Now that we have agreement on our assumptions, the next thing to do is write your own obituary. How do you want to be known once you are dead? What will you have become? What do you want people to remember about you once you've moved on to whatever, if anything, comes next.
Steven Covey says to begin with the end in mind. This obituary will tell you what you see as how you will be at the end. If you died this morning, would you have accomplished everything you'd hoped? What do you need to do to make sure you have?
Some chess players think of what they want the final checkmate position to be. They they conduct their play so that they get to that end point. Where do you want to end up?
Even if you think this is weird, try it. The worst that can happen is that it doesn't work for you.
I'm trying to help people network more productively. Is this helping?
Connecting makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.
It is fueled by my reading and thinking and talking about entrepreneurship. For those ideas, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Corolary to the Big Assumption: Businesses are Conversations
Businesses are just collections of people having conversations. Businesses aren't bricks and mortar. That's just what can see.
I was reading the Cluetrain Manifesto and it dawned on me that I sit at the center of a very big enterprise. It has about 900 people in it, it has no hierarchy, no organization. It's just a bunch of people who know me and who talk to each other. They don't know they're in it and it doesn't make any difference whether they know they're in it. They're in it.
And each of those people sit at the center of their own enterprises. And to graph out the whole thing would require about 900 overlapping venn diagrams.
This is the way you have to think when you're referral based branding. You've created a farm and are working managing that farm by identifying those who grow on it and nurture them as best you can. And if everybody does their jobs right, the whole enterprise will grow.
I'm trying to help people network more productively. Is this helping?
Connecting makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.
It is fueled by my reading and thinking and talking about entrepreneurship. For those ideas, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
I was reading the Cluetrain Manifesto and it dawned on me that I sit at the center of a very big enterprise. It has about 900 people in it, it has no hierarchy, no organization. It's just a bunch of people who know me and who talk to each other. They don't know they're in it and it doesn't make any difference whether they know they're in it. They're in it.
And each of those people sit at the center of their own enterprises. And to graph out the whole thing would require about 900 overlapping venn diagrams.
This is the way you have to think when you're referral based branding. You've created a farm and are working managing that farm by identifying those who grow on it and nurture them as best you can. And if everybody does their jobs right, the whole enterprise will grow.
I'm trying to help people network more productively. Is this helping?
Connecting makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.
It is fueled by my reading and thinking and talking about entrepreneurship. For those ideas, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The Big Assumption: Markets are Relationships
And now [DRUM ROLL!] the big assumption: Markets are Conversations.
Let's unpack this.
Read Rick Levine, Christoper Locke, Doc Searls, and David Weinberger, The Cluetrain Manifesto (New York: Basic Books, rev. ed. 2009). There it is, on p. xiv, the first of 95 Theses, a la Martin Luther tacking his 95 theses on the cathedral at Wuerttenberg, one of the sparks of the Protestant Reformation.
I mean it, read that book.
Anyway, imagine a physical market. People are milling all around. To your left, people are standing behind display tables of stuff yelling at other people or gesticulating. To your right, somebody's unloading a bunch of merchandise from a wagon. Farther down, two people talking to a vendor about a pair of shoes. Talking. Business is like that. You're at a networking event. You're talking.
Business is just two people talking about buying and selling. What flows from this is a more intelligent way of making that happen. Of preparing the ground better. Of making the land more fertile.
Connecting makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.
For other ideas on entrepreneurship, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
Let's unpack this.
Read Rick Levine, Christoper Locke, Doc Searls, and David Weinberger, The Cluetrain Manifesto (New York: Basic Books, rev. ed. 2009). There it is, on p. xiv, the first of 95 Theses, a la Martin Luther tacking his 95 theses on the cathedral at Wuerttenberg, one of the sparks of the Protestant Reformation.
I mean it, read that book.
Anyway, imagine a physical market. People are milling all around. To your left, people are standing behind display tables of stuff yelling at other people or gesticulating. To your right, somebody's unloading a bunch of merchandise from a wagon. Farther down, two people talking to a vendor about a pair of shoes. Talking. Business is like that. You're at a networking event. You're talking.
Business is just two people talking about buying and selling. What flows from this is a more intelligent way of making that happen. Of preparing the ground better. Of making the land more fertile.
Connecting makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.
