My guaranteed formula for success

We hear all sorts of experts, consultants and gurus saying, "If you do these x number of things I guarantee you success. Well, here's mine

1. Be visible. In other words go networking, externally and internally if you are employed by a bigger organisation
2. Be persistent. Keep following up in a professional manner. In business 'no' normally means 'not yet' so keep asking permission to keep in touch
3. Be reliable. Do what you say you're going to do when you say you're going to do it.
4. Become a life- long leaner. As I was exercising my body in the gym today I listened to the monthly edition of the great audio tape Achievers Edge produced by Peter Thomson, my guru. For me this months starting section was a gem. He said the following questions can be used in all sorts of situations

• Where are you now?
• Where have you come from?
• Where are you hoping to get to?
• Why do you want to get there?
• What challenges do you face on the way?
• How do you hope to achieve that goal?

I will be asking my audiences to ask these sort of questions when out networking.

Thank you, Peter.

That's what I learnt today

“You must run on super-power batteries, Kintish?”

This question was asked of me at the end of my 12th, yes 12th presentation in 6 days.
“How do you do it asked one delegate, I mean let’s be honest, you’re no spring chicken?”
It’s simple really. If you love what you do, believe you are making a positive difference to peoples’ lives and earn a good reward you don’t think of the effort you put in. Because what you get from it easily overrides what you put in…and that’s how I have come through my busiest week ever.
Now, time to sleep!
Before I go…I worked at one of the best conference centres I’ve ever been to. Far too posh for a northern boy. But wow. They looked after me like a king and even the beaker in the bathroom was crystal glass!
Based in Kingston-upon-Thames…Warren House

It shouldn't happen to a dog!

I write at the start of working day 4 after my holidays.

In the last 3 days I have presented in Manchester three times Leicester, Nottingham, Newcastle and Sheffield. It shouldn’t happen to a dog. Early mornings and late nights.

I have presented to delegates from the property, accountancy, investment management, legal, and Further Education College, communities. It’s been great fun, we’ve had lots of laughs and I hope lots of learning and ‘ahaa moments’.

I can only quote my old friend Confucius, and my goodness is he old, when he said (excuse his lack of political correctness…still got a lot to learn)

“Give a man a job he loves and he’ll never have to work a day in his life.”

True, oh so true. Basically I’m still on holiday, just in a different country where the weather isn’t as hot.
So if the dog enjoys it as much as I am, perhaps it should happen to the dog.

Am I sad? You decide.

Good networkers can’t help themselves

I have just returned from holiday, rested and raring to go.

But even on holiday, good networkers keep doing it…networking that is.

I met CG on the plane who’d been on one of our seminars. We chatted and he’s quite happy for me to call him to explore ideas about more work.

I met DS, one of my son’s friends who works for a large merchant bank. He too said he was happy for me to ask him for an introduction to someone in training.

MR is a very senior man at a major City law firm. He seemed interested in what we do. I will be calling him. This is in spite of me already meeting people at his firm who haven’t yet taken on our services. When you are trying to get into large organisations, remember there are many doors to go through. Most departments don’t talk to each other anyway!

BB is a bank manager at a bank where I already do some work but not his section…yet! He called ‘home’ to check me out and said he’d heard good things. Just another bit more profile.

BB’s brother, DB is the owner of a property agency and when I told him what I do he showed a fair amount of interest. I will be inviting him to sample what we do then hopefully he may buy some of our services later

I went on a camel ride and at the tea break chatted to JH. He’s in property and couldn’t begin to think my services would be any use to him. It took just 3 minutes and 43 seconds to explain how he was missing out on so many opportunities for his business. I invited him as my guest on one of our seminars. Value to me? Who knows? But if he likes it, he’ll tell lots of others and become part of my free sales force.

I have just finished my book and AB offered to review it. Lots of positive criticism.

On the same camel ride MC a senior man at a major industrial company casually mentioned he organises conferences and is looking for speakers. This year is sorted but next year….

THE LEARNING

Just chat to people and listen carefully for 'an ahaa moment'.. Men particularly talk business and sport. When people ask ‘what do you do?’ explain in a clear manner with a benefit-based statement. People don’t really care what you do; they only care what you can do for them.

Who knows, if some of these opportunities come off it will pay for next year’s holiday! But they’ll only come off if I follow up…which of course I will.

