At the Chatsworth Chamber breakfast this am. Always a pleasure to see friends.

Did video wksp today with Andy Crittenden. It was well received.

Starting the Diamond Mastermind grp. Judy O'Higgens is a member. I'm stoked to learn from her as well.

Waiting 4 TJ's to opn so I cn get healthy lunch food. Bettr than hotel food.

In Starbucks watching kids getting frappacinos to strt the day:(

On my way to a dynamite sales mtg with my sales coach Eric Lofholm. :)

Council has convened. Dealing with agenda items before the public hearing.

My favorite literacy program could be negatively impacted with privatization of library management.

The council chamber is overflowing because of the library hearing.

Present at the Camarillo City Cncl hearing about the library.

Meeting with biz coach Rhonda Reeve to talk about collaboration.

At The Village Senior Living in Northridge. Brought a friend to the concert. Next she gets a tour.

The Chocolate Club

Meet some new friends, and network at the first meeting of:

The Chocolate Club (Mrs. Fig's Bookworm)


Aug 23, 2010,
6:00 PM

to 6:30 PM

Come in from 7 to 9 to donate to Manna at the Masonic Lodge, 2768 Crescent Way, Thousand Oaks, CA

Thanks to the evening Sponsors 4 Kiwqanis trivia nite: Yozen Frogurt and Jersey Mike's.

Ready for the Kiwanis Trivia night. Donate a canof food 4 Manna get a raffle ticket.

Jordan is giving us coaching to build our downline.

We got recognized for achievement. In SOC.

Jordan will speak soon. He's the top dude in SOC

Attending SuperSat in LA

Teaching my social media wksp participants about how to use ping.fm.l

Having a great time with my social media workshop participants.

Kevin McBride, of Size Zero Solutions is meeting with me here to plan my approach to shedding a few pounds.

Meeting with Karen Kraines about logo gear from King Dog Promotions.

Just enjoyed a yummy veg curry. A nice mild bite. The olive oil at New Oak Farm had more of a bite! Never had spicy olive oil before.

Wandering thru the menu. Now the group is having Jerk Chicken. The Spinach Ravioli so far is my favorite.

Finishing our Ojai Tour at the Feast Bistro. We get a tasting menu. Looking forward to the Spinach Ravioli.

U Pick Lavendar at New Oak Ranch on the weekends now for ssix weeks.

We learned all about lavendar farming. Lavendar is doing well here with the drought.

Just went to the New Oak Ranch where we picked lavendar. Provence here in Ventura Cnty. Fun.

Ojai Olive Farm has many different varieties of olives. Some trees were planted in the 1800's.

Just doing introductions so we can move on. Cindy doing the next tour July 10.

Here at Knead Bakery in Ojai with Cindy Pardee on a culinary tour. Going to the Olive Farm next.

Just attended the kick off for TEAM Agoura. Met a comedian, Rocky Watule, looking for gigs at night clubs. Know any club owners? Get bak to me.

Could you try to do something that will force you to go beyond your comfort zone? What would it be?

"Undertake something that is difficult; it will do you good. Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow."
Cleric, Ronald E. Osborn

quote "Change starts when someone sees the next step."Judge, William Drayton What is your next step, and when will you take it?

I learned a lot from my peeps at the wksp. Lots of interest in having Karin Conway do one for us about LinkedIn. Will schedule with her.

The workshop participants here are awesome. We are rockin the house.

I think I have it now. Hopefully all is set up before my workshop begins.

Eric's sales training can't be beat. He is an awesome trainer. Now I need to get busy.

Another great day with Eric Lofholm my sales coach. Met grt people there.

Attending a sales boot camp today with Eric Lofholm.

Attending the Chatsworth Chamber Unforgettable Educator award dinner.

Do You Poken?

At a recent TEAM referral network event in Santa Anita, I was fortunate to meet Sabrina Gibson, a Social Media guru. She was giving away Pokens, the hottest new thing to make your connections easier. I had never seen them before, but got it right away. This will make collecting relevant information so much easier! Just wanted to pass on the information so you can get started with this device as well.