For other ideas on entrepreneurship, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The Top Ten Assumptions of Referral Based Branding
Referral based branding rests on these 10 assumptions:
Connecting makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.
For other ideas on entrepreneurship, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
1. Your business is based on referrals. This is your work. What you think is your work is not your work. Your ability to do it flows from the base of referrals you've amassed so far with out knowing it. Now you're going to take control of your referral development.There we have it. There may be some assumptions I don't realize I'm making, because I'm just formulating this approach, but these are a good set of working assumptions. Let's go on from here.
2. Generating referrals is your most important activity. Your duties are secondary and many of them should be outsourced, delegated, reorganized, or eliminated altogether to free up time for you to generate referrals.
3. You are going to approach your work with generosity in a spirit of paying it forward.
4. Going to networking events is not networking. It is a part of networking, but by itself it is not networking.
5. Authenticity. You are going to be authentic in your life. That is, your activities are going to flow from your core mission. If you don't have a clue what that is, you're going to do Duncan's exercise or some other activity to clarify your values and find out what you are doing on this earth anyway.
6. You are interesting. Not everything about you is interesting, and none of you is interesting to everybody. But something about you is interesting to somebody.
7. You are going to be open to all possibilities. This doesn't mean you're going to do everything, but there is nothing that is not illegal or immoral that you won't consider.
8. The boundaries of your enterprise are the people you know, not the bricks and mortar of the business you happen to be working in.
9. You are a person people trust. Not everybody trusts you to do anything. No one trusts me to be a firefighter. I wouldn't trust myself flying a plane or releasing the toilet in my bathroom. But they trust you to do what you set out to do.
10. People like to be reached out to, if it's done authentically, generously, and in a spirit of pay it forward by people they trust.
Connecting makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.
For other ideas on entrepreneurship, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Basic Assumption #10: People Like to Be Reached Out To
In general, people like it when you reach out to them. They probably won't reach out, but they like it when others do. They also like to be asked for help, and they like to be asked their opinion.
We so often receive negative feedback in our lives we prepare for it in advance. So when people are upbeat and optimistic, they like it.
Not everyone likes to be reached out to, of course. You will lose these people when you reach out them because they won't reciprocate. But enough will that you should assume that everyone will. That way you can populate your network with people who respond to you and appreciate you for who you are and what you do.
Connecting makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.
For other ideas on entrepreneurship, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
We so often receive negative feedback in our lives we prepare for it in advance. So when people are upbeat and optimistic, they like it.
Not everyone likes to be reached out to, of course. You will lose these people when you reach out them because they won't reciprocate. But enough will that you should assume that everyone will. That way you can populate your network with people who respond to you and appreciate you for who you are and what you do.
Connecting makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.
For other ideas on entrepreneurship, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Basic Assumption #9: Focus
In pursuing this we also are focused on implementing the process. You set your goals and focus on them. When things get tough or you aren't seeming to get any traction, you keep going, keep implementing.
It's important you be open to various outcomes, but you have to be very focused on the process.
Connecting makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.
For other ideas on entrepreneurship, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
It's important you be open to various outcomes, but you have to be very focused on the process.
Connecting makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.
For other ideas on entrepreneurship, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Basic Assumption #8: Trust
To succeed in networking you need to be a confident person. You need to trust yourself such that you can project a level of trust and confidence that others should trust and respect you. That is, that you are a person with integrity whom they will want to get to know.
As yourself these five questions. They're from Stephen M. R. Covey's The Speed of Trust (New York, The Free Press, 2007), p. 66.:
I'm trying to improve people's connecting. Is this helpful?
Connecting is the life's blood of all my professional activities. It makes them go. It informs my entrepreneurial strategy. For my ideas on entrepreneurship go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
It makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.For other ideas on entrepreneurship, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
As yourself these five questions. They're from Stephen M. R. Covey's The Speed of Trust (New York, The Free Press, 2007), p. 66.:
1. Do I genuinely try to be honest in all my interactions with others?Try asking your friends, family, coworkers, and employer these questions about you to see what we say. We sometimes don't see ourselves as clearly as others see us. We have what Covey calls a "blind spot."
