"Hello What's your Name?"- How to remember names @ Networking events

We all know that networking events are all about building relationships, so there is nothing worse than having a great conversation that could turn into a successful business venture but you can't remember the person's name!

ALPHA will help you to do just that!

A - ASK: Don't be bashful, if you didn't hear it when you were first introduced don't be afraid to ask again at the end of the conversation. Who do you think that person is going to feel drawn to; the person who made an effort to remember and get their name right or the person who just didn't bother?

L - LISTEN: This is what Rob Brown Brown; World Leading Networking Authority calls 'Job One'. Your main aim at any networking event is to LISTEN and by doing so, it is much more likely you will hear and remember someone's name.

P - PARROT/PLAYBACK: We all remember better by doing as well as listening so if you make a point of repeating the person's name you are more likely to remember it later.

H - HOOK: Get a hook. Grab onto something; it might be something the person tells you in the conversation that reminds you later of their name, or it could just be what they are wearing or look  like i.e glasses, no glasses, red hair, moustache or whatever. If you can remember something about them you will remember them later.

A - ATTITUDE: Yours that is! Always be enthusiastic and positive, be known for remembering names. 

The next time you are at a networking event try this acronym and see the results. Also remember to practice, practice, practice, after a while you will get better at it. If you THINK/ACT/SAY/DO you can, then you can!

NABO Networking - Pronounced NayBow!

NABO Networking is the exciting new networking organisation run by the Nationwide Alliance of Business Owners (NABO).

What is NABO Networking?
The UK's fastest growing business network today.

• Make new business contacts: Meet forward thinking business owners who want to defy the recession and build bigger, better businesses - people like you
• Grow your business:
  Not only through referrals and doing business with other members but by sharing what's working right now - online, social media, marketing, pricing policies, selling against tough competition and so on...
• Join a supportive community:
  It's lonely at the top - and being part of a group of positive people who support each other means that the tough decisions become easier. Peer mentoring is an integral part of NABO networking.

Have a look at Jonathon Jay's introduction to NABO Networking here

Hello what's your name? How to remember names @ networking events

We all know that networking events are all about building relationships, so there is nothing worse than having a great conversation that could turn into a successful business venture but you can't remember the person's name!

ALPHA will help you to do just that!

A - ASK: Don't be bashful, if you didn't hear it when you were first introduced don't be afraid to ask again at the end of the conversation. Who do you think that person is going to feel drawn to; the person who made an effort to remember and get their name right or the person who just didn't bother?

L - LISTEN: This is what Rob Brown; World Leading Networking Authority calls 'Job One'. Your main aim at any networking event is to LISTEN and by doing so, it is much more likely you will hear and remember someone's name.

P - PARROT/PLAYBACK: We all remember better by doing as well as listening so if you make a point of repeating the person's name you are more likely to remember it later.

H - HOOK: Get a hook. Grab onto something; it might be something the person tells you in the conversation that reminds you later of their name, or it could just be what they are wearing or look  like i.e glasses, no glasses, red hair, moustache or whatever. If you can remember something about them you will remember them later.

A - ATTITUDE: Yours that is! Always be enthusiastic and positive, be known for remembering names. 

The next time you are at a networking event try this acronym and see the results. Also remember to practice, practice, practice, after a while you will get better at it. If you THINK/ACT/SAY/DO you can, then you can!

When all else fails in employee coaching!

Occasionally, despite coaching sessions an employee's performance may continue to deteriorate or remain below acceptable standards.
When this happens, you as manager must take responsibility for remedying the situation by choosing among the alternatives below. Before determining the best alternative, answer the questions next to each alternative.

Restructure existing job
Questions To Ask Yourself First

1. Does the employee possess enough strength in key areas of the restructured job?
2. Can tasks be eliminated or delegated where the employee's performance is below standard?

Disciplinary action and termination
Questions To Ask Yourself First

1. Have I given the employee every chance to succeed?
2. Has the employee had adequate resources to do the job?
3. Has the employee been sufficiently trained and oriented?
4. Has the employee been through counseling or coaching sessions?
6. Does the employee understand the expectations and job standards?
7. Has the employee made promises to improve and not kept those promises?
8. Is the individual's performance disrupting the team's performance or affecting business results adversely?

