Today’s TCNG blog post is by Gerald Matykowski. You can contact Gerald at: gerald@anilor.com
“Putting Butts in Chairs” and Other Valuable Networking Messages
A few years ago, I was at a contact center networking meeting. At one point in the meeting, a ‘networking consultant’ had us work through a simple networking exercise. He challenged us to take a minute or two and generate a unique and possibly wild message that quickly gained the listener’s attention.
After a minute, the facilitator asked a participant what he did. The guy said, “I put butts in chairs.” Immediate laughter ensued for two reasons. First, it was an unexpected and blunt description. Second, since hiring qualified contact center agents is always a challenge, everyone immediately connected with the message.
You may not want to adopt such an extreme strategy, but there are several good lessons here. First, deliver an opening message that is memorable. I still remember this guy after three years. Second, make sure the message that you deliver causes the individual to think about their business challenges and needs. In this case, the message was perfect for a call center networking group.
When my company conducts sales strategies workshops, we guide our clients through value proposition and sales messaging exercises that address typical business issues and needs of their customers. We follow a much more involved process than I can address in this column. However, if you want to sharpen your networking skills, you can follow a few simple steps that can result in more effective and engaging networking messages.
First, follow these three rules.
- Stop focusing just on your products and services and/or what you do. (I sell – I do – I have – Our products have these features… ) You won’t engage a prospective customer or employer by talking about the same stuff that everyone else talks about.
- Focus on common business issues or needs of the typical client or employer that you want to engage. (My clients rely on me for – Most of my customers selected our company because – My expertise is in business development and growing sales …).
- Create introductory statements (elevator speeches) that make the prospective client, partner, or employer immediately relate your value proposition to their needs. (Hmm – maybe this person can help … our productivity … cut costs … generate results … ‘put more butts in my contact center.)
These rules are only a small part of our process. However, if you focus your introductory messages on typical business challenges and needs from your prospects point of view, you will more effectively cause your contacts to consider how you can help them be more productive and profitable. Most important, you will begin making more meaningful networking connections.
Gerald Matykowski is a sales, telesales and customer service strategies consultant, a learning strategist and President of Anilor Learning Systems (http://anilor.com).
Filed under: TCNG Member Article | 1 Comment
Tags: Business Communications, Gerald Matykowski, Networking
Today’s TCNG Member blog post is by Kay Stienessen who is a CPA and Financial Advisor. She wanted to offer some tips on things to think about when starting a business. If you want to get in touch with Kay, her contact information is at the end of the post!
Tips for Starting Your Own Business
Thinking of starting your own business? Please consult with me as you get organized and before you decide on what type of Business structure you’ll choose. This choice will affect your income taxes and required filings – payroll taxes – corporate taxes?
The choices are Sole Proprietor, Partnership, Corporation – C or S corporation and Limited Liability Company. Depending on the type of business and your plans this is an important choice. It will determine your bookkeeping requirements, tax filing requirements and payroll issues.
The simplest are the Sole Proprietor and LLC (limited liability company). A single member LLC can operate as a sole proprietor saving a lot of added tax filing. Partnerships and S-corporations operate similarly and the C corporation can create the most complexity. They each serve a specific need for certain types of businesses and personal issues.
Remember, when you file as a corporation, you are automatically a C corporation. To become an S-corporation you must file a separate form to apply to IRS and get approval.
Check up on your Retirement plan! Review your 401k to see if you are diversified in your holdings and check on the amount you’re contributing. If you don’t have a company plan, you can always set up an IRA and make monthly deposits. Time in the plan is so important. I can work with you to review whether a Roth or traditional IRA would be better suited for your needs. You can put $5000/year in an IRA and an additional $1000 if you’re over 50 yrs old. For 2009, you can defer $16,500 of wages into your 401k or 403b with an additional $5500 if you are over 50 yrs old.
