Debra Kasowski

3 Easy Ways to Step It UP and Build Your Platform

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Social networkYou put up your shingle and started your business. You built the dream. Why isn’t anyone coming or hiring you? Why? You need to build your platform and spread the word about your business.

Maybe you have been in your business for awhile but hit a plateau and not sure what to do next or perhaps you would like to uplevel your game. Remember – you will continue to get the same results unless you change the game your playing. 

Life is very much like a game. One of strategy and vision. Determine your vision and what you want it to look like. Take the action steps it takes to get there. Imagine it – touch and feel it as if it were real.

Now let’s make it happen. It is your time!

Step it up and build your platform with 3 easy strategies:

  1. Dress for Success – You are your personal brand. When people see you what do you want them to say about you? Is your brand congruent with your message? When you go to a networking event, do you look like you just rolled out of bed? You want to have a professional polished look and it does not have to break the bank. It all starts with a great haircut, outfit, well-manicured hands, and your smile.
  2. Intentional Networking – Create a warm welcoming environment when you enter the room. You do not want people dodge each other to get away from you as you shuffle out your business cards. Netowrking is NOT a blackjack game!  Network with intention by trying to connect with 3-5 people that you can build and nurture relationships with. Don’t forget to follow-up! Not just 24-48 hours from meeting them, 3 months, 6 months, or even a year. Continue to develop the relationships you have as you expand your network.
  3. Be Seen Everywhere. In today’s day and age, you can be seen more often in the see of social media. Utilize the greats – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Share articles in directories like ezinearticles.com. Give away your best compelling valuable information! People will come back for more and better yet they will share you with their network!

Your platform can be expanded by boosting your credibility, increasing your visibility, attracting your ideal clients. Join us and listen to 9 incredible experts February 4-8, 2013 as they share sought-after secrets to become unstoppable! SIGN UP here The Entrepreneurial Woman’s Platform Building Teleclass Series. Please share!!!

Full Swing: Connections, Conversations, and Follow Through!

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Sports offer great analogies for business strategies. Every summer I fit in a game of golf or two. I love being in the sunshine and on the green grass. Sometimes I am searching for my ball ball in the trees but nonetheless I have learned in order to have a great shot or hit the sweet spot and get your ball to where you want it to go you must have good follow through on your swing. You cannot just put in half your efforts and expect to get the results you want. The same in business.

To get the results you want – you need to ensure that you:

Get to know new people at networking events and discover new ways you can help them get what they want.

Follow-Up with Them within 24-48 hours of meeting them with a phone call or email.

Follow Through – the conversation does not end there! Can you introduce them to others in your network or support them with a new article or magazine you read.

Follow through is the execution of the plan. Get to know people for who they are. They may never do business with you and that’s okay but they may know others who need your products and services. Be consistent and build relationships. Discover your sweet spot the view is beautiful at the top!

How to Take Your Networking to the Next Level

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You may have heard hundreds of elevator pitches and you may have a shoebox full of business cards but what good are they when you do not want or need their business. If you want to take your networking to the next level you need to start thinking differently.

Here are 3 tips to help you take your networking to the next level:

  1. Be Intentional – Develop a plan before you attend your networking event. Plan to meet at least 2-3 people you would like to connect and follow up with. Reacquaint yourself with a couple of people you have met in the past. Networking is about connecting, caring, and conversing.
  2. Make It About Them – Mix and mingle introducing yourself to others.Learn as much as you can in your limited time together. Find out what is important to them, what are some of their hobbies, do they have a family or a pet, and what they do for a living. Get to know them as a person first. Business cards come secondary.
  3. Follow-Up – Follow up with the people you intended to meet or who you spoke to about planning to get together within 24-48 hours of meeting. By doing this, people are more likely to remember meeting you. Try connecting with people every 30, 60, and 90 days if possible. You may send an email, an article of interest, or make a phone call letting them know what you are up to. You may not need their business and they  may not need yours but you both have contact who might need your businesses. Think about some of the other people in your network, who do they need to know. Be a connector!

When you are intentional and focus on others, follow up is easy. The awkwardness does not feel cold; it is like picking up the phone and talking to an old friend. I recently reconnected with a person I met at a networking event several years ago while on my family vacation. It was great getting to hear about what she was up to and watching the passion she had about her business. We could have talked for hours; I love it!

