The Radiance of Knowing

With the internet revolution ushering in new modes of communication everyday, building contacts is no longer an arduous, time consuming job. In fact, if you are looking for effective and easy ways to search for business partners, the internet provides a ready answer. Today we have a number of successful and friendly ebusiness platforms which allow us to build networks of contacts, search for business partners and establish business communications effortlessly.

As vibrant, ever-growing networking platforms and connection builders, social networking websites serve as your most effective medium for e-business. They make it easier for you to find and establish new business partners , boost communications with existing business partners and close online business deals and forge partnerships.

Building up a networking channel with a new contact the traditional way takes its own time. Social networking sites make it easier for you. If as your business contact, you give out your networking site contact page to someone whom you want to provide your contact details, it will make introductions much quicker for you. Plus, it will help you track the people in your network hassle free.
Social networking sites have several different search parameters to find new contacts and business partners. For instance, on BizGround, a highly effective Social Connection Builder, you can try various combinations of these parameters and specify particular values to search and find your preferable match.

Once you find your potential match, all you need to do is click on his/her photo or name, sign his/her guestbook, send a private message and explore avenues of working together.

You can invite and add your contacts in this wonderful networking platform hassle free! You can begin as a Free Premium Member and take advantage of all its exclusive features. Check BizGround FAQs. Most probably your questions will be answered here. For an overview of the functionalities of BizGround, take a tour.

Ben Stewart

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You’re at a conference. Someone steps in the elevator, notices your name tag and asks, “So what do you guys do?” Quick — what’s your answer? You’ve got about 15 seconds before the doors open.

For most business owners, getting to the crux of what they
really do is the hardest, yet potentially most rewarding, one-minute conversation
they will ever have. In that shortest of time spans, potential customers, vendors, and
employees will make a complete assessment, deciding then and there if your
company, products or services are worth pursuing. Why? Because it’s all the time
they have before the doors open - so make it count.

Trap #1: The Laundry List

The commonest of traps is to try and list every product and service you provide. “We
sell, service and maintenance new and used industrial fittings for the diesel engine
aftermarket.” The reply? “Thanks! This is my floor… nice to meet you!”

Solution: Like everything else in branding, your 15 second elevator speech should
convey the essence of what you do, not just a descriptive phrase. It should stress
the benefits of what you do, not the features. In marketing they call it “selling the
sizzle, not the steak”. Sacino’s Formalwear in Florida had rented tuxedos for three
generations. But upon closer examination, we determined that customers really did
not want to rent heavy, expensive, snug fitting clothing. In other words, it wasn’t
about the cloth, it was what the cloth did. The heart of their new :15 elevator
speech? “We Make Men Look Good!”

In short, look for the solution or benefits your products and services provide. How
can you sum that up in two to three sentences? For Harbour House Crabs, the
central theme went from selling seafood to “Making any occasion a special
occasion”! For Mark Mohr at Joe Ricos, it went from selling coffee to creating a
sanctuary where you could “Escape the Ordinary”.

Trap #2 The Sweeping Statement

Once you realize the laundry list approach doesn’t work, you may be tempted to
simply summarize. This is great for the back of a DVD, but not good for getting new
business. A typical sweeping statement goes something likes this… “We’re into
enterprise management software”. Response? Unintentional yawn. Look down at
watch. Leave with a nice pleasantry.

Solution: Add some pizzaz! While attending a business conference in the Bahamas a
couple of years back, I heard a very dynamic speaker tell of her work in the
philanthropic field, setting up foundations and putting together partnerships. When
I asked her specifically what she did, she simply smiled and replied “I make magic
happen.”

I love magic.

You can bet I made sure to follow up and keep in touch with her as she worked
toward setting up peace schools in various nations. Her work was varied, but her
benefit was consistent… magic.

Make it a goal this week to develop a one to two sentence statement that sums up
the benefits of what you offer. Avoid dry, purely descriptive statements and go for
the “Wow!” factor. What is it you do that your customers truly appreciate, demand
and are willing to pay top dollar to obtain. To help you, think of the last customer
you had that just raved about your products or service. What specifically did you do
for him or her that really turned them on about your company. Distill that that into
two or three simple sentences of pure marketing maple syrup and you will have your
15 second elevator speech… (and you’ll also have the attention of a lot more
customers). This will be some of the hardest, and most rewarding work you will do.
But as Emerson said… “So much of our time is preparation, so much is routine, and
so much retrospect, that the path of each man’s genius contracts itself to a very few
hours.” So spend a few moments and make this statement one of the rewards of
those few hours.

