The #1 Question You Should Be Asking Yourself 05/10/12

It’s a given that we all want to be happy and successful in whatever career path we choose to follow–but how do we get there? The path may be different for each one of us, but the #1 question we should be asking ourselves in order to set out on the correct course for achieving happiness and success is the same for each of us . . .What is my passion? In this video, presented by Applied Transformation, Inc., I talk with Roger Green about the overwhelming importance of identifying your passion, following y...

2

Only Focusing on ONE Referral Source Equals Missed Opportunity! 04/19/12

In this video, Cheryl Hansen, a Trainer and Franchisee with the Referral Institute, explains that most people tend to focus only on existing clients as their main source for business referrals and they neglect the seven other referral sources which they could be developing simultaneously to generate unlimited opportunity for new referred business! Cheryl highlights community service organizations and casual contacts as just a couple of commonly untapped referral sources and urges businesspeople to start developing al...

0

Do You Want To Become a Best-Selling Author? Here’s Your Chance. . . 03/23/11

I’m working on a new project with Nick Nanton, Esq., The Celebrity Lawyer, which gives small business owners, entrepreneurs, and businesspeople around the world the opportunity to establish themselves as experts in their field by achieving best-selling author status. We recorded a call outlining the details of the project last month and you can listen to the call for free by clicking here. If you have ever been interested in becoming a best-selling author, I highly encourage you to listen to the call today as...

7

The New India 02/21/11

I’ve been in India for the past several days conducting seminars on business networking and, I have to say, I’ve been very impressed by the business community here. The businesspeople I’ve met are passionate about learning and they are hungry for information and knowledge. I have found the audiences here to be extraordinarily respectful and almost sponge-like in their interest in absorbing new ideas. Although it is still a developing nation, it is obvious that the infrastructure of India is growin...

6

Sorting Out Who’s Who 01/31/11

So, let’s say you’ve just returned from a networking event where you met a lot of new people and now you have a pocketful of business cards that you’re not sure what to do with. What’s your first order of business? Your first order of business is to sort out who’s who. You need to separate the people you think might become new clients or referral partners right now from the ones who might be valuable contacts sometime in the future but not right away. Let’s call the first gro...

4

The End is Near! 01/20/11

No, not the end of the world, silly . . . I’m talking about the end of the recession. Recently, I wrote about “Business Looking up in 2011″ which was based on a survey of over 5,000 businesspeople and entrepreneurs at www.BNIBusinessIndex.com. The survey was a global survey that was taken by people from every populated continent in the world. The survey found that almost 68% of the respondents say that business is growing or growing dramatically compared to this time a year ago. What the survey...

Make No Assumptions 10/21/10

Many people make the fatal mistake of assuming that others know a lot about their business. I heard a florist tell a networking group, “I’m not sure what else to say. You all know what a florist does, right?” Wrong! We didn’t know the variety of products this florist provided. He knew his business and assumed that everyone else knew it as well. Later, I asked him whether his shop was an FTD florist and . . . Did he accept credit cards? Did he offer seasonal specials for holidays? I...

Networking Minus Follow-Through Equals a Waste of Time 09/06/10

Smart, enterprising businesspeople know the importance of networking and how it is a huge opportunity to increase word-of-mouth and gain business referrals. However, one of the biggest mistakes people can make is failing to follow through. One of my employees recently told me a story that should serve as an important lesson to all of us on how networking without follow-through is nothing more than a waste of time. Note: The names in this story have been changed to protect the innocent . . . and the guilty. My emp...

'Mastering the World of Selling' 08/30/10

When one of your business relationships passes you a referral, don’t assume that the prospect is ready to hear a presentation on your product or service. When an associate passes you a referral, say thanks . . . then start digging for more information. You will want to determine whether what you offer is a fit for what the prospect needs. Taking the time to do this upfront saves a lot of time and energy–for both you and the prospect. Exactly what does the prospect do? What products or services does ...

Moving from Visibility to Credibility 08/09/10

In last Thursday’s blog, I explained that visibility, the first phase of the VCP Process®, brings the opportunity to build credibility and that credibility is what will ultimately get you to profitability, where you’ll actually benefit from your networking and relationship building efforts. So how do you move from visibility to credibility? Well, once you and another individual achieve visibility with each other, meaning you’re aware of each other and the nature of each other’s business, yo...

If You're Not Inviting, You're Missing Out 07/08/10

Inviting prospective referral sources to an event you’re attending, hosting or participating in as a featured guest, exhibitor, panel speaker or award recipient is a great way to enhance your contact with them and build credibility. If you’re not inviting your prospective referral sources to events, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to keep them informed of activities you’re involved in. When the event is one where you have a chance to share your expertise or where you are being reco...

Save Time and Money by Source Seeking 06/14/10

Are you looking for a networking approach that will help you save time and money? Yes? . . . I had a feeling you’d say that. Source seeking is a great way to save time and money, increase your number of sources, discover some of your best sources and opportunities, and broaden your knowledge of your sources’ networks. It involves contacting your prospective sources to identify people they know who can help you achieve a particular goal. For example, you may ask a source to name someone who can help ...

The No. 1 Question to Ask as a Networker–'How Can I Help?' 03/11/10

No matter who you are or what part of the world you live in, Givers Gain is the No. 1 rule to remember when networking. You should always be thinking, “How can I help this person?” After all, networking is about building relationships; and helping others is the absolute best way to begin the relationship-building process. Put simply, helping equals opportunity. At a social event, you usually ask somebody, “How’s it going?” What’s the typical reply? Probably something like, &#...