Let's talk meetings . . .

I know a few 'news hounds' who are going through withdrawals these days. People who enjoy knowing what is going on 24/7, across town or around the world. Their inboxes fill up daily with alerts from cable new networks and newspapers. And yet, in the midst of critical news some of them are electing to turn off the TV and delete (unread) those email alerts. Why are they inflicting such pain on themselves?

They just can't take any more bleak discussions about the economy. Their 401(k) has plummeted like everyone else's. They have friends and family members who received pink slips in recent months. And they are painfully aware that the drop in their house's value mean they would suffer a loss if they tried to sell their home right now. Needless to say, they are sick of being continually reminded ad nauseum about the economy!

So you're asking yourself, why I said I wanted to "talk meetings," when all I've discussed are news hounds struggling to limit their news intake? To remind us all of the toll that the current economy is taking on us.  We are all acutely aware of its impact on our lives. And it's no shock to anyone involved in the meetings industry, even indirectly, that many are having a hard time right now.  Indeed, there has been a knee-jerk over-reaction by some; thanks to the AIG guys who took bailout money and then enjoyed their long-planned, golf/business meeting at a posh Arizona resort, many have decided this is not the time to hold any meetings.  (We know better, but we'll discuss that in a future post.)

It's true we don't know how long the recession will last. We're not even sure that we've hit bottom yet. But we all agree there is a rebound in the future. Meanwhile we need to be smart about how we do business. And those who rely on meetings for their livelihood need to stay informed and be prepared to make the important case for effective meetings.

So, we're finally to the heart of my message. Everyone working in the meetings industry -- event planners, employees of hotels/resorts/convention centers, professional speakers, AV guys, group transportation and travel folks, and the list goes on -- need to check out the following websites to stay abreast of the latest news (not the sad fare on MSNBC, the Detroit Free Press, or your local news) but vital info to keep us smart and current as we continue to conduct business:

• www.KeepAmericaMeeting.org
• www.MeetingsMeanBusiness.org
• www.MeetingIndustryCrisisCenter.org/ActNow.aspx

In coming months, we'll continue to this dialogue about our industry, the economy, and our responsibilities as we strive to best serve clients who, whether they realize it or not, still need to conduct great business meetings.  Stay tuned!

Dominate Your World

During these tough economic times and concern about the future, many have decided to 'keep their heads down and wait it out.'  But speaker Wes Ball, author of The Alpha Factor has a different perspective.

There has always been an unjustifiable admiration of large companies by smaller ones. Simply because it appears that large companies MUST be smarter (due to their success at getting large), smaller companies fall into the terrible trap of following their example.

The worst example set by large companies is to stand still in times of crisis. Right now, large companies are making the worst mistake that can be made during an economic crisis: they are standing still and holding their breath. The world is changing around them, and most larger companies are hiding out until they can see what the world looks like after the dust clears. Any smaller company that follows that example will find itself deep in the ranks of followers and scavengers that populate most product or service categories.

The reason smaller companies so often rise to positions of significant influence following a recession is because they ignore the example of larger companies and CREATE the future that those large companies are waiting to see. Instead of standing still or hiding out, these few smaller companies create a new definition of what their category is and they create new, higher customer expectations that everyone else has to follow.

This is the time for change, not stagnation. The answer is in the Alpha model: driving new, higher customer expectations that make everyone else follow your lead. Over the past 25 years, I have seen innumerable smaller companies grow dramatically during recessions (and even more afterward) because of their use of the Alpha model.

Stop standing still. Stop waiting to see what world someone else creates for you. Create your own new world that you can dominate.

If you want Wes to speak to your audience about sustainable new growth and market dominance, call Esparza Speakers. To learn more about his Alpha model and how it differs from the model used by non-Alpha companies, check out his book, The Alpha Factor, available at his website, www.thealphafactor.com, or through any online bookstore.

Is Your Grammar [sic]?

"Proper grammar is power." - Dianna Booher

R U Amazed at the affect email and texting has had on the way we use grammer and how we spell in our electronic communication. It ain't right that you and me have been slackin' off with our spellin' and such in emails.

In fact, sentences with spelling and grammar errors like the one you just read are littering emails that we send everyday. For many, the speed of an email has become more important than the content and the grammatical correctness. So what's the big deal with a few misspelled words and an occasional misuse of the English language, you ask?

Truth is, your prospects and peers will judge your ability to serve them by the words you use. Which means every email you send that looks like the neighbor's first grade kid wrote it tells the recipient that accuracy is not important to you. It also says that you DON'T pay attention to detail. Now let me ask you something. Are accuracy and attention to detail important qualities to you? Of course they are! So understand that every email you send is like a brochure that represents your ability to perform. So here are some email tips that will help you show others that you are PRECISE:

Use Spell Check with every email-it takes 20 seconds and will you from looking unprofessional

Read your email back to yourself pressing the 'send' button-more than half the time you will make a correction

Make your point once and be done with it-use as few words as possible to convey your message; not only will this minimize your changes of making a grammatical error, but it will also help your messsage 'stick' (this work with voicemail, as well)

Take 15 seconds to think about the objective of the email before you write it-email should be a tool for action, so after the recipient reads your email, what do you want them to do? If the email isn't getting them to do something, perhaps it isn't necessary to send it.

