What Sport Can Teach the Entrepreneur...

Anyone who watches sport, even casually, will have seen matches where a team or sports person has come back from almost certain defeat to win. I bet many people probably say to each other "Wow, they sure were lucky!"

But luck has nothing (or very little) to do with it.

"Luck" is just an excuse used by unsuccessful people for other person's success. They cannot bring themselves to admit that the other person just worked harder, smarter, researched more, practised more and persisted, where the unsuccessful person probably rushed or gave up.

An often quoted anecdote about luck involves the golfer, Gary Player. The story goes that had hit his ball into the rough and he had the crowd of spectators surrounding him as he took his next shot. He swung his club, the ball shot out of the rough and landed perfectly. Someone in the crowd called out "Gee, you sure are lucky, Gary". Gary is reported to have turned to the spectator and replied "I am lucky... and the more I practice, the luckier I get!".

There is something within every sports person or team that comes back from almost insurmountable odds to win a match... and it's something that entrepreneurs should learn from and use.

That "thing" is SELF BELIEF.

Having the confidence in yourself that, no matter what the situation, you are going to do the very best you can, is what turns a seemingly lost position into something more positive - maybe even leading to success.

On the other side of the coin, if that same sports person had no confidence, or no self belief then they would have lost (in fact with that mindset they would have lost before they had even started the match).

For tennis fans, there are two matches in the current US Open that show this point:

1. Janko Tipsarevic vs Guillaume Rufin. Tipsarevic lost the first two sets 4/6 3/6, leaving Rufin just needing one set to win. Many players may have crumbled under this and Rufin would have been on his way through to the next round. However, Tipsarevic had great mental strength to not let his opponent run away with the match. He had the self belief to get stuck in and do what he can to improve the situation. Tipsarevic went on to win the next three sets: 6/2 6/3 6/2
   
   There didn't appear to be anything wrong with Rufin, health-wise; he hadn't gotten an injury, in fact he seemed to playing as well as he had in the first two sets. Tipsarevic came from so far behind come back and win those sets so comprehensively because he had great self belief and confidence.
   
   
2. Alexandr Dolgopolov vs Jesse Levine. This match is an even more impressive example of self belief and confidence. Dolgopolov was 2 sets and 0/4 down (for non-tennis fans - Levine just needed to win 8 more points to win the match)! You can only imagine the mental pressure that Dolgopolov felt as he started the 5th game, knowing he was only a few minutes away from potentially going out in the first round of the US Open!
   
   But, by refusing not to give up and instead doing his best, Dolgopolov came storming back to win the last three sets: 6/4 6/1 6/2.
   
   Again, how could that win have happened if Dolgopolov hadn't had the mental strength and belief in his own abilities?

 So, you have two amazing examples where the player, despite the seemingly insurmountable odds came back to win.

Now there are probably many of you (tennis fans) who are thinking "Hang on, both Tipsarevic and Dolgopolov were playing lower ranked players, so of course they could come back." In answer to this I would mention that last night Britain's own Laura Robson beat Kim Clijsters in two straight sets! Clijsters took Robson to tie breaks, but the young woman's mental strength and self belief (remember she had also given Sharapova a shock - nearly beating her in one of their recent matches) that has taken her through to the next round.

"The above is all well and good but what if they are already successful? Here they are on to certain victory, what can that teach me?"

Simple - sport can teach you not to be complacent. Don't think just because you're successful at the moment it will last. You have to keep working at the basic things to ensure that you stay successful.

An example from the last day of the 2012 Golf Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Ernie Els tees off at the start of his round 6 shots behind the leading score. Whereas Adam Scott was so far ahead that, short of something disastrous happening to him, he was practically guaranteed to lift the Claret Jug.

Golf is a game where you don't play your opponent, they cannot directly affect your game. It is you against the course and your own mental strength.

Ernie Els played his own game, he is quoted that at best he hoped there might be a play off. He kept himself in check, his mental strength and self belief was evident as he picked up four shots with birdies on the 10, 12, 14 and 18th holes.

