Kathie Nelson, LLC

I Quit! And Forgot to Tell You.

2010 is off and running.  The economy is coming back to life in many sectors.  You may be experiencing some of that activity yourself.

One of my strategies for 2010 is to QUIT doing what isn’t working.  I made big plans in the fourth quarter of 2009 to start this year with some new offerings.  I started campaigns.  I hired specialists. I had high hopes.  BUT I switched gears the first of January when I got a sense of what customers were thinking, buying, and really needing once the year got going. 

So what did I quit?  And what should you be evaluating for yourself?

• I quit projects that were not leading to revenue in a 90 day window.  That means I have to track, measure, and forecast outcomes on everything.
• I quit giving time to what isn’t working.  That means I notice what drains or stresses me.  This is everything from organizations, relationships, and even thought processes. 

You know I move at a pretty fast pace (which is why sharing what I quit didn’t occur to me until after the fact).   I am learning tremendous lessons from saying “I Quit!”   Literally.  Out loud!  The power in your voice, the resonance in your body when you speak what you want to call into being is incredible.

Are there other areas in which you need to say “I Quit!” to allow new things into your life and business?  What about….

• Project control – Do you have tasks or ongoing projects that have been sucking your time, are not in your strengths, and/or not leading to profit? What do you need to stop doing, shift doing, or delegate so you can focus on what matters most for you?
• Calendar control – Where are you spending your time?  What do you need to quit to free up space and time to do things that are higher pay off
• People control – Who do you spend your time with?  Who do you need to phase out?  Who do you need to seek out?  This includes customers that drain you as well as your personal and professional relationships.
• Personal control – What do you need to quit doing so you can start doing things that feed you personally, professionally, and spiritually? 

This communication is intended to be short and to the point, to elicit thought and action on your part (and mine), and encourage you to keep adjusting your game plan this year so you thrive in the current economy.

For those of you who are wondering how you are going to get the help you need to grow yourself and your business to the next level this year Connectworks is offering a series of programs that are low cost, no cost, or “pay what you think it’s worth” that you might want to consider.  Space is limited in each of these offerings so if you are interested, reserve your space now.

• Strategic Planning for Busy Entrepreneurs
• Social Networking for Busy People
• Coffee Talks with Karen
• Practical Wisdom Webinars

We, at Connectworks, are committed to bringing out the brilliance in our customers by helping them focus on what matters most so they can do what they do best.  Bottom line! We want to make you the Rock Star you are!

Social Media Frenzy! How’s that working for ya?

There is an ever increasing number of gurus and social media experts out there stressing the need to participate in social media.  The result…a frenzied approach to jumping in. Kind of like tossing spaghetti at the wall hoping something sticks.  Sound familiar?  
 
I heard from many of you in the last survey that learning more about social networking is a top priority.
 
I will begin by reminding you, I am not a social media expert.  I am a business strategist.  I work with you, the highly motivated professional, to artfully discover ways to leverage time, money, people, and messaging so you can do more of what you love more profitably.
 
I know social networking can be leveraged.  Many are using it to grow their audience and experiencing increased sales. BUT…all businesses are not alike.  How you use the different platforms is as important as the message you send…not to mention the frequency and content of your posting.  I put myself right in the game with many of you, trying to learn, leverage, and practice what’s being spouted as strategic so I can pass on practical applications from the trenches.
 
I will continue to share resources, insights, and connections so you can make the best decisions for your business and the use of this rapidly growing medium. Here are some of the core insights I’ve learned and experienced.  

Which sites to join?  How best to use?

You are probably getting invites to join others networks on a regular basis.  Do your homework.  Whether you waiting to jump in or are already in the fray take the time to do this step. 

• Investigate the audience.  Check out www.Quancast.com or Google Linked In (or Plaxo, etc) Demographics.
• Ask your customers.  If they are networking online, ask them where and how they are using.
• Ask your peers.  Discover their goal, how they use, and how much time.  Bonus question, ask what they would do differently based on what they’ve learned. 

In the end, you have to sample, test, and measure.  (Great best practices for any marketing tactic.)  Your goal may be to increase visibility or brand awareness within a certain group or demographic.  If so, you would use different tactics than if your goal was lead generation.  Selling yourself in social networking situations is as much a turn off as in face to face networking!  Don’t do it.

