Working with your Muse

I hope you’ll enjoy watching this video as much as I did.  I love the perspective of thinking that “genius” is a gift from the universe and that we have the ability to receive information and pass it along to others through our own efforts.  I would be interested in your thoughts once you’ve completed watching.  Enjoy.
 

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How to Really Use LinkedIn – Book Launch News

My networking friend, Jan Vermeiren, is launching his new book – “How to Really Use LinkedIn” and he has a special offer for folks who buy his book through Amazon.com today or tomorrow.

This is a timely book with great and highly useful information on how to make the most of your time while you are on LinkedIn.  I have an advance copy and I’m finding the book to be easy to read and the concepts Jan covers are easy to grasp and even easier to put into place.

Topics that are covered in the book:

  • LinkedIn Functionality
  • Basic Strategies, including crafting your profile and building your network
  • Groups
  • Visibility through Answers
  • The Power of LinkedIn
  • Advanced Strategies, including how to find new clients, how to find a job, how to find suppliers
  • And, quite a lot more

The special launch offer includes a whole bunch of goodies and you can read about that at the following link http://www.how-to-really-use-linkedin.com/en-buy.html

Grab the book and then grab the goodies and get busy on your LinkedIn profile!

Happy Connecting!

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LinkedIn

How to be a LinkedIn superstar – Groups and Q and A – iMediaConnection.com

Here’s a great article on the best ways to use LinkedIn. It is a long article and well worth the read. Enjoy!

How to be a LinkedIn Superstar

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Business Networking for Job Seekers

If you (or someone you care about) have found yourself staring at a pink slip, of course you are not alone.  Lately, it seems that you cannot turn on the news without hearing that another group of people has joined the list of the unemployed.

And, of course, if this has happened to you there are all sorts of emotional triggers and stages of grief that you are likely finding yourself dealing with.  I met with Cindy Haba yesterday with DBM (a leading global outplacement, coaching, and career management firm) and she shared with me that there is a transition curve that people are experiencing which includes the ending of their job, exploration of what the possibilities are, and then new beginnings.

Today, I want to talk about the endings segment of transition.

For some there is a hint that an ending is coming.  For others, the loss of their job hits them out of the clear blue.  Either way, these folks find themselves working through the following stages: Denial, anxiety, shock, fear, anger, frustration, confusion, and stress.  And that’s just the part about coming to terms with the situation before they can move on to exploration and new beginnings!

If you or someone you know is in this situation – or if you are feeling your job is “up in the air” right now, I want you to know it is never too late to pack your parachute!  A good, strong, supportive network of contacts can be the salve to ease your pain.

Here are some suggestions for building business networking relationships that will sustain you and help you over the tough spots that may lie ahead.

  • Get to know people up the ladder from your position in your current company (of course this works better if you still have a job)  These connections can be key if your department is downsized – perhaps your skills will come in handy in another division.  You stand a better chance of making it into that pool IF you have visibility outside of your own department, cubicle, or area of expertise.
  • Make it a point to know latteral people in your industry.  This should include people both inside and outside of your current company.  These are the folks who will keep their eyes and ears open for opportunities for you … and, of course, you’ll do the same for them.
  • Be or get active in trade or service associations.  This helps people outside of your usual work atmosphere to see you in action and to see the “stuff you are made of”  Volunteering helps to build your visibility and your trustworthiness.
  • Use Social Media sites to stay in touch with people you already know but don’t have time for face to face contact.  You want to let people know that you are interested in what matters to them, what is going on in their lives, and how you can be of service to them.  Again, this tactic keeps you visible and on the radar screen.
  • Learn to use Social Media to get answers to your questions or to be seen as an expert in your field.  Again, this tactic increases your visibility.  If you’ve got extra time on your hands right now, why not spend some of that time writing articles that showcase your expertise.  You can also strengthen your network by posting comments on blogs that are relative to your industry or area of expertise.  All of these strategies increase your Google footprint … and you know that potential employers will Google you, right?
  • Be curious about others.  Let your desire to be the focus of every conversation fall away.  Ask questions of others and let it be about them.  You’ll learn more by listening than you ever will from talking.  And people always remember a good listener.  They will be more likely to engage you in discussion at another time and they’ll be more likely to remember you when they hear of an opening or an opportunity that would be good for you.  People will care more about you when they know that you cared about them first.
  • Find ways to be innovative.  If you’ve lost your job, you are not alone.  There are hundreds if not thousands of people out there looking for new places to land.  You’ve got to find ways to stay ahead of the pack.  Tapping into your network for ideas and support can go a long way to helping you stay on top of new ideas, new opportunities, and possibilities.
  • Get focused.  What do you want the next segment of your work life to look like?  Who do you know who is already doing that?  Do some research using online tools to gather as much info as you can about what you want to do next and then start letting your network know that you are a person with a plan and lay out your roadmap so that your network can help you to navigate toward your goal or goals.
  • Get busy.  You cannot move on to the next big thing in your life if you are lying in bed with the covers pulled up over your head.  That may be comfortable.  But, it’s not helpful.  Visibility (which I’ve mentioned several times) is key to opening up more doors for you.  Get out there and be seen at events.  Be positive in your comments.  Be forward thinking and graceful in your demeanor.  BE the person that you want others to see as capable and valuable to their organization.  Essentially, you want to start dropping the bread crumbs that will become a trail leading back to you in the minds of everyone that you meet.  You want to become the possible and highly likely solution to their needs or the needs of someone that they know.
  • Most important though, is to remember to stay low on the needy scale.  Resist all temptation to wallow in your stages of denial, anxiety, anger, etc.  If you are clingy or needy in your networking strategy you will not achieve the desired outcome of positive visibility.  You want to have people appreciate being around you – so remember to keep your attitude and comments positive so that you will attract what you desire.

