Debra Kasowski

Episode 70 – Picture Your Prosperity with Ellen Rogin

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Meet Our Guest:

Ellen Rogin is the co-author of the New York Times bestselling book: Picture Your Prosperity: Smart Money Moves to Turn Your Vision into Reality.

Ellen challenges you to look at your money through a wider lens, break through your barriers to success and think beyond the traditional approach to personal finance and prosperity. Chockfull of financial credentials – she is an MBA, CPA, and Certified Financial PlannerTM – Ellen also has deep-seated certainty of the importance of money mindset and beliefs for creating the life you desire. She built her own successful business by masterfully combining a classic business approach with innovative strategies that includes balancing values, money mindset and beliefs, big picture ideas, meditation and humor.

Ellen is also founder of the Abundance Activist® movement whose mission it is to help the world think and act more prosperously.

An expert on living a life of success and prosperity, Ellen and her work have been quoted in such national publications as The New York Times, Money, Time.com, Forbes.com, The Huffington Post, and US News and World Report. Ellen serves on the Board of Directors for Metropolitan Capital Bank in Chicago.

Episode 69 – Supercharge Your Networking Experience

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  “Becoming well-known (at least among your prospects & connections) is the most valuable element in the connection process.” 

―Jeffrey Gitomer

For some people, the thought of networking makes them sweat. Not just a little perspiration on the brow, but clammy hands and nervous pacing of the hallway wondering if they can go into the room. It can be nerve-racking meeting new people and learning what to say. Reading about it is one thing – jumping in and introducing yourself to strangers takes courage. It can be a game changer for your business or your career goals.

Isn’t it time to take charge of your networking experience and take it to a new level? You need to take consistent action. Now with social media, people can follow you and see what you’re up to and then when they meet in person the “ice” is already broken so to speak. I was emceeing an event and one of the speakers came up and started speaking to me. It was like we were long-lost friends and then I mentioned to her that it was the first time we had met. She said, “No” in disbelief. “It feels like I already know you.” It was great as it reinforces congruency in my messaging on social media.”

You can supercharge your networking experience by:

Engaging and being social online platforms where your clients hang out this is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn and maybe even SnapChat.

Ask your prospects or clients where they network or socialize and go spend some time there. Don’t limit your thinking to specific networking events. You have the ability to connect with people at the bank, grocery store, the gym, the opera, or a conference or fundraiser. Attend industry or trade association functions.

Arrange to speak at a business Association, Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, or even a group or club in your area. Public speaking gives you credibility and put you centre stage where people can get to know you. It positions you as an expert where you can build rapport and trust quickly. Put together 1 to 3 signature speaking topics so you can showcase your knowledge and promote yourself.

Once you have a speaking engagement, ensure that you get to your speaking engagement early so you can have the opportunity to meet some of the attendees. I find that doing this, it really calms the nerves as you already have gotten to know a few people and when you speak you feel like you’re speaking directly to them. They will be pleasantly surprised that you took the time to take interest in them. At the end of your talk, invite people to come and speak with you after the talk to continue building that connection. Remember handing out your business card to everyone is like playing blackjack and it’s not invited. Hand out your business card as you really connect with people so they will remember you.

Submit articles to industry magazines or online directories. This is another great way to showcase your talents and expertise to people can get to know you more.

Check out a variety of networking and association event in your area. Make a point of intentionally connecting with 2 to 3 new people. It is a habit to gravitate to the people you know. You do not expand your network by hanging out with the same people all the time. Pick times to meet up and you may even choose to introduce who in each of you has mapped to each other. On average each person knows 250 people and each of those 250 people knows at least another 250 people- this is how your network expands.

“Networking is not a part-time or occasional exercise. Everywhere we go, we have an opportunity to network with others.”
―Timothy M. Houston

Networking can also take place on online forums, webinars, and podcasts. The sky is the limit. Make a list of networking events for the next one to two months. Ensure you have business cards. Smile! Be friendly and initiate conversation. Create strong solid connections by discovering what you may have in common with another person and find out what matters to them. Take a genuine interest in who they are and what they do. Think of ways that you may able to help support them. And don’t forget most importantly follow-up with the connections you make within the next 24 to 48 hours of the meeting. If you don’t follow up, you are not intentionally networking you are out for the social event and you could be leaving a lot of money on the table. Not only that you could be missing out on truly amazing relationships that make your life rich from the inside out.

We would love to have you subscribed to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Time: 08:18 minutes

Are You Giving Away the Farm?

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How much is too much? As a business owner and entrepreneur I have asked myself this question over and over. In my mind the voices battle it out saying, “Don’t be too salesy. You are a teacher at heart.” When it is right to sell and when is it right to educate?  How much should I be sharing?

I say…give it all away!

No, I am not talking about giving away all your products and services for free!

I am saying you need to be sharing your best stuff! Your best information, tips, and techniques!

