Your business journey has ups and downs. As you navigate this business excursion, one power that you must have is Communication. It’s the secret sauce that makes or breaks a business.

Here are some common communication mistakes that business owners make. They are easily preventable.

The Jargon Jungle:

Image that you are in a meeting and the speaker is dropping acronyms left and right. As you look around, you see puzzled faces around the conference table. Oh no! The speaker is drowning the audience in a sea of industry jargon. The overuse of such jargon serves to alienate your audience rather than engage them.

Promise yourself to use simple language. If you must use an acronym, tell people what it stands for.

The Mic Monopolizer:

Loving the sound of your own voice, eh? Communication is a two-way street, and dominating the conversation will not endear you to your listeners. Listen actively. Encourage others to speak, share ideas, and voice concerns. Set the stage for lively dialogue and watch the magic of Effective Communication happen.

The Silent Star:

Do you ghost your customers and colleagues? Ghosting refers to the vanishing act that some business owners employ. They don’t respond to emails or text messages, skip meetings, are unreachable, and appear to vanish into thin air. This sends a dreadful message. Timely responses are key. Be responsive. It’s important.

The Word Salad:

Have you ever received an email or memo that was so convoluted and filled with excessive verbiage and ambiguous clauses that you were confused and frustrated? The answer here is: keep it simple, clear, and concise. Make the point. There’s no need to drown the reader in a linguistic shower.

The Non-Verbals:

Words are important, but non-verbal cues are even more critical for effective Communication. Body language, facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice speak volumes. It’s true that actions speak louder than words!

Communication is the heart and soul of your business. Avoid these common mistakes to develop your communication skills. Make every conversation count.

Join me for Coffee with the Coach ~ a series of free, virtual mini-seminars on the topic of Effective Communication. Can you think of anything in your business that doesn’t require Communication?

Register here: https://my.lanebc.com/coffee-with-the-coach

The post How to Avoid Business Communication Blunders first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

If you observe an addict, you will see someone who denies the problem. They prefer to keep things status quo. If you challenge the addict, they will vehemently deny that the problem exists. They will make you the problem, even though you’re trying to help them stop their addiction.

There’s a payoff for lying to oneself. You don’t need to change. Everything is perfect as it is.

Or is it?

When your status quo is challenged, it’s a confrontation. Have no doubt that it took courage to throw out the question. The confronter loved you enough to be courageous and lay the cards on the table. Pointing out that what you’re doing isn’t serving you well can elicit in you some feelings of anger, disappointment and disillusion.

Your choice is to blame the observer who courageously laid bare the truth and condemn him/her, or to cherish the truth as a priceless gift from a great friend who cares about you. If you choose the latter, you can open your heart and mind to new ways of doing things, and you can experience the rewards.

As the Dalai Lama said, “A new way of thinking has become the necessary condition for responsible living and acting. If we maintain obsolete values and beliefs, a fragmented consciousness and self-centered spirit, we will continue to hold onto outdated goals and behaviors.”

Entrepreneurs and small business owners often get into a rut, continuing to attend the same meetings or make the same connections day after day, week after week. It’s useful and healthy to revisit how your time is spent and the cost and rewards associated with it. Doing the same old thing in the same old way will produce the same old results, and may not be helping you reach your goals. It’s up to you to take off the blinders and let the sunshine in.

The post The Challenge Takes Courage first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

Groups of people talking while others are seated at a table, munching on appetizers or nursing a drink or talking on their phones. Much of the time the groups are people who work together. By contrast, the people at the tables are usually nervous about being there. They are trying to look busy and hope that this will communicate that they aren’t available for conversation.

Go over to a table and introduce yourself! Help them break the ice. Make life a bit easier for them. And, if you are, by chance, a bit nervous yourself, you can overcome your nerves with your intention to be of service to those who are more nervous than you! This is a trick that I used for years to get myself into networking events. Usually people are very grateful for help in getting introduced and into a conversation.

Be a connector. That’s what networking is all about – building relationships. You will be remembered by the introverts at the table because you helped them feel less isolated and welcomed!  The feeling that you belong and are welcomed goes a long way and is so appreciated.

The post Be A Connector first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

There are many myths out there about what networking is all about. And, we’ll bust through one of the biggest myths and suggest another concept.

Networking Myth: Networking is Time Consuming.

I hear this frequently as I interact with my clients and potential clients. I agree, networkingcancertainly be time consuming when it is done the way some business owners approach this important business activity – but it doesn’t have to be.

