Guest Blog Entry: Growing Your Small Business in 2012- SHOW UP

Another day, another Guest Blog Post from Carol of Carol Talks.
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What does Paris Hilton do?  Is she an actor, is she a singer, is she a writer?  The answer is none of the above.  However, she is wildly popular and the queen of networking.  She shows up everywhere, she has built and empire by showing up and creating a brand (her name) who everybody knows.  Chances are if you mention her name everyone can tell you something about her, some good, some not so good, but the networking is working.  

When growing your business, you cannot be a bystander, you cannot wait and hope that customers will “SHOW UP”.   Showing up is critical to your success.  Here’s a hint about networking; it’s not about you.  I have a colleague who just doesn’t get it.  She wrote a book and when she networks she shoves the book in our faces saying “Wanna buy my book, wanna buy my book, wanna buy my book?  I watch the faces of the recipient on the other end of the question and it’s definitely not warm and fuzzy. It’s more like get away from me.

3 Must Do’s of Networking using my Colleague as a example:

1. If you have something to sell, you MUST give away first. Give 10 books away at the next networking event. Get your name, your product and your business to be on the tip of the community’s tongue.
2. Take a full year to “SHOW UP” at as many event as you can in your community.  When networking, always always listen first.
3. So many of us forget to follow-up. Those business cards end up in your pocket, your wallet and even your trunk.  Within two days send a’nice to meet’ you note or email.  Get them on your mailing list, friend them on Facebook and Linked-In.  Pay special attention to what they told you about themselves and pay attention to what they like, even note that in your database.

I know so many business leaders who network like crazy, but never network like Paris.  It’s time to take your biz to another level, and maybe after we read my friends book we just might tell hundreds of people how good it is and suggest they buy it.  You don’t need the bad press like Paris gets but you do need the visibility, just“SHOW UP”

Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in remarkable leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country.  Carol’s innovative strategies provide leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND BETTER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com 

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