Els's opponent Adam Scott, in contrast, must have felt on top of the world. He was starting the day with a huge lead, what could go wrong? There can sometimes be a false sense of security when you have such a big lead over others. You think to yourself you have a such a big cushion between you and the player in second place, that your mind can wander (maybe even to getting your hands on the prize). This is a mistake. You need to focus on the here and now. Just because you have that cushion doesn't mean you can rest of your laurels.

Adam Scott started his final round... with a bogey (dropping a shot) on the first hole. "Not to worry," he may have thought to himself, "I'm still several ahead".  And that may have calmed him temporarily because he went to get a shot back at the very next hole. "See, I'm fine". But immediately on the 3rd hole, he dropped a shot again. This must have shook his confidence slightly, because he played the next two holes solidly. But the 6th hole he dropped another shot.

At this point he must have done something to try and sort himself out mentally, because the next 6 holes he played without dropping another shot (but also not getting any back). Then on the 14th it looked like he was getting back to form, he picked up another shot.

Perhaps that raised his confidence too high again, and he became complacent because the final four holes he suffered a complete meltdown, dropping at shot at every one... meaning he ended the competition in second place.

In post-match interviews Scott says he felt calm on the last day and wasn't nervous. But perhaps he wasn't nervous enough. If he had concentrated on the basics of his game he could have gone home with the Claret Jug and £900,000 in prize money.

So, all of the above shows you that you need to have the self belief and confidence that, no matter what you face, you can make the situation better... and maybe even succeed. However, just concentrate on "your game" and doing the best you can.

And if you are successful and beating your opponents, don't be complacent. Don't think to yourself I'm so far ahead, I can relax a bit... your competitors maybe closer than you think, especially if you start to make mistakes because you're not concentrating on the basics.

What Makes Me Able to Do a "Tips For Networking Success" presentation?

If you have seen my tweets, and Facebook/LinkedIn updates, you will be aware that I will be giving a presentation, called "Top 5 Tips for Networking Success", at two events; see HERE for more details.

You're probably now wondering "What makes you an expert?" I thought I would answer the question here.

Surprisingly enough, I don't consider myself an "expert", but I do have over seven years networking experience. Yet, when I started I made all the mistakes that most people do:

• Expecting instant results and leaving disappointed when I didn't get a new client
• Trying to "work the room" and speak to as many people as possible in the allotted time
• Bombarding people with facts & figures about my services
• Not giving out my cards to everyone; and so on

Over time, I slowly learnt and improved my networking skills. I studied books and websites by different experts and picked up a lot of advice. However, as many of these were written for an American audience, I had to "translate" them so they would fit with us slightly more reserved Brits.

I am now at the stage where I can go to events completely confident in my abilities and skills. I know that, while I may not get a client immediately, all my actions at, and after, the event help build relationships with those I have met, so they will remember me for when they do need my service or refer others to me.

Most of my clients are now through networking - both face-to-face and via social media like Twitter, online forums, etc. - or they are referred to us from people I have met at events.

The "Top 5 Tips for Networking Success" presentation will help people to "hit the ground running" so that when they go to networking events they make a much better impression with others, and get customers or clients more quickly (but don't expect instant results!).

Dress to Impress

"It doesn't matter what I wear, it's my level of service that's important."

Whether we like it or not, people make judgements about us from what we wear. From across a room someone cannot tell whether you are a financial advisor, a painter and decorator, a personal trainer or a car mechanic, but they will take a pretty good guess from the clothes that you wear.

Take the lady above. If you were at a networking event and saw her talking to others, I bet you'd never guess her profession. What if she then came up to you and said "Hi, I'm an accountant"?

You might think this is an extreme example, but I have seen a bookkeeper go to networking events with a shabby old t-shirt, tracksuit bottoms and Crocs. Not only did her style of dress not suit her job, it didn't suit her either and she looked awful. I haven't seen her at any networking events for some time... I wonder if she is still in business, or if she found networking "didn't work". 

