As much as we may look like Wonder Woman, or so as not to be sexist, Superman, and feel like them too, we cannot be a one person band and expect that the everything will just fall into place. It’ll fall alright, down, into bed, if you make it that far, from exhaustion.

A smart and successful small biz owner has back up, and I’d love to share my back up tricks honed from trial and error throughout the years that have saved me countless hours of unproductive work.

One of the best tips I’ve gotten to be constantly reminding ourselves of what is a time waster and what is a productive money making action for our day is from the wonderful business coach Jane Pollak, that goes like this: when creating your day to day tasks, use a green marker and mark which daily tasks are your business growth, money making tasks, and which are not. I usually make my list and then mark the moneymaking tasks with a green dot. If nothing else this will be a wake up call. Are you wasting way too much time on your proposals? There’s a system for that! Are you crunching all your numbers yourself for an hour a day? No need for that! Invoicing taking too long? There are a number of great programs for that.

Here’s my top 5 time saving and either free or really inexpensive systems, as I am a tightwad when it comes to these things… all designed to free you up so you can spend your day tackling the big stuff:

1) A really intuitive invoicing system: I use Freshbooks. Not only does it invoice really easily, but it sends them either by snail mail or email, does all kinds of cool numbers crunching, runs reports, allows you to send estimates that can convert to an invoice, and so much more. Bookkeeping — which I personally can’t stand to do so this forces me to do it in a fun and quick way — made easy, and quick. A nominal cost well worth the expense. Allows for customization as well

2) A proposal/Contract system — which used to take me half a day to do — try Quotegine. It allows you to create, save, customize and re-use templates in a library, sends it out with a click of a button and allows for an e signature on your clients end so that they don’t even have to print out, excepting for themselves or mail, attach, or fax back. Just pressing a button lands it back in your hands within a fraction of the time it would take otherwise, allowing you to get going on your next project. Free up until a certain amount of clients, and again, allows you to white label it.

3) A CRM system, otherwise known as a Contact Relationship Management System. Other wise known as a database. If you’re not already on Outlook, look no further than cloud based Highrise, run by the same cool, uber smart folks who created Freshbooks. If you are using your email contacts list as your database I might have to come over there and smack you. Highrise has all the bells and whistles you could ask for to allow you to keep on top of all of your prospects, clients and important business affiliates and contacts in an organized manner, create and schedule tasks and have them appear in your inbox when they come due, as a reminder to ‘get on that!’ It can also be synced with Freshbooks so that your whole client profile, jobs as well as the payments and invoicing are under one heading.

4) Housecleaning! I know that this involves money, but again, if you are trying to be all things to all people including a family of 4 back home, something is going to cave if you’re working hard all day and then expected to come home and clean the house as well. Even if you bring someone in just once per month to do the heavy cleaning, or pay your kids to do it. A scary thought I know. The money you spend here will make itself up to you in ROI if you’re taking the time where you would have been under the bed cleaning dust bunnies to instead contact 3 more warm leads to invite them to lunch. Time much better spent. I’d give you the name of mine as a referral but am afraid she’d be spread too thin and not have time for me. Selfish, I know, but some things are more precious than others. I do know that the team at The Maids are great though. Ask for Melissa.

5) Social Media tools. I have a confession. Social media is not my biggest strength. Other than LinkedIn, I do it because I have to, not because I want to, and I make no bones about it to my clients, as they need to do it as well. What has made it tolerable for me has been a little tool called Onlywire, which allows me to share what you’re reading right here with a load of social media and bookmarking sites instead of spending oodles of time uploading things separately when I could be interacting with folks online and off. Great for the SEO.

Hope these help you be more efficient and use your time more effectively. Now run to that networking meeting!

Suzen Pettit

www.omaginarium.com

www.omaginehealth.com

203 733 8578

Get Found, Get Heard, Get Crackin’

By Suzen Pettit

Not sure what I was thinking when I agreed to join a BNI (Business Networking International) group in my neighborhood, other than the idea of a networking group based solely on the idea of giving and receiving referrals, with none of the froo- froo attached to it, none of the dancing around….seemed so appealing. If you read my last post about my networking group challenges you’ll get what I’m talking about. So when my “Computer Troubleshooter” Rick Van Akin suggested that if I wanted to grow my business I should come to his BNI meeting just to “check it out” I thought, why not?