It was the first holiday with our granddaughter, Aimee Miriam.
There are already lots of boring holiday snaps but I have restricted myself to just one

My email in-box has been invaded by

Simon Wharton who runs Virtuaffinity and David Thomas. Dave is the memory man and one of his claims to fame is being a guest on the Ophra Wimfrey show. The sad man can also remember 50 odd packs of cards. I know , I once sat there and watched him. It made watching paint dry so much fun!!
Simon is a man who understands web-based marketing. Top man who I recommend highly
They have been discussing my e-newsletter and website strategies and out of the goodness of their hearts looking for the best way for me to move forward.
Aren't people good?
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HOLIDAY TIME

Signing off now for a week or so. I have no plans to diary my holiday activities...well not unless I come up with a great networking story!!

Now this is how to network properly

You can't learn too early!!

This is my granddaughter Aimee...so what would you expect?

Network...simply to gain knowledge & Testimonials

I ama member of Pro-Manchester, a fantastic networking club for the professional and financial community of Manchester. Once a month they run an event which is pure magic for people interested in the past.
Ken Moth of the Building Design Partnership takes us on a walk around Manchester. His knowledge of it's history, buildings and hertitage seems limitless and he presents his talk in such a passionate and enthusiatic manner.
Yes you walk with other members and talk so you could call it networking. I re-established relationships and met new people. BUT I hardly talked business. Ken was far too interesting.
He showed us round St Anns Church , Manchester Cathedral and the world famous Chetham's School of Music.
This was the place where Karl Marx met Frederick Engels and was the birthplace for the ideals of communism.
What a great hour, what knowledge I gained.
Sometimes it's just good to leave your normal place of work and 'smell the roses'

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Testimonials

I received a hand-written card from Catherine Boddington ( head of training and development) of Addleshaw Goddard , a major UK law firm, thanking me for my contribution in being awarded a postion in the top 100 companies to work for .
Going round telling people how good you are means nothing but when others say it then that's marketing!!
Oh, don't worry, Catherine said I could tell everyone

People, generally, are really nice

I was guest speaker today at the Business Development conference of Hitachi Capital
At lunch time Paul my friend who drove me down, fell and cut his head badly. I didn't see it but by the time someone pointed it out there was a delegate who was an experienced first -aider sorting it out. The hotel called the hospital and everything was under control. Mind you Paul ended with 5 stitches and I had to drive home!!
I was actually talking to Richard , another delegate, at the time who said that although he had to leave early he had met a large client yesterday who had said they were looking for a speaker for their conference. He was going to put my name forward as he left our conference
Aren't people nice?

Get involved. After all Woody Allen said

"80% of success is just turning up"

Yesterday I ran a full day's workshop in Birmingham and arrived back into Manchester tired at the end of a successful day.

I then had a choice. Do I go home or go the Professional Speakers meeting? Head said, 'go home' , heart said,' you're on the committee, you know you always enjoy it as everyone is so welcoming, so go'.

Heart won. I had a great time and picked up one gem from Steven Brewer of Train 2 who said 'From self-talk you create your self-image which in turn creates behavioural patterns'
so relevant for walking into that room full of strangers.

I am on the Pro-Manchester committe and attended a meeting today. I met Phil who I've known for a while. We have never really talked much other about committee matters but as we walked out he showed some interest in what we do. Who knows what might follow but we have moved a little closer to building a business relationship.

LEARNING FOR THE DAY

"If you don't go you'll never know"

NEW STUFF FROM KINTISH

Sue Tonks my associate has produced an advanced training course which we will be running from the Summer. Really excited about this. She is a far more experinced trainer than me ..hence I asked her for help.
Get involved but ask others along.

Don't be afraid to tell....then sell

If you don't simply sell products you must be selling a service or service with a product.
Everyone has knowledge to give away to show they know what they're talking about and that is great marketing.
Today I 'nipped down' from Manchester to Milton Keynes to do a no-fee 1.5 hour presentaion to a group of business development team of people who run and manage conference centres.
Why did I give up approximately 8 hours for free?
To market my expertise. These people will have some clients looking for speakers. The presentation seemed to go well and at the end my contact offered to promote my training and presentation skills.
In most areas...THE MORE YOU TELL, THE MORE YOU SELL
But make it useful, valuable and practical

Suppliers are as important as customers

"They " say clients are the most important group of people in any business. I can agree they are key, without them there is no business. However, if you don't have great suppliers and these include employees, then your business will not grow or run efficiently.
6 months ago I fell out with one of my suppliers. Things were going wrong, I was getting frustrated and I decided to change.

Oh, what a mistake. I went to no. 2 and things didn't seem to get any better . We then met someone at an exhibition and started to talk. But somehow or other I just wasn't 100% sure, there was something 'not quite right'. I suppose the final straw, and the reason I didn't do business with them was the language they used when writing to me.
"You will..." "Unless we..." "We cannot...until..." and this was before they got a signed order!

I swallowed my pride, put my big ego in the drawer and called my first supplier.
After all they are people I know , like and trust.