Have you planned for Long Term Care? Who will care for you if you find you need care? Who will care for your family? Have you planned to protect your assets, preserve your independence and provide freedom of choice in how and where you’ll spend your days while you need care? Will there be anything left after you’re gone? Whether you’re married or single, take some time to consider your options and talk to your planner/Advisor about how you feel regarding these issues. It’s not just to consider tax ramifications but to make sure you and your loved ones are all on the same page regarding your care and plans.
Kay Stienessen, Financial Advisor, CPA
Please contact me at kmstienessen@hirep.net or 952-881-4533.
Filed under: TCNG Member Article | 3 Comments
Tags: Business Tips, Financial Advice, Small Business
Announcing the new TCNG logo
There have been a lot of great things going on with the Twin Cities Networking Group lately, which many of you have heard. The changes and updates are rolling out slowly, so we appreciate everyone’s patience. I did want to take a moment to let you know about one new change to the group – a new logo! I know, I know, it sounds like something little, but actually it is becoming very important. Below is a link to the formal press release about our new logo, as well as a picture of the new branding tool. I hope you like the change… I certainly do!
Click here for the PDF Press Release about the new TCNG logo
TCNG Logo
In the spirit of networking, and helping fellow members out, I do encourage you to check out AG Design’s website and use their services when you have the opportunity. The firm helped us a lot with the logo design, and is offering TCNG members a discount on services throughout this month. Details are in the file linked to above, but make sure to use the promotion code “TCNG” when contacting them. Their site is: http://agdesign-graycircle.com/.
Thanks and have a great rest of the week!
Robert Stanke
Twin Cities Networking Group
Filed under: TCNG News | Leave a Comment
Tags: Branding, TCNG, Twin Cities Networking Group
EDITOR’S NOTE: Today’s blog post is from a member of the Twin Cities Networking Group who I have had the pleasure of meeting a couple times over the past six months or so. He is a great guy with a lot of great things to say. So here is a guest post from Justin Pruszynski Bacon. Enjoy!
Your Personal Re-employment Journey
By Justin Pruszynski Bacon
I am an avid user of LinkedIn.com and am among the many recent users incorporating its utility as a component of my reemployment strategy. Beyond its most popular and obvious use as a networking tool, there are other great ways to leverage the vast power of “the network” on LinkedIn – and not just those you are “linked” to as a first, second or third-level connection. One of these is the use of group discussions. As an example, the following question was posted on the Personal Branding Network group’s discussions page: “What are your top three pieces of advice for job seekers right now?” (http://tinyurl.com/cecc78)
The answer that I offered up consists of the following three pieces of advice:
1…Market yourself. Build your personal brand. Protect it. Guard it. Nourish it…and push it. “It’s not just who you know or who knows you anymore. It’s what people know about you (and you about them…)” Marketing. It’s not just for corporations anymore. Start here: http://www.jer979.com/igniting-the-revolution/brandintro/ <http://www.jer979.com/igniting-the-revolution/brandintro/>
2…Educate yourself. Whatever your industry or area of interest, educate yourself. Whether your strategy is to specialize or be a generalist, the more you know, the better prepared you will be for opportunities as they arise. This is true whether you’re switching industries or upping the ante to gain an edge in your current industry.
3…Create a schedule for yourself. And stick to it. You should have measurable goals and milestones. For example, send out x # of job applications per day (or per week, but I recommend not broadening the time-horizon beyond 7 days.) Other suggestions would be: reach out to x # of connections in your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level network per day (on LinkedIn, for example.) Go to x # of informational interviews per week. Attend x # of industry breakfasts, lunches, seminars, etc per month. Baseline your schedule using your current activity. As you gain momentum and efficiency, increase your milestones. This helps focus your sense of purpose and gives structure to your search.
These are tips that I’ve learned from those I’ve had the pleasure to meet during my personal re-employment journey. I’m still looking, but I have faith in the legitimacy of this approach. Good luck on your journey! Remember, once you land your job or get your next contract, continue to nurture your network…and don’t forget to revisit steps one and two once in a while.