Little did I know at the time, or perhaps I just wasn’t listening, that the meetings began at 7 AM. AM? I thought he’d said PM. AM??? AM it was, and when I emailed the president to see just how formally attired I needed to be at 7 AM I was bummed out to hear that yoga pants were really not an option, unless of course I was a yoga instructor. I briefly considered switching careers. So I’d be lying if I said that I was ecstatic about attending my first meeting. Grumbling under my breath, I made it to the first meeting with seconds to spare, leaving my daughter to figure out how to get herself dressed, fed and to the school bus on her own. Third graders can do that in this country, can’t they? Kidding, she’s 11. Kidding again- she’s a teenager. Much more dangerous than a third grader.

That being said, and much to my surprise, I was blown away by the meeting. Seriously. I filled out an application and interviewed for the group, after my second visit. You’re only allowed 2 visits before having to decide, and even then there’s an application process.

Here’s my top 6 reasons why I joined the Super 7 BNI and you should join one too:

1. They mean business. And I mean business. They aren’t kidding about giving and receiving referrals. At the end of each meeting members are expected to go around the tables and with everyone witnessing, either offer a testimonial, a referral or a thank you to at least 1 person in the group. No slouchers allowed. Our eyes are all upon you.

2. You are held accountable- In a good way! Members are expected to make it to most of the weekly meetings- only 3 absences are allowed within a 6 month period without obtaining a substitute. It’s a structured group (although we do manage to have fun…). Commitment is expected of the group, and it pays off. If you are perceived as being serious about giving and receiving business referrals, and about satisfying customers that have been referred to you, business leads follow. Performing quality work is an expectation. After all, you need to look at these people in the eye at 7 AM each and every week. Therefore the weeding is taken care of, and a good group will end up with quality professionals who they can feel confident referring to their network. And parents.

3. The motto, originated by BNI founder Ivan Misner is that “Givers Gain”. Who doesn’t love that? Instead of the typical networking and “salesy” philosophy of “what can you do for me today”, in BNI we switch things up to a much more Buddhist way of thinking, in that if you are always thinking of ways, and of people to “give” business to, eventually it will come around. And 9 out of 10 times it does. Truly. Try doing it in your own life outside of a BNI and you will prove this to yourself. Give selflessly. It’s Karma, baby.

4. We get to hone our presentation skills: At every meeting folks get an opportunity to give a 60 second elevator speech (hate that term) about what a good lead would be for them that day, and at each meeting the members rotate an opportunity to give a “marketing minute” and a 10 minute presentation where they really get to present their “thang”. Why should someone hire this person? You’ll find out at the 10 minute presentation, and you’ll have a chance to really hone your delivery. Great presentation skill building. Who needs Toastmasters?

5. Only one professional of each profession allowed per group. If you’re admitted into the group, you are the sole financial advisor, life insurance agent, realtor, etc., which obviously encourages referrals. It’s easy to form strategic alliances and spheres of influences this way. Again, accountability is key however. We’re all counting on quality work being performed as it reflects back on us.

6. We’re out by 8:30 AM with the day in front of us. The funny thing is, most of us have a lot to talk about after the meeting and don’t want to go. If you’re lucky you’ll get into a great group like ours, who really enjoy one another’s company and use the power of BNI to grow our businesses both on site and off.

I’m really happy this great group of professionals allowed me to grace them with my presence. I’ve never looked back, gladly pay the dues, and in the one short year that I’ve been a member it has helped grow my business exponentially. Who couldn’t use that?

Suzen Pettit
www.omaginarium.com
www.omaginehealth.com
203 733 8578
Get Found, Get Heard, Get Crackin’

10 Things You Need to Know (Now!) About Successful Networking

Many people spend a lot of time and energy trying to make effective business connections, only to find that their networking is not working. Vickie Milazzo shares her insight on how to build meaningful relationships with the right people.

In the business world, we’re often advised to network. Interested in changing careers? Network! Need to attract some new clients? Network! Wish you had a knowledgeable mentor? Network! The fact is, networking is a valuable and effective tool that can enrich and advance your career…when you use it properly. The problem, according to Vickie Milazzo, is that many of us are wasting our time with a type of networking that is not working.

