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If there is one lesson we all should have learned over the past year or two, it is that the world is not what it used to be. The pace of change accelerates constantly. In our fathers’ times, businesses could come up with a model and stick with it for a long time. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” “Dance with the one what brung ya.” Good advice when the environment is static for extended periods of time.

However, as we have seen, things are changing rapidly. For anyone who hadn’t accepted that, 2009 had to have been a rude awakening. Today’s great idea may be a phenomenal innovation. But with today’s open source reality, lots of bright people are moving the ball forward quickly. If your forward thinking extends only to the end of the block, you’re in trouble.

What does that mean for us small business types, immersed in the day-to-day chaos of getting the job done? How do we fit strategic planning (Yoicks!!!) into our day?

This is a great place for me to offer a business coach as the solution. And while that may be one of the solutions, networking is another. When we think of networking, we think of referral networks. But there are two others, as defined by Ivan Misner (Business By Referral): Information Networks and Support Networks.

Information Networks are those sources we turn to that help us with the technical aspects of our work and business. They are the professional associations we belong to, the mentor we have, our friend the CPA, the maven (a la The Tipping Point) we drink beer with. These folks help us keep pace with the broad range of information required in order for us do business.

Support networks are made up of people who have an interest in us and our success. They are there when we need them for moral support and encouragement, maybe to jump in at a time of need, or to just generally be there for us. They celebrate with us and help us to keep going when things are tough.

So where do you find these other networks?

I belong to a mastermind group and am fortunate to have a number of business coaches and consultants as friends and acquaintances. I read daily, both history and the current news. A lot of my social conversation is in the realm of the strategic. That is important because in your business the day-to-day pull is to the tactical. Tactics are the ways we go about doing our work; the processes and systems we follow. Generally, strategy is “the carefully devised plan of action that guides us in the achievement of our long term goals.” In biology, strategy is “a behavior, structure, or other adaptation that improves viability.” Hmmm. That sounds necessary if we want to stay in business.

So looking ahead, as we all do at this time of year, what do we see? Is the terrain changing? Will your business remain as it is, or are there changes that you can see coming? And how about the ones you can’t see?

Had a great conversation today with Graham Wickham, President and CEO of the Wickham Financial Group in Marietta, GA. Graham mentioned one of his agents, a new guy, made comment on a book he was reading. It brought to mind part of the definition of a good client for me: a life long learner. I’ve always enjoyed learning new things and reading. That pleasure seems to grow as I get older but I wish I had been more diligent about it when I was young. One of the best bits of wisdom ever imparted to me was by my old mentor and friend, Fred Yeager, of Met Life in New Orleans.  Fred once told me that “We don’t know what we don’t know.”  Kind of the premise of the book I was moaning about some months back, The Black Swan.

As we near the milestone of December 31 and prepare to cross into 2010, we hear the usual wisdom about getting your plan for next year complete. We all nod our heads and our hearts fill with good intensions but, ultimately, some of us will plan and most of us won’t.

I’m not sure what works for you. I do know that one needs to pause and reflect occassionally on what you are doing. Because as a business owner or independent sales person, you are sliding behind if you are not learning and adapting. The pace of change keeps increasing.

Discussions regarding the economy break out at the drop of a hat these days. Are we still struggling in recession? Are we in recovery? If we’re in recovery, what is the pace of it, how long will it last, is it temporary? And on and on. While staying current with all that, the most important question to consider is, “What does it all mean to my business and what do I need to be doing every day?”

With all this change and upheaval, it might be a good time to consider your business anew. Is your message (USP, Elevator Pitch, tag line) still relevant? Have customer/prospect needs changed? What are their current concerns and am I speaking to them? Am I providing the right products or services?

We will probably be attending various Holiday parties and functions; good networking opportunities, all. However, while meeting with clients, friends, colleagues, and prospects, this might be a good time to conduct a little market research and find out people’s concerns in the areas you provide solutions. A little Q & A could provide you some valuable information regarding who is in real need of what you provide and what their main concerns are. Maybe it’s time for some chages.

Besides, they will be impressed with what a good conversationalist you are if you let them do most of the talking.

Lots of discussion these days on government cutbacks, both federal and local, in social services. The nonprofit world is buzzing with reports of the hardships being faced by local providers. As government cuts back on services, those in need must turn to the nonprofit community to take up the slack. And of course, with corporate and individual giving down, as well as revenues from endowments down significantly, local nonprofit providers are suffering their own trials. Ripples from the down-turn are still visible on the pond. Being involved in the management of a nonprofit, I see and feel all this directly and regularly.

At the B2B Luncheon last Wednesday we touched on this subject. Toward the end of lunch we have those attending stand and identify themselves. No elevator speeches, 10-30-or 60 second speils, just and introduction so that everyone knows who is in the room. As part of the introduction, we ask everyone to give us some personal information about themselves such as the last movie they saw or the book they are currnetly reading (or the last one they read.) Keeping with the spirit of the season last week, I asked everyone to tell us what they do to “give back” to their community. I can say that I was truly impressed and proud to be a part of this group based on the responses I heard. Seems our community of small business owners and sales people are really socially responsible, heavily involved in a broad spectrum of charitable and service work.

