Potential or Productive?

I meant to post this earlier this week while it was still fresh in my mind. I was watching the 2nd half of the Monday Night Football game (Steelers vs. Bengals).

Jon Gruden, NFL Analyst for MNF and former NFL head coach, said something very profound that relates directly to business people as well as athletes. He and his colleagues were discussing how a team like the Bengals, one year removed from sweeping games from their division rivals, can now be so bad. Ron Jaworski stated that the Bengals have so much potential with great players on their team.

That's when Gruden chimed in, "You know what potential really means? It means you haven't done squat! The Steelers are full of productive NFL players and the Bengals are full of potential."

I think the same can be said of business people and it is demonstrated in their networking efforts. I know quite a few people who could be so much more successful if they would just go the extra mile to actively engage their network, help others selflessly, spend time thinking how they could contribute more to their networking groups, etc.

So the question is, "are you full of potential or are you a productive networker?"

Perseverance is Key to Success

I woke up today thinking, "what a lucky guy I am to have the life that I have!" I've been blessed with a wonderful wife, good friends, family, and a business that I love to run every day. I also started thinking about what things have enabled me to be successful in my business thus far.

The #1 reason is that I have followed a process consistently that has delivered results. Too often we give up before we ever see the fruits of our labor. This made me think of an incident that happened to me when I was about 12 years old.

Every summer during my youth I spent a good amount of time fishing and camping with my family. On one of our camping trips, I spent an entire afternoon fishing off the end of a dock. I patiently watched the bobber at the end of my fishing line for at least a solid 2 hours with nothing to show for it, not even the slightest nibble.

During that same time there were probably 4 or 5 others fishing off the same dock, but after 20 minutes of inactivity, they all left. I sat and waited, and waited, and waited...

All of a sudden the bobber disappeared underneath the water's surface like someone had attached cinder block to the end of my line!! I jerked the line to set the hook and began reeling in whatever was on the other end. At the same time I began yelling for my Dad to come down to see what was happening.

I reeled in a "Channel Cat" (catfish) that was one of the largest fish I had ever caught, weighing about 10 lbs. and almost 30 inches long. When everyone in the campground area heard me yelling several made their way down to the dock to see what the commotion was all about.

Next thing I knew, there were about 10 other fisherman on the dock casting their lines into the water. Funny thing is, I don't remember if any of the others caught any other fish that afternoon.

What happened to the Channel Cat? I took him home in a very large bucket of water. Later that same day I delivered the fish to our neighbor next door, an old man who lived by himself by the name of Seif Friend. Dad said he loved to eat catfish and would really be surprised so see what I had brought to him. I'll never forget how his eyes lit up when he saw what was in the bucket!

The reason this story is relevant to me is that it is a perfect analogy to why some people are successful following processes and persevering, while others give up too soon. Whenever I get the least bit discouraged about business or networking in general, I remind myself to persevere just like I did that afternoon on the dock with my fishing line in the water.

Long term success in networking and business comes from following processes that work and not giving up too soon.

Wrong Number, Right Mindset

I have a story to share with all of you that perfectly illustrates how to 'think outside the box' when it comes to inviting guests to chapters. Congratulations go to Daniel Barker with ACS Title and also a member of the Towne Centre Chapter for this success story.

Daniel was attempting to text someone and inadvertently sent a text to the wrong number. After a few minutes both parties realized it was a wrong number. Instead of simply apologizing and exiting the conversation, Daniel invited the person as a guest to the Towne Centre Chapter.

Shawn Cromartie was the guest invited and owns MSC Contruction & Design. After visiting 3 times, Shawn submitted his application and was voted in as the newest member. Shawn has already engaged at least 3 members of the chapter to use their services in his business.

Had Daniel not been 'thinking on his feet', that opportunity would have been lost. He was definitely 'thinking outside the box' on this one! This should serve as a great reminder that we all need to be aware of the opportunity in every conversation and interaction we have with others!

Grow with Quality, not Quantity...

Now that the 4th quarter of 2010 is upon us, AmSpirit Business Connections chapters are more focused than ever in growing their chapter memberships. The outstanding chapter program requires chapter growth as one of the defining criteria to be a GOLD chapter.

That being said, I worry about some chapters taking in anyone submitting an application without screening the prospective member at all. Prospective members get the impression in some chapters that they're being recruited like a high school football star. It looks desperate in some cases. This leads guests to think that there is no voting process, or that it's just a formality and everyone gets in.

Guests should see what a great opportunity AmSpirit Business Connections is for them and that they should hope the vote goes their way so they are approved. One of the chapters that I help to mentor does a great job of asking the prospective member to meet one-on-one with several of the chapter board members prior to any voting taking place.

This way the chapter knows not only about the person, but the company that they are representing. There is a good sense of whether that person is going to fit in with the rest of the group personally and professionally. They've even postponed voting until they have time to properly screen their applicants. I applaud them for that.

In the long term, if you properly screen your prospective members, you will have a more effective chapter and lower turnover. If you do not, your chapter culture can be eroded very quickly.

Networking Goes Beyond Dollars and Cents...