I can hear you from here…What? Has she gone mad?

No I have not gone mad!

I want to share with you what sharing your best stuff does!

Breakdown Barriers and Build Trust – As people see you interact online, read your articles or books, or hear you speak; they get to know you, your personality, and what matters to you. Ensure that you are sharing content that speaks to your core values and about what you stand for. People get to know, like, and trust you when you share content that resonates with them. It can about anything from the challenges you face whether it be creating engaging teams to your personal journey of empowering yourself at the gym. They want to know that they can trust and believe in you to do what you say you’re capable of doing. That is when they will consider working with you. Building the connection and relationship is important.

Establish Credibility – When you write articles, speak on stage, write a book, or share information with others even one on one, you are building your credibility. You are perceived as someone knowledgeable and helpful. If people implement what you share and get results, BOOM! You create loyalty. They will want to tell others about you and the VALUE you provide. You never know who you may inspire.

Extend Your Reach. Ideas are abundant. You will be continuously coming up with more awesome high value content. If your content helps people take a leap in the business or take the next step in their career and get the results they are looking for, don’t you think that they will want to share what your information, tips, and techniques have done for them? They will be champions of yours and want to share your content. The more people who have your content, the more chances your content will get shared with others. Be sharable!  At some point, you may put out an offer and people may jump at the opportunity to work with you directly because they have gotten to know you and the social proof is already there.

The question comes back to selling versus educating…

It is important to meet the emotional needs of your clients by sharing information with them that will help them make an informed decision. Is that selling or educating? There is a fine line. Can you do both? Absolutely! Pay attention to how you feel in the process and take note of the body language and how your clients appears to be feeling. If you notice that they seem disinterested or they are turning their body away from you, you may have given them too much and they are overwhelmed or you are not meeting their needs. You will know if you hit one extreme or the other.

Ask questions to make sure you are on the right track in meeting their needs. Find the right balance for each conversation you have and have them coming back for more of your great content!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

 

 

Episode 68 – Keeping Up with Client Needs (or Demands)

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“We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.” ~ Jeff Bezos

There may be days that you don’t know which way to turn your head or what which direction you should go with the project as your client may have ever changing demands and needs. Before you feel like you’re going off the rails, remember that you are a client to others as well. Think about the expectations you have when you work with someone. Are they any different than what the client expects of you?

They hired you because they trust and have confidence in your abilities to deliver on what you said you would deliver. You are the one who listened, and remembered important timelines, and made a point to genuinely care about their results. Their results are ultimately your results.

If you feel like your clients’ needs or demands are unreasonable, consider the system or process you used to enroll them to get started with you. Did you set out expectations of yourself or your clients? Sometimes when clients are unsure of expectations or feel like they’re missing some information, they may come across as demanding as they are concerned about how it affects them. They chose you because of how they felt when they interacted with you. You need to reassure them by following through on meeting the emotional needs and outcomes they expect from you.

Here are some tips to help you keep up:

Create an experience. How your clients feel while they are working with you is important? Make them feel important because they are. Make their needs your needs and be genuinely interested in their success. You need to continue to build and nurture client relationships even after they have hired you.

Validate your client’s concerns. Take time to acknowledge your client’s concerns. There is often much to learn about how they see the ideal situation. Don’t use the word “but” to explain why you’re not reaching your client’s concerns. It sounds like an excuse and dismisses their concerns. You may think about saying, “I want to acknowledge _________________and share with you__________________”

Communicate regularly and provide updates as they arise. Clients do not like to be left in the dark as to results and expectations. If important decisions need to be made, don’t wait until the last minute to share information with them. Ask them how often they would like to be communicated with. Follow-up with a handwritten card or an e-mail to thank them for a conversation or follow-up meeting.

Keep them engaged. Clients like to be involved in the decision-making and how it impacts them. Don’t forget to set boundaries so that you can have down time outside of the work that you deliver.

Know your client. If you haven’t already done so, you should do your research and understand what is important to your client and what their needs are? What do they value?

Ask for feedback. You never know how you’re doing if you don’t ask. Ask questions to learn more about how old the service you are delivering is meeting their needs.

Anticipate their needs. If you have done your homework and have taken a genuine interest in getting to know your client, you will be able to anticipate some of the needs that they have. What a better way to impress them is to provide the need is an option before it’s needed. This demonstrates that you are paying attention and that they matter to you.

Under promise and over deliver. Many people run on deadlines and if you can beat a deadline with high-quality work you impress your clients and they will keep coming back for more.

Provide solutions. Your client came to you so you could fulfill their needs. Document and clearly articulate how you are meeting their needs.

There may be times when you need to release a few of your clients if agreements and expectations cannot be met or are violated. Always do what is right even when there is no one to witness it.

What are you doing to ensure you are meeting your clients’ needs?

