Posture: A Career Changing Lesson
When I first started my networking career, I was a pretty shy person. The thought of picking up a phone and calling a stranger horrified me.
I used to literally sit at my desk staring at the phone for hours trying to sum up the courage to call my leads. It was ridiculous, but my mind found a way to justify my inaction with one excuse or another.
The problem stemmed from my lack of posture, leadership, and authority, due to a lack of confidence. When I would call my leads, I came from a place of weakness, need, and desperation.
I was spending every spare cent I had on leads and tools, and I had to sponsor a new rep soon or I would be out of money and a failure.
That desperation, need, and lack of confidence came though on the phone and people took advantage of it in order to give themselves power. I came from a position of servitude, doing anything I could to please the prospect and keep them in the pipeline.
This is a MAJOR problem with people new to this industry. You will never build an organization or sponsor the right people until you move out from a Beta mindset to an Alpha mindset.
It is impossible because people only join Alpha leaders. The good news is that your Beta status can be conquered with a little education.
So what does it mean to prospect with posture? Simple. To be blunt: The person on the other end of the phone is a nobody, that must qualify for and justify your attention and time. Until they prove themselves worthy, they are just a voice and a phone number.
I do not care if it is a doctor, lawyer, business owner, etc. They can waste my time just as
easily as anyone else. They have to earn it.
Here is a pretty basic concept that I am adding to this article based on several phone calls I have gotten this week. It is about 800 numbers and whether or not you should use one as a distributor.
I was setting up their websites for them, and they insisted that their 800 number be included because it is easier for the prospect to contact them, and because some people do not want to call long distance.
I have to admit that years ago when I got into this industry, getting my first 800 number was like some cool "right of passage" that meant "now I'm a business owner!"
Ya it was fun to experience that, but I soon learned that an 800 number has no real benefit and can actually be counter-productive.
The only time you should ever use an 800 number is in a direct response advertisement. That is it. I hope by now that YOU can recognize how flawed that above kind of thinking is. ("It makes it easier for my prospects to call me." or "Some of my prospects don't want to call long distance").
First and foremost, why would you even send information to either of those types of people, let alone cater to them? Think of an expert in any field.
Not only do they not have an 800 number, but they usually have a few hoops people have to jump through just to reach them! Receptionist, call screening, etc... forget 800 numbers. They have no benefit to you or your business, and they weaken your positioning.
The best way to build posture if you are lacking it, is to first and foremost, sit up straight or stand while on the phone. Have energy in your voice, and know in your head they you have the keys to the vault. You have already found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
If that is not your normal personality, then change it. This is what it means to become the person you need to be to succeed.
I honestly like to think of Donald Trump, sitting there in the boardroom on The Apprentice. It is an honor for his contestants to have the opportunity to work with him, and they all know it.
It should be no different with you and your prospects. You are the Donald. Act like it. The best way to assert your posture on a call is to keep control of it. Once a prospect asks a question and you answer it, you have lost control.
They are now in charge of the entire call and its outcome. You must take back control immediately! You do not have a choice if you want the call to be successful, not only for your sake, but for your prospects as well. (They just do not know it yet).
The best way to do this is to defer their question and ask them one. Asking your prospect questions keeps you in control of the conversation.
Example Prospect says, "so what kind of business is this? What is the name of your company? You say, "_____, that is a great question, but we are not to that point yet. This is an interview, and I am trying to qualify you for my time. If you would like to continue that is fine, or we can end the call right now. What would you like to do?" (Did you see the reverse question?) Now you have control again.
What does having a strong posture do for your business? First, it positions you as an Alpha leader. If you are not a leader, how can you expect people to follow you? Second, it positions you as an expert instead of a peddler.
Prospects and customers seek out experts because they have the answers they are looking for and because they gain power by associating themselves with that person. Third, it allows you to guide them though your information system on your terms for
maximum effectiveness.
IMPORTANT: People do not partner with you in business because of your product. They do not partner with you because of your compensation plan. They partner with you because of YOU and/or your system.
They partner with you because they see you as an Alpha Networker and someone who can help them achieve success they want. Everything else is secondary.
A great way to help you develop your posture is to just say no to your next five prospects. Do it. Tell them you are sorry, but they are not who you are looking for right now.
This exercise will change your mindset and your posture instantly because it gives you all of the power and it will help you adopt a mindset of abundance which is a critical trait that all Alphas share. Your mind will finally understand that you are the leader, and that the success of your business is not dependent upon any one person or handful of leads.
In all honesty, you should be telling this to at least 50% of everyone you talk to each day if you are building your business correctly! The vast majority of people you meet will not have the characteristics you want in a business partner!
Networking 2.0: Midlife Career Change For the 21st Century
When "career counselor" was a new word (and a "coach" blew the whistle at basketball practice), we all read the Parachute book. The standard career advice line went something like this:
"People are bored. They love to talk about what they do. So call them up and ask for information. Eventually someone will offer you a job."
In my experience, that advice is as outdated as the typewriters we used back when the first Parachute edition appeared in the bookstores.
Today networking matters more than ever before. But you have to work your way into everyone's outrageously busy schedule.
(1) Create a professional presence on the Internet, using Facebook, Myspace, and/or LinkedIn. Zoodango has become popular among corporate executives.
You can be outgoing and personal but share only what your next uptight business contact needs to know...unless you refuse to ever work with the uptight set, which is another article.
It's no accident that my "personal" public persona showcases my dog, with occasional glimpses of the cats. I've seen too many innocent disclosures get distorted... anyone following the Amanda Knox case?
(2) Attend professional meetings and conferences.
In some fields, you'll make awesome contacts. In others, you'll just get information about what's really happening, outside your own office.
