One Producer in the City

Lessons from Saturday's Solving for X

On Saturday, a new group came together to take Solving for X, the networking class I have been teaching for the past year. It was a particularly inspiring group, so I thought I'd share with you all some of the insights that came out of the experience. Below are some quotes that came out of the workshop. Enjoy and hope to see you at the Next One!

" I can help anyone as long as I ask enough questions"

"If I'm feeling lost at a party I can find someone else who is also drowning and be a lifeguard" 

" I thought I had nothing to offer, but now I see I can connect people and that is something to offer" 

" If someone says no, that's an opportunity to learn what works and what doesn't"

"Zig Ziglar was right, I can have anything in the world I want, if I help enough other people get the things that they want" 

And those are just a few of the A ha moments that happened in our last session. If you haven't taken the class yet, I invite you to check it out. Early bird tickets just went on sale. Look forward to seeing you there.

Excelsior!

P.S.- You can get five new business books for free by following these simple instructions. 

 

In one on one meetings, think W.H.O.A.

The one on one meeting is the most important part of building a relationship. If that first meeting fails to produce results, chances are there won't be a second. So today I'm going to tell you how to make that one on one meeting count by thinking W.H.O.A.!

It's more fun if you say it in the Joey Lawrence voice, but I digress...

What does this person do- Many times we think we know what someone does for work, but we're usually not as clear as we think we are. When meeting with someone, take some time to really understand how their business works and what they actually do in it. A CPA is NOT the same thing as a CFO and it's usually not good to mix the two up. So take the time to understand what the other person does.

How do they make money- There are different systems for every profession when it comes to making money and understanding what system someone operates in can help you become a better resource for them. Some folks make their money from referral fees, some are on a salary, and some make it in consulting. This is valauble information because if you understand this and can help them make more money or grow their business, you become a resource for them and people seek out resources. 

Out of all the people I know, who would be the best match for this person- This is the one that gets glossed over so often. We politely listen to what someone does and then we move on. Why not think about who else might be able to help them? It doesn't have to be a business referral, it could be a suggestion of a networking referral or another resource. Focus on making matches and the one on one's will be even more exciting. 

Am I a potential client, partner, or resource for this person- Very rarely do we ask ourselves this in a one on one, but it can be incredibly helpful. If you are a potential client, you can test out the service to know if you are cool with referring that person, if you are a potential partner you can discuss how you might work together and refer one another, and if you are a potential resource, you may make suggestions as to how your expertise would help this individual. 

If you follow these simple steps then at the end of every meeting, you'll be sure to get this reaction. 

Excelsior!

The next Solving for X just went on sale! Grab tickets HERE. 

Another networking No No

Here's something I see happen a lot and it's a sure-fire way to lose someone's respect in under 30 seconds. So if you're doing this: Stop and if you see someone doing this, let them know the damage they are causing.

This is the scenario: Someone in a higher position sees you at a party and starts talking to you. A few minutes later someone of importance walks in and while you are in the middle of the conversation, they say, "hold on" and then go and greet that person turning their back on you and starting a whole other conversation. 

I'll be the first to tell you that you need to give your donors, supporters, and those in authority high consideration, but NEVER do it at the expense of your attention to the person you are talking to. It's rude and you never know who that person knows.

The right way to handle this if you are in the position of power?

Introduce the person coming into the conversation to the person you are chatting with no matter what level they are at. 

They will appreciate the intro and the consideration and you will show them that you respect their time.

Remember, you and only you can prevent networking No No's.

Excelsior!

Want to be part of a three day FREE symposium celebrating the power of the arts? Check out Art is not Apart. 

Need to learn about raising money for your next project? 

The Next Solving for X is on sale now and you can grab a ticket here.

 

Want to make an impact? Have a dream and build a super team.

There is no doubt that one of the strongest tools in your networking tool box is your ability to introduce other people to one another, but there is one tool that is even stronger than that:

Your ability to put together a team. 