“I see many people investing a lot of time and energy into meeting new people and making those people like them,” says Milazzo, author of the New York Times bestseller Wicked Success Is Inside Every Woman.  “The problem is, they’re making connections with the wrong people or they’re approaching the right people the wrong way…or both!”

Milazzo has a great deal of experience on which to base her observations. As the founder and CEO of a multi-million dollar company, she didn’t achieve her current level of success by having breakfast with the same 16 people every Wednesday. She cultivated selective relationships with careful planning.

“I started my professional life as a nurse, and I later started a company that consults with attorneys on medical-related cases,” Milazzo recalls. “People often comment that I must have known a lot of attorneys when I started my business, but the truth is, I didn’t. I didn’t live in their neighborhoods or get invited to their parties. What I did do was reinvent traditional networking.

“To see good results, you need to know what type of person can help you and where you can meet these individuals,” she explains. “You also need to build meaningful relationships once you do meet the right people. It’s all about being smart and being selective.”

If you’re ready to put an end to “not”working and see the results you want, read on for five of Milazzo’s tips:

Don’t just socialize—select. Perhaps because the strategy is so ubiquitous, many people confuse networking with simply being friendly. Any time you meet new people and make new connections, the thinking goes, you’re adding on to your social circle and thus networking. But according to Milazzo, that line of thought is stretching it a little thin. True networking isn’t “just” hanging out and being friendly—it’s meeting the right people.

“Once again, I want to stress the importance of being selective when you’re trying to network,” she says. “Think about it: you can chat and laugh and make friends all day—and that’s great for your social life. But unless your new buddies are also connected to you professionally, your efforts won’t have an effect on your resume. Remember, successful people are selective about where and with whom they network. They don’t expect a block party to change their businesses. Instead, they research what they need, they locate its source, and then they connect.”

Make sure your group makes sense. Understanding that the neighbors’ cocktail party isn’t an opportunity to network is Step One. Step Two is realizing that even among professionals, you must still continue to be selective. In other words, you won’t necessarily find the people you need at your typical networking social hour. You must create a personalized network of colleagues, clients, consultants, vendors, and acquaintances on whom you can depend to give you anything from information to referrals.

Get outside your comfort zone. Generally, we tend to gravitate toward people who are similar to us: people who think similarly, who find similar things fun, and who are in similar walks of life. That’s fine when it comes to your friendships, but you need to aim higher when it comes to networking. Over 60 percent of people find jobs through networking, for example, and you can bet that most of them didn’t achieve this goal because they knew someone at the bottom of the pecking order.

“No, I’m not advocating snobbery,” Milazzo clarifies. “It’s normal to gravitate toward people who are the same as you—but in business, one of the main reasons why people don’t get ahead is that the don’t get out of their groups. Make every effort to meet people who are a rung or two higher than you on the professional ladder. If you impress someone who is more successful than you are, they’ll have a lot more influence than someone whose position is equivalent with yours.”

Know when to move on. You’ve heard of beating a dead horse…but when it comes to networking, that saying could be amended to “mining a dead prospect.” In other words, no matter how selective you were on the front end, don’t make the mistake of giving any particular individual or group all of your time if you aren’t seeing results or getting quality advice.

Instead of casting a wide net, go after individual fish. When you cast a wide net, you might garner a large number of possible contacts, but chances are you won’t be able to spend enough time building a relationship with each of them in order to make it a worthwhile networking experience. “However, when you try to hook individual fish, focusing on one or two specific contacts at a time, you can build stronger, more meaningful relationships,” says Milazzo. “You’ll get to know their wants and needs and they’ll have a better understanding of yours.”

Develop a system for keeping up with details. How often have you attended a conference or other event, met a bunch of different people, and then returned home without cultivating any of those relationships? In fact, you probably went right into planning mode for the next event on your schedule. “Instead, put the information you learn from and about people to work,” advises Milazzo. “There are tons of apps and other software available today that can help you keep up with important details about people immediately after you meet them. When you meet someone knew, take note (electronically) of what the person looked like, what you discussed, and one or two things you found unique about that person. That way the next time you speak with him or if you want to reach out after the event, you can mention something that will personally interest him, allowing you to make a stronger, more lasting connection.”

