Smart Talk for Fast Times: 5 Rules

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

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

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

Relationships are Key for Growing Businesses

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

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

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.”

Perfect Your Elevator Pitch

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

8 Tips for Using Social Blogging to Grow Your Business

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.