Posts Tagged ‘leadership’

How to ‘Network’ When Your Referral Network is Built

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

In 2010, I built a relationship marketing network from scratch that produced over $200,000 in revenue for our company. If you want to learn how I did that, attend my next Referrals and Revenue seminar at the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce.

In 2011, I have had new challenges with relationship marketing: I could do the same thing I did in 2010 and get the same results, or I could change my relationship marketing tactics and get different (better) results. I have chosen to change my tactics – but how?

Here are a few questions about relationship marketing that I have had, and how I have approached them. I would love to get your feedback on how you have attacked these same issues.

Why should I go to networking events when my referral network is already built?

You already have a group of 15 referral partners that you consistently trade business with, whom you know, like, and trust. You could add more people to that group, but it’s not the best use of your time. Consider networking from a leadership and branding perspective. Your thought and referral leadership is still needed in strategic networking circles, and you should be leading networking groups, instead of just attending. When you lead, your message and brand travels faster, and will allow you to pick up clients and referrals that you have done very little ‘work’ to obtain. Don’t go to events to just grab a beer and hob nob; grab a microphone, run the meeting, and watch your message spread like wildfire.

How do I begin networking with more of my clients directly?

After your strategic network is built, then you can begin networking with your clients. Begin your networking at places like Rainmakers, BNI, or your local Chamber of Commerce to build your strategic network, and then start thinking about the associations that your clients belong to. If your clients are Accountants or Architects, you should join and take a leadership position in the Indiana CPA Society or the American Institute of Architects. There are associations for almost every profession. Find the one for your target market, join them, and take the lead in order to get noticed.

How do I leverage special interest groups to generate revenue?

Your strategic team is built, and you are a leader within your clients’ sphere of influence. Now, it’s time to impact your community and be a leader on a larger scale. Whether your interests lie in puppies, preeclampsia, or politics, there is something that you are passionate about that you should give your time to.

Join a special interest group.

When you do this, you are seen in the community as someone who cares about people in a bigger way than just “making money”, and you’re able to connect with other leaders in a deeper and more personal way.

Out of the three relationship marketing strategies I mentioned, this one takes the most time to convert into revenue. The way to begin that process is by meeting with everyone one-on-one, getting genuinely interested in what they care about, and building your credibility over time. Eventually, your special interest pals will think of you when they randomly come across someone who needs your services.

One of the unifying themes in this blog is leadership. When you show up in the community as a leader, that is when ‘next-level’ relationship marketing takes off!

Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars.

Tags: associations, clients, Community, leadership, Marketing, networking, referrals, Relationship, Sales
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |

If You Build it, They Will Come

Monday, March 7th, 2011

A standard practice for speakers and trainers is that if you have more than 20 people in the audience, you must use a microphone. A year ago, reachmore hosted an event for Thrive (our 12-month coaching program that produces massive results for participants), and I convinced CJ to purchase a PA system because we had a “crowd” of 30 people coming.

We used the PA only once, because all of our other events had 6-12 people in attendance.

Looking at the dusty barely-used microphone system in our closet used to make me sad, until I remembered that ‘If you build it, they will come’. Within the depths of my soul, I knew that one day we would have big crowds of business owners to speak to, and a microphone system would be a necessary component in our business.

Now we regularly speak to groups of 40-100 clients and prospects, and our PA system is used so much that it needs a vacation!

Preparing to fulfill your vision before you see any results is an important part of business leadership. Getting a bigger office before you have more employees, hiring a salesperson or assistant just before you have the revenue to support them, or building an ark before the water comes are all part of being a visionary leader. This also applies on a larger scale – say, building an Indianapolis mass transit system before traffic problems, economic indicators, and population demand one.

Be an action oriented visionary. What space and opportunity can you create that fills a need within the vision you have for your business?

Tags: Indianapolis, leadership, mass, transit, transportation, Vision
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |

How Education Reform Affects Business

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

According to Tony Bennett, Indiana’s State Superintendent of Education, there are just over 1 million students in the State of Indiana. Around 160,000 of them don’t graduate from high school every year.

160,000 people. Take the population of Carmel, Indiana and double it. That is the number of people who enter the workforce annually, and are under-educated by the least of state standards.

Think about how changing our state’s education system affects you as a business owner.

1. Ability to Think – The result of education should be that a student can actively solve problems on their own. We don’t want students to be able to pass a test. As business owners, we want someone on our team who can creatively contribute to moving our business ahead. Will the proposed reforms put our students in a better position to contribute? Does legislation that only looks at test scores and graduation rates support teaching styles that will encourage cognitive flexibility?