Manage the follow up. Rubbing elbows at one or two events with a new contact does not automatically create a beneficial relationship. How you follow up with that contact is just as important as how you made your first impression. “When you do check in with a new contact, find a way to create value,” recommends Milazzo. “Send her an article that you think might interest her or connect her with someone you know who might be a potential new customer for her or who might be able to help her with her business. Tell her you recently put a piece of her advice to work, and thank her for her valuable insight on the matter. When you do these things, you create reasons to stay in touch and that’s a great way to keep the relationship growing.”

Don’t wait until you need something to follow up. Remember, the new relationships you’re forging aren’t all about you trying to get anything and everything you can out of your contacts. Be careful that you’re not constantly reaching out to them always asking for this or that. “Show how you can benefit the person as well,” says Milazzo. “Simply waiting until you need something to reach out to the person will make him feel like you’re taking advantage of him.”

Network outside social media. While networking through social media is an important way to make a connection, it’s not the only way to maintain it. You can’t and shouldn’t depend on millions of LinkedIn connections and Facebook friends to do the trick. “Simply having an online connection with a huge group of people is not going to drive that much action for you,” notes Milazzo. “You have to connect with social media connections offline in order to really form meaningful relationships with them. Write them letters or thank you notes. Heck, actually pick up the phone and call them! A colleague recently told me that she met with a high level businessperson who told her he calls four different people in his network every morning just to reach out and see how they’re doing. The lesson learned? You simply can’t lose when you create a systematic way for staying in touch!”

Give as much as you get. Successful networking is a two-way street. Most of us start by asking for help and advice, but as we become more knowledgeable and successful, we gain the means to help others. Remember, success isn’t a monopoly: the more creative, intelligent, and effective people there are, the more successful your entire industry will be. Whenever possible, give younger (or at least more inexperienced) people a piece of advice or a leg up whenever you can.

“Ultimately, taking ‘not’working to networking isn’t difficult—it simply requires you to be smart about who you’re spending your time with. Always engage in powerful and meaningful networking, not just a pocketful of business cards and a glass of cheap white zinfandel. And never stop expecting high performance from your network—if it’s not productive move on!”

Vickie Milazzo, RN, MSN, JD, is the author of the New York Times bestseller Wicked Success Is Inside Every Woman WickedSuccess.com). From a shotgun house in New Orleans to owner of a $16-million business, Milazzo shares the innovative suc¬cess strategies that earned her a place on the Inc. list of Top 10 Entrepreneurs and Inc. Top 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies in America.

She is also the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Inside Every Woman: Using the 10 Strengths You Didn’t Know You Had to Get the Career and Life You Want Now.

During the holiday season, you may have the opportunity to interact with superiors in your organization. This is the perfect opportunity for you to be heard confidently and clearly by your bosses, colleagues and office mates.

A week or two before your office party, leave yourself a voicemail on your office line, and listen to your voice the next time you’re in the office. Analyze your message critically. Is your voice too highly pitched, too gravelly, too loud or too soft? Do you speak too fast or ‘uptalk’ at the ends of your sentences?

Too High a Pitch: When we speak loudly above the noise of the gathering, our vocal folds, throat and jaw can tighten which causes our pitch to rise. Take a deeper breath into your lower rib cage and open your throat as you speak. Your vocal folds will remain relaxed and your pitch will remain lower.

Gravel: Be sure to keep your volume constant through the end of your sentences and pronounce the last word. Frequently, we are ready to move on to our next thought and let our voices trail off or become gravely. Practice singing songs and then speak the songs so that you breathe through the last word.

Uptalk: You sound less confident and certain if you inflect the ends of your sentences upward as if asking a question. If you uptalk, practice stating the last word as a fact. Write down sentences and practice:

Instead of: My name is Sarah Monroe? I work in legal affairs?

Say: My name is Sarah Monroe. I work in legal affairs.

Rapid Rate of Speech: Sometimesyourspeechallruns togetherwhenyouspeaktoofast. Say “Didn’t we work together on the gov-ern-ment’s contract for health care management last year?” Speak smoothly, but remember to say the ends of words and all the syllables in words with many syllables. This strategy will slow you down and assure that you’ll be heard and understood the first time.

Practice these vocal techniques while reading your emails out loud, or by leaving yourself daily voicemails at the office. Start today to unlock your most powerful tool: your voice!

