1. On maternity leave and you're dreading your return to work


2. Preparing for a performance review with your boss or manager


3. Flirting with the idea of self-employment, but you're not sure if it's the right option for you


4. Getting a lot of job interviews, but you're not landing any jobs


5. Bored with your current position and you want to switch gears


6. A female entrepreneur who wants to increase sales without cold calling

It was a natural transition. As a project manager in the technology sector, I was responsible for maintaining goals and timelines, resolving conflict, coaching my direct reports to achieve their best and always looking for ways to succeed. In my coaching business today, I rely heavily on the skills that made me great as a project manager so I can develop excellence in my coaching clients. As a coach, I help my clients reach their desired goals, achieve their best and look for ways to exceed their own expectations, yet I'm also blunt. Call me the Empowerment Diva.

When schmoozing, it's all about giving information, helping people to connect with others, building rapport with new contacts and nurturing ongoing relationships. These are all feminine qualities that women are born with, therefore, networking for women should be as natural as giving birth. Also, because women hate cold calling or hard selling, networking is a perfect way to build your business because it relies on your God-given traits that are innate.

What advice would you give to women entrepreneurs who are reluctant to attend networking events?

First, you're networking already. Whenever you refer a plumber to your neighbor or a mechanic to a family member, you're participating in the value of connections.

There is a natural fear to schmoozing. I recommend that women:

1. Practice small talk on every day people. I tend to chat with the cashier at the grocery store, the waiter at the take-out counter or the chap behind the dry cleaning counter. These are all great opportunities to practice your small talk.


2. Read up on new trends and events. Being current is a great way to spice up your small talk. Understand what's going on in your world and read a few books on the bestsellers list so you're never in an uncomfortable position.


3. Practice, practice, practice. Go to 2 or 3 networking events and approach friendly faces. Then, practice your small talk, dress professionally, smile a lot and just relax.

Overall, just act natural. Nothing says that you're weird if you're trying to follow some networking formula or process that you read on a website or in a book. Networking isn't a process, it's an art. And only when you treat this art as a natural extension of who you are will you be successful at it.

What advice would you offer to a woman who needs to balance full-time conventional employment with building her business?

Many women tend to look short-term, getting caught up in office politics and bad bosses that are plaguing them today. They become so wrapped up in their problems, they forget to plan ahead.

I remember when I was working full-time and trying to run a business on the side. It was tough, but it wasn't until I put a plan of action together that I started to see results. It took 12-months for me to leave my full-time job for good, but I've been self-employed ever since.

In my teleclass where I teach women the techniques to leave their job for good in 12-months or less, I recommend that they put together a plan, with tasks and target dates to get things done. Without an action plan or a roadmap, you can expect to continue spinning your wheels.

Who have been your mentors on your professional journey?

I don't have any mentors. Instead, I admire qualities in many people and thank the good Lord that I already embody those traits or I'm close to it. I visualize a lot, dreaming about what I'll look like, where I'll be living and what type of lifestyle I will have in 5- or 10-years. Whenever people ask me who are my mentors or who's my role model, I say: "Me, in 10-years." I am proud of my achievements to date, however, there's still more work that needs to be done.

If you could offer these Wild Women Entrepreneurs one tidbit of wisdom, what would it be?

Having a spiritual connection to a higher being is critical to your success. Whether you meditate daily, do yoga or attend a church, mosque or synagogue, connecting daily with your creator or the universe is so important to understanding how your business will impact your community.

Often, I bring spirituality into my coaching sessions to help my clients connect with their purpose in life. Now, just to be clear, I never dump my own beliefs on a client, however, if they expressed that they're spiritual, I help them to connect their spirituality with their mission and business.

Without building that spiritual connection, we can't ever expect to understand our greater purpose in life. And for many women who want to start their own businesses, they do so to leave a legacy behind, as well as to be independent and spend more time with family. Understanding where you should spend your energy helps you to connect your business to a wider strategy. You can only do this by asking a higher being for guidance and inspiration.

Labels: wild we member of the month

Go with a goal. One of the first and most common mistakes that people make when entering a networking situation (planned or otherwise) is to fail to have a firm goal in mind. Are you looking to acquire new prospects, meet colleagues for possible collaborations, create a mutual referral partnership, create name recognition for you and your business, find funding or just "shop around" for interesting news and trends you can use? If you haven't taken the time to determine what your goals are for the encounters ahead, you will have a hard time meeting them.

Of course, most businesses have several different needs, but in many cases any given networking opportunity is unlikely to provide more than one or two types of results, depending on the situation at hand. For example, if you are attending an event made up primarily of others in your industry or trade, you are unlikely to meet prospects, since everyone will be a provider just like you, nor are you likely to find referral partners, since almost everyone will be a direct competitor. So if your primary needs are clients and referrals, such events, while not an entire waste of time, might not be your best use of it. On the other hand, if you are desperately seeking a partner to expand or are looking to find out the latest, greatest technology in the field to offer to your client base, then you're definitely going to be in the right place.

