6 Steps to effective networking

6 steps to effective networking

I recently attended a networking session where Hazel Walker was presenting.   The presentation was about the 6 steps to effective networking.   My first reaction was “what there are six steps to networking?”.  According to Hazel the six steps are:

• Trust
• Knowledge
• Need
• Solution
• Appointment / connect
• Follow-up

Hazel then went on to unpack the six steps:

1. Trust
   In order for a referral to take place there needs to be trust.   The referrer must trust the person they are referring to.  You do not build trust at the first meeting.  Trust is built over time.  You therefore have to invest time into relationships.
2. Knowledge
   You need to know the person whose services you are referring to and you also need to know the person that you are referring services / solutions to.
3. Need
   In order to receive a referral you need show others how to identify the need for your product or service.
4. Solution
   Once the person has identified the need for you product
5. Appointment / connect
   Take the next step and setup a coffee meeting and connect.  Again the only way you will increase referrals are to connect with people.  Make sure you connect on a regular basis and make sure people remember your and the services your offer.
6. Follow-up

Make sure you follow up! Follow up with the person you were referred to as well as the person referring work to you.   This way all parties will be informed and you will gain more referrals.

Once I sat down and thought this process through it made perfect sense. I have one thing to add to this though and that would be “givers gain”.  Networking is not a one way street so in order to get referrals you need to give them.

Thank you Hazel!

Tags: Effective networking, Hazel Walker, Networking

Rentfin

The rental finance market is an established one in the financial services industry. The major and mercantile banks all have rental finance division, with Sasfin holding the biggest book in the industry. Apart from the banks, there are many private companies who are active in the market place, often with ties to the banks through brokerage agreements.

RentFin was started up to fill a niche in the market where banks and the established companies were failing to provide finance for peripheral business assets. These assets include CCTV, Coffee Machines, Electricity Management Systems, Security & Access control systems, amongst others. We have gone in specifically targeting these assets and providing rental solutions for them. Basically what we do is buy the asset from the supplier and then rent it to the client that requires that asset.

RentFin focuses on building strong relationships with it suppliers, as the services that we offer are of great benefits to the supplier in terms of increased sales through a new avenue. Rental Solutions also offer the client some major benefits when compared to a hire purchase agreement. When a client rents an asset they receive the following benefits:

- The client does not need to outlay any capital for the equipment.

- The rental amount is a fully tax deductible expense.

- Rental is a form of off balance sheet financing.

- The client has easier access to upgrades when the time comes.

We strive to provide an effective and transparent service for both our suppliers and clients, as the service we provide is of benefit to all. If you have any questions, please email us on info@rentfin.co.za and we would be happy to assist.

Elevator speech

I was recently attended a Cape Chamber of Commerce networking event.  At the event we were given an agenda for the meeting and a guideline to compile an Elevator speech.

The definition of an Elevator speech:
“Marketing slang for a bried but informative overview that one gives about oneself or one’s business. So called because all of the important points should be delivered in approximately the duration of a 30 second elevator ride.”

I thought this was a great add on to a networking event to ensure all the members start to network properly. Try it today.

Elevator speech

A 30 to 60 second captivating talk to generate a meeting
1.    Who are you and what is your company?
__________________________________________

2.    What do you do?
__________________________________________

3.    What’s in it for me (benefits)?
__________________________________________

4.    Example of a client
__________________________________________

5.    Who are you and what is your company?
__________________________________________

Is it the objection or your response that stops you?

In the world of sales, an objection is defined as a statement made that disagrees, refutes, doubts, or negatively questions something that is being offered.  Usually the disagreement is with a portion of your presentation, not with the whole thing.

Customer objections typically result from one of the following :

1. Judgements based on prior experience
2. Not having accurate or enough information
3. Stress (ie : don’t have enough time/resources to deal with your presentation)

The truth is that the customer’s objection really isn’t the problem !  In fact, every objection actually provides an opportunity to find out what information the customer needs to close the sale.

The biggest problem with objections, typically, is our emotional response – we feel angry, defensive, inadequate, unimportant, not good enough, etc.  Once we get through this and remain emotionless in the face of the toughest objection, our brilliant minds are able to handle the information requirements of every objection with ease.

We face objections every day, in every aspect of our lives. Not only do we have to respond to customers, but we also have to continually manage the objections of our peers, bosses, family members and friends. Most people have little understanding of how their internal subconscious fears and emotions affect their conversations, actions, and relationship with others. Very few people are clear about how these things affect their ability to influence others and move past their objections. Want to know more?

