Your Networking is Only as Good as Your Presentation

The holidays are a good time to network to find a job, develop new business, and to connect with friends. But your networking success is only as good as your presentation.

Here are a few tips for holiday networking from Laura Hill, CEO of Careers-in-Motion.

• Have your answer to “What do you do?” ready at all times – this is your elevator pitch. Provide your function (human resources; chemical engineering), context (your company name, industry or subspecialty) and something unique or memorable about what you do. Modify your pitch for the situation and practice it out loud beforehand.

• If you’re in a job search, tell everyone – and I mean everyone – your dentist, hairstylist, accountant, relatives, and neighbors. Give them your elevator pitch and include “I’m interested in companies such as ABC, XYZ, and DEF”. They may have another client who works at one of your targets!

• Contact former colleagues and old friends: “How’s your schedule for catching a drink to toast the holidays?” or “With things a little slower due to the holidays, I thought this might be a good time to catch up over lunch”.

• A holiday greeting card or email letter is a great way to keep your name top-of-mind with your networking contacts. Include recruiters you know who work in your field and your professional network.

• Arrive on time and stay late at a function to allow ample time to meet as many people as possible. Briefly greet and make plans to follow up with people you already know so you can focus on meeting new people.

• Volunteer: not-for-profit organizations need more helping hands during the holidays. It’s a great way to meet people outside your usual network and it will lift your spirits.

PS - Please forward this to your friends and colleagues, and for more information on job search and career management assistance, call 212-758-9944 or http://www.cimllc.com

Your Delivery is Only as Good as Your Proposal

One thing I've discovered is that speakers don't deliver their message effectively because they lack a solid foundation. I've spent two hours coaching speakers on their strategy, structure, and message points before we ever work on delivery. Only when they have a solid structure can they truly persuade their listeners.

Whether you work in business, sell for that business, or own your business, you'll be called upon to present a proposal. But you can fail to win the business even if you're a confident, dynamic speaker. You can't sell unless your proposal sells.

Adrian Miller, owner of Adrian Miller Sales Training, presented tips on Writing Proposals That Close More Sales at the NY XPO.

Adrian advised that your proposal Be Clear-use conversational language and no jargon.
Be Specific and Relevant. She warned againt Boiler Plate B.S. One size does not fit all.

Another mistake presenters make is they waste time on prospects who won't buy. Adrian was adament about not skipping over the qualifying step.
She then described the process: Begin with a Hook, Establish Goals, Speak to their Background, Summarize the Current Situation and Desired Outcome, then Present your Recommended Plan, Details, and Next Steps.

It's just as important to know what a proposal is not. It's not a price quote, a contract, an equipment spec sheet, or brochure copy.

And never forget-it's all about the prospect! http://www.adrianmiller.com

What's Your Elevator Pitch?

If you got into an elevator with Donald Trump would you be able to pitch yourself or your idea so that he'd be interested? That's the question Susan Solovic, CEO of SBTV.com asked the audience at the NY XPO.

Susan talked about the Cs and Ps of a good elevator pitch.
When you craft it, make sure it's content appropriate, concise, compelling, clear, confident and gives a call to action. When delivering your pitch you must have poise, projection, passion and practice, practice, practice.

Finally, there must be a benefit to the listener. Describing yourself as an executive coach is boring. To stand out you can say, "I inspire companies and people to be the best they can be." If the listener asks you how you do that, you know you have a compelling pitch.

An elevator pitch is verbal marketing. Do you attract people with your words? As I always say, life is a presentation. Make yours a knockout!

Online Communication is a Business Presentation

This was my question on linkedin: What is the best CRM for small business?

The first reply follows below:

"Your requirements are too generic - just about any stand-alone CRM has a web-based interface and integrates with Outlook and Quickbooks. Both Outlook and Quickbooks have CRM add-ons, for example, that meet your criteria. Intuit has an ecosystem of CRM and other vendors that integrate with QB. It's best to describe how you intend to use it - track leads, manage forecasts, run marketing campaigns, etc."

In face-to-face communication there is an immediate in-the- moment dialogue.
Questioner: "What's the best CRM for a small business?
Respondent: "What are you looking for?" or "What do you want to use it for?" or "Why do you ask?"

In written or social media being specific is even more important than when you're face-to-face. You don't have the time to dialogue in real time if you post a question to a group. So it's important to create a specific message and to target your question to a specific group.

Public Speaking Fear is All in the Mind

According to the October 25th Newsweek article there is agreement among researchers who study the processes of mind and brain that underlie belief. "As scientists began studying belief in the paranormal, it quickly became clear that belief requires an open mind—one not bound by the evidence of the senses, but in which emotions such as hope and despair can trump that evidence."

The article went on to say that "the brain's sensory regions, including vision, are at the mercy of higher-order systems, such as those that run attention and emotions. If attention is not engaged, images that land on the retina and zip back to the visual cortex never make it to the next stop in the brain, where they would be processed and identified and examined critically."
Neuroimaging studies have shown that there is a "constant back and forth between cognitive and emotional regions of the brain. It can intensify perceptions as when fear sharpens hearing but it can also override the senses."

What does this mean for public speakers? Fear can intensify your perceptions. If your attention is not fully engaged, a serious face in the audience can be perceieved as hostile or the pleasant, receptive expression can be missed all together.
This is why speakers have an "out of body" experience where they don't remember what they said. Focus your attention on your breath, slow down, and be fully present.
In other words, get over yourself. It's not about you, it's about them.

You Can't Lead If You Can't Speak

History was made November 4, 2008. Barack Obama was elected president. Political campagains aside, what made him stand out? His oratory. Leaders must be able to inspire an audience and that requires excellent speaking skills. Passion, poise, and a consistent message inspire trust. The ability to handle challenges and attacks without getting flustered conveys a sense of confidence. Delivering a message to a crowd is only part of the process. A good leader must be able to connect one-on-one. How many times have we seen a dynamic speaker who shares an exciting vision and then quickly exits the stage bypassing the handshake? Obama successfully used social media as well as making contact face-to-face.
When is comes to leadership there is a relationship between speaking and leading. To the victor belong the spoils. And to the leader belong good communication skills.