Frequency

As I mentioned in the last newsletter, I was testing Twitter and Facebook. I’ve actually taken a hiatus from Twitter to get some work done on my new website and products but here is what I noticed… 

• Whatever you use, update strategically.  For example, I see Twitters tweeting all day long.  I realize they can tweet from many applications easily (text from phone, iPhone, twitterberry, etc.) BUT it makes me wonder how well they are taking care of clients and what else they are NOT doing due to tweeting (or whatever the correct term in Twitter vocabulary).
  i.e.  I see a VA (virtual assistant) online all day.  I realize she probably sits at her computer but if it were my VA doing work for me I would wonder if she is getting MY work done accurately, efficiently and if I am paying for her twitter time.  On the other hand, I see those in internet businesses tweeting valuable information I can use or those who are sharing a great place to eat or website to visit.  That is news I might use. Do consider using Linked In and Plaxo updates to keep your name in front of your network.  Just keep in mind what your updates convey.  I don’t want to hear you are out getting another cup of coffee unless you can recommend the coffee place, want me to join you, or the person you are meeting with is notable. 
• Self promotion in tweets.  I follow a few folks (though not for long) who don’t seem to get it about self promotion.  Most of their tweets are very self focused reminding me of their services or their website.  The better tactic is to share a tip, insight, or recommendation that may relate to your expertise but is valuable to me, the reader.  

I am learning the hard way social networking can be addictive and an easy avoidance technique when you have things to do that are not so fun.  

Note about me: I rarely jump on any bandwagon of the latest greatest thing.  This causes me to be a slow adapter of some really great technology, tactics, and organizations but I want to make sure what I am trading my time for counts.  I know you do too.      

I am learning social media by trial and error because I felt this was to important a movement to wait and see.  I hope you join me in the fray.  It might get messy but at least we are moving forward!  If you don’t move, you can’t grow!

Start today!  Get your profile ready, accept those invitations and do your homework.

Quick links (These links provide great basics that apply across the board.)

123 Guide to Linked In
Setting up your Linked In Profile

Do What Works!

The longer you allow yourself to be distracted, the more out of touch you become with what is really going on. It is easy to let your “best practices” slide.   Decide today to do what works.  It’s so easy to let the talk about the economy, Obama’s stimulus program, your neighbors job loss…not to mention your concerns about doing the right thing to streamline, cutback, and attract customers to your business to take over your thoughts and conversations.  Bottom line, we can’t afford the down time.  Remind yourself what works.

• Planning.  A proven principle that never changes.  Planning improves both execution and outcome.  You can’t gain more time but you can get more done in less time with planning.
• Outreach. Business is about serving people. Customers are gained by reaching out.  Simple as that.  Pick up the phone and call.  Get out of your office and mingle.
• Balance.  Remember why you do what you do and what matters most.  In the end you won’t get back the extra hours you worked, any return on the worry you invested, improved life from the stress levels you tolerate.  Your balance may look differently during this period but it essential you find what it is for you. 

People do business with those they know, like, and trust.  Use your authentic voice, reach out, and connect. Use your website, your blog, your newsletter, your social networks, your phone, your network…you get the idea!   It works!

Time is Money. Simple Ways to Increase the Value of Face Time.

Andrew Smith, Business Growth Strategist, Funding Specialist

Now more than ever, coordinating time to meet with clients can be challenging due to changing deadlines and conflicting schedules. When you do finally sit down with the client; be they internal, external or otherwise, it’s critical to make sure you spend your time wisely. Sometimes you do not get another chance, or you have to go through extensive e-mail, phone and fax tag to get information you could have obtained in an easier way. Here are four tips to meaningful and productive conversations:

• Make sure your questions are pertinent to the objective. Time can be wasted by asking questions that may be interesting and lead to fun conversations, but may not be relevant to your objective. Take time before your meeting to write down the three things you need to know to move forward; and make sure you ask those questions. If time allows you can branch out, but don’t waste your time on fluff.


• Effective questions are the best, that is why writing them out first is a good idea. You can hone the questions to a razor sharp edge that gets you where you want to go. How many times I have been asked a question by a client that has three parts, two subsections, a slide-show and paper-waiving routine and at the end all I can ask is “what was that middle thing?” Once you have asked the question, make sure to give enough time to listen.


• If you are going to talk, be brief. Get to the point of the meeting, tell them what you want, or need or are asking. Let the customer, client and business partner know what the meeting is about, set the stage and you will find the meeting will be more productive. Be honest about your objective and ask them to share theirs.


• Be open in your manner, words, body language, approach and facial features. If it’s a tough question you are asking, or a serious moment, be present and listen. You can close yourself off to endless possibilities in just a few seconds if you don’t invest in building a relationship that is mutually beneficial.  

The next time you hear yourself say “I just wasted another 90 minutes in a meeting that didn’t move me forward” review your objective.  Take personal responsibility for each meeting. Review how it went and plan for the future.  Take what you learn and put it into practice. Be pertinent in your questions, make them effective, be brief in your statement of the objective and be focus on a mutually beneficial outcome! 

One of my mentors favorite mantra is “I don’t want to waste your time or mine”.  Make your meetings count. 