Susan Miller, Ph.D. is a voice and communication coach and founder of Voicetrainer, LLC located in Washington, DC. Her book Be Heard the First time: The Woman’s Guide to Powerful Speaking trains women to maximize their impact every time that they speak. Learn more about her at www.voicetrainer.com.

This article is excerpted from the Holiday Gift Guide for 2011. Be sure and check it out and read other articles about the holidays. It’s also great to add to your online shopping experience! While you’re at it be sure to check out Susan’s special offer for readers of WE Magazine for Women below (click on the link above the ad to view her site):

www.voicetrainer.com

Let me just cut to the chase. EVERYONE IS NOT YOUR CUSTOMER. If you don’t know what your brand stands for, who your target market is, then I’m sorry to break the news to you, you truly don’t have a business strategy. You won’t know how to identify your services or how to communicate what you do effectively and worst of all YOU WON’T BE MEMORABLE.

Okay, now that I got the bad news out of the way…let’s get down to the nitty gritty of what you can do to stay on the minds and hearts of your consumer…

DEVELOP A KNOCK-YOUR-SOCKS OFF BRAND!

What is Branding?

I like to look at branding as a little more than just your logo and colors. Its story telling about what you do via your messages, your activities, and of course your image… your mark. It’s a promise about what you are going to deliver.

•    Your brand is the heart and soul of your company. It’s apart of what you stand for.

•    A brand can give a small company a corporate identity that is larger than life. A highly developed brand can position your company alongside the ‘BIG DOGS’ in your industry if done correctly.

•    The more consistent you are with your message, the more memorable you’ll be.

As a small business owner it’s also why you wake up every morning. Your brand is what you live for and what you stand for! Own Your Power stands for helping people awaken to their greatness, heal and transform…it stands for power, passion and freedom.

It’s a collection of meanings that we carry around with us. The feeling, emotions, results, and  trust we put into a company.   It’s also about quality and service.

Okay…Quick ‘Lil Exercise:

Here are a few brand names to look over. Think about what emotions, memories, or images come to mind… Jot something down for each one.

1.    McDonald’s

2.    Spirit Airlines

3.    Whole Foods

4.    BP

5.    Barbie

6.    Nike

7.    American Express

8.    Phillip Morris

9.    Jack in the Box

10.    Target

11.    Jet Blue

12.    Barnes and Nobles

13.    Starbucks

I bet you thought about more than the logo, huh? ☺  Some made you feel good and some might have made you feel upset and disgusted! LOL  Some you probably didn’t know much about and felt indifferent.

Think about what came to mind when you read those names. Now…put your company name on that list. What would you like to hear your customers say after they saw your name or logo?

Branding also sums up the beliefs of your organization and your mission. But oh…it goes even deeper than that. It’s the music you play in your restaurant,  the smell of that incense in your yoga studio, the way  your team dresses in all red at  your hair salon, your top-notch customer service, the colors on the walls, the way you advertise. It’s that cute and fun way you answer the phones, it’s in your email signature . It’s in your own signature style, your podcast theme song, the font you use. I could go on…but I won’t. You get my drift by now!

Who knew you could drop little bread crumbs of your brand around in all that you do each day? ☺  Just about anything that can connect your customers emotionally to you is a part of your branding.

And a big one, that I can’t forget: It’s about how you interact in social media networks!  It’s so important to inject a little personality and a touch of your own life within your postings.  You just have to find a balance where it’s not soooo much about your kids and how you’re about to go to Walmart to catch that sale on Ice cream vs. being too sales pitchy and only talking about your business.  Think of your social media interactions as a conversation.

When you are in small business, being authentic truly matters. Bring a bit of your personality and your business brand mixed together. It’s extremely hard to HIDE BEHIND your brand these days. It’s actually a plus to have a personality to represent what you do.  Like I jokingly tell my clients new to social media…You can run, but you can’t hide.

Really dig deep and understand WHAT BUSINESS YOU ARE TRULY IN? What does your brand represent?

Holistic Business Coach, Simone Kelly Brown, the passionate visionary behind Own Your Power Communications, encourages you to own your business and pursue a holistic lifestyle. Check her community out and connect with like-minds here: http://www.ownyourpower.ning.com

Your personal brand broadcasts to the world your strengths, abilities and personal value-added. It’s what distinguishes you from everyone else on the block. For instance, that propensity to organize can bring order to family systems and workplace structures alike. Or perhaps you contribute in another way. Understanding your contributions to the world are a key component to your own sense of personal power and efficacy.