Thanks to : http://www.uth.tmc.edu/

“I like it when they say NO” How to manage 'Follow up' rejection

“I like it when they say NO”
BY WILL KINTISH
How to Manage Rejection
If you are directly or indirectly involved in business development it is generally accepted the biggest barrier to being enthusiast about it is the fear of rejection. We don’t like hearing no which means we often don’t follow up opportunities as much as or persistently as we should.
If you have met someone at a business event or anywhere in fact, and spotted a potential opportunity you may have been brave enough to ask if you may contact them a few days later.
But when the day comes for that call some or all of the following voices appear in our heads
• I don’t want to seem too pushy.
• They won’t remember me.
• I feel like a salesman.
• If they want my services, they’ll call me.
• I’m not sure how they’re going to react to me.
• I’m not really certain that I’m going to get anything out of it.
• I’m not sure what to say.
• I’m anxious about gatekeepers.
If you believe you add value to your clients’ and customers’ business through your services and products you are following up to HELP NOT SELL.
Don’t take the ‘no’ personally; they are not rejecting you only the offer of your help. It’s business, they will only buy when they are ready, willing and able
2 If you don’t follow up you’ll never know what might have happened and it could be worse than that. If they did want to do business, you have lost their trust, damaged your own and probably, more importantly, your own business’s reputation.
The big issue in our business is not following up, we’re brilliant at that! It’s getting people to say either yes or no. In my view, no is the second best answer to yes; you know where you stand and you simply get on with the next part of your work.
Pest ‐v‐ Persistent
So, how do you ensure you aren’t the pest but always follow up. Simple 2 guidelines:
1. Always ask permission to follow up. If they show interest or even say ‘not at the moment’ say “Do you mind if I call you next week/ next month/ after the holiday/ in the autumn to explore ideas/ meet/ talk it through further or whatever it is you think will be mutually beneficial.
2. If you feel there is no enthusiasm for doing business offer the escape. “If you’d rather I didn’t follow up again do tell me and I won’t bother you further”
Personal stories
No in business doesn’t mean no, it generally means ‘not yet’. Early on in my presenting and training career I had a serious disappointment. The prospect had shown great interest in lots of training such I called Mrs. Kintish to suggest she could
book the holiday she’d always wanted. Then out of the blue came a message he’d changed his mind. “Cancel the booking Mrs K” I hesitantly called.
I decide, 6 months later, to try again; we then did business for the next 5 years. Why did it stop after 5 years? It was a bank client and when credit crunch came…..
When I did get the business I asked him why he’d suddenly changed his mind 6 months previously and his simply answer was ‘things change’. For those who want more clients and more business learn those 2 words. I believe the only time it is ‘no never’ is when they don’t like you; then give up; you’re wasting your time.
I did business with client A and the boss lady moved to company B. I emailed her to say “If I called you to talk about some training at your new company would it be a good idea?” I got an immediate response saying politely “No, it wouldn’t” and she gave me a good reason why not. I saw her 2 weeks later at a conference and thanked her for her ‘no’. It saves so much time for everyone. When I am following up I very often say ‘Am I wasting my time keeping following up? Please tell me because I don’t want to appear as a pest. When I get silence I believe they still want me on their radar!
The big issue I have realised is we don’t like hearing no but most people, including me, don’t like saying no either. I push people to say it. It is good for saving time and effort in your business!
© Copyright Will Kintish www.kintish.co.uk
www.kintish.tv
The author of this article is Will Kintish, leading UK authority on effective and confident networking both offline and online. If you’d like Will to speak at your conference or training workshops, call him on 0161 773 3727. Visit
www.kintish.co.uk and www.linkedintraining.co.uk for further free and valuable information on all aspects of networking.

"Linda, I saw the way you handled Mrs. Dawson during this crisis. It really stinks." Giving effective feedback in coaching situations!

If, like me, you have ever said something without thinking first you will understand how important the thinking time and having a script can be.
Effective coaching feedback can be learned and taught. Here are some ways to approach effective feedback in a coaching or in any business situation that I have found very helpful.
This list is care of the University of Texas, Health Centre which once again proves that positive feedback and talk is good for your health.

1. Make your feedback specific as related to behavior.

Good:	"Henry, you have been 15 minutes late for the last three mornings. Please explain why."
Bad:	"Henry, you are lazy and have a poor attitude towards your job."

2. Consider your timing, either before the event in the form of advice, or immediately after it as positive feedback.

Good:	(advice) "Sally, I'd like to review the content of your presentation with you before your speech next week so you can really do a good job in front of the group."
Bad:	(criticism) "Sally, because you've done such a poor job in the past, I need to preview the speech you plan on giving next week."
Good:	(positive) "Sally, you did an outstanding job in organizing your presentation for the meeting. The speech was well-researched and logical."
Bad:	(positive but not specific) "Sally, good speech last week. Keep up the good work!"

3. Give the feedback in calm and unemotional language.

Good:	"Joe, I'm sure your progress will be much faster now that you are clear on how to use this new machinery."
Bad:	"Joe, isn't it about time you improved your production with this machine?"

4. Check to be sure clear communication has occurred.

Good:	"Mary, do you know the importance of recording all my phone messages? Can you explain it to me so I know you understand?"
Bad:	"Mary, I'm sure you got it all, huh?"

5. Focus on behavior the receiver can do something about.

Good:	"Sam, we would appreciate you keeping the team informed about the status of the project."
Bad:	"Sam, why don't you like to talk to other people?"

6. Use "I" statements as opposed to "you" statements to reduce defensiveness.

Good:	"Tim, when you play your radio in the work area, I lose my concentration. Would you mind turning it off during regular work hours?"
Bad:	"Tim, you are so inconsiderate of other people when you leave your radio on."

7. Define the impact on you, the unit, the team and the company.

Good:	"Sarah, when you don't get your report to me on time, I can't get my report to my boss on time. This slows up decisions about resources needed for next month."
Bad:	"Sarah, can't you ever get your reports to me on time?"

8. Solicit feedback rather than impose it.

Good:	"Linda, did you say you would like to learn how to handle your most difficult customers more effectively? Here are some things that have worked for me..."
Bad:	"Linda, I saw the way you handled Mrs. Dawson during this crisis. It really stinks." Thanks to: http://www.uth.tmc.edu/