What's Your Plan?

"You must learn day by day, year by year, to broaden your horizon. The more things you love, the more you are interested in, the more you enjoy, the more you are indignant about, the more you have left when anything happens." Ethel Barrymore

" What are you doing in order be the leader in your industry? What is your plan? How is it working out? What are you using to educate yourself?"

These were questions recently posted on a RYZE network to which I belong... and here are my responses:

To be a leader in my industry I have found that being a resource to others has been a huge advantage over the competition. I love meeting new people and what I am really good at is making business connections. Being a business owner in South Florida for 30 years means that I have met a lot of people, many of whom I often refer others to or refer to myself when the need arises.

My plan is to continue doing what I am doing and to find other ways to be a resource. I often attend networking events that the competition does not.

Here's what I mean: In addition to being founder of several women's organizations including the Women's eCommerce Association and Inventing Women, I have owned a retail flower shop for 27 years. In that time I have attended and joined dozens of organizations that one would think have nothing to do with flowers. For instance, many years ago a friend invited me to attend a meeting of the American Society for Training and Development as her guest. She told me how wonderful and visionary the members were and that I would enjoy it. I don't even remember the program that day, however I do remember the people. They were just as she said, and I joined on the spot! 3 1/2 years later I became president. This has happened over and over since then.

Doing this has given me the opportunity to network with people whose paths I might never cross, it has helped me grow my business and it also helped me discover things about myself I didn't know existed such as how much I love "training and teaching."

I am a firm believer that Education is the key to success and it does not have to be a formal education, it simply needs to be the willingness to learn. I look for opportunities each and every day to learn, from others, from books and from my surroundings. Attending organizations events that I might not have a direct connection to often turns into an enlightening experience. And when you do that you also have a greater understanding of how others live, work and play.





Happy Monday!





Heidi

Online Networking that Brings Results

"The biggest challenge I see with conversations in the Social Networking stratosphere is the ability to find a balance between speaking strongly enough so people take notice and softly enough so that people will listen." Heidi Richards

Recently on a RYZE network someone posted the Online Networking Game. I only just found out about it because I never read the original post. And the way I found out was through another network. You see I got 3 private messages (PM's) from people mentioning that someone (only gave me a first name) had suggested they contact me. They did not make any other reference to the referrer nor did they mention they saw my name on the network as someone who should be contacted.

In addition, they did not say what possible connection we might have or why we should network in the first place. I deleted the first two PM's without responding since I had no idea what the person was talking about! I responded to the third one because she indeed gave me more information, said she saw the recommendation on a board and even gave the link in her PM to me. I checked it out and then responded to her.

In fact, I've seen this happen on several networks. You got this great referral or noticed someone online you'd like to connect with. And you cannot wait to reach out. Especially if you got the name via a casual referral as often happens on social networking sites such as RYZE. By casual referral I mean that someone made a post and said to the whole board, I suggest you contact "Jane Doe and tell them I said to call." Well, Jane Doe may not be a good referral for everyone, and yet, like all good networkers, many of us will stop by their RYZE page and send them a PM or sign their guest book and then, nothing! No follow up, no response, nothing!

That's not networking! That's being social. And that's okay. It's good to be social. I am all for it and encourage others to do the same. It can be the beginning of some great conversations if you know what to do next.

To me, networking is like advertising. It can take up to six times (or impressions) before the person on the receiving end really takes notice or tells you to get lost!

So here's some steps you can take to be more effective in reaching out and touching others online.

Before you connect with someone online, visit their RYZE page and website.

If they have a blog, go to their blog and read their posts – comment on them.

Then introduce yourself.

Tell the person why you are contacting them and who suggested you connect. Give the person's entire name and why they had suggested the connection in the first place. Many RYZE members don't read every post (I am guilty of that on some of the forums, especially if the subject line does not interest me).

Interview them. Ask questions to really get to know them.

Don't tell your whole life story in one message – keep your posts brief and fun.

Find things in common with those to whom you connect. Do you live in the same geographic area? Tell them! Do you also have children, grandchildren, pets? Say so.
Do you have a hobby in common? Ask them why they chose that hobby. Read any good books lately? Share your thoughts.

Never, ever try to sell them something in your initial contacts. If you do, chances are the person will never respond and you will end up with a reputation as a drive-by networker.

If you don't get any response, don't get discouraged. It may just be that the person you are trying to reach out to does not have an interest in what you have to say or does not want to connect for their own reasons.

That's okay.

Although RYZE is not as large as MySpace and some of the other social networking sites, (it has close to a quarter million members) if you find a few that don't respond, remember there are thousands more you can reach out to. Social networking is a numbers game as much as a game of patience and persistence and potential. And in the process, let's not forget it's about the PEOPLE!

