Finding Focus and Branding Your Brilliance

This past Saturday, I attended a Branding Brilliance workshop presented by Lethia Owens and T. C. Coleman. It was absolutely incredible. The knowledge these women have together is extremely powerful. Lethia focuses on personal branding while T. C. presents on business branding. I loved how they integrated both topics together creating a dynamic package.

They discussed a variety of reasons why you need to brand yourself and position yourself as an expert in your field. They talked about how to determine who your target audience is and how to create a variety of services that help support them.

Some of the program included social networking such as where to go and why. They even shared something that is a critical piece of designing your plan which made perfect sense to me. Here are the three important pieces I learned at their seminar to create an internet marketing plan and branding strategy:

1. Hang It - put your information out somewhere online, ie. a website, articles, pdf, powerpoints, blogs, etc
   
2. Link It - create links everywhere online to drive traffic to these places you hang info
   
3. Promote It - Find places where you can talk about it and market your products and services

There were tons of people that attended that wanted more detailed information and both of these women will be offering further courses and personal coaching for more assistance.

I personally want to thank Lethia and T.C. for taking time to talk with me after their program ended. It was amazing how they both had insights into who I am and where I'm going. If you are looking to create a brand for yourself, I hope you consider connecting with each of them to determine your next steps. You can reach them at http://www.lethiaowens.com/ or http://www.upwardaction.com/

To Your Sassy Success,

Darlene Willman

Don't Waste Your Time and Energy On Gossip

This week I attended a social gathering with other professional women and bumped into someone I hadn't seen in a long time. I was excited to see her and wanted to know what she's been up to. She went into full "sales pitch" mode and told me I needed to get with her immediately about it. Then, she switched gears and started telling me all about a woman that was a mutual acquaintance of ours. Within minutes, she told me that the woman had to dissolve her corporation and closed her business. She continued telling me about the woman's new relationship which she explained didn't seem very healthy and that she's "dropped the ball" on everything else.

I'm sure you've heard things like this through the Grapevine before, right? Maybe you were the topic of discussion? I guess the good news is you are being talked about but the bad news is you have no control over what was being discussed. It's easy to get sucked into the drama of the conversation but be careful, it's not very professional.

Rumors are spread very easily and usually get back to the person that was being talked about. For example, when I made the decision to resign from my previous position as Executive Managing Director for a major women's networking organization, someone actually told me that someone else said I was fired! Nothing could be further from the truth; first of all, I wasn't an employee and second, I was one of the top producers in the company! It was totally my decision and a very difficult one to make. I've always said, St. Louis is the smallest big city in the Midwest!

The point I'm trying to make is don't spend precious time talking SMACK, it's not worth it. Instead, focus on all the positive things happening and maintain a professional manner at all times. If the conversation starts with..."Did you hear about???? or "I heard..." immediately redirect and change the topic into something else or excuse yourself from the conversation. One of my favorite redirects is "So, how 'bout those Cardinals, huh?" Everyone usually laughs.

This week listen closely to the conversations around you and monitor your own responses. Make the commitment to only talk health, wealth and happiness to everyone you network with!

To Your Networking Success,

Darlene Willman, "The Sassy Networker"

How to Determine Who Should Be in Your Network

A few weeks ago, I met a man at a Business EXPO and he decided to share his way of keeping track of people he meets. I always love hearing how other people approach networking and meeting new people. He proceeded to tell me his system which required a jacket with outside pockets. He said if he met someone that he thought he was going to do business with, he put their business card in his left pocket. If he met someone that he wasn't interested in, he would put them in his right pocket.

I thought at least he's trying to put a plan together to follow up with people right away. He then told me when he got back to his office he took out the cards in his left pocket to call and set up appointments. Unfortunately, he didn't stop there but told me the cards in his right pocket got thrown away! I looked at him and asked, "so which pocket did you put my card in?" He gave me a crooked little smile and didn't say a word.

I was telling a few friends of mine this story earlier this week and they asked, "Why didn't you ask for all the cards in his right pocket?" Obviously he was going to throw them away anyway. I guess I could have but I honestly don't want to just add names to my database unless I made a connection with them personally or they contacted me.

Then I read someone elses blog this week that was a networking guru and he made a new rule this year for all of his social networks and that was if he didn't personally meet them or at least talk to them on the phone, he was deleting them from his contact list! He said he went from 600 connections to 140. Now some people might think that was pretty smart to only work with people that want to work with you. I happen to disagree. What if he deleted someone that could have been his most valuable contact?

Here's my opinion on who to put into your network. Whether you meet them face-to-face, by phone or online, embrace all of them! You should have a "Welcome" sign in front of you at all times. Of course, not everyone will do business with you and that's OK. Building a strong and healthy network of people is so much more than business. You really can't judge a person or predict what will happen.

My advice is to stay open to all connections you make because you'll never know who you might be talking with or who they might know. To make it easier, think about the people you want to meet. Are they someone you respect, admire or believe in? You can actually attract the right people, at the right time, for whatever you need or want.

