It turned out to be record-breaking heat, in excess of 100 degrees – 102 degrees to be exact! I learned that with proper marketing, it is possible to sell a snow blower and a space heater at these elevated temperatures.

So after all this heat, we really didn’t want to pack things up quite yet, so we left things out and about in the back yard, where it wasn’t an eye-sore, but still needed to be packed up and put away.

But there was one little thing that was nagging at me in the back of my head. A customer had mentioned that the heat was going to be broken up in the evening with some clouds that might sprinkle on us. Not wanting to get caught off-guard, I had my wife check the weather. She replied,
“There’s a 4 % chance of rain”

We both had a good laugh at the slim prospect of rain, and mentioned that it would be just our luck that it would rain. A few hours later, I was outside with the kids on the swing-set when they exclaimed “It’s Raining!” Now mind you they’re only 3 and 4 years old, but a sprinkle is a huge deal to them. I looked up into the sky, realizing that a very large array of dark clouds was headed our way.

The sprinkles got heavier and heavier, while Jen and I scrambled to pack things up into boxes and tubs, and bring them into the house and the shed. Now the “rain” never surmounted to anything more than just a heavy sprinkle, but the impact of 4% was vividly imprinted into my head.

It made me realize that no matter what the odds are, or what people think, if you have a goal, you are in control. It really is that simple. So the next time that you think that it’s impossible. Just think of yourself as that puff of humidified air that we call clouds, blowing into town to drop that 4% chance of rain.

Disaster can strike anyone, but someone in BNI is in a special category.  Let me take you to a moment in time for a member by the name of Jamie that had a fire ravage through her home and destroy everything.  The only thing that wasn’t destroyed was Jamie’s car, parked neatly at the curb, containing her briefcase from work which she had forgotten to bring in the night before.

The First BNI Member Call

As Jamie and her family were trying to comprehend what happened and what the next step should be the first call came in.  Tom, her insurance agent, saw the news and recognized the house.  He had been to that house many times, the last time being only a week prior for a wonderful BNI backyard barbecue.  Tom assured her that everything was going to be ok, and that he had already started everything in motion to put Jamie’s life back together.  He then asked if she had called Tonya about a place to stay.

The Light Bulb Goes Off

Jamie quickly realizes she is not alone, she has surrounded herself with a referral network!  Jamie rushes to her briefcase, pulls out her BNI Business Card Carrier, grabs her cell phone and starts dialing.  Knowing that each call she places will be to a trusted business associate.

The Recovery

A few days later Jamie is talking with another member of her local BNI group, Sally, who just happens to be a Travel Agent. They discuss the stress that the family has been under, and they start to talk about Jamie needing a vacation. Sally then goes on to say, “Jamie, I know your family has been through a lot, and I have a special gift for you. I would like to send you to Hawaii for five days, with your family, and I want you to just relax.” Jamie can’t believe what Sally just told her, and of course told her that really that was too much.

The Coconut

A week later as Jamie is lying on a beautiful sandy beach, the breeze ever so slightly ruffling her umbrella, snaking on some of the most incredible bits of fresh coconut; she realizes how lucky she is that she said yes to the invitation to visit her local BNI chapter.

**Note: This story is just an illustration, and it is not based on any actual events.

If your are still worried about what other people think, and if you are still holding back - STOP!

The first step to real business freedom is walking your own path, not worried about the crowd, and most definitely not worried about showing up as your true authentic self.

Business is not about fooling people, especially yourself.

There are many business books out there that tout walking your own path, and yet each and every year more books are written about it. Why? Because most people don’t get it!

Yes, you read that right, most people don’t actually make the changes, usually out of fear. They start down the path of change and turn right back around because it it uncomfortable.

In short, if you are traveling this path and you are feeling uncomfortable, rest assured you are on the right path. As you walk this new path you will find more and more people that are like you, and you find once again that you are accepted, but this time you are being accepted for who you are, not who someone else wants you to be.

Walk you path. Build you business, and hold nothing back.

See you at the top.

“People who concentrate entirely on the material and financial aspects of business fail to realize that in the end all business is conducted through personal relationships.” ~ Dr. Ivan Misner

What a day!

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I knew that I was going to meet Dr. Ivan Misner; especially with such a small group of people, seven to be exact.  All I could think about was speaking about my business for sixty seconds, and I thought about that upcoming minute literally for days.  As a BNI member I am very familiar with the concept of standing up and declaring to a group of people what business I am in and what business I am looking for.

