto-syndicate to Facebook and Twitter. Users can track stats with Google Analytics.

3. Keep it fresh and mix it up. Frequent one note updates can be a major turn off for say Facebook fans, while Twitter followers are more accustomed to frequent posts. Try to mix it up. Spark up conversation with the help of images and videos. Marketing experts suggest businesses update their audiences on a regular basis but only if there's something new, informative and interesting to say. Even if you need to repeat an update to promote a current offer or a call to action for a project, put a new twist on it each time.

4. Encourage interaction and feedback. Your company can benefit from valuable feedback through comments and suggestions. Do a call for action in your posts. You can also gain insight about your audience using Q&A, bookmarking icons, link builder, wordtracker, Google Adwords and so on. Make it easy for your readers to share posts. Encourage them to share tips and personal experiences with using your products or services. Just make sure you are on hand to respond to any comments, says Richards. Failing to do this is a sign that you don't respect or care about your audience.

5. Use schedulers and update apps. Seesmic is an app that supports Facebook, Twitter and even Yammer, which is a private messaging version of Twitter. Seesmic lets you update and view content from different social networks. You can follow trends, update statuses or write messages. Also, take advantage of status update schedulers for Facebook, Twitter, LikedIn, and other sites. Hootsuite is one favorite. It's free and it's capable of delivering updates to various social networking sites. Cotweet is another.

"It's been proven that there are certain times when people are reading blog posts and checking social media," says Richards. The most popular times to post or make an announcement are 9 am, 12 pm, 3 pm, and 6 pm throughout the business day. "The best days are the middle of the week, because on Mondays people are trying to get into the swing of things and on Fridays people are thinking about the upcoming weekend."

6. Make your blog the central hub. Have your blog serve as the central location for where you make announcements, suggests Richards. "It should be the final resting place and then everything should branch out from there. Why? Because you are in control and at the end of the day when you look at Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn at any time they can change their policy and restrict how people access your data." You can create information on your blog and then promote it using other social network tools, adds Richards.

7. Link back to your website. Make sure everything you do is somehow tied back in to your company website. Use RSS feeds so your main site always has fresh content, which improves search engine rankings, says Martin. Use your Twitter account to build links to your blog. Use tags and keywords that make your posts more searchable. GoogleKeyword Tools is a great device, adds Martin.

8. Use a personal touch. Having your employees or even the president post updates can help revolutionize how your business communicates with your customers and associates. Take Bill Marriott, chairman and CEO of Marriott International, he is one of the most famous corporate bloggers worldwide. His "Marriott On The Move" interactive weekly posts has won the site loyal fans. You can follow his updates on Twitter @Billmarriott. Marriott's personal involvement has had a far-reaching impact within the company. Since first launching their CEO's blog, the company has continued to grow in the social media sphere by adding more blogs, several different Twitter feeds and even its own online community for Marriott Rewards members.

Read more of this article here.

The Six Traits of a Successful Small Business Owner

2011-07-09T14:24:00.000-05:00

A new report attempts to identify a winning formula.

By Courtney Rubin

There is no magic formula for small business success, but most owners who do well share the same six personality traits, according to a new report.

The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute report hopes to explain why only 1 in 2 small businesses will survive more than five years, according to Small Business Administration figures. The study - called Six Dimensions That Characterize Success-Oriented Small Business Owners - is based on analysis of a survey of 1,100 small businesses with between 2 and 99 employees. (The Institute is run by the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, and it conducts ongoing research on what it calls "the Index of What Matters Most" to small businesses.)

Top of the list for successful entrepreneurs is the ability to collaborate. Those who can delegate, build strong relationships with their management teams, employees, and others are more likely to click with customers.

The other five traits frequently found in flourishing small business owners:

• Being self fulfilled. Good small business owners put a high price on the fulfilment their companies provide them, relish being their own boss, and enjoy being in control of their personal income. They value "doing something for a living that I love to do," "being able to decide how much money I make," and "being able to have the satisfaction of creating something of value."

• Future-focused. Small business owners who thrive are good at both short- and long-term planning. They're as likely to have a well thought-out plan for the day-to-day running of the business as a road map for how to run the business for years.

• Curious. Good entrepreneurs are always reading and asking questions. They want to learn everything from why a particular business failed to how to find, motivate, and keep good employees.

• Tech-savvy. Perhaps not surprisingly, the best small business owners invest time and money on their company's website and are likely to "rely a great deal on technology to help make our business more effective and efficient." (For more on why social media is worth a company's time, check out this guide.)

• Action oriented. Successful founders are proactive and always "differentiating ourselves from our competitors," survey respondents said. They were less worried than other small business owners about the state of the economy, and more likely to look at adversity as "a kick in the rear to help you move forward."

Said Mark D. Wolf, the institute's director: "Success-oriented small business owners are a special breed of highly motivated, caring and curious individuals. They effectively balance their personal and business goals, take advantage of others' expertise and continually seek to learn the best practices exhibited by peer companies."

How to Get Creative: Stop Trying

2011-07-06T14:23:00.000-05:00

Creativity can come out of nowhere. The trick is to sense it—and ride it to the end.
From the July/August 2011 issue of Inc. magazine A few weeks ago, I was on fire. I was working on some designs for a prototype of a new software product, and the ideas were flowing as they hadn't in months. Every day, I felt as if I were accomplishing two or three days' worth of work. I was in the zone, and it felt fantastic.

