Referrals Unlimited Network

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Networking takes on many shapes, sizes and forms.  We can, and should be, networking everywhere, every day, wherever we go.  We talk about ways to develop and attract new business, help others to build their business by providing referrals for them and generally  encouraging and supporting other business owners as they move on through their growing pains. 

Well, that’s exactly what I thought was happening this past week.  A very good friend of mine, Charly Leetham popped into our Skype networking room and was all excited.  It seems as though Jenny Smart, from Cash Smart Kid was running a contest for kids who own their own business.  You can read more about it http://raisingentrepreneurs.org/blog/2008/11/03/and-the-winners-are/

It’s important that you remember what the rules of the contest were as you read the rest of this story.  Jenny devised a competition where the kids had to develop a 2 minute YouTube Video or write a Hub Page about their business. Two winners would be chosen.  She was searching for two entrepreneurs under sixteen to be featured in the 2008 Charity Book Project.

The two winners would be profiled alongside big names like Ben Casnocha, who started a software business at 13, and was CEO of a Silicon Valley start-up, by seventeen.

Charly’s daughter was excited about this contest and got right down to work.  She researched her market until she found a product that she enjoyed reading about and it happened to be about psychic powers.  Charly and her husband, Stuart, encourage their children to be independent thinkers and to work smarter, not harder.  One of the Leetham rules was that Rhiannon would have to research to find a product she liked, she would have to spend her own money to purchase the product because she had to know all about it before recommending that anyone else purchase it.  This product cost $100 of Rhiannon’s own money.

Moving on with this story, Rhiannon built a website and titled it That Psychic Girl and entered the contest.  This week it was announced that Rhiannon was one of the winners!  Her family was ecstatic as they received word of her winning before she returned home from school that day.  As proud parents do (and I would have done the same thing), Charly immediately sent out a press release announcing the contest winning.

This was done in order to keep a positive spin on this activity.  It was written to show that parents worked with their child, allowing them to research and find a product they liked and wanted to represent, had the child purchase the product with her own money and then build a webpage to sell that product.  Wow, if only more parents would encourage that Young Entrepreneurial spirit in their children.  As long as the parents are overseeing the online activities, I see nothing wrong in allowing children to have the freedom to express themselves based on their interests.  Making money was NOT the primary objective here – it was the process that was important and to be announced as a winner in the 2008 Charity Book Project.  A percentage of the proceeds raised from the sales of this product are to go to the winner’s choice of charities. 

Rhiannon has a great interest in internet marketing.  She’s learning it from her parents, she’s developing it under her parents watchful eyes and she donating a portion of her proceeds to charity.  What could ever be wrong with that?  

It seems as though there is a group of cyber bullies in action at the moment.  These bullies have posted Rhiannon’s video and posted quite a lot of nasty comments, bordering along the lines of defamation of character and totally destroying the good this child did with her site.  Why would these “bullies” try to ruin the good name of the parents or tear down this important moment for Rhiannon?

Would psychic powers be a subject I would pick for my child to write about?  More than likely, not – but then again Rhiannon’s parents did not select it either.  I think it’s wonderful to encourage children to think for themselves, do research and find out as much as they can about a product or service and then make some informed decisions.

I have no idea why these cyber bullies are out to destroy anyone else’s work.  Perhaps they are simply jealous that they have to hide behind the printed word as they keep their identities hidden.  Perhaps it was a parent or two of children who didn’t win the contest.

But really, let’s keep this positive and encourage our young people to get involved in something they love to do.  Help them learn more about the dangers and the rewards the internet can provide.  Teach them good networking skills.  Allow them to ask permission to join some community forums and write blog posts.  What a wonderful accent to their education.

As networkers we can help to encourage these tasks.  Won’t you help me to recognize the great work that these kids are doing and help to force these cyber bullies to be quiet and leave hard-working people alone.

What are your thoughts about this?  As a networker, what would you have done to help in this situation?  I’d love to see your comments posted below!

I am honored today to be asked to participate in a Book Blog Tour for a great new resource for business owners and Virtual Assistants.  Tina Forsythe has just published a book titled Becoming An Online Business Manager.   

As a virtual business owner and a former VA (Virtual Assistant), Forsythe knows first-hand the challenges that are faced by business owners as they struggle to grow their business. 

When asked what prompted the writing of this book, Forsythe replied “we are seeing more business owners who are ready to hire at the management level. They already have teams of virtual assistants, webmasters, designers and other contractors, but what they really need is someone to manage all of this; to play a bigger role in their business so that they can grow to the next level.” 

