S&MM SoundOff

Why Don't We Teach Networking in Universities?

By Edgar Valdmanis

Why don't we teach networking in universities?

The following is a short excerpt from Fortune magazine:

When Jack Welch gave a guest lecture at MIT's Sloan School of Management in 2005, someone in the crowd asked, "What should we be learning in business school?" Welch's reply: "Just concentrate on networking. Everything else you need to know, you can learn on the job."

When the chairman of Business Network International (BNI), Dr. Ivan Misner was recently visiting Europe he asked repeatedly why we do not teach networking in universities? Most will say that Misner is tooting his own horn, since he is running a business-referral organisation for a living. Now we have Jack Welch essentially saying the same—so why don’t we?

Networking's Hidden Benefits

 By Edgar Valdmanis

Many salespeople are aware of the power of networking in opening doors to potential clients. Some, like me, are members of referral organisations like Business Network International (www.bni.com) or similar forums. This works wonderfully, but I am amazed that many see networking as a direct sales tool only and forget that their network can also fill other purposes.

I work for the Norwegian Computer Society. Annually we arrange well over 70 day-long seminars across the full range of IT and IT usage. The majority of participants come, sit down, listen, have a coffee-break, listen again, have lunch, listen again, have a second coffee-break, listen and then go home. During breaks they prefer to cling to colleagues or others they know from before. Should they meet a stranger they do little in the way of networking, no exchange of business-cards or anything. Apparently they don’t realise that all the others are there for the same purpose, and have the same challenges.

A Simple (but powerful) Question

MANY SALES METHODOLOGIES tell us to "look for the pain", which IS a good thing to do. But some go further and advise us to ask "What's your pain?" That may seem like a reasonable, even conversational question, but if your prospects don’t think they have a pain (other than, perhaps, a pushy salesman), you could be shutting off a great opportunity before you even get started.
        Here’s an alternative way to approach that same idea, without sounding presumptuous. Ask them: “What’s working for you and what isn’t working?”
        It’s a really simple question, but it opens up a world of possibilities. You’ll find out about their successes and their pains. You’ll have a perfect opening to ask about their vision of the future and what stands in the way of their attaining that future. And you’ll either get a sense of their priorities or can easily ask about them. And all these things are easier to get than if you open with “What’s your pain?”

This question works in LOTS of other areas, as well: interviewing for a job (on both sides of the table); kicking off a performance review; or doing a needs assessment for product updates. It's all about getting the other party talking in a non-threatening way about their current situation.

[You can find more on this and related subjects at The YouBlog — practical ideas on presentations, persuasion, selling, and communications.]

Forget About Butterflies

   

OH, THOSE BUTTERFLIES . . . Rising up inside as we face all manner of situations: presentations; asking for a raise; cold calling; presenting a new idea to the team — every individual has their collection of situations in which their insides start churning.
        You’ve probably heard the advice about getting those butterflies to “fly in formation”. Or maybe you follow the advice to “imagine your audience naked”. There are almost as many approaches as there are butterflies.
        But here’s the deal: Much (or most?)(or all?) of what you’re feeling before a particular event is natural. Granted, it feels weird — body revving, muscles on alert, as you wait patiently for your moment to be “on” — but it really is how we’re all wired.
        I struggled with this myself, during my days as a Broadway actor, expecting that I should be caaaalm before my auditions. Then I realized that if my body and mind weren’t at their peak when my name was called, I was not going to make the best impression. So I learned to embrace this animated state, rather than fret and try to fight it, and it made a world of difference.
        The same rule applies in business, as well. It’s natural to feel revved up before an event, even if it’s just asking your boss for that raise you clearly deserve. If you’re prepared, if you know your stuff, then it really is “performance energy” you’re feeling, not nerves.
        So the next time you feel that swell of energy rising up inside, don’t think “Augh! Stop! Go away!” Instead, smile and say to yourself, “Good. Right on time.”

[You can find more on this and related subjects at The YouBlog — practical ideas on presentations, persuasion, selling, and communications.]