If you find that you are overwhelmed with the concept of building a network, please consider this – more than 75% of jobs that are filled … are filled through warm contact within a network.  You cannot afford to NOT have a far reaching network.  Consider starting today to build your network … and remember a journey starts with a single step … so break it down into steps you can take consistently and often.

Happy Connecting.

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The problem with expectations

Last night, I was reading the March issue of O Magazine when I came across this idea from Rudy Rasmus, “I believe expectations are premeditated resentment.”  (There was more to the quote.  He was answering a person’s question and if you want to see the whole story… go to page 66 of the March Issue of O Magazine.)

Wow, what a concept.  That really got me to thinking about the issue of expectations.  Do we set ourselves up to resent others when they don’t live up to what we expect?  Who owns the expectation?  And then who owns the resentment?  It is amazing to me how we often get in the way of our own best intentions.

For myself, I’m thinking about how many times I have been disappointed when my expectations have not been met … but then, I’m also looking at have I expressed my desires in a way that would give the other party fair warning of what I wanted?

With Networking being all about building relationships, I’m thinking that I’m going to have to be more aware of the role I play in setting up premeditated resentments.

This is definitely one of those things that has made me go, “hmmmm.”

How about you?  I would love to hear your thoughts around this.

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Follow up – Greetings – You can use right away

Back in December, I posted here that I was dismayed with Plaxo’s decision to step back in time with their ecards.

I’ve found a new source for all of you who want a way to brighten someone’s day without the added hassle of having to follow a link to pick up a greeting card that you have sent via email.

BestOfThomas

Andrea J. Lee is the World License Holder, Thomas Leonard Works Former General Manager, CoachVille.com, and she hosts his original cards on this site
http://bestofthomas.com/cards/index.php .

The cards are well thought out and inspirational.  Once you personalize the card it is sent directly to your adressee via email.  That means it pops right into their mail box and they don’t have to go pick up your greeting.

Smart, fast, and easy.  Follow up with people you want to stay in instant touch with and you’ll be gaining top of mind awareness as you do.  That’s just another way to say thank you.

Happy Connecting!

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What are YOU networking for?

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.”  And, yet, I know that when I am in the bookstore … I often do just that.  If the cover looks amateurish or if it doesn’t grab my attention, I pass it by.

When you are out networking, you are constantly being “judged” by the people you are spending time with.  Folks who are networking and seem desperate in theirr approach or needy – well, people can sense that and I promise you that these folks’ networking results will not be what they had hoped they would be.  And that is because people will avoid them or figure out ways to limit their exposure to them.

This is true no matter how polished a person may be in appearance or in presentation.  The bottom line is that a person’s intent will always be apparent to those around them.

Don’t let this be you.  Just about every networking guru out there will tell you that networking should be about building relationships and about seeing how you can help others – FIRST.  The getting comes later.

So, if you are networking to “GET” something, please know that you probably won’t be as successful in your networking endeavors as you would be if you were more focused on how you can be of service to others.

Spend some time before your next networking event thinking about the ways that you can be of service to the people that you are hoping to meet.  Put those ideas into practice.  You’ll find that more people are willing to spend time with you when you focus on them rather than on yourself.

I know it takes a leap of faith and courage to do this.  But I do hope that you will try it!

Happy Connecting!

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Plaxo e-cards: No Longer Useful

Well here’s a marketing wiz wonder.  If you have a marketing niche that sets you apart from all the other companies that do the same kind of thing as you do … do you maintain that advantage or do you give it up?

Plaxo used to have ecards that were sent directly to the recipient.  Actually, they were the ONLY service that did this.  All the other services would send a link to the card and your client or friend or family member would then have to click on the link or navigate to their site and then put in a code to pick up the card.  But Plaxo was different.  You could create a beautiful card and then click on send and the card went directly to your recipient.  Just that simple.