Hone your message. When someone asks you what you do, can you articulate not only your business but it's benefit to them in a clear and concise manner? How about your "elevator speech" or 15-second intro - is it crisp, to the point and compelling, or do people's eyes glaze over before you get to the end? This is not the time to give a dry and deadly-dull job description. Save that for your resume. When someone asks about you and your business, you are being given a golden, but brief, opportunity to knock his or her socks off and to persuade them that you are the best thing to happen to them since sliced bread. Make sure you do so.

Important - leave your sales pitch at home! Networking is networking, and sales is sales. Confuse the two and you'll lose out on both. Nobody wants to be sold to, especially when they're quite plainly not in a sales environment. And remember that anyone who tries to work a networking event under the "three-foot rule" (anyone within three feet is an opportunity to make a sale) is likely to find others unwilling to get within three feet of them in a very short period of time.

Check your gear. Make sure that you have everything you need to make a great impression. Are your business cards or other hand-outs up to date, and as professional-looking as you can make them? If this is a planned event, do you know who will be attending and have you isolated a few people you definitely want to make sure to meet, or are you going in blind and resigned to winging it?

And don't forget to double-check the time, date and venue. Nothing is more irritating than showing up only to find that you're too early, too late or unable to find a parking space closer than a quarter-mile away.

Educate your audience. Are you seeking a collaborative partner for a project? Then make sure everyone knows what the project is and what sort of partner you are looking for (and the general parameters of the partnership they'll be investing their time into). If you're looking for referrals, then do your potential referral sources know what constitutes a good referral for you? It's a waste of your time and a drain on your referrer's good will and reputation if you turn down or do a bad job for everyone they send to you because the referrals were inappropriate. Likewise, a well-educated referral source might wind up sending you fewer referrals, but those are much more likely to be quality prospects that have a high probability of becoming solid clients.

On the other hand, if you are directly prospecting do your prospects know that you're the answer to their prayers and why? Remember that all prospects are tuned into station WII-FM - What's In It For Me - and unless you make sure that they know why they should consider working with you, they won't.

Follow through. The most important part of networking happens after the initial contact. The best impression, the snappiest laser marketing message and the deepest desire to work together will all come to naught if they don't hear from you in a timely manner - or even worse, never hear from you at all. No matter who said what about calling whom, always follow up promptly and in a manner designed to strengthen the relationship and add value for the other person.

A simple follow-up email may be okay for old contacts touching base, but for a new contact that can provide you with crucial funding or superior referrals, or a hot prospect itching to clear your warehouse of your top-shelf merchandise your follow through needs to have all the finesse, power and elegance of a figure skater's best jump - and all the holding power of a solid landing.

There are three keys to an effective follow through:

• It reinforces the original intent of the contact. Refer
  to your original conversation, restating any key points and reaffirming any agreements that were made or intimated. Follow through on any promises you made to deliver information, provide samples, initiate a meeting, put through a request, whatever - before the follow-up call, unless time constraints or lead-time make that
  impossible.


• It carries the scent of enthusiasm without the stench of desperation. Follow up as promptly and as regularly or frequently as the circumstance warrants, but don't turn into a stalker or a pest. And if you can find a way to add value to the relationship through your skills, influence, position or connections, by all
  means offer to do so, but don't cross the line from generous associate to obsequious sycophant. And if the other person makes it clear that they are not interested, move on. "Kicking and screaming" is not an acceptable level of participation in networking, and neither is "beaten into submission."


• It includes the seeds for the next contact. Don't get caught in the dead-end follow up. Unless it is clear that no further relationship is warranted or desired, make sure that there is some agreement on a next step or arrangement made to continue the conversation. Make that phone call and at the end, set up
  an appointment for lunch a few weeks down the road. At lunch, offer to forward an important report or offer to broker a desirable introduction to someone higher up the food chain, and so on. Make sure you never leave the table without an invitation to resume your seat at a later date.

Like a good golf swing or a stunning presentation, effective networking
boils down to three essential stages of activity: preparation, delivery
and follow through. And like an electrical circuit with a short or a break, a failure at any of these points stops the flow of life-giving
connective energy - the healthy and continually renewed cycle of which your business requires to maintain a strong, stable potential for growth, resilience and success.

Mastering the art of effective networking, like any other business activity, requires time, dedication and attention. But in the end, the dividends it pays are well worth the time it took to cultivate them. Take the time to master these five tips and you will be amply rewarded with the prodigious fruits of your networking labor.

(c) Soni Pitts

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Soni Pitts is a Personal and Spiritual Development Coach who specializes in helping people break free of "life as seen on tv" and reclaim the sacredness of living.

Get your copy of her free e-book "50 Ways To Reach Your Goals" and over 100 self-help and inspirational articles, as well as other products and resources, at http://www.sonipitts.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

A mere whisper of the word can inspire sweaty palms and groans of anguish among the strongest of us.