2. Competition – Without competition, business gets soft – and so do teachers. In your 12-years of educational experience did you have a teacher who you KNEW was mailing it in? Based on how their contracts are written, ineffective teachers are incredibly tough to remove. Teachers should be adjudicated on performance, and that evaluation should not solely be based on test scores. Why not? See number one. Top notch teachers produce top notch students, who become top notch employees.

3. Choice – Uniform reform and standardization are not going to solve our education crisis. In a TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson, he highlights the fact that rural, urban, and suburban teaching styles should differ, and in order to get the most impact, teaching styles should also vary per student. Don’t put a student on Ritalin just because they’re hyper. Consider their learning and behavior style, and stick them in an art class – the hyper student may be a physical right-brained learner. Other students may need vocational training, while others will thrive in a liberal arts context. Choice is about more than where you send your child to school – it’s about choosing a method of education that will ensure that students developmental success. Properly educated students become successful support for Indiana’s economy.

4. Economy – Our current education system is built for an industrial economy; not a creative and technological one. Whatever decisions we make about education should reflect the needs we will have for employees in 15-30 years. Just like mass advertising, assembly line, bell ringing, mass education doesn’t work anymore. Right-brained, problem solving, and experiential teaching styles, applied to the right students, is what’s going to train our youth to be the business leaders of tomorrow.

I challenge you as a business owner to think about how education reform will affect your business as it grows over the next 15 years. Will our new education system reforms prepare your new hires to support and lead you as a dynamic business visionary?

Tags: Business, creativity, Education, leadership, problem solving, reform
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |

An off topic email about football, with an important lesson (promise)

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

By: Scott Manning

You ever wonder why some teams are pretty much always good, or at least always ‘in the hunt’. Sadly, perhaps, I think a lot about this. And I’ve got answers.

I’ve narrowed it down to THREE, count them, 1, 2, 3, major reasons why this is the case. And it just so happens if you apply these principles in your business, and especially focus on them now in the New Year, you’ll find the same consistent success they have.

So, here you go…

1. They PLAY/COACH to Win. All the time. There’s no ‘down-time’, or ‘take-it-easy’ plays, quarters, or games. They are in competition with themselves as much as the other team. So they drive hard and fast even when it’s not necessary.

If there is one thing that I see more Entrepreneurs fail or simply never win in their businesses, it’s because of this reason right here. They play as if they are trying not to lose, instead of going full out, all in, and marketing, selling, running, etc their business to win and succeed.

For example, just the other day someone said to me when asked about what marketing they were doing, “I’m just waiting to see how people respond and what the word-of-mouth will do before I put money into other marketing.” And of course, you know me, I HATE when people say ‘word-of-mouth’. I say to myself words I can not repeat in this [blog].

Play to win or sit in the bleachers.

2. They ADJUST immediately and ADAPT fast. To save you examples, this means that when something doesn’t work they do something different, they don’t think about it, wait on it, dwell for weeks, or even plays, they just adjust. In fact the best teams are looking for ways to adjust to improve effectiveness all the time.

We might call this, “testing” in marketing and sales. Also, it’s making decisions quickly, having back-up plans, and staying the course with adjustments on the move versus pausing, delaying, or taking a break to figure something out. No time, not for winners, movers, shakers, and money makers.

And, by the way, this means you have to expect to change, adapt, and adjust. No one gets it perfect and pretending that’s what you want or expect is simply amateur and immature.

Be ready to create change, make adjustments, and keep on marketing. The faster you do all of this, the faster you get to the results you want and system you can repeat and rely on.

3. This one is hard to explain so you’ll have to try a little harder here. What I notice about the ‘winning teams’ is that the Coaches and Players are like one. They understand each other. They don’t overpower each other, they have balance. They work together. They apply the first 2 rules as a unit. It’s more of an entrepreneurial situation.

Other teams it’s quite obvious the coaches are more ‘executive’ like, not seemingly ‘in the trenches’ as the Players.

Coaches that were fired this year, in my opinion, fell victim to this rule. And it’s why they didn’t and don’t cohesively win.

About you, well good news, You’re the Coach and the Players, even if you have employees, you’re still a player in one form or another. Certainly if you’re solo-entrepreneur you are.

Either way, you must learn this balance of being entrepreneurial while being a leader, a coach. You are ‘in the trenches’ because that’s where the action is. Embrace it, enjoy it, profit from it.

Scott Manning, MBA, is a Certified No B.S. Business Advisor, who teaches Dan Kennedy’s secrets of marketing success. To learn the single most secretive and empowering success strategy where you can literally, just show up, and make money, click http://www.NoBSIndy.com/chaptermeeting, and register for his next event.