So, let's get back to English (and Action) class. While it might not be necessary to start diagramming sentences, it could be time to be more PRECISE with one of our greatest sales and service weapons . . . our written word.

This post is from Brian Sullivan who recently interviewed Dianna Booher, author of Rules of Business Grammer-101 Fast and Easy Ways to Correct the Most Common Errors, on his weekly radio talk show. Brain can be heard Monday mornings at 9:00 (Central time) on HotTalk 1510-his show is The Entrepreneurial Moment. Brian is the author of 20 Days to the Top, and is a dynamic speaker on topics such as sales, customer service, negotiations, and leadership.

Maximize Your Networking

Networking has always been important to successful professionals, but these days it may be more vital than ever.  Dan Norman, the author of  "Top Ten Selling" and popular sales trainer, shares a recent personal experience and his insights about networking:

I met a man at a business-networking event this week who wouldn't give me one of his business cards.

We exchanged introductions and described what each of us did for a living, and I found out he was a salesperson for a specialty promotional products company. You know; they put your company name on golf shirts, Frisbees and beer can koozies. That's right, koozies! I've acquired approximately 257,497 promotional koozies at events throughout my business career. I presently only have four because I perform a koozie consolidation at least once a month. If I didn't, I'd end up having to rent off-site koozie storage.

What happens to those things when you throw them away, anyway? Nothing made of dense foam rubber emblazoned with a pound of paint to highlight the embossed company name could possibly be biodegradable. My guess is due to their indestructible nature; they are probably retrieved from landfills, pounded flat and used as tiles on the space shuttle. In fact, I think I actually saw an IBM logo in a close-up shot during a recent shuttle launch.

Okay, back to the networking event. I thought based on what the man did for a living; I might be able to help him make a few connections in the business community. So I asked him for his business card. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of cards. I stood there with my card in hand; ready to hand it to him, as he counted his remaining cards.

Suddenly, he said, "Uh, I'm getting kinda low on cards." He then looked away quickly and put his remaining cards back in his jacket pocket, shook my hand and walked away.

Scooter was making a big mistake! (If I had his card, I'd know his real name!) His mistake wasn't that he wouldn't give me his card, because that's a symptom of a bigger problem. Scooter was simply walking through the crowd looking for people who he felt could help him. It appears I fell into the category of those he felt could not. This may work for Scooter for a while, but if he's not also helping the people he meets, they won't help him for long.

The very best salespeople tell us the primary goal of networking is to connect with people who we can help. Now don't misunderstand, we network to build connections with people who can help us achieve our goals, but when we get to know them, and share our knowledge, connections and talents with them, they generally want to help us as well. And the degree to which they want to help, based on the gratitude they may feel, will be much greater. The goal is to connect with people and be of value to them first so that a mutually beneficial relationship can develop.

I recently spoke at a tax and insurance conference and had a conversation with one of the top salespeople in that industry. He told me his success was predicated on his sincere desire to help others.

"When I meet people I often volunteer to help them understand their long-term financial planning because most find it very difficult," he told me. "What really motivates me is when someone says 'Thank you so much, I really appreciate your help!' Sometimes they even sign up to use my service, which is great since I'm an insurance salesman."

Here are five tips for effective networking:

• Network to "connect!" Make a commitment to look for networking opportunities, then attend and connect. Try to meet as many people as you can and avoid getting trapped in extended conversations. Follow up after the event if you wish to talk at length with someone you've met.

• Connect with your target buyers. Know exactly who your target buyers are and where you can find them. If you sell maternity clothes, don't network at a lumberjack convention. Find out where your target buyers network and what meetings and annual conferences they attend, then be there.

• Perfect your "elevator speech." Create a brief introduction; no one cares what instrument you played in the 3rd-grade band. Engage people in a way that has them asking for more information. We'll talk more about how to create the perfect elevator speech in a future column.

• Connect to help others first. Remember that when we get to know others and share our knowledge, connections and talents with them, they generally want to help us as well. And the degree to which they want to help us will be much greater.

• Stay connected. Carry lots of business cards, give them out and ask for one from everyone you meet. Follow up with an e-mail and stay in touch. Send e-cards, greeting cards or create a newsletter. If you see an article that might interest your connections, e-mail it to them.

Finally, if you're out networking and run into Scooter counting his business cards and trying to pull away from you, give him a copy of this article.

If you'd like to hire Dan Norman, or learn more about his expertise, check out his page on the ES site, or give us a call.