Newsletter topics: Social Media, Networking, Social Media Analytics, Hard Knocks (a cartoon), Networking, Business Reorganization

• Customer Service and Social Media
• Approach with Ease: Secrets of a Master Networker
• Death by Data 
• Knocking the Computer (a cartoon) 
• The Art of Starting A Conversation
• How To Reorganize Your Company (part 3 of 3)

 

Walking into a crowded room full of professional people you don’t know can be stressful; it can even be terrifying.  However, networking is an essential tool for the successful business person, and though phone and email exchanges are invaluable, there’s nothing like the face-to-face meeting to make a real connection. 

So, unless you’re naturally extroverted or come from a solid performance background, you might be interested in a few tips to ensure that great first impression so crucial for forging profitable, sustainable, long-term partnerships to help build your business and make sure it continues to thrive.

1. Dress the part 

It may seem insignificant, but a first impression starts here.  What is your business?  Who is your target market?  What connections are you looking to make?  If you own a funky skateboard shop your ‘business casual’ might be different than that of the partner in a successful accounting firm.  Just remember that people will probably make assumptions about you and your business practices based on the image you project – your clothes are a part of the total package.  If you look sloppy, does it mean your business habits might be sloppy also?

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by Raj Kadam 
 
Marketers have gotten wiser during the turbulent economy. They know that they need to demonstrate their value the same way that the sales department does, or else their budgets, and possibly their jobs, will be far less secure. The CMO position has been known to have the shortest expected tenure of any in the C-suite. 

 

Almost all of us have been there. We meet a new person, we run into someone we have met once or we see someone we’ve spoken with numerous times. We want to start a meaningful conversation for myriad reasons; yet, we find ourselves asking those trite questions:

• “Is this your first time here?”
• “Did you have trouble finding the building?”
• “How many people do you think will be coming tonight?”

And, just for good measure, we throw in a few “hmms” and “ahs” to make us appear even less confident.

Getting off on the right foot

Here are hints to help you feel at ease, make others comfortable, ensure you are memorable after the event and gain helpful information as well.

Establish your purpose for attending event.

• To gather information? It can vary from learning more about the sponsoring organization to making an educated decision about joining to learning more about specific businesses or individuals who are likely to attend.
• To get referrals? These can include business or job referrals or for support services necessary to run and grow your business.
• To seek advice or support? This might range from encouragement in a job search or in your venture into entrepreneurship. Or it might be from people in other companies who are employed in the same field or the same industry.

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Reorganizing Your Company Can Lead To Happier Customers And Employees, And Generate Bigger Profits.  This Step-By-Step Process Will Show You How To Create Change And Avoid Pitfalls.

Resistance To Change

Everyone is perfectly willing to change, provided they can continue to do things the same way they have always done them.  Although this may be somewhat overstated, I'm sure that it has a ring of truth for all business owners, managers, and management consultants.

The truth of the matter is that most people simply do not like change and will resist it.  For many it is painful, even traumatic, and is met with hostility. In my experience, resistance to change has taken many forms, both organizational and emotional.

Common examples of and reasons for resistance to change include:
• complacency
• vested interests, self-preservation, and ego
• "We're too busy to take the time to change"
• "There hasn't been a crisis so why change?"
• denial that there is a need for change
• "We've always done it this way"
• the organizational goals are too narrow or too vague which cause people to resist because they aren’t sure what it is they can or are expected to do
• organizational ineptitude

Once the indicators of resistance are identified, the tactics necessary to overcome them have to be developed and will vary depending on the specific resistance.

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Bruce Newman is the editor-in-chief of the PI Newsletter.  Contact him at: newsletter@prodinst.com

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