I am not saying you have to wear a suit and a tie, in fact in some cases that would be inappropriate. However, I would suggest there is one rule to follow when dressing for a networking event:

Dress how clients of your industry would expect to meet you

So, while a smart suit and tie may well be the order of the day for a financial advisor, while a personal trainer or gardener would look very out of place.

 

Remember, you are trying to tell yourself before you sell what you do. Where B2B sales are concerned, people usually buy from people. If they are going to spend hundreds or thousands of pounds they want to know, trust and feel comfortable with the person they are talking to. 

"It's all different now, it's more relaxed. I don't think a suit and tie matters"

Try selling insurance, financial services, etc., without at least a tie and see how well you do. I bet you don't sell very much, or even get a lot of interest.

There are a lot of people (myself included) who still believe that dressing right is important. 

There was an insurance broker who used to turn up to meetings with an open-collar of a casual shirt and even wearing shorts in the summer. He used to say the sentence at the start of this blog post:"It doesn't matter what I wear, it's my level of service that's important. If someone can't see past the clothes, that's their fault". This statement is so wrong.

If you are not selling because you are not dressed properly, it's not the customer or client's fault, it is yours! Can you really tell me that if someone met two insurance brokers at a networking event, one wearing a casual shirt and shorts, while the other in smart suit and tie, that that person would give equal respect to both brokers? It's highly unlikely.

 

Keep it neat and clean.

Of course it goes without  saying that no matter what you wear, looking neat and clean is a major factor. Don't have grubby clothes - even if you are a painter and decorator. At least make sure the clothes look freshly laundered and ironed (where appropriate). Make sure you don't have pens in a shirt pocket, in case they leak.

Try not to spill anything over your clothes while at the event. If you have a drink (preferably non-alcoholic - a topic of a later blog post) then only have it in your hands when you are drinking from the cup or glass - otherwise put it down on a nearby table. It "might" get taken away, but it is very unlikely, and that is a small price to pay compared to having your arm nudged by someone squeezing past and ending up with coffee all down your front or, worse, down the person you are talking to.

If the above seems like a lot of bother, then just ask yourself how much of a bother is it really, if it leads to a lot more sales?

An Open Letter to RIM

Dear RIM

Having seen the $125m loss and your statement regarding "refocusing" the BlackBerry to target corporate customers, I would suggest that you don't forget the smaller business owners.

As a BlackBerry fan, and the owner of two small business (plus being a Councillor for my town), I use my Bold 9900 everyday, for helping me to keep in contact with clients, suppliers and local residents.

I see my Bold as an essential part of my business (and council work), I don't see it as a music player (although I do have a few tracks stored on it) or a gaming device. BBM Music (and even BBM currently) isn't of much use to me, nor the thousands of other apps available. What I want is a device that has access to apps and software that can help us in our day-to-day business lives. I want access to extremely good, and easily accessible, CRM apps, a more flexible email system, a better calendar/scheduler, etc., rather than another Angry Birds variant. Although admittedly, I do also have and use the Facebook and Twitter (UberSocial) apps on my BlackBerry.

Not everyone is enamoured of touch-screen-only phones either. I like the combination of touch-screen and real keyboard of the Bold 9900. Some things are more intuitive with the touch-screen, while typing on the keyboard is so much quicker.

When I was starting my business, I aspired to owning a BlackBerry, and have had three in the last six years, upgrading as each contract came to an end. The current range of phones have the ability, with few changes to their current designs and technical specifications, to be, if not the central communications hub of people's businesses, then certainly a significant part of it.

Let Android and iPhone have the "gamers" and casual users; concentrate on providing an unsurpassed business phone, apps and service that will allow business owners (both large and small) to communicate quickly and easily and you'll once again become our "darling".

Okay, so I am a small business owner, why should an international firm like you take any notice of me? This is very true, why should you?  Well, I am sure I am like many, many other business owners out there, while we find our smart-phones (no matter what make) useful for business, and sometimes even essential, there are usually small gripes about them (usually down to software) not being completely suited to our needs.