I spoke briefly about the importance of a strong small business community to the strength of the economy in general, as well as to the strength of the local community. How connected are you to the place you live and work? Are you in business just to “become fabulously wealthy, beyond your wildest dreams”? Or are you in business to serve your family and to contribute to the welfare of others (as well as become fabulously wealthy beyond your wildest dreams)? The answers to these questions can help you as you build a business rather than just have a job.

“There was a Saint who had a vision about what it was like in Hell & Heaven.

In Hell he saw a huge table laden with food in the centre. Surrounding the table were starving people who all had very long forks attached to the ends of their arms. They could stab the food, but the forks were too long for them to put the food in their mouths. They were all screaming in frustration as they tried to eat the food that they longed for.

In Heaven, the saint saw the exact same table laden with food & people with the long forks at the ends of their arms. However, here the people were all smiling & enjoying the food. What they were doing was stabbing the food & putting it in EACH OTHER’s mouths!

The moral of the story is that our heaven & hell is right here on earth, how much we want to help others & be helped in return is what makes the difference.”

Thanks to Akhil Shahani, Managing Director of The Shahani Group who posted this on his Ecademy site. Now, how to apply this to business? Any thoughts?

I have the great pleasure of eating breakfast most Tuesday mornings at Matt Capozzi’s NY Deli on Roswell Road over here in East Cobb. The group is an ad hoc group of business people who meet because…they want to. That occurred to me today. And as it occurred to me, it also occurred to me that this unique group results from the culture established by a couple of folks in the group. You see, this group, like many around the Metro area, sprang up fairly spontaneously, not as part of a larger organized network. They wanted to create a group that attracted people who wanted to help each other. Not so unique; that’s what all these network/referral groups aspire to. However, not all achieve it.

At this point, I need to embarrass one of the founding members, Bob Zartarian. Those who know Bob, know him as a very outward looking fellow. He’s always looking for the benefit he can bring to other people. Bob’s attitude is representative of the group and is apparent to everyone who visits and, as a result, we have grown from 5-6 people to over 20. We have few rules but things run smoothly. And, most importantly, connections are made, business referrals are passed. There certainly are others in the group who add to the culture, Cliff, Tim, Peg, Larry, Bill, Ruthe, Eric and other regulars. All there regularly. All there to help each other. We call ourselves TONIC and the group truly is.

When I’m in town, I make it a point to attend. Not just for the business opportunity, but for the camaraderie of truly good people. For those of us who are “Lone Rangers”, working our businesses mostly alone, such company is essential for success. Look around for such groups, whether they are part of a larger organization or a neighborhood group like TONIC. Become a part of one. Contribute.

The good thing about our world is that there is an abundance of opportunity, in every sense. And that includes good people creating good networks.

“The conventional definition (of business): “an organization that makes a profit,” says (Peter) Drucker, “is not just wrong but irrelevant. Profit-making is not the purpose of management decisions, but a test of whether they work.” “There is only one valid definition of business purpose – namely to create a customer.” “The result of a business is a satisfied customer.”

This customer focus is found more and more in business literature, making headway against the traditional sales approach of “interruption” marketing, controlling the sales call and overcoming objections. I won’t say that the internet has led the charge in this change of attitude, but it has certainly played a large role in demonstrating that a customer-focused approach is required these days. Marketing media is ubiquitous, causing more and more of us to tune out. So discovering customer needs and meeting them is essential. Finding a powerful and interesting way to convey this all can be tricky, though.

It’s harder and harder to distinguish yourself in the marketplace and increasingly difficult to get people to pay attention. Becoming a resource for potential buyers is one way to be heard. Having people seek you out because they trust and value your opinions seems the ideal way to position yourself. With creating customers, and satisfied ones at that, as the central focus of your business, it is a natural progression to build business through relationships and positive word-of-mouth.

It is easy to get distracted by objectives and loose site of the ultimate goal. Satisfied customers as your holy grail affects every aspect of your business, from customer acquisition, to product/service delivery, to customer service and follow up.

Drucker’s quotes can be controversial and should stimulate thought and conversation. Maybe even push us into a chicken and egg argument. But the point of it all is that by focusing on satisfied customers, you may have taken the biggest step toward profit.

I’ve attended many sales training programs and one of the topics that always comes up is asking for referrals. I once had a manager who prided himself on his expertise in building business by referral. Every week he would run us new guys through a drill which consisted of a number of questions: How many appointments did you have? How many people did you see? How many times did you ask for referrals? How many referrals did you get? There were some other questions such as, “How many note cards did you get signed?” But I won’t get into that right now. I used to call this the Sales Manager’s Name Extraction Program. It was less about getting referrals and more about getting names.

While the Name Extraction method may work, it is not much more fun than Cold Calling. Everyone feels a little uncomfortable and it certainly is NOT a relationship building exercise with your client or prospect.