This book encourages business owners to move from being 100% self-sufficient, to searching and working with an Online Business Manager to help grow their business. 

Virtual Assistants need some help and encouragement in moving themselves to an even greater position of responsibility and are encouraged to seek out a position as an Online Business Manager (OBM).

Many VAs have the knowledge and skill sets necessary to operate as an OBM, but have no clue that this type of opportunity exists. The demand has never been greater for online business support and OBMs are becoming a necessity for business owners.

OBMs can free up time for their client(s) to focus on business-building tasks.  Some of these tasks demand the business owner personally handle them, such as forming and nurturing strategic alliances, product development and, brainstorming.

The hands-on book gives complete “nuts and bolts” explanations that are needed to develop and work with an Online Business Manager.  A blueprint has been created that guides both the business owner and the Virtual Assistant through this new territory of responsibility and growth critical to the success of many businesses. 

Participating in a book blog tour is a wonderful way to help others and you, my readers know by now that I’m all about doing that. By helping to promote a wonderful book and resource, I’m very pleased to be included in such a great schedule of reviews.  Please be sure to read the rest of the posts that are scheduled for Tina’s blog tour!

 You can purchase your own copy of Tina’s book Becoming an Online Business Manager by visiting http://www.becominganobm.com

Are you frustrated with the results you get from networking?  Tell me where you are networking and what’s causing your frustration.  Perhaps I can help you move past that “block” to get the results you are seeking from your networking activities.

Are you listening to what others have to say?  Are you finding a way to let others know how they can help you?  Are you telling others about you and what you do or are you immediately attempting to sell to them?

I posted on Twitter tonight to ask that question and I’d love to know your answer!

If I were to provide a solution for your frustration, how would that make a difference in your life?

Looking forward to all your answers and comments!

Wow, I’m so excited and thrilled that I was asked to participate in Donna Cutting’s blog tour to showcase her new book “The Celebrity Experience!”  I’m going to be writing a book review on this book as well, so please be sure to check back for that as well.  Let me begin this by saying, this is one of the most well-written books on customer service that I have experienced!  This should be a “must-read” for every entrepreneur, no matter what stage your business is in and I highly recommend that you follow the links at the bottom of this post and get your very own copy!  I’ll keep the rest for the book review - which will be tough because it’s hard for me to keep a secret when I find good information to share!  It is my pleasure to now give the rest of this space to Donna Cutting, who is guest blogging for me today!

In 1987 I was part of the first full-fledged acting troupe for the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. We descended on the town of Lititz, PA in June for two months of rehearsals before the Faire began. Thirty or forty actors were housed in what used to be a Lutheran Church on the corner of 501 and West Orange Street. There, for two months, we lived, laughed, ate, slept, rehearsed and took lessons in stage combat, Elizabethan culture, history and dialect, and improvisation.

Twenty years later as I prepared to write The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets to Delivering Red-Carpet Customer Service, an improvisational game we used to play in our rehearsal hall (the old church sanctuary) called “Yes And.” In this game, two actors would be in a circle and one would start a scene. He’d say something like “Ah, my long lost brother, I have looked so long and hard to find you.” The second actor would say “Yes and . . ,” then add to the scene. For instance, “Yes and I have been abroad and seen the most fascinating sights.” The first actor would respond with “Yes and . . . ” – you get the picture.

The idea was to teach us to ADD to a scene, not “negate” it or “neg” the other actor (as we liked to say.) If the second actor had replied, “I’m not your long lost brother,” the scene would go nowhere.  So it is with customer service.

When I asked myself, “How can we treat our every day customers like celebrities” the answer came – by saying YES more often. You see, the difference between you, me and Julia Roberts is that when Julia Roberts requests something the answer is always yes! No matter how unusual the request, everyone around her works to figure out how to make it happen. You might say they OWN her request.

So often the rest of us are used to hearing “No” from service professionals. How many times have we longed to hear “Yes, and I can help you with that problem,” only to hear instead, “Sorry, can’t help you” or “No, the policy is.” You call the mortgage company with a problem and they tell you to call the insurance company, who tells you to call the mortgage company, etc. The scene goes nowhere. You might say we constantly get “negged” when all we want is for someone to own the problem.

If you want to have a reputation for better customer service (and get more referrals in the process) consider using this old improvisational technique. The next time a customer comes to you with a problem, think “Yes and . . .,” then find a way to help them.