Are you one of those women who hates "salesy" events, quakes in her boots at the thought of making small talk with strangers, and doesn't want to be seen as overly aggressive? I am one of those women and no one believes me when I tell them that.

These days I like to say, "I'm an introvert who knows how to fake extroversion really well." You know what they say about practicing something over and over? If you want to BE it, you must just DO it until you believe it. I am still an introvert at heart, but I've learned how to schmooze with the best of 'em!

You can't avoid networking as an entrepreneur; it's part of the job. So you must practice it over and over until you become adept at networking. We've devoted an entire newsletter issue to this topic because it's a hot button for so many women. There are some great nuggets of networking knowledge here.

It seems in this day and age the art and science of networking has become complex. Not only do we attend in-person professional networking events, but now we can attend them online. As Wild Women Entrepreneurs, many of us have never even met each other in person! The competition for attention is tough and as a result, learning about networking has become complicated.

I learned networking in the 1960s and 70s by watching my dad. He was an insurance salesman. My dad is the most "soft sell" guy you'll ever meet. He attracted loyal customers who stayed with him for 35 years and earned a very healthy salary being a down-to-earth nice guy. So how did he do it? Simple. Good old fashioned good manners are the foundation to networking success.

• Be impeccably polite online and off.


• Give as graciously and at least as often as you receive.


• You know how they say you should never talk about politics, religion, and sex with strangers? Remember this in your networking.


• Show genuine interest in others. A simple, "how are your kids?" or "how was your vacation?" will go a long way in laying a foundation for a wonderful business networking relationship.


• Do not speak badly of others - not ever, even if everyone else is doing it.

I'm sure you can think of many more etiquette rules you learned as a kid that will make networking easier for you. Maybe I'm stating the blatantly obvious here, but I don't think so. Good manners is good networking. That's where it all starts.

There's no denying today's networking is more complex than just being polite. That's intimidating. However, I believe that if the nervous among us start by remembering the golden rules of good manners, we're halfway toward the goal of overcoming our fears.

We've assembled some brilliant Wild WE experts for this month's newsletter. Read and practice the tips from these wonderful networking gurus. Start by attending some online networking events to build your confidence.

Now, Wild Women Entrepreneurs, go forth and network!

Labels: From the Editor

Become a City Leader for Wild Women Entrepreneurs in YOUR city! If you want to:

• Establish yourself as a business leader in your area


• Expand your contacts


• Have fun with other local women entrepreneurs


• Experience the benefits of online publicity for your business

Consider becoming a Wild WE City Leader today. Contact Ja-Nae for details.

As a Wild WE, you probably already know that when you look good, you feel good and that's good for business. In this column, Charlotte Maddox, Online Beauty Consultant, addresses your image questions. To ask a question email it to ask@thewildwe.com. If we publish your question, we will offer you a free text ad in our newsletter. All questions will be published anonymously.

A Wild Woman Entrepreneur writes:


I am new to in-person professional networking events and am attending a Chamber of Commerce mixer. As a home-based businesswoman, I don't usually dress up or wear makeup. What would you suggest for makeup and clothing for this networking event?

Charlotte replies:

As you know, first impressions are very important so consider the image you'd like to convey about yourself and your business (as well as the venue). Chamber of Commerce events in a big city typically attract representatives of diverse businesses who wear everything from fairly casual attire to designer suits.

From your wardrobe, pull together an outfit that looks attractive and professional. A great option is a suit-like ensemble. For instance, select a simple dress in a solid color or with a muted design. An alternative is to combine a nice pair of pants or a skirt with a matching top or sweater. Then, add a tailored sweater or nice "sports" jacket in a complementary color and pull the look together with a scarf or piece of jewelry, good shoes and purse. (A great look is to wear a single dark color and then add a splash of bright color with a jacket, shoes and purse.)

Your makeup should enhance your face. If you're comfortable with just a touch of color, frame your eyes with mascara and curl your lashes for an open-eyed effect, smooth blush along your cheekbones and finish with a lipstick that goes with your outfit. If you want more coverage, apply a foundation, tinted moisturizer or powder
(the color should match your jawline and neck perfectly). Since you're attending a professional event, put on a single neutral eye color from your lashes to your brows or add a second, darker color on your eye lids. Draw a fine line along your upper lashes (a pencil in a brown or gray gives a soft effect.) Then complete your look with mascara and an eyelash curler, blush and lipstick.

Labels: beauty inside and out

Also make one folder for each member of the family in which to store important personal documentation like birth certificates, Social Security cards, and passports. In addition, make folders for your pets, as well. This prevents much searching on when doing the yearly renewal of dog licenses or determining when the cats need to go in for their annual shots.

By filing a little bit each week, you will ultimately save on time and stress by not having to search for documentation when you are under the gun. Make a fun event out of it. Prepare your favorite beverage, put on some music, and file away!