A simple way to identify your natural strengths is to create what I call a “List of Tricks”. Simply brainstorm your personal talents, list them on a sheet of paper and review them regularly. When you feel challenged by a process or task, refer to your list to re-gain your footing.

Here’s what you do: during a quiet moment, with pencil and paper in tow, ask yourself: “What do I enjoy doing in my personal and professional life?”

Some answers could include:

• Motivating others to be and do better
• Communicating my thoughts and feelings
• Analyzing concepts, ideas and processes
• Debating thoughts and exchanging ideas
• Handling details and bringing organization
• Preserving and record-keeping and
• Persuading others to my point of view
• Taking risks and encouraging others to try new experiences

Don’t “over think” the process. Don’t analyze or qualify the thoughts – just list whatever comes to mind.

Your Personal Brand

Tom Peters, management guru and creator of “Tom Peters’ Career Survival Guide” says “you figure out what it takes to create a distinctive role for yourself — you create a message and a strategy to promote the brand called You”. Have you ever thought it? You are a brand; your strengths bundle you and package you to the entire world. Operate in the capabilities; not your weakness so you can present a compelling brand that inspires confidence.

You Can’t Help Yourself!

Innate skills are similar to a life calling. You’re going to do them whether you are paid to or not. For example, my husband is a teacher, not professionally, but by nature. He can’t help it. At any given moment, you’ll find him sharing knowledge and information with someone somewhere– it’s just who he is. It’s no wonder that literally thousands assemble to hear him speak.

The same goes for you and your strengths. You will perform them both consciously and subconsciously – whether given the opportunity or not.  This drive to be your truest self is part of what makes you secure and confident. Enhance your natural strengths and cultivate a brand that will springboard you into personal and professional success!

About Author: Teri Worten Brooks is a married mother of two and a consultant in Kansas City, Missouri. While a single mom, she created a nonprofit organization, Sisters Helping Sisters, to provide support to mothers. As a consultant, Teri facilitates self-awareness workshops for corporate and organizational teams. You can visit her nonprofit at sistershelpingsisters.org or consulting business at http://www.tericbrooks.com.Teri also blogs at Teaming with Brooks.

A friend of mine is an environmental engineer, and a senior level manager at a huge engineering and construction firm.  She shared with me about how tough it is to travel – which she does regularly – for work as the only woman on an eight-person team.  As much as she likes and gets along with her male co-workers, she does find it hard to really bond with them as the way they do each other.  Everything from choosing restaurants to relating to the workers on the construction site is just plain different for her.  Her story really brought home for me the daily challenges for women networking in predominantly male environments.

For these women, and many others like them, building successful relationships with their peers can be more difficult. Women may be ostracized, patronized or simply overlooked by male colleagues who believe that their company or industry is no place for a woman. Some men may be overtly rude and confrontational, while others may just be uncomfortable having a woman in their workplace and avoid interaction altogether.  Often they simply don’t stop and think how tough it can be to be the only woman in a group of men.  Whether dealing with male bosses, employees, peers or customers, being the only women (or one of a very few) can be very lonely indeed.

If you do work in a primarily male environment and are trying to proactively network, how can you overcome this challenge?

Use your skills and abilities. Instead of trying to blend in with the guys, leverage your innate differences. Add the personal touch by asking your male co-workers about their families, their vacations and their hobbies – something his guy pals probably won’t do. Use your social skills and etiquette to shine at networking events. Utilize follow-up tools; after all, when is the last time you got a thank you note from a man?

Relate to your male colleagues. Connect with your male coworkers on both a professional and personal level. You will have things in common; you just have to find them.  By taking the time to learn a little about their interests – whether its local politics, college football or high tech gadgets – you can join in the guy talk. Also, seek their opinions, insight and concerns regarding your profession, industry or company. These topics bridge the gender gap and can help you build rapport.

Reach out to the other women in your situation. There is great power in uniting with your sisters … especially when there are so few of you! Your female colleagues should become a source of support in a male-dominated company or industry. After all, no one knows better than them what you are going through. Not every female co-worker will be your friend simply because you share a gender, but you will find allies if you reach out.

