Planning and Time Management In Business Networking – Two peas in a pod.
This month I want to tie together the thoughts of our focus chapter and focus member and remind everyone that mindful planning and work on productivity are so important in these difficult times.
Why is time management in my chapter and in my business so important?
I hear this question frequently. I also hear, I want to be in a large chapter so more people see me, or I am in a large chapter, and I don’t seem to be seen. The grass is always greener on the other side but there are good and bad in all things we do. Let’s talk about how time management ties to productivity in a chapter and why it is imperative to have.
First, LeTip provides a structure to keep you on track. Without the structure, networking meetings become a free for all and are too loose to accomplish anything, more or less improve your productivity. People walk away from loosely structured meetings wondering how ca this group be making any money and in many instances, they are not making the kind of money available to them if they would tighten up.
The entire process and structure of LeTip is set to create a salesforce that works for you. To accomplish that goal, you need several opportunities to be seen and heard each week. This is the training you give that will increase the productivity of your sales force over time. How do you know if the members are listening? Can they sell you to anyone else?
Each of the 4 Parts of the Weekly Program in LeTip are another way to enrich your sales force so they are constantly out there selling you to others. Showboating, Greeting, Speaking and the Lucky Devil are all designed with an amount of time in the meeting to assure success in Networking and Education.
Structure also is where using the flip chart and holding members accountable to attendance, tipping, bringing guests, speaking and showboating even being the official greeter has a specific purpose in training your salesforce.
Many chapters have gone away from doing the Lucky devil. Why do we even want it out there? Yes, it allows a member to become a better public speaker but the reason is so much more important than that. You should be the recipient of the Lucky Devil once you have been the speaker the week before. Now a member is selected by the President to give a commercial about your speech! It is the only time in a chapter meeting the speaker learns who can sell him/her to others. This is part of time management. Do you want to spend all your time guessing if the members can sell you to others or would you prefer to hear for yourself and build a deeper relationship?
Whether you think you are running a good meeting now, there is always room for improvement and change. When change is on the table, the best thing to do is set a plan and measure your successes against that plan. Over 50% of small businesses fail in the first 2 years, but those that are run successfully over time often have meaningful planning in common. As small business owners, we are flooded with the daily tasks and distractions that keep our blood running and boiling at times. To be successful as a small business owner or a Chapter Board, planning is as important as time management. If all you do is run a fantastic meeting, but you don’t plan for growth in the number of members you have or the ways that your members are creating tips for each other, then some day the world will change and you won’t be prepared to change with it. (Gee that sounds like something that I should have said 2 years ago to all of you.)
We want your success! “Care-frontationally”, not confrontationally, ask questions & get help. Learn what you don’t know and let LeTip and your chapter members actually help you grow your business!
Start on time and end on time. This carries over into your business as well. Are you organized, on time and ahead of the game or lagging hoping no one will notice?