Wouldn't it be cool to be able to meet people, and get their contact information right away, without needing a pen or paper? Poken solves the problem of remembering email addresses and screen names of every one so you can contact them again. It allows you to quickly swap information. Just touch Pokens and connect. Poken holds your contact information: name, address, email, mobile phone, and your social networking account names: FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others. Already know your friends profiles? Even better: when you Poken and they Poken, you will automatically have updates when they open a new social networking account. As soon as your friend has registered his Poken, and you have registered yours, the information automatically appears in the Poken hub. And what is really cool? You can follow your Twitter account right in the Poken hub as well, and even update it from there.

Hope you get on the bandwagon soon, so when we next meet, we can Poken as well.

Happy Networking

Dr. Kaaren

Anothr grt wk set to begin. Had an amazing Home Party yesterday. Wonderfl to laugh.

Chuck Douglas helping us improve our recall of info. Fun!

In the last 30 days what level have you been playing at?

Getting ready to listen to Eric my coach.

Adam Urbanski is a marketing expert now speaking at the TEAM event.

How do you help others? How can I help you in your business?

Sabrina Gibson is the current speaker. Social Media Guru talking about giving.

Have a SendOutCards table at the TEAM event. Going well.

They are filming a movie here at Santa Anita. How fun!

Attending the TEAM event at Santa Anita. Awesome!

How r u tracking to see if what u r doing is getting results?

We will be talking about social media. How r u using it to market ur business?

Almost time for our marketing workshop. I'm really excited to be teaching it.

Here at the Double Your Check Club. Casey rocks.

Back at the car dealer to get a small problem fixed. Delivered the title.

Just sent out 16 thank you cards in 15 minutes. Whew, I love SOC!

Have a great Chatsworth Chamber luncheon today. Will be fun to visit with friends. How is your day going?

Just found out the Ben&Jerrys at The Lakes in TO closed.

At Crown Plaza looking at all the flight attendants coming in. I'm here for mtg.

COOKING CLASS NETWORKING

I took time out from my regular Saturday schedule and went to a cooking class with Chef David Anderson at Madeleine Bistro,Tarzana, CA. He and Molly are always a lot of fun, and they attract some interesting people into their restaurant and to his classes. When are there, David and Molly remember you, and are always happy to see you. I saw this during the class when one of their customers, Sara Gilbert, came in with her two kids. Molly pulled out a basket of child-focused materials, and the youngest one was quickly distracted with her treasures until the food was ready to take home. Molly and Chef David have their own family, so their restaurant has a real family feel to it.

Yes, you need to have time to do fun things that just add balance to your life. And if along the way you meet people who may later be interested in what you do, it's all good. Many of the participants in the class are regulars, and people I would like to see again. Be aware that many networking opportunities may present themselves along the way. If it sounds like fun, do it, and some great new people may show up in your life.

Happy Networking

Kaaren

Upcoming Workshop Gets My Attention

A month or so ago, I was approached by three different people for coaching about how to use online media. It was a compliment, and an inspiration to develop a workshop that I am starting next week. In order to take the topics in the order my participants want, I sent them a survey to take. I welcome your input on this as well. When I have 100 responses I will publish the results here.

Please go to My Marketing Survey and answer the four questions. You will remain anonymous throughout, so feel free to tell me what you really think, and fill in the blanks if you have other thoughts about ways you are currently marketing your business.

After you have completed the survey, you will be invited to use the free version of Survey Monkey. Try it. You'll like it.

Happy Networking

Dr. Kaaren

Trying out some new twitter apps to be able to augment my reading. Any you recommend?

SHOULD I JOIN A LEADS GROUP

In the course of my networking journey, I go to a ton of meetings. One of the first regular networking groups that I joined was a local “leads” group. It was a free-standing group, without affiliation to either a chamber of commerce or a national leads group. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the group, and even though I was acknowledged as giving more referrals than any other member, it did not lead to an expansion of my business. So after well over a year, I decided to move on.