2. Do I typically "walk my talk?"
3. Am I clear on my values? Do I feel comfortable standing up for them?
4. Am I open to the possibility of learning new truths that may cause me to rethink issues or even redefine my values?
5. Am I able consistently to make and keep commitments to myself?
I'm trying to improve people's connecting. Is this helpful?
Connecting is the life's blood of all my professional activities. It makes them go. It informs my entrepreneurial strategy. For my ideas on entrepreneurship go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
It makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.For other ideas on entrepreneurship, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Basic Assumption #7: Boundaries
Our eighth assumption is that your enterprise is not the bricks and mortar of whatever business you work for. It's not Ray Bundy's shoe store.
Your enterprise is you, your 1st level, and 2nd level connections. That's right, it's you, who know know, and who they know, even though that's not grammatically correct. And it may include more people than are just employees in the company you work for.
And Ray is not just a shoe salesman. He's a father and a husband and a salesman and a visionary and a whole other bunch of things.
I don't have to go into that much. You just have to think of it more like a garden than of a hunting lodge.
But in case you're wondering, Ray Bundy was a character on the popular TV series Married With Children which aired probably a generation ago by now. I caught snippets of it from time to time. I thought he was funny in little bites, but I could never finish a whole meal of him.
I'm trying to improve people's connecting. Is this helpful?
Connecting is the life's blood of all my professional activities. It makes them go. It informs my entrepreneurial strategy. For my ideas on entrepreneurship go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
It makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.For other ideas on entrepreneurship, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
Your enterprise is you, your 1st level, and 2nd level connections. That's right, it's you, who know know, and who they know, even though that's not grammatically correct. And it may include more people than are just employees in the company you work for.
And Ray is not just a shoe salesman. He's a father and a husband and a salesman and a visionary and a whole other bunch of things.
I don't have to go into that much. You just have to think of it more like a garden than of a hunting lodge.
But in case you're wondering, Ray Bundy was a character on the popular TV series Married With Children which aired probably a generation ago by now. I caught snippets of it from time to time. I thought he was funny in little bites, but I could never finish a whole meal of him.
I'm trying to improve people's connecting. Is this helpful?
Connecting is the life's blood of all my professional activities. It makes them go. It informs my entrepreneurial strategy. For my ideas on entrepreneurship go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
It makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.For other ideas on entrepreneurship, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Basic Assumption #7: Openness
Our seventh assumption is that you are open. You are going to accept the ideas of everyone there. Everyone is equally likely to be of benefit. All ideas are on the table. You will explore everything.
When you are open to new ideas, you hear more things. You get more opportunity. You learn more.
You may hear about an opportunity you never imagined existed. Maybe you sell refrigerators. You meet a man who wants to talk to you about his hobby, growing blueberries. It turns out that you love blueberries and would love to talk to him about growing them. Maybe there's an opportunity for you down the road.
If your sole action is identifying people who will buy a refrigerator, you will never have learned about this area which might turn into something for you far more interesting and lucrative than selling refrigerators. Maybe it won't. You have to be willing to try.
I'm trying to improve people's connecting. Is this helpful?
Connecting is the life's blood of all my professional activities. It makes them go. It informs my entrepreneurial strategy. For my ideas on entrepreneurship go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
It makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.For other ideas on entrepreneurship, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
When you are open to new ideas, you hear more things. You get more opportunity. You learn more.
You may hear about an opportunity you never imagined existed. Maybe you sell refrigerators. You meet a man who wants to talk to you about his hobby, growing blueberries. It turns out that you love blueberries and would love to talk to him about growing them. Maybe there's an opportunity for you down the road.
If your sole action is identifying people who will buy a refrigerator, you will never have learned about this area which might turn into something for you far more interesting and lucrative than selling refrigerators. Maybe it won't. You have to be willing to try.
I'm trying to improve people's connecting. Is this helpful?
Connecting is the life's blood of all my professional activities. It makes them go. It informs my entrepreneurial strategy. For my ideas on entrepreneurship go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
It makes Your Stop for Real Estate , my real estate referral business, go. See www.yourstopforrealestate.blogspot.com.
It powers my approach to writing. See www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com where you can read my mystery for free, download it for free or buy it from Amazon.com more cheaply than you can print it.
It fuels my publishing outlet, By and for Writers. See www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com where you can get a poem or a short story published.For other ideas on entrepreneurship, go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
