Ten Questions To Take With You

If you attend networking events, you've probably experienced some awkward conversation gaps. It helps to keep the conversation flowing if you have a few questions prepared.

My favorites start with questions about the event itself. These are dual purpose questions. The primary purpose is to keep the conversation going by gently “tossing the ball” back. The secondary purpose is to encourage your partner to share their knowledge or experience. 

1. How did you hear about this event?
2. Have you met the speaker / presenter/ [describe a person] yet?
3. Have you been to other events put on by this group?

Try asking these questions about other events. It keeps the focus on them and can even led to invitations to other events or an information exchange.

4. Are there any events coming up that I should attend?
5. Have you been to [place/event], yet?
6. Do you attend any other networking events regularly?
7. What other events are you planning to go to?

These next two questions are great for making a transition. After all, the point of a networking event is to meet people!

8. How late does this event go?
9. How are the appetizers?

This is my absolute favorite question for departure.

10. Is there anyone you've met tonight that I should meet?

Often the person you're speaking with will feel compelled to walk you over to the person and introduce you. If you use this technique you will only have to make one approach the whole evening and usually end up connecting with more engaging people.

What's your favorite networking question? And when do you use it?

The door hanger that hung itself

On my front door I found this door hanger. It grabbed my attention instantly as it looked like a paint swatch. Without reading anything my brain when instantly to it's paint chip file, which led to further inspection.

Upon looking at it more closely, a second time, I saw there were words under the color blocks. It reads, "Why it takes a college education to paint your home." In art terms we call this a "second reading" as it was not the first thing we saw, it took a closer or second look.

The headline "Why it takes a college education to paint your home." tied nicely to the logo and name of the company "College Works Painting." The tagline under the logo "A higher degree of painting" followed the theme. It art and branding terms we would say its cohesive.

Flipping it to the backside we are rewarded with their second headline "Ninety-nine percent of a great paint job has nothing to do with painting." As you can see this is followed by a string of nine bullet points, logo, phone, website and license number. The 888 number and noticeable lack of address raise my suspicions. This is starting to feel like some kind of thin franchise deal. Speaking of thin, the paper is lightweight and the ink from the other side is visible. In art lingo we would say "it's bleeding through." The front is printed in just one color, blue and the back is printed in two colors, blue and black. The black is used as a percentage and appears grey.

They totally lost me with the headline on the backside of the piece "Ninety-nine percent of a great paint job has nothing to do with painting." I am sorry, as homeowner, I want a great paint job. The bullet points below don't adequately "pay-off" or explain the statement.

The second headline introduced a huge quality of doubt. The refrain in my brain is "Wow, they are only going to spend 1% of their attention on the actual paint job." Which leads me to "So, their college-aged enthusiastic sales person is going to give me a quick estimate, with a great price. Their college-aged painters will, show up on time, smell good, smile, finish on time and slop some paint on my house, get paint all over my driveway and use the wrong color."

Ok, now you've got me going on playing the rest of the scenario out. When I call to complain about my sloppy paint job the college-aged customer service person is going to tell me that "The painters tried hard and did their best and besides my Mom says it looks good!"

The good: Cohesive concept, they used the college theme throughout.

The bad: The text failed to communicate a compelling message. Instead instilled a feeling of distrust and doubt.

The ugly: The piece was printed on thin paper and in only two colors. It gives the impression of being cheap.

This door hanger hung itself. 

I think I will walk over to my neighbor, Todd, a local contractor with gnarly hands and a gruff attitude and ask him about painting my house. He seems like a better bet.

Are you creating TRUST or DOUBT?

Are your actions saying, "You don't care?" Are you creating TRUST or DOUBT?

Yesterday I noticed that the house next store "SOLD" as they had place the rider on top of the FOR SALE sign. Since the sign is proximate to my driveway, I noticed a yellow post-it note on the "SOLD" part of the sign. Curious, I took a closer look. It simply had the address on the note "204 E. Maple Ave." The person placing the "SOLD" rider on the sign did not remove the instruction.