Your Online Web Summary

Web networking has become hugely popular in the last several years and it seems that everyone has a profile, a blog, or even a photo album online somewhere. But while Web networking helps connect both people and businesses, these sites have also caused a problem for professionals.  Being online means continuously being open to public review, and anyone in the world can see your personal life on the Web (For more on this topic read “You’ve Been Googled” on ManageSmarter.com.

So far the challenge has been to make sure you’re representing yourself in the best way on the Web. For example, you don’t post photos of you and your buddies on beer night anymore because you don’t want recruiters to get the wrong impression of you. But today I stumbled across a Web networking site that can help you make sure others aren’t finding those embarrassing pics.

Zoominfo.com is a networking site that has the potential to grow as big as LinkedIn or MySpace. But unlike the other sites, Zoominfo.com is not centered on building a private profile and making friends—it’s an like an online Whitepages for the business world. The site is a Web-data-collection database that lets you search for summaries on both colleagues and companies alike. You can easily find a person’s business history, education, association networks, Web mentions and more. 

I originally came across the site while performing a Google search on myself—I like to periodically check to make sure nothing too personal is available for the entire world to see.  The link brought me to a page that already listed my basic business information—my name, my company and my job title.  But what I was amazed to see was a list of links (all to ManageSmarter.com) where my Web mentions, in my case, articles I had written, appeared. Zoominfo.com did the work of searching Google for me.

Making Good Impressions

Many factors come into play when determining a salesperson's level of success: There's strategy, networking ability, and experience to name a few.  But this weekend, I discovered the key to a successful sale has nothing to do with skill.

I visited a local mattress retailer this weekend in hopes of buying a new bed. Upon walking into the store, I was appalled at the appearance of the salesman who came up to assist me with my selection.  He was disheveled--wearing an old, faded suit that looked as if it were bought 30 years ago and never dry cleaned and scuffed worn-out shoes.  The hair on his head was muttled and greasy--I couldn't tell if he had too much gel or needed a good shower--and he smelled of stale cigar smoke that made my stomach queasy.

The entire time he spoke I was so busy focusing on how bad he looked I couldn’t even listen to what he had to say about the products.  I just wanted to get out of there, and  I left before he finished his spiel.  If the salesman had put more effort into his appearance, I could have been a sold customer--the bad first impression was enough to ruin any chance he had in making a sale.

Do You Hate Your Job?

I took this poll the other day which asked "Do you hate your job?" -- and the results of the 3,257 responses were unofficially:
   * 37 percent: yes
   * 22 percent: no
   * 30 percent: sometimes
   * 10 percent: I hate working in general
More than a third of all poll-takers hated their job--and nearly a third more aren’t far from it!

I have to admit I am one of the lucky ones who can’t complain--nice working environment, good company, reasonable flexibility, and something new every day. But unfortunately there are many people who hate their jobs--for many different reasons such as lack of autonomy and an incompatible company culture. But the number one reason workers hate their jobs is having a difficult boss, according to a recent article from Forbes.com on MSNBC. 

It’s not surprising to me that employee happiness runs from the top down.  If the management is motivating and encouraging, then the work gets done, employees feel accomplished and everyone is happy with the success.

It’s also not surprising to me that this is the number one reason for job hatred.  Good leaders can and do go bad.  Management runs our business, it makes sense that they also control whether employees are happy in their jobs. After all, there is a negative component to every good leadership characteristic, according to an article in our sister publication Training.  For example, a manager who is confident and straightforward can easily become narcissistic, overly critical, and treat others with contempt. 

Do you hate your job?  Here are some tips Forbes gives to change that:
- Articulate exactly what you don’t like to a supervisor.  Be specific and propose solutions.
- Ask for an intern if you are overwhelmed with work
- If you’re bored, ask your boss for some different responsibilities--it will be a change for you and make you look good for taking initiative
- Problem co-worker? Talk to your supervisor to see if you can avoid collaborating together on projects or if you can move your cube.
- Too little pay?  Discuss with your boss the expectations for your position and what you can do to exceed them, so you have a stellar review next time around.