If there happened to be a “who can attend the most networking events in a given week contest”, I definitely would not win.

However, I would often win the most “strategic networking” contest.

The quantity of networking meetings isn’t what the game is about.  It’s about the quality of the relationships that you build. If you take care to plan your business marketing and customer flow, then you will approach your networking activities verydifferently.

Don’t get fooled into thinking that the business owner who shows up at the most networking events wins! Good networking requires some strategic thinking about your target market. Who is your ideal customer? And, the answer isn’t everyone with a wallet!

When there is no definition of a target market and no marketing plan, then it’s true that networking takes up lots of time. And, it’s time that isn’t really revenue generating. When I observe business owners showing up at several networking breakfasts, lunches and mixers every week, I know with certainty that their networking isn’t working – and I can prove it!

If networking is just a social activity, then it’s working…but I guarantee it isn’t producing the kind of revenue that focused networking could be generating. If you prefer to exhaust yourself doing this sort of business busyness, be my guest. But, if you want to experience a great return on your investment of money, time and energy, then take the time to plan your My book Business-Building Referrals is available here.

Did you know???

Ben and Jerry became fast friends after meeting in a grade school gym class, They went to different colleges and reunited after college as roommates. Jerry was a lab technician and Ben taught pottery classes to disturbed youth. Because they wanted more fun than either of their current jobs were providing, they initially decided on the idea of opening a bagel shop. This idea lasted until they learned how much initial outlay it would require to purchase the bagel-making equipment. Their next idea was ice cream. They took a $5 course on ice cream making, and opened their first ice cream shop in Burlington, VT–one of the few college towns without an ice cream parlor already. I grew up in Burlington, VT and Ben and Jerry’s was a favorite and fun destination spot!

The post Does Networking Work? Discover a Truth about Networking in this Article. first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

To get referrals

• To promote my business
• To meet other people
• To sell my product or service
• To get visibility

then your objective is misplaced. The only purpose of networking is to build relationships. We do that through all the traditional ways of meeting and learning about others, and that’s exactly what we ought to be doing in networking groups.

Your networking objective is to build relationships!

Next week our topic is, Be a Force!

The post Basic Skills That Can Promote Your Networking Effectiveness first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

There are easy ways to build a solid referral-based business, and there are other ways that are neither easy nor productive.

The easy way requires that you build, connect and nurture relationships. If you ignore the people you’re connected with, you will limit the number of doors that open for you. And those doors are certainly more welcome than the ones that stay decisively shut no matter how much you knock.

Think about the people you already know and like. How do you connect with them? How do you nurture those connections? It takes thought and a strategy to develop and build relationships. It does not happen by itself.

Learn what it takes to nurture your connections. It can make the difference between a thriving business and a struggling one.

The post Referrals Are Built with Attention first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

Here are some ways to make your networking pay off.

Be selective about the organizations you join and decide to be an active member. Don’t make the mistake of paying for a membership and then never showing up!

It’s impossible to network while the meeting is in progress, so arrive early and circulate. Make it a goal to meet a certain number of people at every meeting. If you show up just to have lunch, you are wasting your precious time. The objective is to build relationships with people who can do business with you or refer business to you.

Build relationships — and a good way to do that is to remember past conversations. Ask good questions about what you learned in those past exchanges. Be sincere in your interest and avoid being seen as an opportunist.

Be known as someone who follows up. A lead or referral goes nowhere without follow-up action. Keep your referral givers in the loop and remember always to say, “thank you”.

Help others to be successful. When others win, you win!

The post Make Your Networking Pay Off first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

One such suggestion is: “Network as much as you can! Get off the couch and fill your calendar with as many events (especially free ones) as you can squeeze in. You’ll meet lots of people, collect scores of business cards, and appear to be very busy.”

That’s a great definition for “nutty networkers”. They resemble squirrels gathering nuts for the coming winter. Darting here and there, the squirrel appears to be quite busy. And he truly is, as he finds each nut and buries it. Some say the rodent barely remembers where he buried most of the nuts he gathers.

For the squirrely networker, there is little or no thought about the purpose or the goal to be achieved for all the time, expense and work involved. It’s simply attending event after event with no strategy in mind.

Creating a written plan for your networking activity is powerful and will promptly stop the “nutty networker” behavior. If it would help to have a copy of a Network Plan template, send me an e-mail, (lorraine@absmock1.us) with the words “Network Plan” in the subject line. It’s free for the asking.