It lasted about three weeks. And then I found myself back at my old pace. Instead of being superproductive, I was sort-of productive. Some days, I felt as if I barely accomplished anything.

So what was wrong? Nothing at all.

I believe it's perfectly fine to spend some of your time, maybe even a lot of your time, not firing on all cylinders. Just like full employment isn't necessarily good for an economy, full capacity isn't always great for your mind.

This will be anathema to the multitudes who worship at the altars of Motivation and its close relation, Productivity. Indeed, when I meet with ambitious young entrepreneurs, I am invariably asked, "How can I get more done in fewer hours? What can I do to jump-start my creativity? How can I keep my edge?"

Here are the three answers I can offer: 1. You can't. 2. Stop trying so hard—if it feels like work, something's wrong. 3. Do less stuff.

Motivation, productivity, efficiency—these things are not constants. In my experience, they come in waves. They ebb and flow, and there's no sense in fighting it. The key is to recognize a productivity surge when it appears, so you can roll with it.

I think about work the same way I think about the weather. Sometimes it's snowy or rainy or foggy at work. When that happens, I stay "inside"—and take care of the busy work, the boring stuff, the small things that need to get done. But when things warm up, it's time to head "outside," to get creative, focus on the interesting problems, and ride the wave of creativity as long as it lasts. It may be days, weeks, even months.

This doesn't apply only to those who are in charge. If you manage people, it's important to remember that your employees and colleagues are human, too. They won't always be motivated to do what you'd like them to do when you want them to do it. Their creativity will ebb and flow, just like yours.

This, of course, is a source of frustration for many managers, who continue to believe that if they change this or tinker with that, they'll be able to squeeze more of the good stuff out of their people. But you can artificially motivate someone for only so long. It's nearly impossible to fight the natural rhythm of motivation and productivity. You're better off recognizing that than waging war against reality.

Of course, that does not mean you should simply sit back and do nothing. When I detect that an ordinarily creative employee hasn't been in the flow for a while, I will ask him or her about it, try to get the issue out in the open. In some cases, it turns out that he or she is simply not interested in his or her current project. Other times, there are external issues—such as a personal crisis—that cause motivation to flag.

If it's something I can help with, I often suggest shifting to another part of the project that's more in line with his or her motivations. If it's something beyond my control, I just let it work its way out of the employee's system. If it becomes a long-term issue, then there's a problem that needs to be addressed by other means. In fact, we recently instituted 30-day paid sabbaticals for every three years worked. This is in addition to standard vacation time. So far, one person has taken us up on it. No one was particularly surprised when he returned to work more motivated—and productive—than ever.

Jason Fried is co-founder of 37signals, a Chicago-based software firm, and co-author of the book Rework, which was published last March.

Discover Your Marketing Mindset

2011-06-30T14:22:00.000-05:00

by Marla Tabaka

INC.COM Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to understand the value of what you offer, and to find the words to share your wonderful offerings with a larger audience.

What is unique about my product or service?
What is unique about ME and how does that enhance my product or service?
How does it help others?
How does it enhance the lives of my clients/customers?
What are some of the things my clients have said about their experience with me or my company?
Would my clients feel good about telling others about their experience?
Is there something I can do to help those happy clients to easily spread the word of this experience?
What can I do for my clients/customers to thank them for their business?
Is there anything I can do to make my product of service more affordable for them on occasion?
What are the most common words I hear others use to describe their experience of my product or service?
How can I use those words to describe it to my future clients?
If I don’t tell more people about my offerings what am I depriving them of?

Continue reading on inc.com

New Chapter Launch in Rochester, MN

2011-06-23T14:20:00.000-05:00

Are you slow moving in the morning and not quite thinking a clear thought until noon? The new Rochester chapter is for you! It meets in the Home Federal building on West Circle Drive from noon to 1:30pm on Wednesdays.

There has been a ton of interest in this group and some of the main occupation slots have already been filled so you will need to touch base with the president, Dan (507-990-1721), to see if there's still an opening for your profession.

Don't Be a Know It All

2011-06-14T14:14:00.000-05:00

Microsoft's Jenni Flinders' focus on learning has contributed to career longevity.

By Emma Johnson

SUCCESS.COM Jenni Flinders believes in being a learner, not a knower.

“I’ve seen it so many times: People come into a meeting believing they know the answer,” says the 22-year IT veteran and vice president of Microsoft’s U.S. Partner Group. “But if you just listen to a group of people, the speaker is not shut down, and you’d be surprised at what you actually learn. Every idea has merit and deserves to be heard at least.”

Being a learner and not a knower is among Flinders’ top grounding principles that have guided a career noted as one of the longest and most successful for a woman in the male-dominated technology industry.

Being a “learner”—that is, open to new ideas, people and cultures—holds an underlying value for all businesses, she says. By opening the forum, you find new concepts and solutions, encourage collaboration and nurture innovation—the foundation of any successful enterprise. “It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; you have to be innovative and attract and inspire talent,” she says.

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Source: www.successmagazine.com