Perfume Etiquette at Work

Perfume is personal. Some people love it and others are sensitive or even allergic to perfumes. So when it comes to wearing perfume in the workplace what should you be considering:

• It is important to firstly choose the appropriate perfume for yourself and your age. If you are more mature you will be selecting a different perfume to a teenager. The match is critical.
• Never spray your perfume in public. Especially in open office plans or very small offices where a group of people are operating. This can be offensive. Spray in private where the initial intensity can wear off.
• Consider the occasion. A perfume is meant to leave a gentle impression not a loud explosion. Attending a client presentation, board meeting or cocktail party lends itself to different choices. One size fits all does not apply here!
• Be aware that you do not over-spray. A common complaint that ladies have is that they can’t smell their own perfume anymore. This is due to odour fatigue – when the sense of smell has been exhausted. What then happens is that ladies spray extra! Ask your colleagues if you are overdoing it.
• Don’t compete with other aromas – If you’re attending an event where aroma is an important part of the experience (e.g. a wine tasting, or a gourmet meal), resist the urge to compete with the food or wine. It impacts on the effectiveness of the event and could be considered inconsiderate.

If you would like to know more about the world of perfume join us for a breakfast or visit www.perfumepower.co.za.

Tags: aroma, perfume guru, Perfume power

Authentic Listening – Makes all the Difference!

I was recently intrigued while perusing a periodical about the late President Roosevelt who carried out a rather interesting people experiment around an age old act of selfishness.

As he mingled with friends and colleagues at a social gathering he greeted them with a beaming smile, looked them straight in the eye and said rather nonchalantly, “I murdered my grandmother this morning”.  Needless to say the responses were staggering with very few people really hearing what was being said.  One person came up with “you’re doing a fine job”.  Another simply replied “oh how lovely”, to which he immediately declared “I am sure she had it coming to her”.

How many of us really take in what others are saying when they converse with us, or interrupt while others are speaking or perhaps think about what we are going to say next before a person has finished talking.  Do you sometimes find yourself going through the motions of listening, nodding your head in acknowledgement or looking a person directly in the eye, yet your thoughts are constantly drifting into the world of me and my issues?  Are there times when someone asks a direct pertinent question and it suddenly dawns upon you that you were not really listening?

It is also very human to listen with bias and make up our minds before hearing a person out fully.  In his book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, Steve Covey talks about the need to build relationships by seeking first to understand.  The biblical book of Proverbs gives us a word of wisdom in this regard “He who answers before listening – that is his folly and his shame” and “The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him”.

Authentic listening is one of the most profound gifts you can give to another human being.  It is in fact a discipline that contributes to building lasting relationships among friends, colleagues, clients and in community.  It means taking self out of the picture and giving your undivided attention to another person as though the one you are talking to is the only person in the world.

Listening is also vitally important in the world of work and strategy.  This is the ‘stuff’ relationship marketing is made of!  Genuinely listening to management, employees, customers and the competition can provide valuable feedback when it comes to transforming your organisation within and strategically positioning your company going forward.

Principles of Authentic Listening

Listen Actively

Listen attentively with good eye contact.
Connect with the emotions of the speaker.
Attend to both facts and feelings around an issue.
Be in touch with your own feelings.
Try not to anticipate what the other person will say.
Be mindful of your own biases and prejudices.
Try not to jump to premature conclusions.
Remain fully focused and prevent your mind from wandering.
Do not rehearse your response while others are talking.
Let others finish what they are saying without interrupting.
Remain open-minded, ready to reverse your opinion if need be.
Pay attention to non-verbal signs e.g. body language.

Clarifying

Seek first to understand.  This requires asking questions, reflecting or paraphrasing what people have been saying at appropriate intervals. For instance

“Are you saying …?”
“Tell me more about…?”
“Can you give me an example…?”
“I’m confused about…”
“Let me see if I understand …”

Give the person time.  Learn to be comfortable with silence.
Do not offer solutions to every problem others bring to you.

Blocks to Effective Listening

- Becoming preoccupied with how strongly you disagree with a person.
- Being argumentative!
- Listening selectively for what you want to hear.
- Too tired mentally to work at paying attention.
- Outside noises and distractions.
- Tuning out because you think you know what the person’s conclusion will be.
- Negative body language e.g. tapping your foot or looking around.
- Red flag words that may trigger an overreaction e.g. “women libber” or “male chauvinist”.

Tags: listening, Seven habits of highly effective people

Accountability

An Oxford Dictionary definition provides a perspective of interest:

Account – Explain the cause of,  answer for ; conduct, performance or duty,

Accountable – Bound to give account…for things or actions, or to persons (Being responsible)

Responsible  – Liable to be called to account…e.g. answerable to a person or persons for things or actions.   Morally accountable for actions, trust-worthy.

Would you agree that we are accountable and responsible for our thoughts, intentions, actions and results?   Are you willing to be answerable for results both good and bad?  Are you committed to learning, to your health, to your family, to your friends and to your team?  Are you able to make good on your promises and projections, and to be responsible for your successes, mistakes and failings?

So why wouldn’t people want to be accountable?  Well, because sometimes it’s hard.  Nobody wants to look at themselves in the mirror and admit that they didn’t live up to expectations, or that they possibly fell short. The easiest way to avoid failure is to never set yourself up to fail.  The easiest way to do that is by not setting standards and certainly not holding yourself accountable.  With no accountability, you don’t have to ever look in the mirror!   Accountability can be uncomfortable, embarrassing and difficult, but it can also make you feel proud and accomplished.