But no longer.  Some braniac over at Plaxo decided it would be waaaaay better for the Plaxo site if people had to actually go to Plaxo to pick up the card.  Someone decided that it would increase their site traffic if all the recipients were forced to go to the Plaxo site.  Things that make you go “hmmmm?”  or maybe event “What?”

For the past 2 years, I have been telling everyone that they should get a Plaxo account so that they could use the ecard service.  Sadly, I can no longer recommend Plaxo e-cards as a way to follow up with your clients or as a way to stay in touch with your associates.

I do hope that someone, somewhere will realize that there is a huge market out there waiting for this service to be available again.

I’ve googled in search of direct delivery e-cards and came up with no leads.  If someone out there knows of a service that provides direct to inbox graphical e-cards (no link, no access codes) please let me know.

Until then, handwritten cards are the way to go.

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Making time for online networking

I'm late I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date. I have no time, hello, goodbye…

Who among us does NOT feel this way?  And, yet, we must make time to say hello, goodbye and quite a lot in between, if we are to grow our network.

Professional organizers will share with you that it’s all about systems and strategies.  You’ll need to put systems in place to get yourself organized and then you need to have strategies in place to actually USE the systems that you’ve created.

Today, I want to share with you a concept that you can build a system and strategy around.  The system is one for follow up and for building relationships.

Take a moment to sit down and do a year end inventory of your most important relationships.  And for the sake of direction … let’s list out 10 of your current, primary, relative and important relationships.  You should know instinctively and without much prodding who these 10 important relationships/contacts are.  Go ahead and write them down.

Now, in looking over that list, take an inventory of your “staying in contact strategies” with each one.  When was the last time you talked to each person on your list?  When was the last time you sent them a card, an article, a referral?  When was the last time you visited their blog or website?  When was the last time you commented on their blog or website?  Do they have a social media presence?  Have you left them a testimonial or a comment?

With just these two simple exercises, you will have identified the people who are important to you and you will have identified the ways you are (or aren’t) staying in contact with them.

What do you need to change?  What do you need to add?  What can you do to strengthen the ties between you and these 10?

When you answer these questions, you will be refining your goals and then you can put systems in place to map out your strategy toward achieving those goals.

Tune in again soon for a follow up post that will showcase one way to tie this all together!

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Breathing is not an option

That’s right, if you want to stay alive, breathing is not an option.  Your body needs oxygen to survive and breathing is such an automatic process that your body does it for you without you having to give it much thought at all.

If only networking were that easy.  Just like breathing, your business needs networking to thrive.  Unlike breathing, networking is not an automatic process for most business owners.  And, most folks pay about as much attention to their networking efforts as they do to their breathing … which is not much at all.

When was the last time that you consciously sat with yourself and examined your breathing techniques?  Do you notice how many breaths you take in a minute?  Do you notice whether your breathing is quick and shallow, or long and deep?  Yoga and meditation instructors would be the first to encourage you to pay attention to these things and they would be eager to explain the health benefits to you for creating awareness around your breathing.

And, today, I’m wanting to encourage you to be aware of your networking techniques.  Are you building relationships?  Are you going for the quick and the shallow?  Or are you focusing on taking long and deep strides in your networking skill set?

Here are some comparisons of networking strategies:

The Quick and the Shallow have lots of profiles scattered all over the Internet and none of them give much detail or information that would allow another person to get to know them by reading what is posted.

The Long and the Deep have placed their profiles on sites with a strategic plan to be where the traffic is, where their current clients are, where their potential clients are, or where their referral partners are.  And, these profiles are thorough and complete providing an environment where folks can learn about them, their business, and how to be in contact with them.

No Name

The Quick and the Shallow have profile photo’s that often look like the one above.  How many of you would be willing to refer business (or do business) with someone who cannot be bothered with providing a photo of themselves?  If they can’t even complete their own profile, doesn’t it make you wonder what else they can’t finish?  Would you talk to someone at a social (face to face) event that had a bag over their head?  Isn’t this sort of the same thing?

The Long and the Deep always provide a current head shot which makes it easy for people to recognize them.  These folks realize that relationships are built person to person and know that putting your face out there allows for repetitive brand building with each post and with each visit to their profile.

The Quick and the Shallow rarely leave comments for others and when they do, their comments are – well, quick and shallow … like “nice article, keep up the good work” or “keep writing more like this.”

The Long and the Deep make time to leave thoughtful posts for the folks in their network.  They spend targeted time, reading other people’s blogs or articles and then they build relationship by sharing how the blog or article impacted them and made them think and or feel.

Over time, what you begin to realize is that the Quick and the Shallow want to have a presence in your network because they want you to be interested in them.  And the Long and the Deep want to have a presence in your network because they are interested in you.

Every day, in many ways, you have opportunities to build relationships with the people that you come into contact with.  I hope that you’ll consider making the time to breathe deeply and connect just as deeply for networking is a long haul operation.  Your network will be much stronger for your attention and for your deep interaction with others.

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