—————————————————————————————————-
Justin Pruszynski Bacon
Email: justin@SharpNetConsulting.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/JuJuBacon
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/JustinPruszynskiBacon
Extendr: http://JustinBacon.extendr.com
Filed under: Guest Post | 2 Comments
Tags: Justin Bacon, LinkedIn, Personal Branding
The next edition of the Twin Cities Networking Group newsletter will be available for download next week. I am looking forward to publishing it, as this edition will have a lot of great content from some featured TCNG members. I will send out a note when it is available, and I hope you get a chance to download it, read it, and share it with others.
One of the main objectives of the networking group is to promote doing business with fellow members. Being on the inside of the organization, I can attest to the fact that we have A LOT of great members with very interesting businesses. There are many ways I want to help our members get the word out about the great products and services they offer, and one of those will be through the distribution of the newsletter. So, if you are interested in having your business promoted in the newsletter, there are still a few spots left! Just email us at: tcng@tcngonline.com and we will get back to you with further details. If you don’t get a chance to put things together this time for the newsletter – don’t worry – there will always be room in future editions. Again, just contact us for more details!
Founder, Twin Cities Networking Group
Filed under: TCNG News | 2 Comments
Tags: Advertising, News, Newsletter, TCNG
A few weeks ago, I blogged on my personal website about how excited I was getting about the growth and expansion on the Twin Cities Networking Group. We have so many new things that are going to be happening – most of which have been kept under wraps while the planning was underway – but now the time has come where you will start to see real, tangible results come from your membership. I wanted to take some time in this post to highlight some of the things that are coming, starting April 1st.
First, I want to mention that the membership of the TCNG has just surpassed 2,500 members! While some groups can say that they have much more than that in the State of Minnesota, we are proud to stick to our roots of having only a select membership base. For example, from the beginning, the group was set up to be Twin Cities-based, only consisting of local members. Since December of 2007, we have stuck to that model, making your networking more targeted and effective. Sure, we have some members who are not local, but during the process of accepting their membership request, we made sure they had a valid reason to join – whether they were former Twin Cities residents or do a majority of their business in this market. Some will say that is pretty strict, but to be an effective networker, your goals and targets have to be precise. That is what the TCNG wants to help set-up for you.
Now onto some of the great benefits you will start to see from being a member of our group…
- A new and expanded website. For the last couple of months, our main web portal (http://tcngonline.com) was merely an introduction to our organization – to increase membership. Now the site is going to take on a new purpose – to provide members with content they need to be successful networkers. Downloads, articles, newsletters, member directories, special offers, etc. will all be located on our website, to promote networking and the exchange of ideas, business, and opportunities. The changes are going to be rolled out over the next six weeks, so please visit often!
- A new type of face-to-face networking. Getting together with a lot of people for drinks and networking is fine, and has its place, but what if you knew exactly who was going to be there so you could be ready to network more effectively? Through our expansive database of members that we have been building, we can now set-up targeted networking events that will help you meet the people you want to network with, in an environment set-up for your success. More details to come on this, but plan on about one event a month.
- Content you want, how you want it. Believe it or not, there is a ton of information out there, and you can’t just read it all in an email blast. So, the TCNG has partnered up with a few different organizations to deliver content to you how you best absorb it! For example, starting in April, we will be doing an audio podcast that will feature networking news, tips, advice, expert guests, etc. to share everything you need to know about networking successfully. We may even be able to broadcast live as well sometimes to take calls and emails over the air. We also will be delivering printed/electronic material as well. Expect to see newsletters, blogs, focused discussion groups, etc. come to life as we navigate the networking waters.
- Special promotions. Over the past six months, I have been working hard to sell the idea that the Twin Cities Networking Group is full of great members and opportunities. A lot of the great businesses here in the Twin Cities recognize that and want to partner with us to offer great deals on things that might interest you. Be on the lookout for special promotions available only to TCNG members!
These are just a few of the major things we have to look forward to as members of the Twin Cities Networking Group. If you have any questions or comments, or want to help get involved in running the group, please email us at: tcng@tcngonline.com. Thanks!
Robert Stanke
Founder, Twin Cities Networking Group
Filed under: Resources | 5 Comments
Tags: Networking, Robert Stanke, TCNG
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