Every member who ever belonged to any structured networking group will evaluate whether it is worth it to continue their membership at some point. How often have you ever heard anyone say:

• "I don't know if I'm getting any value here."
• "I don't get enough referrals or the ones I do get are really bad."
• "I don't like the structured meetings. They're boring."
• "I'm the only one in my chapter doing anything right."
• "What do I really get for my networking dues?"
• "I give referrals a lot and rarely does anyone ever help me."

I'm sure there are other common themes you will hear from people, but those are some of the ones I hear about the most. Let me respond to each one individually:

• "I don't know if I'm getting any value here."
  I usually respond with 'what value are you providing to others?' Do you attend regularly, give to others, visit more chapters than just your own, go to socials, go to area wide luncheons to meet others, routinely mention your networking group to your own clients/prospects? If you are doing all those things and still do not believe you are getting value in return, then you have a legitimate point. Otherwise, you're just reaping what you are sowing.
  

• "I don't get enough referrals or the ones I do get are really bad."
  What kind of referrals are you giving to others? If the quality of your referrals aren't good, then maybe that is why others do not feel compelled to refer back to you. Also, do you let others know when they give you a bad referral? If you do not let them know, you may just get more of the same.

• "I don't like the structured meetings. They're boring."
  The structured meetings serve more than one purpose. If you have guests every week ( and you should) the structure is on display to let them know how organized and professional your chapter is and that you're serious about helping each others' businesses. It also adds a level of accountability that helps to keep the chapter on track with its goals throughout the year. The structure is not about 'members' as much as it is about the 'guests'.
  

• "I'm the only one in my chapter doing anything right."
  Rarely is this ever a true statement. It often times is used as a way to justify dropping out of a chapter. If it is true, then find a chapter that takes things more seriously! Don't give up on networking altogether.
  
  
• "What do I really get for my networking dues?"
  You have access to hundreds of business professionals in the networking organization, you have the opportunity to stand in front of other business people every week to promote your business, you improve your public speaking skills, etc. It really does reflect the 5 primary benefits of AmSpirit Business Connections:

1. Generating opportunities for new business
2. Improving the scope and quality of your network
3. Acting as a resource for your clients
4. Enhancing your communication skills
5. Giving you the satisfaction of helping others succeed

• "I give referrals a lot and rarely does anyone ever help me."
  Never, ever, should you keep score. I keep score only to see how many referrals I can give to others each year. I compete with myself from the previous year. Naturally, we're drawn to people who reach out to help us. But anyone who feels that 'I won't refer to him/her because they've never referred to me' will never be successful at networking.

So that's it! The next time you hear anyone make statements similar to the above, try coming back with any of these responses. But do it in a nice way, not in a condemning fashion. Most everyone wants to do well and care about others, they just need help along the way to learn how to do it the right way.

How Much Does Your Chapter Care?

It's interesting to visit various AmSpirit Business Connections chapters and see how different they really are. Ideally, your experience as a visitor should be the same no matter which AmSpirit chapter you visit. I was reading a new book this evening that I just purchased, "The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue Excellence" and in just the first few pages I was inspired to compare the content in the book to AmSpirit Chapters.

In the first few sections, the book details how successful restaurants almost always have the same thing in common: spotless, clean-as-you-can-possibly-get, restrooms. They pay attention to the little details to provide a great experience for their customers.

What about your AmSpirit Chapter? What little things does your chapter do to make it a great experience for your guests? (That is, if you have guests coming on a frequent basis, but that's another story for another day.)

1. Do you have a sign in sheet for your guests to register their contact info so that you have a tracking process in place for your membership chair to follow up easily?
2. Do your members arrive early so that they can meet guests and make them feel welcomed before the meeting begins?
3. Do you follow an agenda for the meeting so that your chapter is organized?
4. Do your chapter officers provide their weekly reports in detail or do they often say 'no report' or give it little attention like 'I'm the Secretary, I track referrals, back to you Mr. Vice President'?
5. Do your members stay afterward to talk with guests and ask them if they have any questions about the chapter or the organization?
6. Does your chapter get involved in the area wide events offered every month by AmSpirit HQ (MORE meetings) or other Chapter Socials? Does your chapter promote your socials on the AmSpirit web site?
7. Do you as a member make an effort to get out to other chapters to meet other AmSpirit members and see how you can help one another?
8. If you see a member struggling to give or receive referrals do you make a point to approach them in order to offer help?

I'm sure there are other 'little things' that I could list here but this is a great start. When you have a chapter doing none of these things or very few of them, you might as well hang a sign outside your meeting space that says, "We Don't Care".

Dress for Success

When you attend chapter meetings be sure you project the correct identity. If you would be meeting a potential client for the first time, how would you dress for the meeting? Would you wear blue jeans? If you're a landscaper or other industry where that is the norm, it's ok. But if you're a financial planner, probably not the best idea.

Whether we want to admit it or not, we are judged by others every day we interact with them. How we talk, our demeanor, our grooming, wardrobe, etc. are all things that other people use to formulate opinions about us.

If you treat all your AmSpirit Chapter meetings like a first meeting with a client, you'll always project the correct identity. Maybe I should qualify that statement more. If you take first meetings with potential clients very seriously and dress professionally, you'll convey the proper identity. And you just may get a few more referrals coming your direction because you've established credibility for your profession.