Get Your Networking Working by Being Media-Sexy!

I’m glad you’re reading this…

I’ve arranged a one-time exclusive teleseminar for my inner circle community and and you’ll want to save this date…

In a hurry? You can register and get access to the recording too here: www.prinyourpajamas.com/iawbo

Did you know, aside from attracting new clients and closing business easier, PUBLICITY can boost your networking, referrals and word of mouth too?

But, if you’re like most small business owners I know, you’re quite intimidated by the media. I am too! They seem to be too busy to talk to you, always on the look-out for the next big story.

And you probably wonder – like I do – How in the world could I ever be a next big story?

You wish they’d pay attention to you and shine the spotlight on your business for once, but… you’re afraid that your business is just not MEDIA-SEXY enough.

Well, my friend, Elena Verlee of PR in Your Pajamas, has had enough of that!

She’s met plenty of entrepreneurs who run everything from home-office businesses to multi-million-dollar companies, and she has yet to see one business that doesn’t have at least ONE media-sexy story.

I twisted Elena’s arm and she agreed to let us in on her secret for finding exciting stories that will get you publicity.

Join us by registering here: www.prinyourpajamas.com/iawbo

This is an exclusive teleseminar for our inner circle only on Thursday July 8th, so don’t miss out.

I’ll “see” you there!

What’s In Your Network?

Here is a fantastic article from Stephen Bell, co-Founder of Networking Masters International to help you get your networking working…

What is a network?

Well dictionary.com states

net⋅work
Pronunciation [net-wurk]

an association of individuals having a common interest, formed to provide mutual assistance, helpful information.

I think this perfectly describes a business global network such as BNI.com; BNI is the worlds largest and most successful business organization in the world they pass millions of referrals between members each year resulting in BILLIONS of dollars in business. Simply incredible.

But what REALLY makes a network. Is it the countless numbers of members? Is it the formality or informality of the group.

Does it really matter how many people are in your group if you don’t really know any of them.

Every single person has a network. They just don’t consciously think about it. Lets look at some other networks.

Now some of you may know what these two symbols represent and for those who do not let me give you a little bit of a background. This network contains approximately 11 Million users world wide. Many of them business professionals, all of them consumers, and are loyal to their network.

This Network has users world wide and covers most of the globe just like BNI. This network is called World of Warcraft its primary purpose is for entertainment online gaming not passing business or creating joint business connections like BNI. I know .. some of you right now are saying Steve… your getting a little off the deep end on this one! BUT do you REALLY know who is in your network.

In my particular network in the online gaming world know as World of Warcraft I have learned I play frequently with a registered nurse, and area directors for a grocery chain, a professional dj, best selling author, professional contractors, bankers, sales professionals and many of them connected to very large companies. I did not realize how powerful my online social gaming network was until I needed computer help, traveling advice, sponsorship and door prizes for business & fundraiser events I was hosting. My network may not be a source of business referrals like BNI but it is a source of information, friendship and connections to people or businesses I would have never had the chance to have if I wasn’t involved in the online community.

There is many other forms of networking such as social media like twitter, facebook, linkedin etc etc. but I am not going to focus on them right now because I want to focus on networks like BNI or World of Warcraft where I can have instant and quick two way communications through live voice or personal conversations face to face.

One time I was sitting down with a business college of mine and I asked her what are your networks you invest time with and she quickly replied My Church. I has to pause for a second and think about this response it intrigued me so I asked her how many people go to your church she replied just over 500. I thought that was a good network but how well do you really know them and how many do you know by name and she replied almost all of them she was heavily active in her church and had been going there for several years. I then found out which church it was and realized someone I had been trying to connect with for business went to her church. I then ask her if she knew this person and of course she did and through that connection she was able to set up a personal appointment for me and I was able to then connect with this elusive business professional who until now was impossible to get a hold of.

What lessons can we learn?