In the case of The Avengers above, someone needed to have a vision for the fact that these heroes could work well together and use their abilities in concert to be a formidable force. You can do the same thing. 

Next time you are thinking of introducing people, take a second to think about who else might be good on their team. Maybe introduce four or five people at a time. Sure, in some instances you might have a Wolverine vs. Cyclops thing going, but for the most part you'll find that people work pretty well together. 

Today is a day that celebrates the idea of one man having a vision and bringing people together around a common cause. That story is inspiring and should push all of us to think about how we can bring people together around a common vision. 

So take the time today to ask yourself who you can match up.

Who knows? You might just have another Avengers on your hands.

Excelsior!

Want to be part of a three day FREE symposium celebrating the power of the arts? Check out Art is not Apart. 

Need to learn about raising money for your next project? 

The Next Solving for X is on sale now and you can grab a ticket here.

Back up your follow up

The other day I was speaking to a financial planning firm about networking and we came upon the topic of follow up. 

Following up can be very tricky. If you have a service you provide or if you are trying to get a second meeting, follow up is crucial. 

It's often said that you should "Follow up or Fail" 

During my speech I was asked by one of the planners what to do if they were following up and not getting any response. 

The best tool for solving this problem is a little technique I refer to as backing up your follow up. 

If you get a meeting with someone, it's very easy to spend the entire time discussing the service you provide or giving out as much advice as possible and not really getting anything else done. In terms of being able to follow up, this is a lot like climbing a mountain on your own. You'll find the parts of the rock to grab and you'll pull yourself up. If you fall, then you're heading for pain. Chances are you have no way to stop that fall.

When you climb with a partner, that partner helps secure the foot holds in the mountain and also ties you to each part, so that if you happen to slip, the rope will catch you. 

The principle is exactly the same with follow up. You want to either:

Get a warm introduction

Make an introduction

Meet the person with a partner

The reason is very simple. When you follow up, if they do not respond, you have someone else you can approach and find out why. You can also get that friend or that person who you made the introduction to to give you feedback on why they are not getting back to you. This can be very valuable when planning for the next time. 

So the next time you are about to take a meeting, ask yourself how you're backing up your follow up. It's a long way to the top and it's much safer with a partner. 

Excelsior!

Want to take a class in my new school? Click here.

The next Solving for X is coming up. Grab your tickets here.

I created an evening version of Solving for X for those who cannot do weekends here. 

 

 

What comic trading cards taught me about networking

When I was a kid, I loved going to the store and buying packs of Marvel trading cards. I bought tons of packs and there were even a few instances where I bought an entire box of these cards. I would then take the cards out, organize them and finally place them into binders with plastic sheets. The cards were numbered with usually about 200 in a set and had five hologram cards.  Each hologram was randomly placed throughout the 36 packs. You might get 1 or 2 holograms per box. So I would spend a ton of money on these packs of cards and often end up with a ton of doubles and triples of the cards. I would then place the doubles in the same sleeve and continue on. Sometimes I would create multiple full sets and then put them in my room. Little did I realize that I was training myself to become very good at networking...

So here's the way it breaks down:

The connections we make are the cards and just as there is only one Spiderman card and one Magneto with a specific number, most people have 1 specific profession.

In the Marvel Universe there are thousands of superheroes and supervillians each with specific powers and in the real world there are billions of individuals each with specific talents and abilities and professions. 

Holograms are the rare cards that only come around once in awhile. If you have read The Tipping Point, Connectors, Salesman, and Mavens are the holograms of our world. They are not as plentiful as the rest of the cards, but they are sought after and if you have a complete set, your binder increases in value. 

Doubles or triples of cards get added to the same sleeve or become a part of separate sets, when you find people who have the same job you group them and then have 4 or 5 people to refer to when someone asks you, meaning you are more likely to find them the best match. 

The cards get put in sheets to protect them from scratches, bent corners, and fading. The people in the network are placed in a rotation of correspondence so that they feel informed and supported by you. 