Here's to a brighter future for all BlackBerry owners and to RIM!

Yours sincerely

Ashley Price
BananaOffice

Networking Tips: Talk about them, not you.

We've all seen it happen, we've probably been a victim of it at some point... we may even been guilty of doing it ourselves - talking about our own business, when we should be asking the other person about theirs.

Everyone likes talking about their business, it's only natural. However, you get some people who will bulldoze their way into the conversation, going on about how fantastic their product or service is and seem like they are trying to brow-beat you into buying from them there and then. It's not polite, it's rude... and it doesn't work!


You can give the other person a much better view of you, if you ask them about their business; ask them what they do, how they got started, what interested them in it, how they enjoy it, how long they've been established, etc. Talk to them about their business and they'll love you for it, and remember you in the future as being a great person.

Now, you might be thinking "Hang on, that's all well and good but I want to sell them my business". But before someone will buy your business they have to buy you! They have to like you, they have to feel comfortable with you, especially if you hope to have a long-term business relationship with them. And you start this process by asking them about themselves.

There's another added bonus about asking them about their business; you can start to subtly ask questions that can give you indications of how you might be able to help them. So, for example, if the person's business means they're on the road a lot, then I might pop in the question "Wow! That must be hard trying to stay in contact with all your callers, etc." I then usually get an indication of how my call answering service might be able to meet their needs:"Oh, yes, I do rely on voicemail or answering machine a lot", or "Well, it's okay, the wife gets the phone when I'm out, but of course, she can't be there all the time, she has to pick up the kids from school, do the shopping, other chores. It's not ideal, but don't know what else to do..." You now have details of how your business can help them and a much higher chance of getting their business, either now, or in the future.

So, listening to the other person and finding out about their business builds up a store of knowledge that you can use. Also listen out for other important information or dates: "Yes, we're really busy. I was hoping to take next Tuesday off as it's my birthday, but I don't think that's going to happen"... imagine how they're going to feel when, next Tuesday, an email pops into their inbox from you, saying "Just thought I'd drop you a quick line to wish you happy birthday. You said you may have to work, but try to have some fun. Catch up soon..." They probably won't even remember mentioning this. (Don't rely on a good memory for this, as soon as you finish talking with the person, jot the details into your pocket book, organiser, or phone.)

If you talk to the other person about their business and about them and if you feel you've really connected (you like the person) then why not drop them a line or give them a call a few days later and meet up for a 3C (coffee, cake and a catch-up)? That's when you can start to introduce your business a bit more to them. You will have had time to think about what they told you about theirs and how you can help them. Of course, it goes without saying you still do this gently. Don't push price-lists into their hands as soon as you've ordered, but if they start mentioning costs, etc., you can say, "Well, I have brought some details with me if you'd like to look". Make sure you have several on you, so they can take a copy away.

When you do talk about your business, you are also able to personalise it to their business. "So, as you're out on the road and your wife can't always answer the phone, we can take the calls for you. You will have peace of mind that they are all being answered, in your business name," the tip here is to actually say their business name, "and as professionally as if you were doing it yourself."

The Right Way to Upsell

(Or how to get more money from your customers, but keeping them happy at the same time)

Upselling seems an obvious practice, but some companies get it badly wrong and end up leaving customers with a bad impression.

Don't try to sell something to someone they are not interested in, but add to what they already want.

One of our clients sells a range of rope cutters, the rope cutters increase in power (and cost) depending on the type and thickness of rope you want to cut. You can also get the spare blades from our client.

So, for example a customer might ring up wanting the least powerful cutter because they are only going to use it to cut the thinnest of ropes. The wrong thing to do would be to try and sell them a more powerful cutter. Trying to get the customer to upgrade might lose you the sale because you appear to be selling them something they're never going to need.

Instead, when a customer rings up wanting a rope cutter, our telephonists also ask if they want to purchase a spare blade to go with it. This is something the customer will need eventually, anyway, so 8 times out of 10, they say yes. This means our client has an additional sale and, more importantly, the customer is happy that they've bought more than they planned.

