What’s on your “vacation” list??

Today I am going to increase your office productivity!  This is going to perhaps be one of the best networking and business tips you are going to read about today!  It all started when I thought I was going out to Vegas for a “working” weekend.  I did the normal things one does before leaving the office for a few days. This included laundry, packing, finding someone to feed my fish, making sure the mail would be picked up, and lastly finishing up my “vacation” list.  I had sat down and created a list of things I needed to get accomplished and people I need to follow up with BEFORE I would leave for my vacation.  The interesting thing about this list was it was much longer than my daily “to do” list.  It included things like.

1. Follow up with an email and “Nice to Meet You” card to the 12 people I had met that morning at a Chamber breakfast.

2. Respond to and clean out my two email accounts (45 emails total).

3. Have Christina, my assistant from V.A.-a-GoGo, start calling my team inviting them to an event. P.S. She is the absolute best and if you need help with “admin overwhelm” call her!

4. Close two sales that have just needed me to take the info and put it in the computer. (I get paid when the info goes into the computer).

5. Update my Facebook page.

So for the entire day I worked so hard to get everything on the list completed.  By about 3:00 in the afternoon, an iced venti soy latte, some dance music in the background and a few hours distraction free time, I did it!!!!  The list was completed!  Yeah for me.  I could now leave for my “vacation”.  Packed and ready to go, I got a call and in one 30 second conversation, my trip was off.  Bummer.

Here is the real lesson.  I worked so hard to get everything of the list done that I had got more accomplished in one day than I usually do.  Why is that?  I knew I had to make up for a couple of days of no production but the reality was I more productive just based on a perceived lack of time.  Here is my new way of making my daily “to-do” list.  I know make the list as if I am leaving tomorrow morning for vacation and must finish everything before going.  Holy smokes I am more productive.  Please go right now and make your vacation list and leave me a comment on how you did in completing your tasks for the day.  On the top of your list, may I suggest giving someone an AWESOME day!

In networking the most valuable three words are…Listen Listen Listen

I am sitting here at my computer just cracking up over how so many people miss the mark when networking with someone they have just met.  When you are out at an event and meet someone you think might be a good match for you AND you have made an appointment with them to get to know them better, PLEASE read the title of this post.  People just crack me up with their inability to just sit and listen to another person without trying to get a word in edge wise.  If you just listen to another person and let them sell themselves on your product, the sales cycle will be quite short.  I just used this example with a close friend I was just with trying to sell our product.  When you are meeting someone pretend they are in the middle of the road and your job is to simply let them sell themselves and you are just a bumper keeping them on the road.  If you just listen you can pick up on cues that help you nudge them towards the close.  For example, an insurance agent trying to sell me life insurance better pick up on the fact I am not interested in life insurance  to leave the money to an heir BUT will sell me on the investment portion.  If the agent does not listen to me and they keep leading me down the path of leaving money to my heirs then sorry……no deal. 

Open your ears to listening to your prospect and you will soon see the light.  Remember that the most valuable three words in networking are listen listen listen!