Tags: adversity, challenge, football, leadership, roadblocks, success, Team, winning
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales |

Keys to a Rockin’ 2011

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

As the end of the year approaches, many business owners will reflect on their 2010 results, and imagine new possibilities for 2011.

While they’re in the midst of that planning, we encourage business owners to create 3 key documents to ensure that they have a rockin’ 2011:
1. Budget – You have all of 2010’s expenditures to look back on in order to create a solid budget for 2011. If this is your first time creating a budget, look at the major areas where you spent money in 2010, and create categories of spending (ex. payroll, office supplies, marketing, business meals, etc.).

2. Marketing Plan – Your marketing plan should include a tracking method that tells you where your marketing messages are present, how many times they appear, how many leads you have generated and closed, and how much revenue each marketing source has generated. Without this, you’re hosed.

3. Leadership Plan – How are you going to improve as a leader? Whether you have 50 employees, or zero employees, your business will only grow as fast as you do.

If you follow these 3 tips, you are guaranteed to have a rockin’ 2011 and grow your business!

Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit http://7tips.eventbrite.com.

Tags: Accounting, Budget, Business, business coach, business coaching, business plan, financial, leadership, marketing plan, new year
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |

Langham’s Life Lessons

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

This year, I was accepted into the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series. This program is designed to educate our community leaders on how to have a greater long-term impact on the future of Indianapolis.

As a result of my involvement in this exclusive program, I gain access to some of our city’s great business and civic leaders. One of those leaders is Cathy Langham, President of Langham Logistics, a member of multiple for-profit boards, and a key member of the committee that petitioned the NFL to bring the Super Bowl to Indianapolis.

Cathy sent me a letter a couple of months ago, that included 14 choices that can help me move toward the life I want. I was so honored to receive these from an uber-successful business and civic leader, that I thought I would share them with my reading audience:
1.   Get your inner game tuned up – become an expert in your industry.
2.   Get out of your own head, and help somebody!
3.   Get connected in the community and give back
4.   Step up accountability
5.   Have fun!!
6.   Slow down to speed up.
7.   Call 5 people per day and let them know you appreciate them
8.   Surround yourself with people that give you energy, and don’t spend time with the folks who don’t!
9.   If you want something and don’t know how to get there (relationship, money, business, etc) model someone who is already there.
10.   Find a mentor (but don’t tell them they are one!)
11.   Quit swearing (her 10 year olds suggestion)
12.   What is the one goal that makes your palms sweat? Do 3 things to work toward it every day.
13.   Do something extraordinary for someone each day.
14.   Choose language that inspires and empowers you.

The final note from Cathy read, “Believe that you are worthy of the space you occupy on the planet. You demonstrate this by insisting that every last one of your choices – from the food you put in your mouth, to the commitments that you put on your calendar – moves you toward the life you want.”

Tags: accountability, Business, business coach, business coaching, business owners, choice, civic, Community, giving, leadership, success
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |

How to Get out of a Funk – Part II

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

Last week, I wrote about the first 4 of 8 tips to get out of a funk and get back to business leadership.

Exercise, eating well, avoiding alcohol, and getting plenty of rest are the first four steps to getting there. If you’re still in a funk, follow the last four steps to get you back in mental and emotional shape!

5. Read, Journal, and Meditate – These activities give your brain a chance to process what is going on in life, and allow your subconscious to “reset” itself. Give your brain a breather and you’ll feel better almost instantly.

6. Turn off the Radio and Music – When I am dealing with tough thoughts, emotions, and life scenarios, I will put myself on a music fast. Is most of the content on the radio and in songs positive or negative? Negative! Jim Rome is ranting about which sports team lost, the politicians are all slamming each other, Garth Brooks is singing about his broken heart, and Eminem is rapping about beating up his girlfriend. Shutting off this kind of garbage is just what your mind needs to pull itself back into a positive state.

7. Surround Yourself with Positive People – When I’m feeling down, the last thing I want to do is be around happy people. They’re annoying! I also know that being around those people is the best thing for me. Happiness is contagious, so get around people who are spreading their joy like a virus!

8. Pray – When I pray, I see my problems from God’s perspective. Everything that I deal with on earth is so small and somewhat insignificant. Once I give my challenges to God, not only does he help me, I also realize the power that I have to overcome whatever scenario is bringing me down. Give it to God – He’ll take care of it, and make your biggest challenge seem miniscule.