It made me wonder WHY; why did they leave the post-it note on the sign? Is it because they forgot? Is it because no one told them to remove the note? Or is it because they simply don't care about the quality of their work? Whatever the reason it's sloppy.

Although this is a tiny thing, it would make me think twice about hiring this particular Realtor, even though he is THE Realtor in our neighborhood.

Real Estate transactions are riddled with small details on so many levels. Could I trust this Realtor's office to handle my sale if they can't even get a sign right. This lack of detail introduced DOUBT, which caused me to discount any trust I had in this realtor.

Now this reaction maybe a little extreme, but I am doing it to make a point. Details count. Audience counts. How you are displaying yourself and your company to the world counts. Remember with each action and interaction you are either building DOUBT or TRUST.

DOUBT is poison. It only takes a small amount to contaminate a large amount of TRUST.

Today, will you build TRUST or DOUBT?

7 Reasons To Be Loaded With Trigger Talk

Have you ever stumbled over the question “What do you do?” When you are prepared you can engage, inform and even “Wow!” the other party.

At ShoutBrand we called these prepared responses “Trigger Talk” because you are ready to “fire them off” at any given time. “Trigger Talk” sentences are carefully crafted, edited, rehearsed, tested, refined and finally memorized. The "Elevator Pitch" or "30-Second Self Commercial" are forms of “Trigger Talk.”

Be sure to create “Trigger Talk” for the most common questions people ask, especially these two: What do you do? and Tell me about yourself...?

7 REASONS TO BE LOADED WITH TRIGGER TALK
IT GIVES YOU:

1. The WOW FACTOR
2. TIME to think about what you’ll say next
3. INCREASED TRUST as you come across smartly
4. The ability to DELIVER INFORMATION you want them to have
5. An ENGAGING edge
6. A MAGNETIC energy which draws people to you
7. A great IMPRESSION every time

You will want to have a lot of “Trigger Talk” in your back pocket. The more you have on “Trigger” the better. Get loaded-up and give your Personal Brand fire power.

What questions do you have a hard time answering?

Personal Brands: Use a professional email address.

Many people use their email as a database. You want them to be able to easily find you when they want to reach you. If your name is not apart of your email address it makes it much more difficult. If you are not easy to find you are loosing out on opportunities. Using an unprofessional email address is a big mistake.

For example: I come across a job opportunity that might be perfect for a young man, Randy, who I met a networking event and connected with via email several months ago. I make a new email message and start typing "Randy" in hopes that his address will pop-up. I search my brain for his last name. I think it starts with a "C." I type in "rc" in hopes that his name will pop-up. Again nothing. The phone rings and my attention is taken in a new direction. That is the end of emailing Randy. He was not easy to find and as a result he did not receive the job lead.  I didn't remember his email address was surferdude23@yahoo.com.

I personally know many highly paid professionals who surf and that doesn't stop me from thinking "slacker loser"when I read "surfer dude!" With the free yahoo email address, it reads "slacker loser cheapskate." Who wants that refrain the the brain!?

I prefer and recommend people buy the domain name of the name they are using. For example: SarahAlexandriaJones.com or RandyCorcoran.com. Surferdude23@yahoo.comnow becomes: randy@randycorcoran.com.

The next best thing is using  a gmail account.With the popularity of gmail, your name may already be taken. Take your time in selecting a name. It is tempting to rush into a name that won't serve you in the long term.

People often put the year of their birth in their email address. For example: SarahSmith64@gmail.com.  This is not information you need to be delivering in this fashion. It may even work against you.

Many older non-technically savvy people are still using their aol email addresses. When one come into my inbox I immediately assume the sender is behind the times when it comes to technology.

Many hosting providers offer "email forwarding." You may be able to have your old or other email addresses forward to your new professional address.

The more consistent you are with your personal branding, the better. Your name is the cornerstone of your brand. Be mindful of how you use your name. Be sure to use a professional email address.

Over-sharing has reached epdemic proportions

If you think the national obesity crisis is bad, then read on to find out how we are over flowing more than our jeans. Over-sharing personal information has reached epidemic proportions. This mouth-on-speaker phone phenomenon is destroying businesses faster than a speeding bullet. It's like a cancer that slowly spreads and eventually takes you out.