Strategic Planning for Busy Entrepreneurs

Workshop Description:

There is no more “business as usual.” Whether it’s the economy or just changes in your industry, you have to think smart about how you approach business in 2010. The same old ways of getting new business just don’t work anymore.

Strategic Planning for Busy Entrepreneurs shows you how to turn “I need to…” into the daily action items that turn dreams into goals and goals into results you can see.

No cookie cutter solutions here! Kathie’s experience working with all kinds of businesses makes her uniquely able to give YOU action items that will work for YOUR business!

In this workshop, Kathie has taken the most powerful components of her popular 8 month Business Accelerator Program and condensed it into an action packed half-day seminar.  You get what others are paying $1295 for.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity turn one day into the most profitable use of your time, EVER.

Cost: Ordinarily this workshop tuition runs $495. Since we are committed to your success in 2010 we’ve elected to offer this at the price you think it’s worth.  Bring your checkbook or credit card.  At the end of the class write a check or let us know what what it’s worth to you.  It’s that easy.

Thursday, March 11th

Time: 11:00AM—5:00PM
Location: TBD

RSVP for March 11:

Connect & Thrive – Connectworks Strategic Networking

Networking is about the power of connecting for mutual benefit.  Strategic networking is about knowing where to show up, who to invest time with and the best questions to determine either.    We’ve organized this learning – connecting event to kick off the year to provide valuable insights to repositioning your network in 2010.   The market has changed, you’re offerings may have changed so it makes sense your network should change too.   You can expect to:

• Connect with other motivated talented leaders (Like yourself!)
• Learn fresh ways to activate and leverage your network (live and online)
• Practice what you learn
• Have fun!

Date & Time: January 13, 2009 5:30pm – 7:30pm  Postponed until February

Location: The Agency “Ultra Sports Lounge”
1939 SW Morrison St. off 19th and W. Burnside right in front of PGE Park. Click here to view our location on Google Maps.

(Parking available on the street or validated parking in garage beneath facility.)

No host bar – light hors de oeuvres provided

Cost: $10 Register here.

LinkedIn For Busy People

I hear it all the time, “I’ve got a LinkedIn account but what’s the value in connecting with people I already know?” There’s actually a lot more you can do with LinkedIn; they just don’t make it easy to find.

In this Social Networking for Busy People class we answer questions like:

• I’m on LinkedIn. Now what?
• I keep getting requests to connect. What are they and what should I do with them?
• How do I set up my profile?
• How can I use LinkedIn in my job search?
• How can I use LinkedIn to find employees or subcontractors?

We also show you how to use some of the lesser known features such as how to:

• Use LinkedIn Groups to connect with new people
• Use LinkedIn Recommendations to collect testimonials
• Use LinkedIn Questions – for market research and building relationships

Please Note that Registration is Required!

April 14, 2010,  7:30 – 9:30am
Chamber Members – $29  Register here.
Non-Chamber Members $39  Register here.

May 26, 2010,  7:30 – 9:30am
Chamber Members – $29  Register here.
Non-Chamber Members – $39  Register here.

Location: Beaverton Chamber Conference Room, 12655 SW Center St., Beaverton, OR 97005

Twitter for Busy People

You may think you don’t need Twitter but wouldn’t you like to…

• Know what’s being said about your company, industry and competition online
• Follow trending topics your target markets care about and are talking about
• Build your mailing list
• Increase your blog readership

Yes! Twitter can do all of that!

In Twitter for Busy Professionals, we answer questions like…

How do I find people to follow? How do people find me?
There is a debate in the Twitter-verse that boils down to “Quantity vs. Quality.” In Twitter for Busy Professionals we’ll show you how to find a balance between the two. You’ll learn how to find people you want to hear from and how to get followers who want to hear from you.

How do I manage it?
Once you follow more than a handful of people, managing the flood of information can be like trying to drink water from a fire hose. There are over 60 apps, widgets and plug ins designed to help you manage that flood. Even if you’re already using Twitter, you’ll get a lot out of Twitter for Busy Professionals because we show you some of the most useful ones so you can work social networking into your already busy schedule.

Who’s using it effectively?
In Twitter for Busy Professionals we’ll discuss a variety of companies both large and small that have used Twitter to build their client base, find out what their customers want from them and get in front of potential problems.

What do I need to watch out for?
Social networking is expanding the rules of human interaction and has an etiquette all it’s own. We’ll discuss the pitfalls to avoid, how create a positive impression and how to manage negative feedback.

Please Note that Registration is Required!

March 31, 2010,  7:30 – 9:30am
Chamber Members – $29 Register here.
Non-Chamber Members – $39 Register here.

May 12, 2010,  7:30 – 9:30am
Chamber Members – $29 Register here.
Non-Chamber Members – $39 Register here.

Location: Beaverton Chamber Conference Room, 12655 SW Center St., Beaverton, OR 97005