So, what made this group different?  Admittedly, it all had to do with delivering this message in front of the Founder and Chairman of BNI.  I was absolutely terrified that I would say something wrong, that I would stumble, stutter, and fall flat on my face in what I considered the most important sixty seconds.

Just call me Ivan…

The relationship, I get it now!  I understand how powerful relationships really are in business, and it all came from a simple shift in thinking.  When I entered the room, sat down, and prepared myself for powerful nuggets of wisdom, I was still struggling with that sixty seconds.  I was also struggling with the realization that I might have walked right past Jack Canfield, so click here to go on a tangent story about a goal realized and an opportunity lost.  Back to the story…Low and behold, Bob Smith, our Executive Director, suggested everyone give a sixty second introduction.  I was doomed!  So much thought about what I was going to say, yet I still was not confident in my message.

The two hours seemed to slip by as if only moments, but I heard powerful stories of personal experience, answers to intricate questions, and most importantly an extended introduction.  Ivan spent time getting to know all of us as individuals, and then reinforced that by letting us get to know him as an individual.

If I were asked to do my sixty seconds at the end of that two hours I would have stood up and delivered one of those real powerful sixty second presentations that many members have seen personally.  I would have had no fear, no second thoughts, and I would have been completely confident in my words.  And maybe I would have even remembered to ask him the question I had about social networking online and BNI…

What was the difference?  The relationship.  Once Dr. Misner became Ivan I no longer had any trepidation about speaking.  I felt as if I had known Ivan for years.

The Outsider

Think of the visitor in any BNI meeting.  They are the outsider, typically the visitor only has a relationship with the person that invited them.  What an intimidating place for most people to be in.  As a member, I know that I often forget what it was like to be a visitor.

Being an outsider is never where anyone wants to be, and this leads me to yet another valuable lesson that came out of this meeting.  The hidden elements of a meeting.  Look at the agenda and find all the places before the sixty second introductions where a visitor is welcomed and where they are encouraged to forge new relationships with the group members.  It starts with the open networking at the beginning of the meeting, continues when they are personally welcomed by the president, and even when the business card box is passed.  This all becomes a part of the dialogue that makes a visitor feel welcome.

Ivan, thanks for making us all feel welcome.

“What you think about, you bring about.”  Lisa Nichols

 Back in January of 2008 I looked my spouse directly in the eyes and said, “This year I am going to meet Dr. Ivan Misner.”  A goal declared.  If you are in business, and serious about your success, you should know that Dr. Misner is the founder and Chairman of Business Network International (BNI).  It should also be said that the second statement that I made was that I would meet Jack Canfield this year as well.  Two tall orders for sure, but I firmly believe that if you set your mind to taking the right steps you can make anything possible.

 If you don’t walk toward it your goal some manner, you can never expect to get there.  I started making steps.

I realized my first goal just yesterday when I met Ivan, in a very informal group setting in his hotel room while he was visiting in Vail.  Simply put, this experience, opened my eyes just a bit wider to the possibilities.   You would think that that is what I am writing about, but there is a hidden lesson in this success.

Remember when I said I would meet Jack Canfield this year?  As we were all getting settled in for our meeting with Ivan, he began to explain why he was there.  He shared with us that it was for a leadership council that is put on every six months by none other than Jack Canfield.  Ivan went on to say that the rest of the people in this leadership council were all going rafting for the afternoon.  It was the next statement that taught me a very valuable lesson:

“Everyone is downstairs at the bus as we speak, you probably passed Jack Canfield on your way up here.”

I took a short mental inventory of the trip up to the room.  I was so excited, I was meeting someone that I greatly respect.  I was realizing a goal that I had set in place only six months early.  On the way in the door there was a whole bunch of people mulling around waiting to board a bus.  It was almost impossible to thread through the crowd to get inside the front door, but I was not going to let a small obstacle like this stop me from my goal of meeting with an incredible business leader.

Yes, you heard it right, I thought of all those people as an obstacle!  I didn’t even look at their faces.  I didn’t even take a moment to enjoy the experience of just being there.

It is now that I realize, I could have realized my dream of meeting Jack Canfield, but I was so focused on my goal that I forgot to be observant.  There is something to be said about putting the blinders on, not getting distracted, and pursuing a goal.  However, I learned for the first time why so many successful people say to enjoy the trip, learn from the journey.  I’ve read it, thought I understood it, thought I had been practicing it.  But now I truly understand it!