Although this is not meant to be a total list, some of the more common groups you may have heard of are Business Networking International (BNI), LeTip International, and a new group in my area, TEAM Networking groups. In your area, there may also be groups that are strictly local, such as my first networking group, and it is worthwhile sorting them out.

Before joining such a group, there are things to consider.

What constitutes a Leads Group?

1. Meetings are held regularly, as often as weekly.
2. Only one representative of a category is allowed, e.g. only one realtor, or financial planner, or mortgage broker, or electrician, or computer specialist, or, whatever.
3. Most such groups would prefer that you only belong to their group, because how can you give referrals to multiple realtors, or mortgage brokers, or etc.?

Advantages of a Leads Group:

1. Meeting every week allows you to get to know the other members.
2. When members get to know you, they will feel comfortable using your service.
3. When they get to know you, they will give you referrals.
4. Depending on the leads group, members may have been screened before they are invited to join the group.
5. You may be mentored in the group so that your networking skills improve.
6. The group may offer training programs, especially if your group is part of a larger organization.

Disadvantages of a Leads Group:

1. The initial fee may be as pricey as joining a chamber of commerce or a national organization.
2. There may be a renewal fee.
3. There are monthly dues, whether you are able to attend a meeting or not.
4. You may be penalized if you miss a number of meetings.
5. They may expect you to find a replacement for you if you need to be absent.
6. There may be penalties if you do not supply other members with referrals.
7. The members may not be people you choose to do business with, or feel comfortable giving referrals to.

Be sure you visit the group as many times as they allow, before you are obliged to make a decision. Find out what you get for the initiation fee, and will it help you. If there is mentoring within the group, take advantage of it. If there are training workshops, be sure to attend. Make your membership work for you. And finally, if you have the chance to take a more active role in the group, offer to be the greeter at the meetings. This way you get to meet everyone who comes to the group as a visitor. Those folks may also be good candidates for your business or service.

Happy Networking

Kaaren

BEING PREPARED FOR NETWORKING

What Do You Take With You Every Day?

When I leave the house, I have a sign on the door leading to the garage with a list of all the things I must take with me:

1. Business cards: how many do I need for the event? Which cards (if I have more than one style that I use) am I taking? Do I have my business card holder in my purse? Do I have a table top holder filled with cards?

2. Flyers: do I have information sheets that I can hand to someone if they have a question about an event I have mentioned, or a benefit of my product, or how to contact me?

3. Samples: do I have samples or examples of my product that I can give to someone who asks? Or do I have examples of the product I am marketing, so people can actually see what they can expect to get?

4. Calendar: I always carry my calendar, so that I can make appointments to follow up with people I meet. If you have your appointment calendar in your phone or PDA, make sure you update it, or sync it with the calendar on your computer daily so it is always up to date.

5. Phone: Yes, I have actually gone off to an appointment without my cell phone. So, be sure to check that off your list before you leave the house.

6. Directions: do you have the address of the appointment you are going to? Have you a map, or directions, or a GPS unit that can help make sure you get to where you are going? Be sure to double check with the person you are meeting to see if there are any snags with getting there. One of the meetings I went to last fall was at someone's home, and both the online directions and GPS unit did not acomodate a closed-off street that made it really tricky to find. Unfortunately my hostess did not alert me to this possibility, and I didn't think to ask.

7. Food/Snacks: if you will be out all day, or past a mealtime, do you need to take some snacks with you? This ends up being an issue for me sometimes, so I usually pack a lunch if I am going to be gone from the house for an extended period.

8. Computer and Computer Accessories: Have you ever left the house with your laptop in its case, and when you got to your appointment realized you didn't have the cords you needed? That can put a real damper on a presentation.

9. Outfitting Your Car: One way to make sure you have what you need is to always carry a portable file or roll-around file in your car that has your materials and/or products. And be sure to put any portable display in the car before you leave for your appointment (see pictures).

When you are this organized your days and appointments will go smoother, but be sure at least once a week to go through your file and restock what you have given away.