Making yourself feel better when you’re in a funk as a leader is not easy, but it’s simple. The steps above will get you back in action quickly. You can create joy, happiness, focus, and energy in a moment, once you make a decision to. It’s all up to you!

Tags: attitude, Business, Development, growth, leadership, mastery
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life |

How to Get out of a Funk

Monday, September 20th, 2010

The other week, I was in a funk; A deep funk. Have you ever been there? The times when you feel like you can’t get out of bed, can’t do anything right, and there is a dark animated cloud raining on you wherever you walk?

Everyone at some time or another feels like that, even if it’s only for a brief moment; especially when you are in the high pressure position of being a business owner.

Our challenge as leaders in the business community is to get out of a funk as fast as possible, so we can get back to the task of leading people towards a shared vision.

Here are 8 tips to getting out a funk quickly and unscathed:
1. Exercise – Moving your body creates energy and raises your endorphin levels, which are thought to be connected to euphoric feelings. If you want an immediate boost to your attitude, just start moving!

2. Eat Well – If I want to fall asleep, I don’t take Unisom or Tylenol PM, I eat McDonalds! Foods that are high in fat and sugar affect our brain function, energy levels, and our ability to focus. If you want to get out a funk, eat nutrient and water rich foods like vegetables and fruits, and drink a ton of water.

3. Avoid Alcohol – Following a tough day, I’ve been known to say, “I need a stiff drink!” That’s exactly the opposite of what I need. What I need to feel refreshed is good nutrient rich food, meditation and journaling, and a bit of exercise. Alcohol robs your body of water and zaps your cells of energy. It is also a depressant – which makes you feel exactly the opposite of what you want to create when you’re in a funk.

4. Get Rest – Not getting out of bed when you don’t feel like it is not helpful to getting out of a funk, but consistently getting 6-8 hours of sleep is. Treat your body to a couple of nights of good rest, and just watch your mood improve.

As usual, I am a tease. I will give you the other 4 tips in my next blog. See you next week!

Tags: balance, Business, leadership, peak, performance, rest, Stress
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |

What Does Happiness Mean to the Bottom Line?

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

I just completed “Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos.

The book was average (If you want a good summary go and Google the Zappos core values, you don’t need to read it). However, I do believe that Tony is truly a revolutionary CEO and can teach us all a lesson.

In an age where your competitive advantage can disappear overnight (think MySpace), we all need to focus on something that can separate us from everyone else.

That something is people.

Tony clearly demonstrates that by focusing on creating an amazing environment that is filled with passionate people you can achieve just about anything.

It doesn’t matter what you sell (he chose shoes), the key to building a great business has everything to do with how well you treat your people.

I couldn’t agree more.

In a hyper-competitive environment our prospects are trying to commoditize our products/services every day. We have to get different.

I would first look at your people. What if they were truly passionate about your company? Would your customers see the difference? Would your prospects?

CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which provides leadership coaching for small business and executives. Email CJ at cjm@goreachmore.com for the latest on reachmore’s revolutionary executive coaching program, Summit.

Tags: Business, business coach, business coaching, change, clients, different, growth, Hsieh, leadership, my space, passionate, zappos
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life |

Create Today Anew for Breakthroughs

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

A couple of weeks ago, I was driving to Berny Martin’s house, and I had a catastrophic imagination. My brain thought, what if my tire blew out, and my convertible rolled into the cement median, crushing my skull. The imagination continued with me months in a coma, and waking up with severe brain damage. After recovering, I was still able to function in life and go back to work.

As a result of the brain damage, my brain now had to function in a different way. I could still think and get things done, but I couldn’t do it the same way I did before the accident.

After the accident, I could also clearly remember how my brain used to function, and that memory paralyzed my ability to create a new way of thinking with my reconfigured brain. I couldn’t move forward with rehabilitation and new success because I was so stuck on how I used to create results.

What if my re-configured post-accident coma brain actually functioned in a way that would bring me bigger breakthroughs in life than my old brain could?

Here’s the point. To achieve breakthroughs in our business, we have to do something different than what got us to where we are. Reproducing activities and thoughts from the past will only produce the results that we got before. You may not have brain damage, and may not be in the process of to re-learning how to function, but if you survived the recession – you have to re-learn how to function.

Do you want 2010 to be a breakthrough year? Analyze what thoughts and activities that may limit your ability to get to the next level, and eliminate them. Be confident in taking risks to run your business in a new and more effective way than ever before.

Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for reachmore, which provides leadership coaching for small business and executives. For more resources on business leadership, please visit http://blog.goreachmore.com.

Tags: breakthrough, Business, change, coaching, leadership, recession, small business, success
Posted in Uncategorized |

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