Just in case you ventured down this tangent from the BNI story, your spot was saved, so click here to read more.

“I think that maybe inslide any business, there is someone slowly going crazy.” - Joseph Heller

Create a Business System

There are many times that small business owners struggle to stay ahead of the game, constant battles with stacks of papers, phone calls to return, and pesky little things like making sure the accounting is being taken care of.

The answer to all this woe is systems. There are many business books that address time management, yet many small business owners struggle to find the time to read the book. Finding information is not the problem, finding ways to use information is. Here are three steps to taking control of the stacks of papers, mountains of calls, and never-ending streams of information that doesn’t matter.

Each stack of paper is created as a reminder that you have something to do. To get rid of the stacks, stop creating them. Only touch paper once and file it in a place that makes sense, this could be a tickler file system of the next date when you really need to address what is on that paper. Finally, just like when you were a kid and your mother told you to put your toys away, make sure that each evening your desk is clear and you have put away all the paper that you took out during the day.

Do what?!?! As you read the above you may have thought to yourself that in a dream world I would be able to do this, and in a dream day I can actually accomplish this, but then a busy day hits and everything is over, now I am shoving papers in any drawer that will hold them, I’m hiding stacks in the closet, and I am doing whatever I can to look as if I have it all together.

The reality of creating a system to deal with the stacks of paperwork that land on your desk any given day has to be made by you. You are the only person that can really determine the rules of the game. Take a day and really pay attention to how the stacks are created, find ways of not adding to the stack, each path the paper takes that is not to a stack is a success. Repeat until the stacks just seem to disappear. Notice when they do reappear, and they will, they are manageable because you have a system that can be refined.

Most small businesses owners could be on the phone all day. If it isn’t to build a relationship with a client, it is to speak with a supplier, or find out where a shipment of product is, the list goes on. It would seem that there is no longer any time left to do anything other than be on the phone. Then it happens, one day you run out of time and you still have a stack in front of you. The stack grows, the calls are not returned, and now you have clients that wonder why you weren’t as prompt as normal and vendors calling you multiple times.

Stop the madness and create a system. This system, just like the one for paperwork, is very personal. The first thing you need to ask yourself, “Is the call is important?” Could you be doing other activities that will generate more revenue? It seems so simple, yet it is not uncommon for business owners to think that all calls must be returned when in reality if you are a small business owner; your time is a precious commodity that needs to be leveraged to create the most revenue.

Customers are always important, always, always, always return their calls promptly. Why? The answer is simple, more revenue. Making sure that you always return customer calls does not mean that you should sacrifice your time.

Making a plan for that phone call is just as important as making the call itself. Make sure you know the purpose of the call, the information you will need is right in front of you, and the questions you need to ask already formed, preferably written down and in front of you. Making the phone call prepared will ensure that you are not wasting time fumbling for information, and maximizing the time you are speaking on the phone.

For vendors, sales staff, and other calls realize that they may not be made the same day they called. Find a day of the week that is slow and use that day to return the calls that are of a lower priority. This should alleviate the pressure of needing to return all the phone calls the same day, and also give you ideas of how to create the system to make sure that all the calls are returned within a reasonable amount of time.

Information that doesn’t matter is like junk mail at home. Small business owners can become buried in information. The snap decision is the best way of dealing with this problem. If you hold a piece of information decide if it is important, then decide if you know of a place to hold that information, finally realize that it is ok to let go of the information if it doesn’t fit right now.

For example, assume that you receive an invitation to an event that you don’t think you will attend. First, you have made the snap decision that the information is not really valuable, simply because you don’t plan on being there. Next decide if you have a place to keep this information, this may be in your datebook, Outlook, or any other means of tracking potential engagements. Finally, realize that you have captured the information and it is ok to let it go, so throw the actual invitation away.

Information comes in many forms; it can be electronic, paper, or even verbal. Finding how to sort through the information and store the important parts is vital to a small business surviving. The information system can be in the form of a database, or a filing cabinet, but whatever form it takes there should be a plan.

Find out what type of wood your desk is made out of, find that returning calls does not have to be done without a plan, and finally, find that your brain really doesn’t have to contain every scrap of information in order to be successful.

“Word-of-mouth marketing works. Social capital is vital. And networking is the mechanism to develop both.” - Dr. Ivan Misner

How many of you have ever swung on a vine like Tarzan?