For instance:

• A woman found that her grocery store was out of two items needed for a special meal she was preparing that night. A clerk got in his own car and drove to another store (in the same chain), picked up the two items and had them for the customer before she had checked out. She continues to tell everyone she knows about the outstanding service she received.
•  The hospice nurse who knew her patient was upset he wouldn’t see his horse again before he died, and found a way to bring the horse to his hospital window so he could say goodbye. The family tells the story to this day.
• A restaurant owner who started to turn away two customers when they arrived five minutes after closing. Instead, he invited them in and brought out everything that was still available in the kitchen. They had a grand time and have introduced no less than 30 people to that restaurant.
  These people are all masters of “Yes, and.” As a result, they’ve got loyal customers who are buzzing about their business or service.

The question is, how creative can you be when a customer comes to you with a dilemma? When you answer with a “Yes, and” you’ll find yourself with more buzz, more referrals, and more business.

Donna Cutting is the author of The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets to Delivering Red-Carpet Customer Service and a frequent keynote speaker on the topics of employee engagement and customer service.

This guest blog post was part of the beginning of a virtual blog tour for Donna’s book. You can read more about her book by visiting these blogs:

Teresa Morrow http://www.keybusinesspartners.com/2008/09/17/giving-your-customers-the-celebrity-experience/

Dr. Sally Witt www.drsallywitt.com

And tomorrow the virtual book blog tour continues at these blogs:

Beverly Mahone http://www.talk2bev.blogspot.com
Terry Booth http://nashvillerealestateblogger.com/
Denise O’Berry http://www.allbusiness.com/operations/3357-1.html

Follow this link to buy the book: Purchase Donna Cutting’s book

Tonight I was spending some time on FaceBook - looking at the profiles of those that have either added me as a friend or who had accepted my friend request.  All of a sudden, this post became crystal clear to me to come and talk to you about being respectful of your network.

As you know, I am an Open Networker and on LinkedIn I DO accept almost every single person who requests to connect with me.  I give them a chance, to see what they are all about, if we can resonate with one another, and if we cannot do that, then I can disconnect from them.

I do almost the same thing on FaceBook.  Tonight I spent more time than usual reviewing the profiles because time  had slipped away from me and there were quite a few people that added me as a friend and I had not had the chance to visit their profile and thank them.  Much to my amazement, I spent a good deal of time “unfriending” quite a few people.  You see, their profile was either very unprofessional in the words or in the photo they provided.  I also found quite a few young kids (I’m talking teenagers) who were interested only in the vampire and the blood games.  I quickly unfriended those connections.

Why would I do that?  You see, I’m in the business of building relationships.  In order to build a relationship, both parties must respect one another and the work they are doing.  It would be very unfair of me to expose the contacts in my network to the people that were on FaceBook, LinkedIn or even on Twitter, just to have fun and play games, look for a love connection or simply waste time.

When someone reviews my profile, I would appreciate it if they take the time to see who  has been posting on my wall, the type of messages that are posted and at least glance at who I am connected with. 

On Twitter it is a little more difficult to be choosy, but it’s not impossible.  I’m going through my connections on a regular basis. I’ve decided that if you use an avatar instead of your photo and you are not saying anything that is professional or in the way of sharing business tips and ideas, I’m going to “unfriend” you, “unfollow you” or “disconnect” from you.  My time is valuable, as is yours, and we need to spend time with folks who are here to do business and to help one another grow.

So as I am pruning my network, tell me about yours?  How do you decide who to “friend,” “follow,” or connect with?  How often do you review those connections? 

Are you keeping in touch with those contacts, gradually moving them from the position of contact to connections?  This is very important in developing relationships.  Start to move the contacts deeper into the relationship by asking qualified questions.  One of the major questions I have just started using is “please tell me about one of the most important projects you are working on currently.”  When they respond to my question, I can learn a lot from their answer - not only about the project(s) they are working on, but what type of business people they are and perhaps someone in my network, if not me, myself, may be able to make a referral or suggest a resource that would help them complete that project and add to their revenue stream.

As I close this post, I ask you to tell me about your project - what are you working on right now?  I want to help you so please do tell me.

Your comments are very welcome - please do answer in the comments below - I have asked quite a few questions in this post and I’d love to see this discussion continue.

If you are having trouble developing your contacts into connections and would like to have some coaching sessions to help you on your way, please do let me know.  I work with groups and/or individuals and can help guide you to improving the status of your network and help you generate income from those valuable connections and relationships.