You are especially at risk if you render any type of ongoing personal service. Hair stylist, estheticians, personal trainers, massage therapist, front desk staff, financial planners, to name a few, are ranting and raving, complaining about their personal lives to their clients to a degree previously unknown. Not only are they bad mouthing their significant other and family members they are often guilty of annihilating the very business they are working in or for. They hold no secrets when it comes to even the most intimate health problem. This massive unburdening to clients is totally inappropriate and is often the reason why client don't come back.

Your clients are NOT your friends.
Personally, I have heard detailed stories about romantic  relationships with no intimate detail left out, domestic violence, extreme religious view points, drug or alcohol abuse issues, problems with teenagers, cheating spouses, financial and credit problems, and the list goes on. The "ick" factor increases when I know and have business or personal relationships with the person they are targeting.

Your clients will settle for less
Have you ever had a client leave and go to another provider who is not as good as you are? Over-sharing may be the reason. We will take a lesser service for a better experience. For example, I will take a good haircut over a great hair cut if it is served up without a cocktail of misery.

When I am paying for a service, I expect to have your full attention. End  of story. If you need to download, unload, or otherwise commiserate, please do so on your own time with an appropriate person. Note to self: this is not your client.

The Bartender Business Model
There is an easy example to keep in your mind, bartenders; The old school kind. People often go to their local bar to "drown their problems." The stereotypical bar keep listens, gives the occasional nod and pours them another drink.  In any movie or TV show have  you ever seen the bartender unload on the drinker? No. The bartender knows the job is to serve drinks. Can you image going to a bar, ordering up a beer, and having it served up with the comment, I am sorry this took so long, I just got off the phone with my boyfriend, well, former boyfriend, see he just broke-up with me. Can you believe he did it over the phone?! What a pig! Just the thought of this comment should make you cringe. And yet this, is the type of over-sharing that goes on all the time.

Bartenders know it's a one way street. Clients may choose to over-share, but bartenders know their place. Their place is to serve their patrons drinks. It is not to serve up their problems. They know it is not about them.

If you are not getting repeat business and referrals are few and far between, you may want to look at your interactions with clients. It may very well be something you said.

Do you think over-sharing is an issue?

Red and Green an Exclusive Color Scheme

The Grinch may have stole Christmas, but Christmas owns the colors red and green. By the time we become adults we have seen this combination millions of times and it is burned into our subconscious. When we see these two colors used together we immediately associate them with Christmas.

It can be July and we can be looking at an ad for Turtle Wax, but when we see red and green, our brain thinks Christmas. For this reason, it’s a color combination rarely used for anything outside of this holiday. The color scheme’s exclusivity has become self-perpetuating!

There are several theories to why green and red are the Christmas colors. The Christian faith believes that green symbolizes everlasting life and red symbolizes the blood of Christ. This is by far the most popularly held belief.

Another theory dates back to the 14th Century when churches put on religious plays. In December, the production would reenact the scene in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. An evergreen tree was brought in to serve as the Tree of Life, since it was the only tree green at this time of year. Red apples were hung on the tree. The green symbolizes the tree and the color red symbolizes the apples. As the story goes, the people liked this so much they started bringing trees into their own homes and decorating them, starting the tradition of the Christmas tree.

Many cultures prior to the death of Christ used evergreen trees and holly as decoration in the cold winter months. The Pagan festival of the Yule used the colors of red, green, silver and gold. Once again the same colors repeat.

This is one holiday that is easy on retailers because they can say “Christmas” by using green and red without the risk of being politically incorrect. With December 25th fast approaching, be sure to get the most out of these seasonal colors before they go back in the closet to keep orange and black company.

Does your audience want what you’re giving them?

At this time of year, many of us are out and about buying gifts for friends and loved ones. When selecting a gift we imagine what the person might need or want. You may think about their lifestyle, what struggles they are going through, what they do for a living, where they live and even how old they are.

Or you may give them what you think they need, without any regard for whether they think they need it or not.