So the next time you are thinking about building your network, ask yourself:

Are you making a complete set or  just piling up doubles and triples?

Are you making sure that your set includes holograms?

Are you taking care of the cards and keeping them from damage? 

If you are building a diverse network and taking care of your people, then when you do finally complete that set, it's going to be priceless.

Excelsior! 

Want to be part of one of my networking workshops? You can do that by going here.

 

Your network and Christmas lights

I know, I know. 

We're not even in the fall yet, and I'm talking about Christmas. 

Actually this post has nothing to do with the holiday. Just the lights.

When you network effectively you are creating a series of connections. Each connection links to the other which ultimately links back to you. The main question then is how do you keep that network operating at its maximum capacity? 

You treat it like Christmas lights.

With Christmas lights they usually end up very tangled and you have to go through and sort them out until you have a string of lights that can easily be hung on the tree. 

With your contacts, chances are they are not organized in any way, so you have to go through them to identify who you know and organize accordlingly. 

With Christmas lights you need to check every bulb because if one goes out they all go out.

With contacts you need to make sure you are staying in touch so that you don't lose that connection or end up being seen as that guy/girl who only comes around when they need something. 

With Christmas lights all you have to do is plug into the wall once and the entire tree is lit.

With you contacts, all you need to do is engage with the network via newsletter or gathering and you'll see a powerful loyalty at work. Everyone in a network becomes activated when the catalyst is encouraging network sharing. 

So get out those lights and untangle them!

It's gonna be a great season. 

Excelsior! 

While I'm away

So today I will be at venue prep all day so there's not much time for blogging, but I wanted to leave you all with a little something cool.

There's a new networking tool called Let's Lunch that helps you meet new people. I've been using it and found it to be awesome. 

It's invite only, so send me a comment if you want me to send you an invite and enjoy!

shout out to my frien Dana Lutt for introducing me to the site! 

Excelsior! 

Serve the food before it gets cold

When I worked in the restaurant business, there was always a pretty big fight between the line cooks and the waitresses over one specific problem:

Serving cold food. 

Basically the line cook would cook a burger add fries and place it up on the counter. When it got busy sometimes that food would sit there. Then a server would take it and end up bringing it right back to the line cook because: You guessed it, the food was cold.

Networking works in the same way. 

When someone hands you their card, introduces you via email, or puts you in touch with someone in person, they are serving you a hot plate that you need to bring to the table. 

If you wait for the person to get back to you first, or wait a week or two to respond to that email, or never follow up on that intro, then you are serving cold food. No one wants cold food.

Your best leads are served to you piping hot, it's your job to capitalize on those leads so that you have more satisfied customers. If you don't have time to go into details, a quick "Nice meeting you let's catch up" email goes a long way.

So take the time today to check and see if there are any plates on top of that grill, and if there are...

Get out there and serve them.

Excelsior! 

This time (and from now on) it's personal

I just finished reading Gary Vaynerchuk's awesome book The Thank You Economy in which he makes one thing abundantly clear:

Everything is personal now. 

Business has shifted so that mass media has much less power than it used to and the winners are the companies that are providing outstanding customer service and treating individual customers like gold. This is nothing new of course. Good customer service has been the benchmark of good business as long as we've had business, the main difference is that our customers can now tweet or do a facebook post that can boost or destroy a brand. Loyalty is more important than ever. What does this mean for us?

We need to work harder.

It's imperative that we take the time to get to know our customers. What are their needs, what makes them happy, what do they hate? etc. The more personalized the service and the more work we do to keep them happy, the more business will come our way. So here's the other challenge:

This will take more time. 

An email blast will not do it anymore. People want to be addressed as individuals and are hungering for that attention. If you have an email list that you send out take a moment today to choose 10 people on the list and contact every one of them with a personal email asking them how they're doing, what they need, and how you can help. Post your results in the comments below, and let me know if I'm right. 

Look forward to hearing about your one on one connections.

Excelsior!