Entreprenurship

3 Steps to Easy Networking

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photo courtesy of Wu Yi, Unsplash

Have you ever walked into a networking event and wanted to walk right back out because you were nervous?

You are not alone.

Walking into a room full of strangers can be intimidating for most people, but particularly if you are an introvert.

Networking is essential to one’s  success, so, here are 3 tips to make your next networking event a breeze.

Perfect your pitch

The key to making great connections is knowing how to talk about yourself and your work with a powerful introduction. Your introduction, sometimes called an elevator speech, is a brief description of the products or services you provide and the clients you serve.
Writing a great intro is the first step, but it’s important to rehearse it before an event. The way we write and the way we speak are very different. Saying your introduction out loud will help refine it so it’s more conversational. It will also build your confidence so when you’ll know exactly what to say when someone asks, ‘What do you do?’.

Have a few ice breakers ready

In my work with clients, I often hear “I never know what to say” or “How do I start a conversation?” Here are a few ice breakers to start a conversation with anyone in the room.
“I don’t think we’ve met yet. I’m (name).”
“What brings you to the event?”
“What do you do? / Tell me about your business”

Prepare your Mindset

Before you head into your next event, take a few minutes to get into the right frame of mind. Begin by take a few deep breathes to calm your nerves. Then, set your intention for what you’d like to get out of the event. Do you want to connect with a certain number of connections? Are you looking to meet someone in a specific industry – perhaps someone who can be a referral partner? Having a goal in mind will give make your networking more targeted, reducing an nerves that creep up.
Looking for a network to make great connections and find support? Join the Strong Women Support Network.

When Marketing Makes You Want to Hide

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Photo courtesy of Alexandra Gorn, Unsplash

Does promoting your business make you want to stay in bed and hide under the covers?

You love what you do. You provide great value to your clients. So why do you turn into a shrinking violet when publishing a blog or social media post?

The good news is you are not alone!

Recently, I led a discussion with small business owners about marketing and many of the participants expressed fears and hesitation about promoting their services. Regardless of how many years they have been in business – or how extroverted they are – marketing can make the most confident person shake in their boots.

Marketing is necessary to attract clients and expand your business, so here are a few recommendations to help ease the process:

Consistency is Key

When you are engaging with your customers and community through email campaigns, social media, networking and other marketing channels regularly, marketing becomes instinctive. Using automation tools can help with consistency so you are engaging with potential customers regularly

Find a Platform You Love

Do you love to write? Are you a visual communicator? Do you like to speak in front of a live audience? Whether you like to write blogs or film videos, find the marketing channel that is most comfortable for you. Create content in your preferred format to find your voice and style. Once you’ve mastered one channel – and know what content works best – then you can expand to other marketing platforms.

Silence the Inner Critic

Ahh, the inner critic! Yes, that nasty voice that creeps up and says “Are you sure you want to publish that blog post? Do you think it’s good enough?” Ouch. The inner critic can be down right mean and, if you let it, will sabotage your efforts. Be aware of the voice and find ways to silence it, so you can keep moving forward.

Accountability

If you need support or an extra push to send your marketing communications, find a partner or group who will hold you accountable. Share your daily or weekly goals and ask your partner to check in so you meet your goal. It helps if there’s a penalty for not meeting your deadline. One of my mentors asks that her friends post Justin Bieber photos to her Facebook wall if she misses a deadline. If you happen to love Bieber, try a financial penalty like paying your accountability partner $1 for every missed deadline.

Do you need support with sharing your message? I’d love to help! Begin by booking your complimentary session.

Ready to raise your visibility? Try this.

You’ve heard the saying, “You’re one in a million?”

In Mel Robbins’ TED talk, she says that number is actually 1 in 400 trillion. Yep. The odds of you being born are one in 400 trillion.

With odds like that, there’s no doubt you have a unique vision and message to share with the world!

It’s frustrating when you ready to share your gift, but you’re not reaching a large enough audience.

Maybe you’ve built a solid foundation and are ready to get to the next level. Or you’re just getting started and don’t know where to begin.

As a creative entrepreneur you have so many ideas you’d like to develop and share with those you serve. Often, having too many ideas feels overwhelming and will keep you stuck.

Before you panic, there’s an easy solution to kick start your momentum. In this video , I explain what’s keeping you where you are and how you can ramp up your visibility quickly.

Once you’ve watched the video, let me know what action you’re taking to be more visible in the comments below.

Remember, that’s trillion with a T!

 

Create a Story with Impact

Do you remember that classic scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in which Ben Stein gives a dry lecture to a class of high school students? With a monotone voice and information that doesn’t interest his students, it’s easy to see why his students fall asleep.