If people want to get to know you better, let them. Bring them into your circle and introduce them to others. Everyone relies on referrals to grow their business and you can help them by including them in your network.

To Your Networking Success,

Darlene Willman

The Sassy Networker

When You Promote Others, You Actually Promote Yourself!

Most people focus so much on themselves that they neglect the true meaning and philosophy of networking. Chances are they hardly receive any referrals and wonder why they aren't having any real success from all the networking they do. I hear it all the time that it takes too long to get any business or it costs too much or no one has any connections for them. The truth is they are totally naive and have no idea why this is happening to them.

In my experience, the people that spend time sending business to others are also the same people that promote one another. They go out of their way to tell people they know all about the other person. These free marketing agents turn out to be highly successful themselves and reap the rewards by receiving tons of referrals.

There are a variety of reasons why this happens especially if you believe the more you give, the more you receive. Just ask my friend Bob Burg, co-author of "The Go-Giver" who shares my own personal cardinal rule, "Always Give Without Expectation".

Another reason (that's not so obvious) is by promoting others, you are ultimately being seen and occassionally being asked about your business. It always feels better to put the spotlight on someone you would recommend or endorse.

I challenge you to give this a try and put it into action this week. Find 3 people you do business with currently and promote them to a few of your friends. Even if you currently don't do any business together but believe in them and want to see them successful, see what happens. You might just be pleasantly surprised!

Since I have such a HUGE network of incredible people, my goal is to share 10 personal friends I would like to recommend. Keep in mind, this is just a few of them (in no particular order) and I will continue to introduce you to more amazing people in the weekly publication of The Networking Focus.

• Lori Feldman, The Database Diva
• Tessa Greenspan, Xango
• Gina Keeven, Choices Catering & Brokerage
• Nancy Schneider, Ronan Signs
• Joe High, 4th Quarter Financial
• Sheridan Hermann, Salon Kashmir
• Karen Hoffman, The Idea Coach
• Katrina Sawa, JumpStart Your Biz Coach
• Bob Sommers, Recognized Expert
• Mike Tobin, BNI

If you would like to be connected to any of them, please let me know. I'm sure they would love to hear from you!

To Your Networking Success,

Darlene Willman

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Spend Time Social Networking Online

Whether you network in person or online, it's an investment of your time, money and resources. Since the internet is a HUGE network of people, it's important to spend your time wisely.

Here are 5 reasons why you should invest your time in social networking:

1. If you are promoting a product or service, you need to be visable so people can find you when they need you. Meeting once or twice doesn't always work but if you are online and connected, you can be found easily.
   
2. Establishing your credibility and positioning yourself as an expert in your field will open many doors. Whenever possible, educate your audience and participate in discussions. Let's face it, people want to know who they are doing business with and you'll be surprised how often they "Google" you. It's up to you to provide the right information about yourself online. Don't leave it to chance and hope there are good things being said about you...make it happen. Take a few minutes today and "Google" yourself!
   
3. Keep up with what other people are doing and do your best to support them. If you learn about something that is interesting or valuable, share it with your own network! The more you can provide resources to other people, the more they will turn to you for up-to-date reports on what's happening.
   
4. Drive traffic to your website, blog or profiles. Always include a link with a posting or entry whenever possible. The top 4 websites I'd recommend you become active in to grow your business are...LinkedIn, Facebook, Plaxo and Twitter because all of them offer a link to your website for your friends or fans to learn more about you and what you offer.
   
5. Build your network of contacts and prospects. You can also expand your market beyond your backyard and tap into new markets. When your local market isn't buying, you can turn to other parts of the country that not only want what you have but need it.

There are tons of other reasons why you need to be online and doing some social networking. It's never too late to start and always worth the investment of your time.

To YOUR Social Networking Success,

Darlene Willman

P.S. If we're not connected yet, please visit my bio page and join one of my social networks!

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” -- Dr. Seuss

Today, March 2nd is Dr. Seuss' birthday. To honor this man who has entertained and educated my children along with much of the population, I decided to blog about his final book he published before he passed away.

This book is a good metaphor for the ups and downs of life and the many different adventures one will go on. Dr. Suess had a way of teaching life lessons to everyone who reads them, whether a child or an adult.

As we grow our business, we go to many places. From Chamber of Commerce lunches and networking events to conferences both near and far. You'll meet lots of people that can help you get to where you want to go. Develop your network at all the Places You'll Go!

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you. And when things start to happen, don't worry. Don't stew. Just go right along. You'll start happening too. Read more

Take a moment and remember Dr. Seuss or better yet, read one of his books to your own family!

Darlene Willman

"The Sassy Networker"

Collaboration Builds an Abundance of Business!

Throughout my career, I have met a number of people that compete against one another trying to get the same business. It's a tug of war that never seems to have a winner. I have to admit, when I was in Corporate America and a part of a sales team, we were always trying to beat each other. I found myself working hard to get to the top and was driven by numbers. I was trained by the best in the sales profession from Brian Tracy to Zig. Of course, I won lots of great stuff including a big screen TV and luxurious trips.

