Nourish Your Network!

Nourish Your Network!

by | May 2, 2013 | Featured, Relationships

No matter what you “sell” you’re in the PEOPLE business.

Learning to build and nourish relationships is at the core of your success in the home and success in your career & business life.

Many times we’ve all heard the phrase, “it’s not what you know, but WHO you know that matters.” And the reason it’s said so often is because at some level it’s true.

Relationships are everything to your sales, income, and business success. You likely already know that on some level so I’d like to share with you today 5 tips to help you nourish, rekindle, or grow your existing or desired networks.

1. Appreciation. Take time to appreciate people in your life and network. Human beings crave appreciation, acknowledgement, and recognition. Send an email, give a call, or post on social media your gratitude for the people in your life who you appreciate. A wise mentor of mine had me get into the habit of appreciating 5 to 10 people every day. That could be verbal, email, handwritten, etc. but to express appreciation to those in our networks. Many times we think those thoughts, yet to ACT on them and express them.

“Spread love wherever you go. Let no one come to you without leaving happier.”
– Mother Theresa

2. The WOW Factor. People who invest in the WOW factor stand out in business. The WOW Factor is doing something for your network, clients, prospects that they’re not expecting – it could be a gift, a product, a card, or an extra bonus they receive that they’re not expecting. The “Just Because” experience that has significant impact in relationships. For example, every event I host, participants come into the seminar room with a free product on each chair. This product isn’t advertised or told to them in sales copy – it’s a surprise when they arrive. It costs me a little amount of money (or even sponsored on occasion) that helps my guests feel special or appreciated. You could do something similar – send a gift, offer a free bonus, or treat them to lunch. It’s wise not to give a gift and then ask for something in return at the same time. Give gifts or offers as stand alone to have the greatest impact. I’ve seen others gift a gift, yet in the next sentence ask for something in return. That often leaves the person feeling like it’s a trade with you versus an investment in them.

3. Promote. A great way to nourish your relationships is to promote them to other people. You may post on social media endorsing their product or service. You may create an email introduction of two people that could possibly do business together. By promoting other people and helping them grow their business, you grow your relationship with them. You’re becoming a valued resource who is helping others succeed.

4. Be Present. A great gift in any relationship is to be present with the person you’re with – whether at home, in a meeting, or connecting one on one. Put your cell phone away and really focus on what the person is saying and communicating. We can all tell if someone is paying attention to us or not by many non verbal cues. If you want someone to feel important when with you act as if they are the only person in the room. Learning to listen is a highly prized and very rare skill, yet an incredible deposit in your relationships.

5. Stay Connected. If we only go to our networks when we need something, we’ll likely drain that network pretty quickly. Others will learn that you only call or reach out when you need something. It’s important to focus on being someone who is connected and actively making relationship deposits. Deposits demonstrate that we are invested in the relationship and deposits come in many forms. When we make the effort to stay connected and in touch with our networks, we have real, thriving relationships versus just acquaintances.

Wayne Dyer has said, “It’s never crowded along the extra mile.” If you want to thrive in life and in business, nourish your relationships and go the extra mile. Become a master at connection, listening, follow up, and supporting others. Give value to get valued as Danielle LaPorte has said. Your results will improve along side of having relationships that are rich and meaningful.

Coaching Assignment:

  • Appreciate 3 people in your life and/or business networks within the next 24 hours.
  • Send a card, gift, or bonus to someone in your network or to your list. “Just because” gifts go a long way!
  • Identify 3 people that you want to have a better relationship with or get to know altogether. Reach out, promote them, ask them to lunch or a Skype chat. Take action to nourish your network!

Will you go the extra mile?

Cheering you on,

Tiffany

The Action Antidote

The Action Antidote

by | Feb 15, 2013 | Goals, Self Care, Success

The Action Antidote

Let’s take an inventory, shall we?

You likely can relate to one or more of the following scenarios:

1. You know that you’re ready to do something new in your life -write a book, leave your corporate gig, create a new relationship, buy some really big new thing… and you’re scared.

2. You’re wanting to create some new thing in your life, but you’ve never ever done it before… and you don’t know where to start.

3. You’re feeling so overwhelmed with all there is to do to run a business or your life (or both) so in the midst of all the overwhelm, frustration, and anxiety… you allow distractions (social media, food, off topic projects) to steal your time instead.

The antidote to all of these challenges is found in Taking Action. Now it’s not to say that there are not other influences to some of these challenges you’re facing – yet all of these scenarios require action to move forward and create positive change.

I love what Norman Vincent Peale says about action…

“Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.”

Isn’t that incredible wisdom? He was right on the money. And so are you when you get into action.

As Mike Dooley said last weekend, “Action breeds clarity” – you likely may be waiting for more information, the perfect website, or another certification, or to lose another 10 pounds before you will take the action that will create the outcome you want. Interestingly enough, the clarity is often found in the doing – by taking action towards your goals.

So dare to take a little more action – it doesn’t have to be a massive overhaul – although it can be and quite an adventure! Even if you take a little more action – say making a few sales calls about your new venture – before having the perfect website or business card, you will learn so much more and increase your likelihood of sales! Imagine that!

You may find yourself drawn to meeting someone new so you could create an online dating profile and put yourself out there – you may love it or hate it, but that action will breed more clarity for you. So will dating – you’ll learn more (clarity) about what you do want or don’t want in a relationship.

You may find yourself drawn to a new career path – you could take classes, attend a networking event, or take someone to lunch in that industry to learn more of what it would be like. That action will create more clarity for you.

Whatever your goal or desire is, by taking more action you can only gain more clarity and guidance of what you do want in your life.

One thought shared by personal development pioneer, Buckminster Fuller is “You can never learn less. You can only learn more.” Action increases the velocity of what we’re learning. By taking more action, we get more clear, and with that clarity we can adjust, improve, and create what it is that we want.

Coaching Assignment:

So your homework for the week – what’s one thing, goal, or change you’re drawn to in your life? Consider if you were to take action towards that direction, what would that be? If you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself, what’s one simple action I could take, focused on the simple?

As you take more action in your life – versus thinking and thinking and thinking about it – you will create faster and greater clarity for yourself, which in turn will propel you forward to what you want.

Cheering you on!

Tiffany