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photo courtesy Kyle Glenn, unsplash

Creating a story that has makes an impact is one of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face when trying to connect with an audience. It’s a fear that prevents authors, coaches, consultants and others from public speaking.

Can you relate?

Maybe you lack clarity around your message or want to fine tune your presentation before you book speaking engagements.

You wonder how to take your knowledge and message and create a conversation that creates connection?

What story is one that will resonate most with my clients?

Anyone, anyone?

What happens when you have interesting content, an engaging delivery and your message still misses the mark?

You get great feedback on your presentation, but you don’t walk away with any leads or sales.

You get very little engagement from the audience.

Or worse…You hear crickets.

If you’ve experienced any of the above, it’s time to revisit your content. Here are three ways you can craft a talk that will make an impact:

Begin with the end in mind

Writing a talk can be intimidating. You want it to be powerful and to make an impression. You want to provide valuable information that serves others. How do you take all of your knowledge and experience and narrow it down to an hour long presentation?

To lessen the pressure, begin with the end in mind. Think about this question:

What do you want the audience to talk away with?

If the audience remembers only one thing from your presentation, what would you like that message to be?

What are the key points or lessons you’d like them to remember?

What information does the audience need most to solve their biggest challenge?

Once you’ve uncovered those few bullet points, you can use those as a framework to build your talk.

Get clear on your target audience

If the audience isn’t connecting with your material, perhaps you are speaking to the wrong group.

When you’re just getting started as a speaker it’s natural to present to any organization that invites you to speak. It’s important to make sure the audience, and organization, is aligned with the audience you want to serve.

For example, let’s say you are a financial planner who helps women over 50 manage and plan for retirement. If you give a presentation to a young professionals organization, your message is going to miss the mark. Can they benefit from financial advice about retirement? Yes.

However, if you wrote the talk for a 50+ person approaching retirement, that message may not be as relevant and won’t create connection. It’s important to get clear on who it is you are trying to reach and make sure you speak at events that are geared towards that target audience.

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photo courtesy of William White, Unsplash

Share a personal story

If you’re like most business owners, you started your business because of a passion or a desire to create something you needed. Think back to why you began your business and share a story about what inspired you on your path or a challenge you faced and the solution you created as a result.

Did you start your organization for overwhelmed mothers because you craved support when you were raising your children?

Did you become a life coach to help others silence the inner critic because learning how to manage your mindset changed your life?

Sharing stories like this creates authenticity and connection will make your message memorable.

Ready to create a powerful message? Attend the Rock Your Story workshop on April 19.

4 Steps to Planning a “Must Attend” Event

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photo provided by rawpixel-com, Unsplash

If you’re like many entrepreneurs, hosting an event is probably on your calendar this year. If not, it should be!

What better way to establish yourself as a thought leader while gathering a room (online or in-person) full of prospects and giving them a taste of your magic?

Events offer a number of opportunities to promote a new offering, get publicity for a book or simply make new connections.

Here’s a step by step guide to get you started:

Select the Topic

Got an idea for a program you’d like to host? Great. Before you start planning the logistics, your first step is to do some research with your target audience. Events require time and money, so it’s important to gauge the interest and need for the topic before booking a venue. Asking a few clients for their feedback on the idea or post a question to your community on Facebook or Twitter will help determine the interest and also give you insight into the questions or hot topics you should address during the event.

The Format

Now that you have the topic narrowed down, your next step is to determine the best format to deliver the content. Virtual webinar? Small group workshop? Large scale conference?

The content and subject matter often dictates the format. For an introduction or overview of a topic, a virtual webinar may be the best fit. If your topic is more in-depth and requires more training, an in-person workshop works best.

Choose a Date

Selecting the date seems simple, but is often the most difficult part of the process. There are a few things to consider when picking a date including the prime day and time for your target market. For example, hosting an event for corporate executives in the evening is ideal, since they may not be able to leave work during the day.

Also, beware of any holidays that may coincide with the dates as that will impact attendance.

Finally, remember to leave enough time to market the event. It takes anywhere from two weeks to six months to market an event properly. Make sure you have enough lead-time to promote the event so you can fill those seats!.

Select a Venue

If you’re hosting a virtual event, you still need to pick a “venue.” Think about where will you host the event online: Facebook or Zoom or will use an teleconference service like Free Conference Call or Instant Teleseminar?

For in-person events, the size and format of your event will determine which venue you select. For smaller events, you can rent a space at locations ranging from the public library to a local cafe to a yoga studio. If you’re looking for a more professional setting, a co-working space or conference room could provide the perfect location.

Now that you’ve got the basics nailed down, it’s time to promote the event!

Host an event in 2018? Let us show you the way! Begin by scheduling a complimentary 30-minute consultation.