Greatness at all levels is bred out of accountability.  As a parent, spouse, business owner, leader, teammate or friend, honestly looking at your actions and holding yourself accountable to them determines the quality and standards of your life.  If you were to keep track of your actions and results, would you agree that you could observe patterns, measure progress and solve problems?

Tags: accountability, business, sales parnters

iShield Monitors Your Internet Resources and Improves Employee Productivity

Do you know what your staff are doing on the internet during their working day ?

Are you looking for an internet management tool that can improve employee productivity, allow you to log in remotely to generate reports on your staff’s internet usage and much, much more?

iShield is a smart access email and website monitoring device located at your premises, allowing you to remotely control your entire network from one centralised location. iShield allows you to monitor and limit your staff’’s internet usage, block unproductive websites like Facebook and YouTube and track all incoming and outgoing mail.

Combined with real-time remote surveillance via web interface and a firewall proxy device, iShield is the most comprehensive network monitoring solution available, ensuring you reduce your internet costs and through contiunous monitoring of staff internet usage, increase employee productivity across your network!

iShield clients include government departments, educational institutions, commercial organizations, and SME’s across South Africa. iShield is strategically placed to provide comprehensive support and customer services to its clients and partners

Being locally developed and supported guarantees that iShield is a cost effective solution for SME’s and that the team is strategically placed to provide comprehensive support and customer services to its clients and partners.

For more information on iShield, please see our website , www.ishield.co.za and email roy.mcevoy@tradepage.net to set up a meeting.

Tags: facebook, ishield, tradepage, youtube

Search Engine Optimisation

For a company that is dependant on an Internet presence it is of utmost importance that their website appears highly in the search engine rankings. The Tradepage Promotions Service is crucial for the success of a website reaching and attracting the desired audience. Remembering that search engines remain the most successful means of website marketing and promotion online, Tradepage continues to focus on and provide successful Search Engine promotion services and strategies.

An outline of these services are listed below Search Engine Optimisation Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a form of online marketing used to increase a websites search engine friendliness. It describes the process of improving the volume and quality of organic traffic results in search engines like Google and Yahoo, using targeted phrases, in order to increase the ranking of a specific site.

Search marketing for websites has already proven itself a valuable part of an overall integrated campaign, for both branders and direct marketers. The Tradepage website promotions service is crucial for the success of a website reaching and attracting the desired audience. Bearing in mind that nearly 90 percent of web users find websites through search engines, we continue to focus on and provide up-to-date search engine optimisation.

There are no secrets or fast track methods to ensure your website rockets to the top of the search engine rankings. Rather, it is the combination of a clear, meaningful website which adheres to the search criteria of the Search Engines and the concentrated submission of the site to the Search Engines, that achieves the desired rankings. This involves the integration of the site and content design, together with a concentrated Search Engine submission strategy, that includes: Website Design – Creating a site with content and design features, which are appropriate and relevant both to visitors to your site and to search engine crawlers. Keyword Analysis – With the use of analysis software we research the optimum combination of keywords for your website.

Submissions – We undertake manual submissions to the top search engines and directories. Link Analysis and Research – Any company serious about website optimisation needs to empark on an inbound linking strategy. Inbound links form a strong part of Google’s scoring system (Page Rank), which in turn assists your site in achieving better results. Statistics Reporting – We provide a statistics facility which monitors all activity on your website on an ongoing basis.

For a free website review and more information on our SEO packages please email roy@tradepage.co.za

5 Reasons a Self- Employed Person Should Take A Vacation

So you think you’re not justified in taking time away from your business because you’re self-employed? Here are five great reasons why you should definitely take a vacation:

1. Physical down time

You work hard to grow and maintain your business. Trying to be superhuman will certainly take its toll if you allow it to. Give your body a break by taking in some R&R.

2. Mental down time

Your days are filled with busy, sometimes even hectic, day-to-day activities related to your business. If you don’t allow yourself to get away from it once in a while, your peace of mind and general well being will most definitely suffer. Get out and play. Your mind will thank you!

3. Spend time with loved ones

Your family and friends see you working, working, working, and sometimes rarely coming up for air. Both you and they will appreciate spending some quality time together.

4. See the world (or your own back yard)

The important thing is to do something you enjoy, whether it’s travelling or, if that’s not your cup of tea or you don’t have the budget for it, spend time at home. If you also work out of your home, this could be challenging. The key is to stay out of your office during your vacation time. Try getting creative with this. Make your office “off limits” by closing the door and placing a sign on it. Do whatever it takes to keep your mind off working. How about a hobby or a day trip to the beach? Think of what you can do within your budget that’s fun. Or do nothing at all!

5. You have a life

Although this one is a no-brainer, it surprises me how many small business owners don’t feel as if they deserve time off. There is too much to do, and not enough hours in the day to get it all done. Well, I’ve got news for you. It’s always going to feel that way! Only you have the power to allow yourself time off. Even if you prefer only to take a day here and a day there instead of a week-long (or longer) vacation each year, that’s a whole lot better than never taking time off. Trust me, you’ll feel better about yourself and your work if you take regular vacation time. You’ll be healthier, too!

Editor