Happy Networking.

Kaaren

Check out my latest blog post: http://tinyurl.com/ydyytdf

PROSPECTING SYSTEMS

Meeting with some colleagues today getting ready for a workshop we are doing, and I mentioned the concept of "Prospecting." One of my friends laughed. She had never heard anyone use that phrase before. But isn't it just totally apt? We are prospecting for gold all the time. We are looking for new customers, new business partners, and the 20% who do decide to join us in our business that will help us take it to the top.

Where are you prospecting for gold? Are you going where the geologists tell you is a vein of gold? Are you panning in a creek full of gold nuggets? Or are you dipping a net into a lake, and wondering why you are getting guppies instead of beautiful yellow stones you can take to the bank?

Gordon Hawkins described his best prospects in the category of his Natural Market: the people with whom he could relate, and with whom he liked to work. He said his market was not any particular occupation, profession, or specific needs group, but once a person mastered awareness of his natural market, he would be more successful. So how do YOU find your natural market? According to Hawkins, try these four steps:

1. List the names of the last 20 people you sold your product to, or brought into your business.

2. Out of those individuals, think to yourself, "What do I like about this person? Do I enjoy being around them?" Now place a check mark next to the names of the people you relate best with.

3. Review the characteristics of the people you like, and think about why these individuals bought from you, or joined you in your business.

4. Place a check mark by the names of the individuals you feel genuinely like you. Wherever you see a double check mark, that is your kind of person.

These people represent your Natural Market. So now take a look at people that might be included in your warm market list who share the characteristics of the people you like and that like you, and if they meet the four basic requirements (see Blog Post 12/20/2009), they should be next on your list to talk to. Next go to the referrals from people you know. Then how about the people you write checks to each month? They should at least be willing to give you a few minutes to hear about your products or business, and if they aren't interested, perhaps you need reconsider those relationships.

Happy Prospecting, and keep panning for GOLD!

Kaaren

Which Social Media Platform Are You Using?

In putting together a presentation, I just found this information through one of my Twitter connections:



So which sites are you using to market your business? And how are you doing that?

Just ran across a great summary of a vast array of marketing tips by Joshua Horton. He suggests the following: Article marketing, video marketing, and blogging. And he suggests a pretty hefty schedule at that: write two articles each day, shoot two videos each day, update your blog daily, and add 30 to 100 friends each day minimum.

I don't know about you, but that sounds like a lot of work. So I say, pick the most popular site, and work on that one for a while. And remember, this is about business, and bringing value to the table. So when you post, keep it professional, keep it relatively brief, and make sure it isn't just an add for your business.

Happy Networking.

Kaaren

More Heart Than Talent

Just got back from the More Heart Than Talent meeting for those of us in network marketing. It was an amazing experience, getting information from the best in the industry. The organizers of the conference are Jeffery & Erica Combs, who promise a quantum leap to success.

Many of my mentors were there, like Todd Falcone, Casey Eberhart, and people I hope to study with like Ron White, the memory expert. Have you ever had someone hear your name once, remember it, and that of 200 other people, after a couple of hours?

Ken Dunn, author or From Here to Having It All presented, as did Eric Lofholm , Dr. Sugar Singleton, and Robert Shemin, who is a real estate and investment guru seen on CNN and Fox News. I read his book on the way back from Dallas, and plan to implement many of his recommendations as soon as possible.

One of my favorite speakers was Keith Craft from Frisco, TX. Pastor Craft brought a different dimension to the idea that it is better to ask and receive than to go through life broke.

Wow, you just have to follow your promptings, as Kody Bateman would say. And I did. Casey Eberhart had said this was one of his favorite meetings, and I would have to concur.

You hope you will be able to remember some small thought that will propel you forward, take your business to the next level. I walked away from the conference with that, but also with the great experience of meeting people like Dawn Santillo, and her sister Darci Lenhard.

Hope you enjoy my pictures from the event. Look for a few videos at Douglas Marketing.