We would love to have you subscribed to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Time: 08:40 min

Keywords: ask for feedback, communicate, keeping up with client demands, keeping up with client needs, know your client, under promise and over deliver, anticipate your needs, client engagement

How to Get Rid of the Fear of ‘Putting Yourself Out There’ Once and For All

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Anyone who wants to grow in their business or in their leadership skills has to learn how to put themselves out there. Putting yourself out there doesn’t mean exposing yourself and every little intimate detail of your life. It is about getting out amongst people and learning about the world around you. The secret sauce is about being curious about what matters most to people and putting yourself out there.

“Believe that if you make courageous choices and bet on yourself and put yourself out there, that you will have an impact, as a result of what you do. And you don’t need to know now what that would be or how will it happen because no one ever does.” – Dick Costolo

Does thought of networking make you queasy?

If you’re shy and feel uncomfortable in networking situations, you might find yourself hiding behind your computer with every excuse why not to go to a networking event. You tell yourself you don’t really like to meet people. Although this may be true, the greater truth may be that you’re more afraid to fail in front of others or say the wrong thing. You may also be afraid to succeed, for the fear of the unknown and how your life will change. Uncertainty can hold you hostage and you may sabotage yourself by letting your imagination go wild with all the “what if” situations that would not support you. You are in the people business. You need to connect with people.

Imagine what it would be like to meet like-minded people who could introduce you to other like-minded people to ensure that your pipeline of clients is consistently filled forget the promotion you have been longing for. How would that feel?

Pretty amazing I bet!

People don’t know how great you are and until you show them. They want to know how you will help them. Don’t let your own fears hold you back from providing value to others.

Focus on providing value instead of focusing on your fear. Every person does not like to be put in the spotlight as they feel exposed and vulnerable. You may worry about what others will think of you or wonder if people will like you or your ideas. You may fear being rejected as the expert you see yourself to be. When it comes to your clients, who knows more about your subject matter than you? Most people are wondering what you are thinking about them and their ideas.

If you want to grow and being known as the go-to resource for expert, exposure in the marketplace if necessary. You have to take the risk of putting your ideas and opinions out there.

No, you won’t appeal to everyone but that’s the beauty of it.

This is the exact reason why there is such abundance in the world. Each individual cannot serve everyone and they may not appeal to everyone and that is okay. There is more than enough business to go around for everyone.

“You put yourself out there in the truest way you can and hope others do the same. You’ll connect or you won’t, but you did what you could. “ – Chris Crutcher

Shift your thinking from self-promotion to self-expression. You may think that self-promotion is bragging and conceited. Self-promotion is about promoting oneself and it doesn’t have to mean that you’re arrogant or that you’re better than the next person. If I’m hiring you to do a job, I will look for the person who can best represent themselves and what they stand for. It will come down to how they express themselves. How you express yourself and what you stand for and how you take interest in others will demonstrate your core values and what you believe in.

Whether you’re putting a post on social media or writing your bio for an article, you want to be able to express how you provide solutions and can help others along their journey. Your expression may be in the form of photos, comments, or sharing a little bit about yourself in order to make yourself relatable to those around you. Think about what you’re expressing and how it may help others. Does it inspire? Does it encourage action taking? Does it help people reflect and think about their own situations?

Take action now. Too many people talk themselves out of taking action because they feel that they’ve missed the opportunity but what they’re really doing is coming up with an excuse as to why they haven’t taken action. You can always find evidence for whatever you believe to be true as it is your reality. It is never too late. If you’re waiting for everything to be perfect, you will miss out on those opportunities. New opportunities will arise for you to take action on. Remember that your work in progress in you can adjust your course along the way.

Every successful story from Eleanor Roosevelt to Oprah Winfrey required that they put themselves out there regardless of their fears to share their voice. Their circumstances weren’t perfect. They grew and learned along the way and put new knowledge into action. As one action didn’t work they would try another while they stayed focused and determined to move forward.

You can create your success story by taking the actions required to put yourself out there even when you are afraid. Know that you’re never alone as the like-minded people around you are often experiencing the same thing that you are but never have had the courage to share it with you. As you put yourself out there, you’ll quickly learn that many feel the same as you and you can be reassured that the courage that it takes for you to push through your fears, shift your thinking and take imperfect action, you will be inspiring others to do the same.

Debra Kasowski is an award-winning 2X bestselling author, professional speaker, certified executive coach, and podcast host of The Millionaire Woman Show which discusses topics of leadership, business, and human potential. She has interviewed influencers like Bob Burg from the Go-Giver, Dr. Mark Goulston, John Lee Dumas from Entrepreneur on Fire, and TEDx Speaker Teresa de Grosbois. Debra has the heart of a teacher and certified in the areas of Emotional Intelligence and Appreciative Inquiry a positive approach to change. Her work has been published in a variety of traditional and online media. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com