If you simply fill your calendar with networking events and don’t consider the Who/What/When/Where/Why, you are imitating that squirrel. If it’s friends that you need, there are easier, less expensive and time-consuming, and faster ways to find friends!

When I’ve worked through the 5 “W” questions with some of my clients, they’ve realized that they are not networking with the best groups to help their business grow, or they are not planning for the best ROI (Return On Investment) on their investment of time, money, energy and focus.

Finally, Nutty Networkers jump from group to group. That’s certainly a way to be very busy, but hardly the way to build and maintain solid relationships. After all, it’s NetWORK not NetBUSY!

Advice from the Networking Coach: Be selective. Know your “why” for choosing a particular event. Some of the possible answers to “why’s” to attend a Networking event:

• It’s important to “show up”! Visibilityis part of being a good member.
• Consistencyis a critical ingredient for building connections.
• Be dependable. The way you show up says a lot about how you do business.
• You care!Your presence and mindfulness show the other members of your group that you care about them and about your business.
• Relationship-building requires that you are serious and genuine!

Be serious and mindful about your networking activities and enjoy the rewards of your efforts.

The post The Nutty Networker first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

Being a Ninja takes a commitment! 

• Make good decisions about where to show up to network. This is a prime skill. Showing up at any and all networking events does not demonstrate good and wise decision-making. Seek out those events where your target market shows up. Make sure the networking events you attend are composed of people who can use your products or services, or are good referrers to your target market. To do otherwise is to waste your valuable time and resources.

• Ninjas are social and friendly! They do not attract attention by being quiet or withdrawn. Your “getting to know you” actions must be honed. Your prime “weapon” is your introduction; be sure to have it ready. Sharp like the Ninja’s sword, your introduction is free of dull or unnecessary phrases or words. 12 – 15 well chosen words must tell your compelling story.
• Ninjas build endurance, agility, strength and flexibility. The important thing is to stretch. Stretching – going beyond your comfort zone – can create options or opportunities that are not yet visible. And, that’s what networking is about, isn’t it? To create options and opportunities. The Ninja is always on alert, always aware of the environment.
• Ninjas feed their mind. They know that knowledge accelerates the path to success. With knowledge comes resourcefulness. When you are seen as a reliable resource, you are recognized as having mastery and adding value. People seek you out because you share your knowledge and information.

When you find the flow in situations and know your place in the flow, you exhibit Ninja qualities. There is a flow and rhythm to networking, and when you can dance the dance, you will reap the rewards.

Be Ninja-like in your approach to Networking!

The post The Ninja Networker first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

Building a successful network takes more than a series of meet-and-greet events. When your networking is integrated with your daily marketing activities, it can be simple and easy – natural. Your consistent investment of time after each networking event will pay off in big ways for your business if you make it a priority. And, that time investment requires a plan.

An example of ”no plan” comes to mind. Jeff (not his real name) participated in a large trade show and collected contact information of potential clients for his custom and make-over kitchen business. He collected over 300 contacts during the show. When I asked Jeff several months later how much business he had generated as a result, Jeff said, “zero”! Further investigation revealed that the 300 contacts had been stuffed into his desk drawer and had never been approached because Jeff got busy with other things. What a loss! Jeff had no plan for follow up. The lesson here is: Don’t be Jeff!

Before you attend your next networking event, take the time to craft a follow up strategy after you collect those precious business cards. Here’s a list of 7 possible actions you could take. Choose one and make it your way of staying in touch. Don’t try to do all 7 though! You will run out of steam, and worse yet, you might annoy the very people you are attempting to incorporate into your network.

1. Send an e-mail. State that you enjoyed meeting them and why it would make sense to stay in touch.
2. Connect with a LinkedIn invitation. Include a personal note about meeting them at the event.
3. Offer a referral. If during the conversation at the networking event they mentioned needing help with something, and you can connect them to a resource, offer to do so.
4. Send an article or book reference if it pertains to the conversation you had with your new contact.
5. Extend an invitation to join you at some other event that you know this contact would enjoy.
6. If, during the conversation, some upcoming event like a birthday, anniversary etc., was mentioned, send a congratulations message.
7. Send a handwritten, ”good to meet you” note. This gesture will be sure to set you apart since so few people resort to a handwritten note these days.

While none of these follow up gestures is earth shattering, they do make a difference. Any one of these actions will show that you want to build a stronger relationship and that you take the time to build connections. Networks don’t build themselves. Like any relationship, they take time, nurturing, care and thoughtful actions.

The post It’s All About The Follow Up first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.