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ISSN 1939-2834
Vol. 2, No. 17 | April 28, 2008
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In This Issue:
From the Editor
You can never have too many friends. Indeed, your business will depend
on it. But are you trying too hard in all the wrong ways? This week's
article talks about getting back to basics.
Be fierce!
Danielle Keister
Founder & CVO
Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce
Make Some Friends
 Networking
is a topic discussed at length in all business circles. It's one of the
most effective ways to gain clients and referrals, especially if you are
in professional services, and it can cost little to nothing but a bit
of your time and energy.
Business gurus advise getting involved in the associations
and business groups your target market belongs to, participating in the
listservs and forums where they hang out online, and crafting your elevator
speech and signature lines to get them interested in talking with you.
There is all kinds of excellent information out there to
educate you about where and how to network. But there's one component
to networking that deserves more attention: the art of making friends.
Of course you are networking to get clients. That doesn't
mean your conversations need to be all about business. In fact, it could
be said that the most effective networking focuses not on business, but
on people.
When you attend networking functions, do you try to corner
as many people you can to shove your business card in their hands and
robotically recite your elevator speech? How much do you enjoy
that when the shoe is on the other foot?
How about trying this the next time you're at a business
function: Go in without any expectation of getting business. Reset your
motivation to simply enjoying yourself, learning something (if it's a
seminar or educational opportunity of some kind) and making a new friend
or two.
Make a point of striking up a conversation with a stranger.
Be a conscious listener. Try not to immediately or nervously prattle on
about yourself. Cultivate a mindset of curiosity. The best way to draw
people out is to ask questions and get them to talk about themselves.
Who doesn't love a little attention? It's so easy to break the ice this
way. And I don't know about you, but I think there are so many more fascinating
aspects to the people I meet that don't have a thing to do with their
business.
At some point in the conversation, most people are going
to reciprocate. When you take a genuine interest in other people, you
become more interesting to them. You might indeed end up talking business
so it is important to be able to explain, in a conversational way, who
you serve in business and how you help them. Their questions will flow
naturally from there. But don't get hung up on the idea that your conversation
must be centered around each of your businesses and what you do for a
living. You will find that some of the most valuable, powerfully important
business relationships you make will come as a result of making a genuine
human connection.
It may seem somewhat insincere to make a study of how to
make friends, but many people have great difficulty in this area. They
often are under the misguided notion they must conform to the rigid, archaic
corporate business rules of yesteryear. Shake it off! I hereby give you
permission to be yourself (indeed, to be human), to color outside the
lines, have a good time at your next business event — and make a
friend!
RESOURCE: Keith Ferrazzi
is an expert connector and friend-maker. He wrote the book on one of the
simplest methods for relationship marketing and making friends,
"Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship
at a Time."
 About
the Author: As principal of The
Relief Virtual Assistance, Danielle Keister has been providing
expert administrative support to the professional community since 1997.
Working with solo professionals in the legal, consulting and public relations
fields, she helps clients gain time, increase efficiency and make more
money by taking on their administrative burdens and helping instill strong
administrative foundations in their businesses. Visit her website at http://www.TheRelief.com
to sign up for her complimentary 10-week e-course, "Ramp Up Your
Billable Hours: 10 Easy Fixes You Can Make Right Now!"
Next
FREE Teleseminar on May 15, 2008: Niche Clarity — How to Choose
a Niche That Fits YOU Like a Glove
 Have
you been resisting the idea of choosing a niche (target market) to focus
on in your business? Are you tired of feeling like a wallflower in your
area of expertise? Would you like to attract new clients and make more
money? Then join us on Thursday, May 15,
when Life on Track mentor Cari Vollmer
demystifies the niche-choosing process in this high-content, high-value
teleclass.
RESERVE
YOUR SPOT TODAY >>
- A D V E R T I S E M E N T -
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