True relationship building networking takes time. It cannot happen overnight. Virtual Networking is not "love at first sight," rather it is "slow and steady wins the race…" and the race is… to get to know, like and trust one another. And if appropriate, do business together in the process.

Just my 2 cents!

Heidi

Heidi Richards, Founder & CEOwww.WECAI.org - “Helping Women Do Business on and off the WEB™”www.EdenFlorist.com - "NO Reason is the BEST Reason to Send Flowers!Did you miss the Women’s Writing & Publishing Summit July 19 – 21 & 25? You can still register to receive the audio files of all 15 sessions available at – www.womenswritingandpublishingsummit.com

Walk-by Marketing...

"To drive sales to your door, try walking around a bit." Heidi Richards

Since my topic for the Entrepreneurs Virtual Convention is Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget I thought I'd share one of my marketing tips.... Walk-by Marketing (low-tech Mobile Marketing).

Instead of the usual printed T-shirt, create a tote bag covered with pins & sayings about the GREAT advantages of doing business with your company - Fill the bag with your sales materials such as catalogs, order forms, business cards, promotional CDs and other items.

Carry this with you when you attend trade fairs and other appropriate networking events. Hand out when the opportunity is right. I often carry one or two copies of my books in my tote bag and give to the hostess/host of the event as a thank you or as a "raffle" prize. I also have one for each of my businesses and my books.

You can buy an inexpensive canvas tote at a local discount department store and take it to your local screen printing company (or embroider) and have them do it. Call first to ask them the requirements - have your sayings and logo created in a gif (or pdf)fromat, and put it on a CD.

Don't have time to take it to your local screen printer? CAFE Press also has a couple of totes and you can upload your file to and create (however I don't recommend the yellow tote) the colors don't come out the same.

Carry the tote with you and viola'! Walk-by Marketing is Born!

Have a great day!

Heidi Richards, Founder & CEO, The WECAI Network™ - http://www.wecai.org/

Harnessing the “Power” of Social Networking Sites to Generate Business

Just wanted to invite my readers to a free event we host every week - eWednesday Chat - Here's the scoop:

Is Social Networking a must for your business? That depends! First you need to know the answer to a few key questions. Where does your current business come from? Where is your future business most likely to come from? How big is your current circle of influence (network)? How much time do you have?

Social Networking can be a great benefit to business owners. Especially small business owners who depend on introductions and referrals from others to increase their market reach. Social networking has been called six (or less) degrees of separation because you can find virtually anyone online.

This use of online, friend/associate-based networking has already proven to be one of the most valuable business tools the Internet has yet provided. From LindedIn to Ryze, to Xing, to Meetup, to MySpace, Tagworld, to Friendster and Tribe and the hundreds of other Social Networking sites – business owners have discovered how to tap into this huge networking space to make connections to grow their circle and their business. And so can you!

Join Rima MacDonald, Founder of Strictly Business Network on Ryze and Cynthia Frazier, President of Energy Tour Café, and the co-moderators of Strictly Business, as they share their experiences with Social Networking and how you too can capitalize on the ever-growing list of online business networking sites. You will learn the do’s, the don’ts, the benefits, and drawbacks to social networking. You will hear success stories and draw backs, learn the most effective ways to approach others in the network, and how to use it to promote your own business interests. You will leave this webcast with a much better understanding of how facilitate communication and referrals to grow your business.

In addition to learning about Social Networking as a Business tool – you will be introduced to one of the newest Social Networking sites on RYZE – Strictly Business.

Hosted by The WECAI Network™ - this webcast takes place on Wednesday, February 7th, 2007 at 12 Noon (Eastern Time).

To register for this eWednesday chat, visit http://www.eWednesdaychat.com.

Hope to see you there!

February is Library Lovers Month

I am an avid reader - you will find at least 3 books on my endtable at a time. For example, I am currently reading "Speak Like a CEO: Secrets for Commanding Attention and Getting Results" by Suzanne Bates, "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner, Buzz: Harness the Power of Influence and Create Demand by Marian Salzman and From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money with Books, E-books, and Information Products by Stephanie Chandler (who was a guest expert during The Women’s Internet Marketing Summit - an event the WECAI Network™ in October 2006).

One of my favorite quotes ,“You are the same today you’ll be in five years except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read," (by Charlie 'Tremendous' Jones) is a mantra I hold dear. My mother taught me the joy of reading at a very early age. In fact, most of my family are avid readers. For my 12th birthday my grandmother gave me a set of Readers Digest Best Loved Books and I still have it today. It contained classics like Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Connan Doyle, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Vern and dozens of others. I loved them because they were the abridged versions and could be easily read in a day. They truly changed my life (in a way that is hard to describe).