If you have been to any networking events lately then you have witnessed what a jungle it is out there, and unless you go prepared with the proper vine you just can’t seem to get through to the group!

Let’s all image a room full of three hundred people, drinking, eating, and supposedly networking. Ok, everyone envisioning their worst networking nightmare?

When you are in a situation like that it is like swinging through the jungle, there are countless trees to look at, some actually might catch your attention, but the minute you turn your head [splat], you pull the “George of the Jungle” and slam right into nothing other than a brick wall.

Why, because networking isn’t about exchanging as many cards as you possible can within an hour and half. That sounds more like a new board game, doesn’t it?

Networking is about building relationships, not your rolodex.

The following example will demonstrate the difference between building a rolodex and building a relationship.

Jennifer: “Hello, my name is Jennifer. I am a business coach. And you are?”

Sam: “My name is Sam, and I am a Home Inspector.”

Jennifer: “Great meeting you, do you have a business card? I see an acquaintance over there; it was a pleasure meeting you and I will give you a call.”

Let’s try that again.

Jennifer: “Hello my name is Jennifer, and you are?”

Sam: “My name is Sam.”

Jennifer: “Hello, Sam, it a pleasure to meet you, what business is you in?”

Sam: “I’m an electrician. What do you do?”

Jennifer: “Well, Sam, before I answer that question, would you mind answering one more? {Sam nods}, Great! In your business what is the one thing that keeps you up at night?”

Sam: “That would have to be making sure I get all my calls done in a day.”

Jennifer: “Sam, as a business coach, I help people address what keeps them up at night. If you have a business card with you, I would like to give you a call and help you finding ways to make all your service calls. Does morning or afternoon work better for you?”

Sam: “First thing in the morning.”

Jennifer: “How about I give you a call Tuesday morning, at say 8:00?”

When you trying to build a relationship the questioning is all about the other person and you specifically schedule a time to follow up with that person in a more formal atmosphere. What should you take away from these examples?

• Make sure you are in the lead by asking the questions.
• Find out how you can help them.
• Be in the moment with them; don’t be distracted by all the other people around.

These guidelines work when you are in the grocery line, at a huge networking event, downright everywhere. Why? It works because you are concerned about the other person, and you are identifying specifically how you can help them.

Now I must caution you, this is a great way to build relationships but as Dr. Ivan Misner, the founder of BNI would tell you, if you don’t follow through it is more damaging than making the connection in the first place. Make sure you are prepared to do the follow through work, call them when you said you would.

* Photograph by Christopher Potter of Adalaide, SA, Australia. Visit his web site.

It doesn’t matter if you are asked in the grocery line or in front of a hundred people, knowing how to spark interest in what you do by describing how you can benefit the listener is an important task.

What the elevator speech isn’t…

An elevator speech is not about you. It is not where you spout out everything you do, have done, and want to do in your business. It is not a time to treat your listeners like a blank wall, spewing words at them hoping one or two phrases stick.

What the elevator speech is…

The purpose of having a good elevator speech is to excite people and invoke interest in your service or product. When you introduce yourself, an elevator speech is a tool that is meant to articulate your message to people crafted in simple, clear, and every day language. This is not the time to use your Harvard vocabulary.

The number one focus of an elevator speech is to illustrate benefits. By sharing how your company helps current customers, you demonstrate how you can potentially be of service to the person listening. Not everyone you talk to is going to become a customer. However, just because they are not a customer today doesn’t mean that they will never be a customer. After all, when you deliver an elevator speech, you are also talking to everyone that person knows, any one of which could be your next customer.

Listen to the Chatter in Your Elevator

While preparing your elevator speech, go back through customer feedback forms and identify key positive points about your company or product. If you are just getting started, think back on any conversations that separate you from your competition. It is these nuggets that will be used to build your speech.

Follow the Leader

Do you remember the game “Follow the Leader” from when you were a kid? Consider it boot camp for becoming a leader in business. After all, before you can become a leader, you should follow great leaders. Find examples of elevator speeches from leaders in your community and follow their examples. Listen to local leadership from the Chamber of Commerce, networking groups, church leaders, and other organizations that frequently give elevator style speeches.

Above all, remember that a good elevator speech is not born overnight, follow the successful, and listen more than you spout. Use these simple guidelines and you are well on the way to creating a successful elevator speech.