How about it - are you being respectful of your network?

Do you Twitter?  I am learning more each day about Twitter is a tool that will help me with networking!  Getting to know new people, finding out what their needs and/or wants are and generally enjoying their selected topics is a great way to start each morning.  Not wanting to be a “card-carrying” member or a “lurker,” I decided it was time to participate a little more than simply answering some questions.  Why not generate some discussion of my own?

So, each day I have been signing on to Twitter and posting a Netweaving Tip for everyone to enjoy.  I’ve seen some great responses and I know people are reading them.

As a follow-up, today I started asking a question and am thinking about adding one question per day and asking for comments on my blog so that I can develop a good, strong, information-rich product for my prospective clients.  Would you help me with this?

Would you post your netweaving or your networking challenges here?  It would be wonderful to see how the discussions develop from these questions.

Please tell me  . . .

People are meeting new people all the time . . . in restaurants, at shopping malls, in movie theaters, grocery stores and more.  It’s amazing how many of us consider ourselves to be networkers, yet we don’t have a clue what to do (or not to do) after we meet someone!

Jason Jacobsohn, Networking Insight had a great post on this topic this week.  Check out what he has to say on the subject.  http://www.networkinginsight.com/2008/07/what-not-to-do-when-meeting-someone-for-the-first-time.html

For the most part, I do agree with Jason’s points, however, I must disagree, sort of, with the last point he makes in his post.  Business cards - yes, I do agree, carry them with you at all times, in your briefcase,  your PDA, your jacket pockets, your purse, etc.  The part I DON’T agree with is to hand them out everywhere  you go.  My advice is to be selective in handing them out.   Think about it . . . how many times do you return to your home and/or office with a pocket full of business cards (or even that one card that seems to remain “stuck” in your pocket(s) and ends up in the laundry?) and you don’t even remember why you have these cards.  You don’t remember where or why you got these cards.  It’s crazy isn’t it  -  since you don’t remember anything about the person, might as well throw the card in the trash!

Ouch! Is that what you had in mind when you gave out that card?  I know, I don’t!  If you are selective about handing out your cards, the chances of that card ending up in the trash are minimal.  When you are ASKED for a card, obviously the person has some interest in you and/or the business you represent and will more than likely remember you when they return to their home or office. 

The days of running around, handing out cards to every Tom, Dick and Harry you meet are gone and good riddance to them!  Business cards are expensive to print and with the economy in the state it is in now, who can afford to pass them out to people who are not interested in using them?  In addition to that, you want to be memorable when meeting new people.  By waiting until they ask for your card, it will become more important to them to remember what they wanted to use your card for - new business, a referral, etc.  Speaking of “jogging their memory” as to why they have your card, if you have high-quality glossy stock business cards, the next time you order cards, ask for the glossy stock on the front side only of your card, unless you are using the back of the card for helpful information.  If the back of the card is blank, and the cardstock is glossy on both sides, no one can use that side to make notes to remember why they have your card, what they were to send you or even where they met you!

How about you - what do your business cards look like?  What do you do with the business cards you “collect” as you are out and about?  What do you do with those cards when you return?  How memorable do you want to be?  I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas, so please post a comment below and tell me about your business card! 

Pay It Forward

PIF, standing for Pay (or more recently Pass) It
Forward is based on the concept of the movie “Pay it
Forward.” Where acts or deeds of kindness are done
without expecting something in return, just passing it on,
with hope that the recipients of the acts of kindness
will do the same.

Thank you to Debbie at Creations by Debbie for her blog post talking about this awesome opportunity!
http://creationsbydebbiejean.blogspot.com/2008/07/pif-standing-for-pay-or-more-recently.html

How it works:

If you haven’t seen this in blogland before now,
it’s simple.

1. Be Attentive:

So the first three people to leave a comment
on the blog offering the PIF, stating their
intention to join the fun.

2. Do something nice for someone you do not know:

will get a gift which may be something handmade or shop brought . . .

it’s entirely up
to the blog owner.

3. Spread the word:

In return, you agree to post
the “Pay It Forward” message on your blog.

4. Pay It Forward:

Now you do the same for the first three
people who comment on your blog.

A really nice way to show “random acts of kindness.”

So let’s make some one’s day. Remember the first 3 people to comment on my blog
will receive a PIF from me.

Carol Deckert is one of my favorite people on the planet. I first met her through LinkedIn, then the group LinkedIn Power Women.