1. You need to share your networks with others (talk about them)

2. You need to ask other people what they do (listen it is the best way to network)

3. Be consistent in the networks you are part of (that is how you really get to know people)

4. Every Network has a primary purpose but that doesn’t mean you will not benefit from it in other ways.

Let me give you some additional advice…

Just because you are part of a network will not build you credibility doesn’t matter if it is a business or gaming community. You need to earn it. Help others, participate, be a leader and truly care by giving without the expectation of receiving.

Next know this if you leave a network and come back you will have to start building social equity all over again. You will not have the same level of respect or connection as you had when you left. Remember what the primary purpose of your networking group is, no matter if it is, charity, online gaming, sports, or business, the primary function comes first and the referrals, friendships and connections will always come next to those who are key members.

Kind of like Capital One – Do you know whats in your wallet network?

Effective Networking on Twitter: Do What Good Tweeters Do!

Being a woman in business online, one of my favorite  – and highly effective – marketing / networking strategies is social media and I was thrilled to be recently identified as one of the “Top 20 Responsive Women You Need to Follow on Twitter” – By Holly Reisem Hanna founder of The Work at Home Woman.

The recognition sparked a question from my friends, followers and fans: “Gina, how can I be viewed as a responsive on Twitter too?”

My answer begins with a question for you:

When you login to Twitter to update your status, are you looking at the mutual benefit OR do you have a more singular “what’s in it for me” focus?

Now, don’t get me wrong. We are all in business to be successful and a BIG part of that is making money. And we all want to capture people’s attention (in a good way). The problem is that when we lead from a “what’s in it for me?” intention it comes across as salesy and one-sided.

Think of any relationship in your life… If it was consistently one-sided how long would it last?

People love to buy but they don’t like to be sold to. At a consumer level you already know this so why then do you keep trying to SELL?

The key to attracting new clients and making money through Twitter without being salesy is to shift your intention.

Be interested in others first rather than trying so hard to be interesting to them.

If you are using Twitter for business, do it in a way that adds value and increase to others rather than a blatant sales pitch – Yes, there IS a difference. It may seem counter-intuitive at first but it really works.

Below are two specific things that I do consistently to be responsive.

I believe that adding value and increase to the lives of others without expecting anything in return is the key to reciprocity. What goes around comes around.

Everyone who follows me receives an automatic direct message (auto-DM). I stopped using this technology for a while when people started to abuse it but I’m using it again very effectively.

I don’t know about you but I get DM spam in my twitter inbox every day. Anything that’s similar to “Hi! Thanks for following. Check out my website here …” or “Hi! It’s great to meet you. Here’s my FREE report” gets deleted immediately.

So how do you get YOUR auto-DM to stand out from the crowd? Remember… you’ve got to shift your intention. The example DM’s above are me-focused and salesy. What can you say that shows genuine interest in others and even gets conversation started?

Here’s mine…

“Hi! Thanks for reaching out! What do you love to tweet about the most? ~ Gina”

And guess what…

People respond. People tell me every day what they love to tweet about most. And just the other day someone added that they normally don’t respond to DM’s at all but mine was self-centered at all and they liked that.

The difference between the spammy salesy DM’s and mine is that it engages conversation and builds rapport and opens a door to what really matters… real relationships with real people.

The second thing I love to do is to connect people that should meet. This one’s easy but the key is to pay attention. Read people’s Twitter bios, take notice of what others tweet about and connect like-minded people. This is a great way to make sure you’ve shifted your intention to being interested in others first.

Twitter is where I meet my best joint venture partners too. It’s really become the hub for a lot of my joint venture marketing strategies. If you’ve been wanting to develop joint venture relationships there’s still time to join me for the Ready to JV 4-week Tele-Course starting March 10th. Just one successful joint venture can dramatically up-level your business.

So now YOU can do what good tweeters do. Give it a try and keep me posted on what you experience as a result okay. I’ll share more tips on how to be more responsive on Twitter again soon.

Wait! While you’re here, I’d sure love for you to share your thoughts and experiences below okay.

~ Gina xo

Check this out! Best Business Advice Ever (in 15-minutes or less!)