For those managers out there, read Motivation Inspiration on ManageSmarter.com for some tips on keeping workers happy with incentives.

A Virtual Handshake

Social networking Web sites, such as MySpace, Jigsaw, and Meetup, are creating a buzz in the business world as more professionals use them as an effective way to make valuable connections. They can be a virtual gold mine for cultivating sales leads and generating interest about a new product or service. Not sure which one to try? Here are a few of my personal favorites:

• Meetup.com puts a strong focus on building communities offline. From their Web site, you’ll find lots of groups for every interest under the sun, whether it’s business-related (the Atlanta Network Marketing Meetup) or more geared toward personal hobbies.
• Now here's a social networking site that means business. LinkedIn.com offers its more than five million subscribers an opportunity to share industry contacts and find jobs within their network of professionals.
• There’s nothing puzzling about Jigsaw.com. Actually, it’s fairly easy to understand and use. You can browse Fortune 500 companies, take advantage of their sales leads newsletters, and create business mailing lists. 
• At Ryze.com, the goal is to help others "rise up" through networking links. They offer online visitors access to networks related to specific career interests, industry events, and a classified section for jobs.

Speaking of cool Web sites, be sure to check out Sales & Marketing Management's new online home: www.ManageSmarter.com. You’ll enjoy the same management tools and resources you rely on — and a whole lot more. Click here to enter our Smart Sweepstakes!

Daddy at Work

Ever since I was a child, I have been what you would call “Daddy’s little girl.”  Here are some interesting things my dad unknowingly taught me about the working world:

Respecting your elders is key to succeeding in any situation, not just business.  There will always be a level of seniority wherever you go, whether it is a professor at school, your boss, or your co-worker with greater tenure.  Everyone likes to have your respect, and knowing how to treat others is key when interacting.

Be "Mr. Fix-It" and don’t wait for others to solve your problems for you.  Take initiative and work hard.  No one cares as much about you and your issues as you do.  If you want something done right, you need to do it yourself.

But, at the same time take a lesson in pride and know when to ask for help.  It is not demeaning to admit you can’t do something.  Learn and ask lots of questions. Clients and co-workers would rather you speak up than stay silent and make a major mistake that could have otherwise been avoided. 

Don’t take the easy way out.  If you cut corners when repairing the roof, it will eventually collapse again.  Cutting corners is a sure-fire way to have something blow-up in your face later.  Hard work is an indication of good character that people admire, so do it right the first time and reap the rewards of a job well done now.

What lessons has your father taught you that help you to succeed at work? Click here to share your thoughts.

Our dad’s have it rough too. You can read about some working dad woes at SalesandMarketing.com. 

S&MM Soundoff wishes all dads a Happy Father’s Day.

What's Your Motivation?

Let's be honest. How many of you struggle to get out of bed and then somehow you drag yourself into work? Welcome to the club!

In the morning, sometimes my only motivation for leaving the house on a weekday is a decent paycheck, a large iced coffee, and the camaraderie of my coworkers. Other times it's because I love my job and find it satisfying. (I hope my boss is reading this.)

While grudgingly preparing for work today, I was watching the Today Show and saw a guy who really knows how to motivate people.

Judson Laipply is an "inspirational comedian" who is gaining widespread popularity after a video of his act called the "Evolution of Dance" became a major hit and one of the most downloaded videos on the Internet.

Laipply's motivational message is pretty simple: The first step to creating the life you want is to understand the simple idea that life is change, according to his Web site. He illustrates this change in his video through a sequence of dance moves from various decades. It's pretty funny! And today, I couldn't wait to get to work to share it with my coworkers.

We here at S&MM understand that motivation is a key factor in the success of sales and marketing professionals. On our Web site, you'll learn how empowered employees can help close deals, ways to incentivize your staff, and so much more.

Now it's your turn. What's your motivation? Do you have a surefire way to motivate your staff? Share it with us.