After a bit, we started chatting on Skype. After I was asked to join Carol as a co-moderator of LinkedIn Power Women, we found that we not only had a lot in common, but we were actually typing in the same words at the same time to people!  We found that we react in a similar way to a lot of things.  It was so nice.

We have gone so far as to kid around that we are “sisters from another mother”!

In between the fun and support, we are actually working on projects together and helping each other grow business.

We became very close personally, and professionally.  Last week I had the honor of actually visiting one of Carol’s in person networking groups.  It was amazing to spend a good chunk of the day with someone that I know from online networking and phone calls.

Carol and I are living examples of networking, and netweaving, in action!

Dr. Sally Witt on left, Carol Deckert on right (the cute one!!)

Stay tuned for video interviews with Dr. Sally and Carol, and more!

You can listen here to Carol’s interview on the Dr. Sally Show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/drsallywitt/2008/04/14/Carol-Deckert-good-friend-amazing-Networking-Coach

If you want to network with me, just try one or more of the sites below and add me as a friend!

Sally

Dr. Sally Witt Breakthrough Coach/Hypnotherapist

drsallywitt@gmail.com

215/736-0900

skype: drsallywitt

http://www.drsallywitt.com

www.blogtalkradio.com/drsallywitt

http://www.linkedin.com/in/sallywitt

http://twitter.com/drsallywitt

http://www.youtube.com/drsallywitt

http://activerain.com/drsallywitt

http://www.ojeez.com/drsallywitt

http://myspace.com/sallywitt

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=688850804

http://www.ryze.com/go/drsallywitt

Feel free to send me an invitation to link, or to be a friend on any of the sites!

Good morning everyone!  Things have been a little quiet around here lately.  What have you all been up to?  Tell us about your latest networking event that you attended - online or offline - meet any new interesting people? 

Netweaving is really a lot of fun and it is the latest, best way to utilize your network.  You can position yourself as a Resource, a go-to person, if you will, one that has a massive contact list and knows just the right people for the right situation and is willing to share that information with others.  You could also position yourself as a Connector, one who helps others by introducing them to key people that may be needed to help develop their business to the next level, or may simply have a need for their services or products.  Either way, by helping someone else, focusing on others, your networking efforts are laser-sharpened and people will respond.  By doing these activities without the thought of what’s in it for me (WIIFM) and thinking of others instead, your payback will be bountiful somewhere in the near or possibly distant future.  You may never be able to attribute a growth in your business from one particular person or event, but you WILL benefit by paying it forward.  I’d love to see you all concentrate on doing that, see what the results are - I know you will be absolutely amazed!  Givers do gain - sometimes the gain is a whole lot more than financial wealth. 

A great example of netweaving is exactly what we are doing in our Skype Room network. When someone is having a problem with their blog, their Squidoo lens, their website, and they need advice on how to fix or solve their problem, they turn to one of us.  We are here to help one another!  Do we expect to be financially paid for our help - no, for the most part, we don’t.  We simply help one another and by helping one another, we all grow.  There are exceptions to this when two people contract with each other to work together and that’s perfectly okay - there’s nothing saying that services and/or products cannot be paid for - we are running businesses!  But the paying it forward opportunity excels right here, in this network.   I hope you are all aware of the rich contacts you have made  here and will continue to help one another - together we will all grow and be wildly successful! 

If anyone is interested in joining our Skype Room Connections, please feel free to visit http://www.runlancaster.com/skype-room/networking   You do need to have Skype installed on  your computer (it’s a free service, you are able to talk computer to computer anywhere in the world, free!) and please be sure to develop your profile on Skype!  As a community, there is a lot of great information that is shared with others and we would love to have you participate too!  We also have a community blog, one where we can each contribute on a subject that is helpful to others - visit http://www.passionprojectblog.com and meet some of the awesome contributors!  We also welcome your comments and your help in generating conversations!

So now tell me - who have you connected lately?  Have you helped someone grow their business by connecting them with someone in your network or have you helped them solve some sort of problem with their business?  If you are looking for some help for yourself or your business, the easiest way to ask is to start with “who do YOU know WHO . . .” and netweaving begins!  Keep it moving forward and help someone else - share your knowledge, time or talents!

I invite you to join in the conversation here, post your comments and let us get to know more about you!  And if you need some help, I’m always available - contact me by Skype (Deckert1116) or email or via the blog or my website - http://www.runlancaster.com

I’m looking forward to learning more about you and your business!  Make it an awesome day - help someone - you’ll be glad you did!