I’m so excited to let you know about a zero-sales-pitch, no-fee-to-attend interview series I’m participating in this month…

It’s called The Best Business Advice Ever Series (I love that!)

When I think about all of the advice I’ve been given over the years to start and grow my business, I’ve often thought that it would have been so much easier had I only learned some of it a lot sooner!

Wouldn’t it be great if you could bypass the frustrations and go directly to what works?

This month, my colleague Sherri Garrity is continuing her free Business Advice Series with top-notch entrepreneurs who are sharing their best business advice ever in 15 minutes or less.

This is your chance to hear from each of them what’s worked, which mistakes they learned from the most, and the one piece of advice they have to share with you. The event starts March 22 with a special presentation by Sherri on Why the Typical (and traditional) Business Advice Doesn’t Work.

All you have to do is sign up for the series. It’s completely FREE.

All of the interviews are short, and to the point, so you can listen to them over a cup of coffee, or while you’re in the car or running errands.

Don’t miss this event – Sherri’s pulled together an incredible range of guests and her kickoff presentation is sure to cut to the core of what you need to do to build your business to its peak potential.

Go check it out and register for this FREE event at: http://snipurl.com/uwv9u

~ Gina xo

#How09 How Does She Do It? Tele-series Exposes “Comparison Trap” for Women in Business Online!

October 16, 2009 9:00 am

to

October 18, 2009 9:00 am

.
.
.
.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

How To Defeat The Top Five Challenges Women In Business Online Face

October 6, 2009 – There are several challenges typically faced by business women online:

• effective marketing
  
• consistent cashflow
  
• work-life balance
  
• navigating technology
  
• and productivity
  

When a female entrepreneur doesn’t know where to start tackling these issues, it’s only normal to look to successful peers for the answers. The problem? States Gina Bell, Founder and President of the International Association of Women in Business Online (IAWBO), “When you emulate and basically copy another business woman online, you are not being YOU. And, in the end, your authenticity and future, long-lasting success is sacrificed.”

Ms. Bell is now asking the question: “How does she do it?” in order to enable business women to model success the right way. A series of telephone calls with multi-faceted, passionate business women takes on the five challenges and busts them wide open.

Taking place on October 16th and 17th, the teleseries highlights sixteen successful women who provide their insights and favorite online and offline resources for achieving success: Marie Forleo, Carla Young, Sheri McConnell, Tina McAlister, Elena Verlee, Laura West, Andrea Constantine, Sandra Martini, Helen Herman, Debbie LaChusa, Shannon Cherry, Sherri Garrity, Kim DeYoung, MaryPat Kavanagh, Michele PW and IAWBO Founder & CEO Gina Bell.

Ms. Bell points out, “There are always those things that we wish we had known from the start, from day one. And these women mentors are able to help other entrepreneurs avoid possible stumbling blocks and hurdles, just by sharing the stories of their greatest mind shifts and breakthroughs.”

Registration for this free event on October 16-17, 2009 is available online now at http://www.how09.com Those who register will receive a FREE starter membership to IAWBO, the International Association of Women in Business Online including an audio recording and transcript of “3 Keys to Creating Fun, Fame & Good Fortune Online Quickly With Confidence & Authenticity (and why doing what you love is essential for success, but on its own is not enough).” Teleseries attendees also have a chance to win prizes after listening to the calls, by sharing their own “aha” moments from each episode.

The “How Does She Do It?” teleseries is a free event which has been organized by Gina Bell, Founder and President of the International Association of Women in Business Online (IAWBO). IAWBO is a membership site that includes monthly strategy and mastermind calls, a private social networking forum, an extensive educational audio collection and a “How To” University featuring Expert members who share their expertise through webinars, reports, videos and more. To learn more about IAWBO, visit http://iawbo.com.

Contact:
Gina Bell, President & Founder
International Association of Business Women Online (IAWBO)
PO Box 33081, Regina, SK S4T 7X2
Ph # 1-866-320-6397
Email: gina@ginabellinc.com
###

#How09 is proudly sponsored by IAWBO, International Association of Women in Business Online. Doors open Oct 16th.

Next Page »