Networking Tips: The Business Card

The most important tool for any networker is the business card. This is one item that is worth taking a lot of time and thought over, and then purchasing the best quality you can afford. Remember, the card will remain with the people long after they met you.

However, having a great card isn't just enough, you need to know how to treat both your own and others. Here, therefore, are some tips:

1/ Address or Not?

It is becoming a popular trend to not put a proper “postal” address on cards. It seems that with email addresses, mobile phone numbers, possibly landline number, website, etc., the address of the premises is not bothered with. However, I think this is a mistake.

Even in the modern business world with different types of communication, an address goes a long way to giving additional security that your business is legitimate and not “fly by night” or “here today and gone tomorrow”. Anyone can set up an email and website account, as well as get a mobile phone, for very little money. So give your prospective customers that extra reassurance that you are a reliable, trust-worthy business.

There is an argument that you might not want to advertise the address if you trade from home as you don't want people to turn up unannounced; but if this is the case why not add to the card “(visitors by appointment)”?

2/ Keep your cards up to date

If any of your contact details change then get new business cards printed – do not make the changes by hand. Doing so will indicate that your business is doing so poorly you cannot afford new cards. I was actually given a business card by someone where every contact detail had been changed except the email address. The original details had been scribbled out and the new information written in blue ink, it looked terrible – and this was a chap who was supposedly a business advisor!

3/ Treat your business cards like confetti

Don't be stingy with your cards, keep a good supply with you at all times and hand them out like sweets. If you only have a few then get some more printed, as many as you can afford. You don't want to be in a situation where you meet your ideal client and find you have no cards left and are reduced to scribbling your details down on a piece of paper (or, worse, someone else's card – yes I have seen this happen).

Your card should be handed to everyone you meet (unless they specifically say they don't want it), even if they don't offer you theirs. Remember, while the person you might be handing your card to might not need your services, they may know or meet someone who does. An example was a chap who dealt in short-notice removals, turned up to an event I was at. I got chatting with him, but he never offered me his card (in fact, he didn't even talk to me for long). Just a few days later I met a couple at another event I was attending. During the discussion they mentioned that they needed to move at short-notice for some legal reason. If only I had had that chap's card and he had been a bit more polite.

The one caveat to this is don't go to a networking meeting and, a few minutes before you leave, rush round trying to push your card onto people. I saw someone do this at an event. He butted into conversations, saying “I'm about to go, but I thought I'd leave you my card,” and be off to the next group before people could reply. I saw quite a number of people leave his card on the table after he had gone.

4/ Treat other people's business cards as priceless

When you take a card from someone else, don't just immediately stuff it in your pocket, or add it to the pile you already have, with nothing more than a cursory glance. Instead, take time to study it as it could contain the answers to questions you are about to ask. I never ceased to be amazed at the people who ask me where we are based, after they've taken my card (it has our address on).

The card might also give you information for additional questions to ask, which will help keep the conversation flowing.

If you receive a card you really like, mention it to the person, this will warm them to you and indicates you have looked at it properly (it should go without saying that you shouldn't mention mistakes, etc., or that you don't like their card). Why not ask them about how they chose the design, etc. They will happily tell you and you continue to build a friendly relationship while not talking “business”.

Never, ever, write on someone else's card – at least not in front of them. If you want to scribble down information for later referral, then carry a pocket notebook. After you have finished talking with them, pop the notes down and put the card on that page as well. If you really must write on the business card, wait until the person is out of view. They might have spent a lot of money on their cards and will feel it rude that you appear to be defacing it. On the other hand, never be precious about your cards, if someone wants to scribble down information on it, let them.

If you are at a more formal event where someone's business cards are handed round from person to person, only take one from the pile if you really want it and, if you do take one, file it away as soon as you have studied it. Never leave other people's cards on the table at the end, to be thrown away. I make a point of always being the last to leave events where cards are handed round in this way. I often pick up several of my cards that people have probably either forgotten to take with them; or only took them from the pile out of politeness and had no intention of taking them.