Phil’s life goal of “creating environments where people thrive” reflects his desire to
assist in personal, professional and business growth. Phil founded and ran a full
service ad agency for over 17 years and now works full time as a business naming and
branding consultant. Phil resides with wife Michelle and four energetic offspring
outside Asheville, North Carolina. His web site can be found at PureTungsten.com.

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Nametags are worn for a variety of jobs and functions, but people don’t like to wear them because they’re annoying, damage your clothing, clash with your outfit, and eliminate anonymity.

Picture this: you see someone’s nametag and decide to strike up a conversation with them:

“Nice to meet you Jimmy, my name is Gary.”

Conversations like these don’t go anywhere because there’s nothing to say once your have introduced yourself.

“So…uh…Jimmy…what brings you to this networking meeting?”

But what if…

What if there was something other than your name to write on your nametag? There is certainly enough room on your three inch by four inch plastic tag to add another word or two! The following is a list of nine creative things to write on your nametag that will empower more interesting and engaging conversations.

Hometown
Casinos popularized this tactic years ago to include cities/countries of origin on nametags to create connections between dealers and gamblers. However, any setting in which nametags are worn will engage people to discuss where they grew up. Not only does the nametag promote a conversation about someone’s hometown (which shows a genuine interest in that person and appeals to their self-interests), but the self-disclosure reciprocates and expedites the encounter toward a more detailed interaction.

Position
Networking meetings, conventions, jobs or other business gatherings require nametags to identify people with their company or department. But an overlooked addition to your nametag in a business setting is to write what you do, not just your position. Instead of “Oscar Meyer,” write “I sell hot dogs to Walmart.” I promise everyone at the meeting will come up and say hello! Who knows, maybe they’ll want to do business with the person whose nametag made them smile!

Pet Peeve
Picture this: you sit down to a table and notice the nametag of the person next to you: “HELLO, my name is Theresaknuckle cracking drives me crazy.” Everyone has a pet peeve, and everyone likes to talk (rant) about it! So next time you go to a casual meeting or event, write your pet peeve underneath your name. You will be certain to have some interesting conversations with this one!

Food
No matter how boring people can get, you can always talk about food to spice up the conversation. Include such phrases as “Cereal works for any meal,” “Kiwi is the best fruit,” and “George likes his chicken spicy.” It will automatically open someone else up. They will usually smile and ask about your particular food selection. After you answer, you can follow up and inquire about their favorite foods as well. This is great for parties and small group meetings.

Nickname
Most people have some sort of nickname they have been called at some point in their lives. The best thing about nicknames is that there’s always a story behind them. As you discover these fascinating stories, you develop trust, levity and create a friendly bond between two people. After all, if you saw a nametag that said, “Laszlo the King”, wouldn’t you want to find out the story behind it?

Activities
Write down your favorite sport, pastime or interest. Not only does this allow you to discuss something about which you are passionate, but someone else is bound to enjoy the same activities! Who knows, perhaps you will meet your next teammate or book club member!

Quotation
Write your favorite quotation or bible verse on your nametag. This is a brilliant method to encourage conversations beyond the small talk level. Many people have some one-liner, old saying, proverb or verse by which they live their livesso why shouldn’t we share them? Wisdom like this is meant to be passed on to other people!

Number
Get creative and add a number to your nametag. Simply write a number in the bottom corner of your nametag that signifies something. For example, write the number of children you have, miles traveled to the event, number of speeding tickets received, amount of pizza you have eaten in one night, anything! But no matter what the number signifies, people will find out why it’s there.

Entertainment
Include the title of your favorite book, album, movie or magazine on your nametag. Because we learn from every connection you make, this addition to your nametag will be a great opportunity to tell people about some of your favorite things. What’s more, everyone has seen one movie, read one book or eaten at one restaurant you haven’t–so use your nametag to spark some future experiences!

REMEMBER:

© 2005 All Rights Reserved.

Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, “The World’s Foremost Expert on Nametags” and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He helps people MAXIMIZE their approachability and become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.

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