Identify supportive male colleagues and focus on them. Most men are perfectly comfortable working with women. Instead of worrying about how to handle the ones who aren’t, focus on building relationships with the good guys. It’ll be obvious who they are. These men will include you in conversations, decisions and opportunities, and will be assets in your network. These men can be a great resource, as they can be well-connected and will happily open their networks to you.

Broaden your networking world. In order to meet and build relationships with other women, you may need to expand your networking to a regional or national level, or online. While it may seem that there is not another woman alive who is dealing with a similar situation, there are plenty – just maybe not in your zip code. Many organizations have been created to enable women in the same field or industry to meet and share experiences across geographic boundaries. You can also connect with women in similar career circumstances by networking online in relevant communities, getting and giving advice, seeking opportunities, and even just venting.

Whether in an office, on a factory floor or at a board meeting, women are often the minority in business situations.  As with all networking, it will take time for the techniques described above to pay off, but you can succeed even in a challenging environment.
Marny Lifshen, an Austin-based marketing communications and public relations consultant, as well as a speaker is the author of Some Assembly Required: A Networking Guide for Women. She works with businesses to develop brand awareness and credibility, and to establish relationships with key audiences and influencers. Marny integrates grass-roots strategies into every marketing campaign, including customized networking programs. Marny can be reached at www.marnylifshen.com.

Here’s an Excerpt:

Leadership is incredibly important in turning your contacts into contracts because leadership, as defined by internationally recognized leadership expert John Maxwell, is “influence, nothing more and nothing less.” 

In his book, “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”, the 1st and most important law states that: Leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness! Therefore, being an expert in your individual competency isn’t enough to influence others.

However, turning your contacts into contracts is the result of an effective leadership development plan as knowing how to influence others is critical to growing any business.

AUTHENTIC CONNECTIONS

There are three ingredients to form an authentic connection ~ 1) You have to be authentic. 2) You have to value connecting. 3) You have to be willing to make connections.

There are 3 steps to the first ingredient, being authentic :

• Step #1: Be Willing to Be Yourself! 
In business, it’s important to do what you do best in the manner in which only you can do it. As Oscar Wilde said, “Be Yourself…..Everyone else is taken!”

• Step #2:  Be Honest (with Yourself)!

According to research by Kouzes and Posner, the number one leadership quality is honesty. Be honest with where you are, where you need help, and what you can do for others.

• Step #3 – Be Willing to Fail.
It’s not the falling down, it’s the getting back up again.

To access the rest of the ideas Lisa shared  go to: Turning Contact into Contracts Report (PDF download)

To listen to the Interview with Lisa, visit: http://wemagazineforwomen.com/audio/ContactsIntoContracts.mp3.

Mobile phone communication gap? I know, sounds like an oxymoron, with our mini-computers, phones, video and conference meetings in the palm of our hands, one would think our communication would be at it’s most highest peak. You would think that our society would be ultimate communicators, right? However, I beg to differ. What made me really scratch my head was a simple observation at a poetry event that I attended recently.

The crowd was slowly forming waiting for the event to begin. The music was playing, and groups of so-called friends and couples sat together at the round tables sipping on their after-hour beverages. The setting was perfect to catch up on some ‘what’s happening in your life news’, the latest gossip, venting about your jerky boyfriend, or flirting with your date. Well, instead of talking to one another, I saw thumbs typing furiously away to their other friend, much more POPULAR FRIEND, you got it…their MOBILE PHONE.

I had no idea that it’s gotten this bad people. Yes, I’ll admit we’ve advanced with technology. There has been a serious shift in what we call normal related to cell phone activity. When we see someone shouting and gesticulating wildling walking down the street by themselves, we no longer assume they just escaped from a mental institution! We know, oh, he’s just an obnoxious jerk on his Blue tooth, arguing with someone. Normal everyday stuff, right?

However, I didn’t realize that we’ve gone this far. That it’s actually normal, not poor taste or bad manners anymore to be on a cell phone while in company of others. Oh no, not for a quick call to check in with the baby sitter or make sure your friends are on their way, but to surf, Tweet, Face Book, and God knows what else NON-STOP.