As simple as gift buying sounds, it’s often not easy. Surely, you have memories of gifts gone wrong on both the giving and receiving ends. This is why gift cards and liberal return policies are so popular. It is also why the term re-gifting is now in our vocabulary and applies to many items beside fruitcake.

Often we need to dig a little deeper. Sometimes that can be as simple as asking a question or two. Take time to implement a little of what we refer to as “honest curiosity.”

Here are a few examples:

For your sister, whom is a new mom living in a cold climate; you start shopping for a beautiful, warm, but washable sweater. AND, after speaking with her and asking a few questions, you find out that she REALLY misses spending time alone with her husband. You finally decide on movie tickets with babysitting included. Both of these gifts are significantly different than what you think she needs, which is a case of Slim-Fast.

For your aging parents, who “have everything,” you assume something consumable is in order. You start researching what shows are playing at their local theatre companies. Since they don’t drive at night anymore, you want to be sure they offer a matinee. AND, after emailing with your dad it comes out that what they REALLY want is a new, small TV for the kitchen and someone to figure out how to hook it into the cable box. Both of these gifts are different than what you think they need, which is a nose hair-trimmer.

For your teenage niece, who is in the band at her high school, you think a set of nail polish in her school colors would be a big hit. You can even imagine her at the football games with her brightly colored nails. AND, after asking a few questions, you find out what is REALLY important to her is to have the latest hand held gaming device. Both of these gifts are different than what you think she needs, which is a t-shirt you can’t see through.

When we are gift buying it’s natural to consider the “audience,” in this case, the person receiving the gift. In the examples above, the first gift idea wasn’t necessarily a poor choice; it just wasn’t the best choice. It wasn’t what they really wanted. And what you really wanted to give them is as different as a TV and a nose-hair trimmer.

As we go through our day-to-day business lives, the same concept of considering the audience always applies. If we can remember whom we are talking to and what their needs, wants and desires are, we have a much better chance of communicating with them effectively. When we take it one step further and practice “honest curiosity” to find out what the unmet need really is we can be even more effective in obtaining our desired result.

When you use this approach the audience, whether it is one or many, will feel like they have received a gift after interacting with you.

The question to ask yourself is: Does your audience want what you’re giving them?

The Foolproof Technique for People Who Can’t Stand Introducing Themselves

If you can’t stand to answer the question "What do you do?" keep reading. Here is an easy-to-remember, easy-to-use technique that is conversational in nature. It gets the job done with only three lines.

First start by stating the problem you solve. The line starts with "You know how (insert problem)? in the form of a question.

The second line starts with "What I do is (insert how you solve the problem.)

The third line starts with “I’m a (insert your job title.)

Put it all together for a foolproof self-intro that works every time; Perfect for those who can’t stand introducing themselves.

Examples:You know how many young couples dream of buying their first home?
What I do is provide first time homeowner financing to make that possible.
I'm a mortgage broker.

You know how big brands like Starbucks and Target have great visual branding?
What I do is great visual branding for people.
I’m a personal branding coach, specializing in all things visual.

You know how many people struggle with their weight, or have backaches and knee problems?
What I do is relieve pain and reduce weight with strength training, which creates an improved physical condition.
I'm a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach - a personal trainer at the highest level.

Why it worksThe first sentence gets the person your speaking (your audience) with to "go along for the ride." After the first sentence that is in the form of a question you should get a confirming nod or a "yeah" showing that they are "with you." They will "get it" if you have used a highly relatable problem.

The second sentence, states in an easy to understand way what you do. The second sentence "pays off" the first sentence.

The third sentence gives your official title and reinforces sentence two.

 A Few More Tips:
When you use the same word(s) repeatedly, it makes it easier for your audience to understand. The more they "get it" the more likely you are going to hear those three little words, we all long to hear "tell me more!"

Avoid acronyms, or if you use them, explain them. A variation on the last part of the second sentence of the first example might be: I’m a CSCS, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach. You never want your audience to have to guess at what you do.

Remember to keep it simple. It should be simple enough that your average 12 year-old would “get it.” You can always elaborate on what you do.

Be prepared for success by having a few business cards in your purse or pocket, you very well may get asked for one!

