If you are a fan of old television shows you may have run across reruns of “F Troop.” The story of the misfits of Fort Courage is loaded with characters and with it, networking lessons. Really? Case in point: Trooper Duffy. Duffy would go on about “when he was at the Little Big Horn with […]
Keeping Your Story Straight Read More »
While it is not as interesting a plot as the movie, Meet Joe Black, it does have its twists and turns. My chance meeting with Joan Nye nearly five years ago has become, in networking terms, a significant relationship. Joan not only became my client, she also advises me on my finances, is a chamber
All it takes is money, as the saying goes. If you don’t have it, go find it. At our chamber, we rely on three sources of income for our programs: Sponsorships Memberships Admissions and fees to events When it came to the Big D BBQ Battle, we relied on a similar set of sources: Sponsorships
Inventing an Event: Revenue Sources Read More »
At the heart of the ultimate networker is a set of attributes that define the craft. In building your network and honing your skills with each event and relationship, you build upon a base of attributes that make up being a networker. Ultimate, effective networkers: Are sincere. Have passion. Are solidly organized. Stay connected. Remain
The Seven Attributes of Effective Networkers Read More »
At our chamber of commerce we had a long-standing habit of holding the meetings of our basic or recurring programs at our offices or at the same locations. With the impending remodeling of our long-outdated building, it became very evident that we had to find a home (or homes) for these events. Being responsible for
The Transportable Event Read More »
Networking can be a dog-eat-dog experience. You can be ripped and torn in multiple directions while you are trying to meet people. You must be doggedly determined to succeed. Seriously, as you venture out into the networking world you can find yourself being deterred by a lot of things: impatience, slow responses, quiet events, non-responsive
Finding Your Inner Terrier Read More »
Communities can be defined in a number of ways. Most of us think “city” or “town.” But communities can also be larger or smaller and build around other things–doctors, gardens, pets, hobbies, music, entertainment. Recently I presented to a group wanting to learn how to best reach out into their communities to grow their businesses.
Networking in Your Community Read More »
So you think a brochure is just a printed piece that you leave off for people to read or throw away? Wrong–what did it take to create that package? Recently, my client, Greg Farmer of Farmer Business Systems, reminded me just what creating his company brochure meant to him. “If you haven’t really created your
The Brochure Exercise Read More »
Everybody has an idea of what a chamber of commerce is. Whether it is from first-hand experience or urban lore and conjecture, we mostly think of a chamber in one of several ways. I was first introduced to chambers when my dad was a businessman in an Arizona small town. In those days (the 1950s)
What I’ve Learned After 18 Months At A Chamber of Commerce Read More »
Thinking about others isn’t necessarily in our nature. At least human nature. Being selfless–thinking of the other guy first–actually appears elsewhere in nature first. I learned firsthand about selflessness, kindness and unconditional love from the best source. My dog, Lilly. In her short 6 years and from all of her 12 pounds, this Maltese-Poodle mix
Selflessness Defined Read More »