As a child I remember the best part of my week was going to the library and checking out a couple of books to read during the week. We had a rule - only one hour of television a night (after all our homework was done) and then we were off to bed. We had the choice of staying up an extra hour and reading or going to sleep. I chose to read. Today is no different. Seldom a night passes that I don't read at least a few pages in a book. In fact, it's not unusual for me to stay up until 2 or 3 AM to finish a book. And the funny thing is when I stay up that late, I feel refreshed and ready to go the next day!

I recently read a startling statistic. According to the U.S. Bureau of Cencus Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (2002) almost 50% of American adults will never read another book once they graduate from high school. Not in my home! Not my family! I have three daughters who are each avid readers, my husband reads, my staff reads, nearly everyone I know reads a book now and then.

How about you? Do you have a library card? It is amazing how much help you receive in your local library. The researchers all know me by name and I often call to ask if a book is available - if it is not, they can order it for me from another library and I have it within a few days (most of the time).

Oh, and I buy books too! All new releases. these are the books that are not yet available in the library or that I want to pass on to my friends. Do you frequent your local bookstore or visit Amazon.com weekly? Anyone who reads a blog, probably does. Maybe we should conduct our own study to find out?

It is so true about how books will change you. There is an old saying that "books are the window to the world." They can open your minds, and your heart and take you to places you might not otherwise have the opportunity to visit. So in honor of Library Lovers Month, I am sharing some of my favorite quotes about books and reading:

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." ~Mark Twain

"A book is a gift you can open again and again." ~ Garrison Keillor

"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates’ loot on Treasure Island... and the best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life." ~ Walt Disney

"You think your pains and heartbreaks are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who have ever been alive." ~ James Baldwin

"Reading--not occasionally, not only on vacation but everyday--gives me nourishment and enlarges my life in mysterious and essential ways." ~ Mona Simpson

"A book lying idle on a shelf is wasted ammunition. Like money, books must be kept in constant circulation. Lend and borrow to the maximum -- of both books and money! But especially books, for books represent infinitely more than money. A book is not only a friend, it makes friends for you. When you have possessed a book with mind and spirit, you are enriched. But when you pass it on you are enriched threefold." Henry Miller

"If you can read this, thank a teacher." ~ Anonymous Teacher

"Books are more than books. They are the life, the very heart and core of ages past, the reason why men lived and worded and died, the essence and quintessence of their lives." ~ Amy Lowell

"When you give someone a book, you don't give him just paper, ink, and glue. You give him the possibility of a whole new life."~ Christopher Morley

and finally...

E heluhelu kakou. (Let's read together.) ~ Hawaiian Proverb

Heidi

Looking into the Crystal Ball

“Forecasts, trends and ideas about the future” that’s the purpose of the World Future Society. I have been a member of WFS for several years and I always find the information and predictions made the many experts who are a part of this innovative organization interesting and useful. Interesting in that it makes one think about where we are headed. Useful in that it can help you better plan how you live and do business today.

Here’s just a sampling of some of the trends and predictions listed in the Winter 2007 issue of FUTURIST - the WFS newsletter:

Two to five years:
Car tires that need air only once a year (think of the time this will save you)

Drinkable water produced from air with go-anywhere concentrators (don’t leave home without these)

Five to 10 years:

Powerful mini computers that can be folded into your purse or wallet or even worn (I want mine shaped like a rose that I can accent my suits with)

Smart buildings that self-stabilize during major disasters such as earthquakes or bombings (I wonder if they will be good for hurricanes?)

10 to 15 years:

Artificial intelligence so sophisticated you can’t tell if you’re talking on the phone with a human or a machine.

In addition here are some forecasts for the next 25 years:

By 2015, New York, Tokyo and Frankfurt are predicted to emerge as hubs for high-speed, large-capacity supersonic planes. These hyper- speed planes will take passengers across continents in the time it takes most people to drive to the airport.

Schools as we know them may be a thing of the past as the virtual classroom becomes more predominant.

Genetic engineering, nanotechnology and robotics will allow humans to change their bodies in profoundly new ways that can change their physical appearance, extend their lifespan and increase brain capacity in remarkable ways.

While some of the forecasts may rub us the wrong way either intellectually or spiritually, what I appreciate about the WFS is that it can really help you shape your own future. I would much prefer to know what can be than be in the dark and find out when it’s yesterday’s news.

Information that is cutting-edge and covers a wide range of topics makes the World Future Society unequaled in the role that it plays in revealing new ideas to the world. The FUTURIST newsletter “briefs you on the most important trends that affect your business, career, family, investments, and the world in general.” It has been called the “essential competitive intelligence tool, outstanding, helps us profit from change'… and much, much more.

The late Ronald Reagan, former president of the United States said “The future belongs to those who make ready for it.”

Former president Bill Clinton said of the WFS, “With the benefit of your insight, we can create a future of peace, prosperity and freedom for people around the globe.”

Why wait until you read it in the news when you can have a jump on the future today? If you are interested in more information or wish to join the World Future Society, visit: www.wfs.org.