Today, I find ways to collaborate more with the people in my network. I've discovered there's so much more you can accomplish working together and helping each other than competing for the same thing. Even more amazing is the end result tends to be much bigger!

This week, think about someone you know that would be open to collaborating and do a one-time joint project together. If the results prove positive, do it again!

Until next time....Keep on Networking!

To Your Sassy Success,

Darlene Willman

Breaking Through Your Own Limitations

This past Saturday I hosted a 5 hour workshop called, "Goals by AttrACTION". Traditionally, I'm comfortable setting up events and coordinating a speaker who does the presentation. This time, I was not only facilitating but involved with the audience and keeping their focus engaged with me for 5 hours!

Last year, I started hosting monthly seminars to help people gain more referrals from their networking efforts. Those seminars lasted approximately 3 hours and were filled with suggestions and creative ideas to get people attracted to you and what you offer instead of chasing people down. The process of magnetizing yourself and having people seek you out from a crowded room can be hard for some people. In my experience, I've noticed how some people have magnetic personalities while others tend to miss the purpose of networking altogether.

The workshop on Saturday really stretched me beyond my comfort zone. Not only did I create almost 100 slides on my PowerPoint presentation but had a workbook that corresponded with the presentation. Plus, I had integrated times throughout the workshop that allowed people to share and be involved. I was concerned whether I would finish on time since I truly respect my participants time and magically, I ended the program with 5 minutes to spare!

There were times during my preparation that I doubted myself and wondered if I would be able to deliver value and make the workshop a success for everyone. I reviewed the comments that some of the attendees wrote about their experience and thought I'd share them with you...

"I started the New Year January 1st and was feeling stressed already about things I have already messed up or not followed through with -- the timing of this workshop and the focus on my goals has made this truly the "first day of the rest of my life" and giving me the information and focus to start again today! Thank you!" -- Nancy

"Thank you, thank you! I now have some direction and clarity, and a renewed sense of purpose! The event was packed with exercises to find out about myself. It will definitely NOT gather dust when I get home! -- Lisa

"Very informative and great organization tips on how to realize what you truly want and desire and things that are most important -- self realization. Very helpful visualization techniques, too! This was the motivation I needed!" -- Karen

I am so grateful for everyone who believed in me and participated at the workshop. You helped me push beyond my own limited beliefs. Now, I feel confident that I can continue producing valuable workshops and programs to help as many people in the community as possible.

This week, think of ways to breathrough your own limitations and tell me about them.

To Your Unlimited Success,

Darlene

Out With the Old, In With the New

Are you playing it safe? You've heard the saying, "If you keep doing watch you've always been doing, you'll continue getting what you've always been getting." We need to constantly evaluate what's working and what isn't when developing our business and career.

I was listening to a conference call last night with a woman I truly respect and admire, Ali Brown. She mentioned that she had to make a difficult decision and stop having her big blueprint workshops so she could allow something bigger and better to come into her life.

What worked yesterday, may not be working today. If you started your business doing one thing and needed to make a change to keep up with the world around you, I commend you. Those that don't make the change will be left behind.

Find what's in demand during this time of change and you can create an abundance of opportunities for yourself. Although our market is different than before and people are making buying decisions based on future potential, business still happens.

This week, evaluate whether what you've been doing is taking you closer to your goals or pulling you further away. If it isn't in alignment with your vision, maybe it's time to eliminate it.

To Your Sassy Success,

Make 2009 Your Best Year Ever!

Now's the time to focus on what you really want vs. what you have to get. Any time you need something or have to do something, it seems harder to accomplish, right? What about spending a little time thinking about what you want instead? I'm not talking about fulfilling someone else's goals and feeling the demands of the normal day to day grind. I'm talking about the BIG picture, your purpose in life.

Many times I've often thought that if I work harder and do more, I can accomplish anything. The problem was I became busy all the time and lost track of what was most important to me. Time is often more valuable than money. It's the only thing we all get but how we decide on how it's used is the true key.

Even if you have a variety of talents and can make tons of money doing it, if it doesn't make you feel fulfilled and joyful, it might not be your true calling. Here are a few ways to watch for those things that take you away from your purpose.

• Do you feel like you are swimming upstream?
• Do you find obstacles that seem to get in the way?
• Do other people question why you continue?
• Does it feel heavy?
• Do you complain about it and nothing seems to change?

If you know who I am, you've probably heard me say that I'm here to make a difference in the lives of everyone I come in contact with. I'm very intentional and not here to just wing it. Everything I do is designed to help create more abundance in our community and for more businesses to prosper.

When we have faith and allow the universe to provide us the signs, we can discover a whole new world awaits us. Life seems to be easier and things fall into place. Sometimes we need to be still long enough to hear what our intuition is telling us.

Take time to simplify and analyze your situation. When you get back to basics, live with your strengths and say "no" to things that aren't in alignment with who you are, you can find abundance is all around you.

This year will be the year for change. Decide now if you are on the right path and if not, make the change. The New Year brings a new life filled with possibilities and new opportunities for everyone. It's up to you to create your best year ever!