In an article, Paula Frazier states that there are three main reasons people don’t get the quantity or quality of referrals they want:

1) They don’t ask.
2) They ask at the wrong time.
3) They ask the wrong people.

I’ll talk about number 3), Asking the wrong people, another time. Let’s talk about numbers 1) and 2).

Asking is important, but asking in the wrong way, asking at the wrong time, or asking the wrong people can lead to unsatisfying results. Before I ask for a referral I always ask myself if I deserve one. What have I done that will make the referral source feel good about introducing me to a trusted friend or colleague? Have I built credibility and trust? Build the relationship so that the idea of them referring you is a natural result, something they want to do. With many people, asking the for referrals before you’ve built a relationship is off-putting and can damage the relationship.

So when do you ask for referrals and how do you ask? What makes you feel like it’s the right time and that you deserve the trust and support of your referral source?

As networking becomes more the norm in business circles, people have learned that finding out how they can help others is a good way to develop referral relationships. And certainly, the realization that giving referrals is a good thing is solidly implanted into folks’ minds, as well. But sometimes we jump to the giving referrals stage before everyone is ready. Besides ensuring at least a level of familiarity that justifies trust and a reasonable knowledge of what the other person does, we should know a few other things before we leap into the referral mode.

As we create referral partnerships, we must assess the relationship and determine a number of things if we hope to be successful. A few of those things include: Are you giving your referral sources all the tools they need to be able to recognize a referral for you? And, do you have the tools you need to help them?

Here are 5 questions from our friend over in Indianapolis, Hazel Walker, both you and your referral sources should be able to answer for one another.
1. How would I know if someone I am talking to is a prospect for you? (from Bob Berg’s book, Endless Referrals)

2. What would you want me to say to that person if I meet them?

3. What might be going on in a company or a person’s life that would be a clue they need your services?

4. If I recognize the clue, what should I say to open the conversation on your behalf?

5. How do you want to be referred, introduced or connected?

Educate your referral team about how to help you, not about how you do what you do.

State Dept. Asked Site to Keep Running
According to a recent Washington Post article, the State Department asked social-networking site Twitter to delay scheduled maintenance earlier this week to avoid disrupting communications among tech-savvy Iranian citizens as they took to the streets to protest Friday’s reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

and

“Iran is not the only global hot spot where the State Department has taken an interest in Twitter, nor even the first. For months it has been working to deploy the short-messaging service to Iraq and Afghanistan, part of a broader plan to leverage U.S. technology companies’ connections with youth as a diplomatic tool.” BusinessWeek June 18, 2009

These are remarkable times we live in. We have access to many powerful communications tools that are radically changing our world…every day. My friend Gordon Rude said to me recently, “Almost everything we do will be changed in 10 years.” That’s amazing, and not hard to imagine. Think about the changes we’ve experienced over the past 10 years.

Many of us are resistant to change. Conservatism is a natural human response. In the extreme, change can be terrifying and exhausting. At the least, it is unsettling.

Business is changing. New products and services come at us in waves. And marketing messages are being delivered in new and innovative ways. About the time you feel good about a new technology, it is surpassed by something new.

So, what are you doing to stay abreast with this torrent of change and innovation? Have you seriously considered new technologies in marketing your business? Or are you just dismissing Twitter, Linked In, Facebook, videos, blogs, and the other “force multipliers” that are available to you?

I’m an amateur at all this stuff but it is helpful for me to read and discuss what’s going on. Are you engaged in discussion with others about what they are doing? Are you asking questions? There’s a lot to know and sharing knowledge is the only hope for keeping up. Find a way to do that.

They’re tweeting from the streets of Tehran. There’s a message there.

It seems to me that one of my biggest challenges is to remain consistent in my new business development activities. It appears to be the case with many of my clients, as well. Most of us have a good idea about what we should be doing; we just don’t have a good method for staying on track. So other than accepting that we’re doomed to the surges and droughts that result from lack of consistency, what can we do?

Much of the problem results from not having a process we stick with, nor an environment that helps us to stick with that process. Yeah, I know, you may not like too much structure. I’m with you in that department. However, without a process, you’re bounced from one activity to another without necessarily progressing closer to your goals.

There are many approaches to marketing but they all start with a well thought out plan. There are many forms your plan can take. I recommend a few to choose from: Appendix B of Business By Referral by Dr. Ivan Misner, “7 Sentence Marketing Plan”, article by Al Lautenslager or the OpPlan format used by the military (aka SMEAC or the 5 Paragraph Order.)

The second key element to making this work is having an implementation system. Solutions here include hiring a Business/Marketing Coach, joining a Master Mind Group, creating a peer coach relationship with a colleague, or hiring a Trunk Monkey, Marketing Coaching Edition Trunk Monkey. Having accountability to someone other than ourselves has a way of motivating us to get things done. And having to declare what we will do and then report on what we actually did makes a big difference. We tend to let ourselves off the hook but hate to come up short in the eyes of others.

I’m wondering what works for everyone to get and keep you on track. It’s a constant effort that is worth investing thought and effort into.