Who can you follow up with today? What are others doing to make a difference in the world? You may even connect with people on Facebook or Twitter getting to know the people who you are following and who may be following you.

 

Are You Being Truly Present with Those You Serve?

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Today I had the great pleasure of interviewing Laura Gisborne, the founder of Powered with Passion, for The Millionaire Woman Club. We had a phenomenal conversation and one of the greatest insights for me was the power of being present in the moment. How many people do you know that are truly present when you speak with them? There are so many distractions and bright shiny objects in the world.

What I mean by truly present is that you are in a conversation with someone and no matter what is going on in the world everything is about the two of you in conversation. I love how Laura said, “Nothing is as important as what is happening in this very moment.” Jack Canfield, co-author of The Success Principles and Sandra Yancey, founder/CEO of eWomen Network, are two people I know that live in the moment that way.

Being present with others, makes a person feel heard, valued, and appreciated. This is a skill that definitely can be learned and a valuable skill to build into your business and life practices. How can I learn how to do this you may ask?

3 Ways to Become More Present with Those You Serve

1. Maintain Eye Contact. I am not telling you to stare deeply into their eyes, but maintain eye contact. Do not look through or over the shoulder of the person you are talking to, stare at the floor, or look around the room to see who else is around.

2. Be an Active Listener. Lean forward and listen not only to the words being spoken but for the complete meaning and emotion. You can learn many things about a person when you do this. You can sense and feel how passionate they are about their businesses, family, and personal life. Nod once in awhile to acknowledge comments or phrases that resonate with you. Don’t forget to smile if appropriate – keep in mind your subject matter. 

3. Paraphase, clarify, or ask questions. Summarize key points of what the person has shared with you. Clarify what you perhaps do not understand. Ask questions to dig deeper into a subject area that they are talking to you about. Be wary as you may become so involved in the conversation and lose track of time. Which can be easy to do – this is when you may ask to have a follow up meeting to further discuss the topic at hand. Thank the person for sharing their time with you.

I personally love connecting with people who are fully present. It makes you want to shout, “You GET it!” These are the people I can talk to for hours and learn so much about their passions, dreams, and desires. Not only that, I have always learnt more about myself in the process.

Your business is your purpose! Take time to be PRESENT so you can share the BEST of you with others! Build your relationships and in turn you will build your business.

Build Your Expertise Through Education on a Shoestring Budget

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Are you on a shaky financial ground? Have you been stretching your marketing budget or spending money from your business in your personal life and going through tough times? Do you need more education or knowledge to build your credibility as an expert? Many women in business have been in your position at one time or another.

“If knowledge is power, where do you get some. ” –  Debra Kasowski

There are several ways you can build your credibility as an expert. Develop a presence of being a go-to or knowledge expert. People are looking for people who deliver results. You must be confident in your abilities and be able to demonstrate this to others both on-line and off-line.

Educate yourself to be the best:

  • You Tube Videos or TED talks

    • – Watch videos about the expertise you are trying to develop or hone. There are many tips and techniques out there.

  • iTunes – Podcasts also have valuable information. Listen and take notes. Remember knowledge is only good if it has been applied and works for you.
  • Books, Articles, Magazine, & Newspapers – Learn from the experts already out there. Find out what you need to learn and work toward honing that skill with one action step each day. 
  • Google – The best resource out there. How many times have you heard, “Just Google it!” For example, you might want to learn about blogging. Think of the questions you might have about starting a blog. What? Where? When? How often? How can I do it? Why blog? Who is your audience? Type in what you want to learn, there are literally hundreds of websites and blogs like this sharing information.
  • Networking Events and Conferences – There are often speakers at networking events and other experts like yourself. Go for coffee or lunch with one of them and learn about their business.
  • Study the experts. Success leaves clues. What are they doing that you could be doing to build your business? Go to their websites they often have a free newsletter or other resources that you can use.
  • As you are growing, you will need to invest in yourself in other ways by attending conferences and seminars. My greatest growth came from working with a coach who has been where you want to go and done what you want to do. You want to be able to have the knowledge so you can leverage opportunities and give the people you serve the results they want.