Increasing the Benefits of Other People's Advertising

To help fellow members increase their business visibility, during their 30 second promotionals you may want to:

• listen intently for what kind of leads they need
  
• understand what it is they are selling
  
• think about who you know that you can give as a lead
  
• think about the contacts you have and how you can approach them to benefit the members
  

One Leads Club member I know always says, "God gave me two ears and one mouth, so I listen twice as much as I speak."

Do you have any other ideas or suggestions to help find leads for your fellow members? Give us a comment below!!

Increasing The Benefits of My Own Advertising

During your 30 second promotions, you'll need to:

• think about what you are going to say and plan it ahead of time
  
• take advantage - use ALL 30 seconds
  
• ask other member show you can better advertise
  
• tell other members where they can get leads for you and what to listen for
  
• spotlight a different aspect of your business each week
  
• give cost of service/product
  
• change it to make it more effective
  

During your 8-10 minute talk, you need to:

• clearly describe what your business is
  
• tell why you're good at what you do
  
• tell why members should refer people to you instead of someone else who does what you do
  
• teach members how to advertise for you
  
• give handouts, discounts, and specials
  
• give inside information to help other members
  
• ask members what they learned from your talk
  
• leave time for questions
  

Use this check list to assist you at your first few meetings. Thereafter, refer to it frequently. We suggest that you check it over weekly during your fist 3 months of membership. After that, a monthly refresher is advised.

Beyond The Dollar Benefits of Networking

Think of your network as an ever expanding universe of links, alliances and ties. I'm a visual person, I think of my network as an interrelated highway system. At each junction are acquaintances, friends and professional associates who can call on me and to whom I can call for help, information, idea exchange, business opportunities, social experiences. The best way to maintain and extend your Focused Network is to:

• STAY ACTIVE WITH NETWORKING EFFORTS.
  
• BE VISIBLE.
  
• RECONNECT WITH THOSE YOU'VE MET.
  
• FIND WAYS TO BECOME TRUSTED AND VALUABLE IN OTHER NETWORKS.
  
• PUT OUT QUALITY LEADS AND REFERRALS, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'LL GET BACK.
  

Think of the people you meet and connect with as individuals who need and want more business contacts as seriously as you.

What can you do for them? . How can you help?

Your efforts will come back ten-fold.

Adele Sheily, Ph.D., wrote Skills for Success. Now in its eleventh printing, the information is still extremely "on target." She writes, "Those of us who are achievers also enhance our careers by building contacts and alliances with others. We look for opportunities to establish new relationships and maintain our existing ones. Connecting gives us perspective about how we work, provides us with different approaches to problems and sharpens our ideas of what is important, relevant or new. And makes us visible to others like us.

The Seven Power Play Principles of Focused Networking

1. Always plan to leave a business or social gathering with new networking connections...the operative word is .always..
   
2. Format clear and do-able goals before any networking gathering.
   
3. Be a host...not a guest...at networking gatherings. Use hospitality and .host. conversation to network.
   
4. Keep your business cards, brochures, fliers or resumes (if appropriate) easily accessible.
   
5. Give and you'll receive...make sure your .giving is quality.
   
6. Develop and maintain your connection/network file. Schedule regular times to reconnect each week to contact those you've been out of touch with. Use this time to update and maintain your connections file.
   
7. Schedule at least one weekly network related activity...a breakfast, lunch or evening meeting.
   

As you commit yourself to these Seven Principles and the concept of Focused Networking, become judge and jury on the issue of ethics. I asked in the beginning: Would you buy from yourself? Would you buy from your company? You should be able to emphatically shout YES. No other response will do. I call this Devotion to Excellence.

Excellence in business and in life isn't something you can turn on and off; it's a personal trait and the catalyst of success. Devotion to Excellence won't guarantee that your enterprise or service will make it as a Fortune 500 company, but it might help along the way. By devoting yourself, your network, and your associates to excellence, you will be able to establish a reputation that is unshakable regardless of the Dew Jones average...or the price of yen on the Tokyo exchange.

The great news is that regardless of what happened yesterday, you've got a fresh start today. With a consistent, committed image, and by discussing and doing business in an ethical manner, you promote excellence in your network and on. your team.

FOCUSED NETWORKING AND EXCELLENCE ARE YOUR DYNAMIC DUO. And YOU are your best advertisement.