I chuckled as I observed the room of the poetry lounge and I mentioned it to my friends at my table who WERE actually talking to each other. We observed the room in awe. Almost every table was illuminated with flickering blue lights, people slouching in their chairs immersed in the LCD of their cells.

Of course, me being the nosey people-watcher that I am, had to ask. I thought, this will be an interesting blog post, so why not? I started making my rounds, since the show didn’t start yet. I told people they’d be featured in a blog, and all of them were more than willing to share.

He said, “We’re trying to look busy, occupied. I’m usually just playing Bricks on my phone. Something to do.” Lo and behold he showed me his phone and he wasn’t lying! LOL Then, there were three girlfriends who came and barely spoke to each other. They sat in the corner, laughed for a few minutes and then dug in their purses to connect with their other friends on Facebook and Twitter. I asked them what they were doing that had them so involved with their phone when they had real live friends sitting next to them.

One giggled a bit embarrassed, “Oh, I was looking at Fandango trying to find some movies to go to with some other friends!”
Another said she was checking Facebook and Myspace.com.

The next evening I was in a restaurant and I saw this “mobile communication gap” again. The avid text maniacs going to town. Two girls dining together, texting, calling, and not talking to each other. It’s a travesty people!

Now, the main question is why do we do this? Was it really like Lex said, to look important, busy, or cool? Or just because were in such a fast forward society we forget to live in the now and appreciate our moments as they come as opposed to living in the future. Ya know, looking for that after party or telling people how much fun were having on Facebook at the lounge “not talking to our friends.” If they ONLY knew the fun you were really having! Come on! The irony just kills me.

At the time of writing, my Blackberry vibrated and it was a Facebook alert saying that a client posted on my wall and few friends were digging some photos I posted. I checked it without hesitation, smiling at their responses. Oh nooooooo, don’t say it. They got me too!

Are we just little puppets controlled by the need to feel wanted, to feel important, and hey… to even show off a bit. It’s about LOOKING FABULOUS, LOOKING GOOD, FEELING APPRECIATED, FEELING LIKED and trust me we are all falling for it. It’s fun, but I think we need to find a balance between the digital world and the real world.

I remember in the early 90’s when email became more popular and we couldn’t wait for an email to come in. Now, the emails we crave are Facebook, Myspace, Twitter alerts to let us know we have a new comment, bulletin, note or message.

Don’t get me wrong. I love social networking and it’s a POWERFUL vehicle to help you get your name out there. It’s help me grow my businesses tremendously. I enjoy meeting new people from all walks of life and I especially enjoy meeting my Internet friends in the FLESH! All I’m saying is if you have REAL friends, which I’m hoping you do, cherish the moment you have with them IN PERSON.

Your poor friends have been feeling neglected. When you start sending Facebook messages to  your other friend in Canada, that seems like more fun RIGHT in front of them, they’re thinking, “What am I? Chop liver?” So, they pull out their cell to feel important as well and so the cycle begins. LOL Well, that’s just my theory!
Just remember to talk to your friends, listen to them, laugh with them and put your dang phone away just for a little. If you’re one of those FB/Twitter junkies or text maniacs, check yourself when you are sitting with a friend.
Let’s close this communication gap and bring it back to the basics. You know, when we actually talked to each other!

Own Your Power,

Simone

Hedy Ratner, Co-President of the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC), invites WE Magazine readers to the 23rd annual Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference.  This year the conference will be held September 16, 2009 at Chicago’s Navy Pier.

2009 conference highlights include: Women’s Business & Buyers Mart, the oldest business opportunities fair for women business owners in the country, with nearly 200 corporate and government exhibitors who are committed to buying the products and services of women business owners; Corporate Connections, one-on-one meetings between certified WBEs and our corporate and government partners; the 23rd Annual Women’s Forum Breakfast, where nationally renowned women business owners share their personal stories of success – and the challenges they met along the way; the 23rd Annual Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon, honoring the achievements of women business owners and supporters of women’s economic development – and much, much more!

The WBDC is pleased to announce that Penny S. Pritzker, innovative business builder, civic leader and philanthropist, who is the chairman of four corporations, including TransUnion, Classic Residence by Hyatt, The Parking Spot and Pritzker Realty, will deliver the keynote address at the Annual Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon.

For a complete Schedule of Events and to register online please visit www.wbdc.org.