And when you need to make calls, you may be able to say, "I'd like to use your name when I call your associate at MegaBig company..."
Or, "Do you know anyone who worked at SoNew Company? I'd like to get more info before applying..."
(3) Go back to school the grown-up executive way.
If appropriate, consider teaching courses at local universities and learning centers. Choose topics that enhance your most marketable strengths.
You won't get rich from the stipends but you get exposure and credibility. You'll often make some helpful contacts and gain new perspectives on the field.
Or consider the other side of the desk.
If you have funds and opportunity, a graduate degree can open doors - not just from the degree, but also from contacts you make. Programs offering face-to-face meetings on weekends or evenings tend to be most effective - and I have met people who got jobs through fellow students.
(4) Attend networking events designed for business owners (even if you love the corporate world and plan to stay forever).
You never know. Remember the Mary Poppins line: "I'll stay till the wind changes." I've met many savvy business people who encountered a tornado in their own offices.
When that happens, especially if you're over 50, you may see income faster from self-employment than from sending out resumes. I wouldn't stop job-hunting but hey, why not explore this path too?
Being around business owners will give you a boost: "If they can, I can." And if you think like an entrepreneur, you may find corporate life a little easier to take (and more rewarding, too).
Just about everyone who attends those meetings has corporate contacts...and they're very comfortable making referrals and introductions. That's how they grow their own businesses.
(5) Talk to everybody.
One of my acquaintances found herself sitting next to some corporate executives at a basketball game. Turns out they were using tickets from a corporate sponsor...and that company often had openings in her field. That particular contact didn't lead to a job, but she did gain some ideas that she used to make a quantum career leap.
University alumni groups tend to be especially friendly and open. It's an easy place to say, "I'm looking for a job in X industry. Do you know..."
Bottom Line: We're not calling strangers anymore to ask for "advice." Everybody knows what you're really after...and if they don't, they're too clueless to help. But we have newer, more user-friendly and more effective ways to build a network (before we *need* one).
How to stay employed at 40, 50 and Beyond
Recently, a friend of mine and I reminisced the past, when we were just kids in North America and when company’s had hierarchies with 20 levels (an exaggeration), but not that far off. You could visibly see your progress at work by the size of your office, expense account, car, title and then the worst unimaginable scenario took place. The word “Rightsizing” entered the English vocabulary.
My friend and I both agree that in the mid 80’s and early 90’s our path to organizational nirvana coming out of school diminished. Today, your personal growth is not as visible and your boss who 25 years ago as a VP would have had a great office and leather furniture now has a cubicle in an open office workplace environment. Now for those who wanted equality this works, however for those of us who wanted opportunity and clear visibility in our career’s something has gone wrong.
What we see today is a number of executives, managers and supervisors from the age of 40 and above lose their jobs. The executive search firms or head hunters if you will are receiving thousands of applications for every position posted. The competition is fierce and even for a recruiter and company it would be difficult to differentiate true talent from a great talker just based on the experience gained by so many of these candidates.
The challenge today is to keep your job and make yourself indispensable. Is such a thing possible even in a volatile economy? The answer is yes of course. But you can do more than that, at this time if you are still employed you are in the driver seat.
The truth is that it is still much easier to get a new job while you are still employed. In addition if your company just went through a host of cuts and you are still there chances are you have skills that are still needed.
So how do we keep the job that we have? How do we still get ourselves placed in the succession planning list for promotion? How do we get noticed by other company’s? The answers are plentiful however the work involved is a little harder.
Staying employed requires you the employee to demonstrate both your value to the company and second your external value in the job market. Experience and proven past performance will be the key winners in this job market.
Value to the Company: 1. Go out of your way to demonstrate your willingness to take on new assignments.
2. Be engaged, silent employees are usually deemed uninterested or uninvolved.
3. Offer to train new staff on your team this will demonstrate your skills and earn trust.
4. If you lead a team improve your leadership influence and impact.
5. Be clear about the organizations Mission, Vision and Values how do you contribute?
6. Keep yourself fit look and dress younger and be active.
7. Pick up a few courses and update your skills and business knowledge.
8. Read! Know what is going on in the world. Read your organizations quarterly report.
9. Get to know the decision makers one to two levels above you, look for ways to improve your visibility either through assignments or internal company social activities.
10. Stay alert to internal opportunities if you qualify let your supervisor know of your interest. Even if you don’t get an interview others will note your intentions.
The External Job Market
1. List out all the specialized skills that you have and identify the industries that may be interested in you.
2. Get to know the executive search firms that cover the industries you are interested in.
3. Start networking outside of work, charities, church, clubs and schools.
4. Signup for many of the free social networks on the internet. Don’t be like others waiting idol to be noticed. It is a busy world and you need to make noise.
5. Post your CV on most job portals, you have the option to keep yourself anonymous if you wish.
6. When writing your resume pack a great punch, you need to stand out.
7. Go for interviews get in the practice of answering tough questions.
8. If you lack experience in some areas take a night course, you’ll be surprised with the networking opportunities.
9. Re-create yourself if who you are today has not helped you get promoted, be honest with yourself and change.
10. If you can afford it get career coach to help you out.
Other Options
1. Is self-employment for you? Buy a franchise.
2. Start looking for a new place to work with stability now.
3. If you have transferable skills find work overseas in Asia.
4. Get another degree and start your second career in 3-5 years.
5. Enter a growth industry and get away from the Buggy Whip company.
The job markets will not get any easier and the time for self- improvement and personal change is now. One parting comment is that it is not your age that holds you back it is usually our attitudes and skills that come across as being older. Don’t get caught up in the idea that it is time slow down. That day is also over.
Exec-Guy