Try it out and let me know how it works for you! You just might have to find something else not to stand!

Love thyself; Love thy brand

Any successful businessperson will tell you that they have to authentically believe in the product they offer. Every product has features and benefits, as well as weaknesses and flaws.

In marketing we “tell the better” story. For example if we are marketing Coke, we talk about how it is “the pause that refreshes” not the drink that is full of sugar.

In personal branding – YOU are the product. In order to have a successful business, you need to LOVE the product, you represent – YOURSELF!

As simple as this may sound, many Solopreneurs (solo-entrepreneurs) have a lot of trouble talking about them without apology.  This happens for several reasons. Many of us have been taught at an early age that it is not good to “toot your own horn. We have also been instructed that it is rude to talk about yourself and even worse to talk about yourself in a positive manner. These old beliefs hinder your ability to present yourself in a dynamic, confident manner. When you operate under such a belief system you greatly hinder your ability to have the kind of success you deserve and desire.

Solopreneurs are afraid that they will sound like they are selling themselves. If you can change your belief and know that you have something of value to offer (and YOU DO!) you are then simply letting people know what you do in case they need your help. There is no selling needed. In fact, if you fail to let those you come in contact with know what you do, you are doing them a great disservice.

Next time you introduce yourself remember to do it with pride. Speak clearly, with authority. Leave the apology and self-deprecating attitude behind. You will become instantly more attractive and may even hear the three little words we all long to hear – tell me more!

It’s your brand shout about it!

The Super Simple Secret of Values

When signs or other graphics are hard to read it is often because the VALUE of the colors are too similar. 

Value is a term used to describe the lightness or darkness of colors. 

If you take a color image and convert it to a gray scale image you can easily see what the values of the color are. The same is true when you make a B&W xerox copy of a color page.  

When signs or other graphics are hard to read it is often because the value of the colors used are too similar. 

Look at the example above. You can see they have used two very different colors - red and blue. When the photo of the sign is converted to a gray scale image (the image on the bottom) you can see how similar the grays are. 

If you keep this super simple concept of values in mind when you are putting together your next document, flyer or presentation it will be more attractive and much easier to read. 

It is all a matter of lightness and darkness! 

What Can You Do to Solve the Problem?

Most of the time people are more than willing to tell you what can’t be done and why it can’t be done, specifically and in detail. However, the same person doesn’t offer up any solutions of what CAN be done. Or worst yet, many people are willing to accept, without a protest or contest, defeat.  This “Oh well!” attitude is expensive. Are we all really that willing to give up at the first sign of difficultly? Are you? Do you ever ask yourself what you can do to solve the problem?

When you live in a deadline driven world, like I do, where excuses are not acceptable you learn to be resourceful. The magazine doesn’t care that the client changed their mind fourteen times, they still need the art for your ad before the deadline. If you don’t want to pay for a blank page, you had better get your art in.  End of story.

This willingness to give up is even more baffling when you consider the plethora of resources we all have available at our fingertips. If there is even a hint of a solution, a quick internet search will confirm or deny the suspicion. Chances are the problem you are having, others have had too.

The next time you find yourself explaining to your clint, boss, husband, child, mother, vendor, what you can’t do. Take the next step and offer up what you CAN do to solve the problem, make the situation better, make things easier in the future, etc. Better yet, offer several solutions, with details and options. You’ll be the hero, even if they don’t act on any of them.

Being a problem solver will make you more valuable, and you may even be called a lifesaver!

5 Deadly Reasons that Black is Killing You – Part 5

Deadly Reason #5: Black is Killing Your Digital Brochure

Since the invention of the pdf, digital brochure and all kinds of sales material fly across the world as email attachments or downloads. If you are using large solid areas of black you instantly put up a resistance to printing the document out. You alarm your potential client with a refrain in their brain that goes something like this "Wow, if I print this out it is going to burn thought all of my black ink." I think I will skim through it and see if there is a page worth printing or skip it. 

You may rethink your digital brochure; because what looks good as a physical printed bound brochure you hand someone might not be a practical, usable document to send digitally.