Weedin 360

From my August 2011 Newsletter sent out today. To read the rest of the newsletter and to subscribe to this free service, click here.

What differentiates you from your competition?

Let’s debunk three myths and monsters first before we answer that question.

1. It’s NOT your customer service. Everyone says they have the best customer service. And, let’s face it, most everyone does have good customer service. In most professions, this is not a difference-maker because you can’t prove it with real metrics.

2. You don’t care about your customers/clients more. This is the same as #1. You can’t prove that you care more than someone else. It’s all fluff. No steak or sizzle.

3. You’re products or services are not all that unique. Insurance agents represent the same companies. Real estate agents sell the same homes. Barbers cut the same hair. You all have similar methodology and your competitors are as capable as you.

So what’s your “secret sauce?”

It’s what you uniquely bring to the table with your experiences, stories, perspective, and personality.

• 2 cups of Experiences. Nobody else can claim your life experiences. These events have molded your thoughts and perspectives and make great stories to engage and communicate with your clients and prospects. I’ve been a volunteer firefighter, high school basketball coach, school board director, and Rotary President. Combined with that, I married my high school sweetheart, raised two daughters, and am the “voice” of the high school football team. All these experiences present opportunities to improve the condition of my client if I’m creative enough to find a way.

• 1 cup of Education. Your professional development and skill gives you perspective. Where you went to school, the professional classes you took, and a large pinch of the “street smarts’ you earned by skinning your knees countless times can’t be duplicated by anyone else.

• A dollop of Personality. You are uniquely you (at least that’s what my wife keeps telling me). Whatever your personality – introvert, extrovert, gregarious, serious, humble, or assertive – it doesn’t matter. You’re ability to relate to people make your secret sauce anomalous.

Mix together with…

Effective communication skills
Engaging and metaphoric personal stories
Creativity
Passion

And, for the frosting on the cake…

Top with a large serving of CONFIDENCE.

Confidence is the killer of many an entrepreneur and professional. Lack of confidence masks skill. People want to work with those who are confident. It’s something you can’t hide. You either have that swagger or you don’t. You need this to top of your secret sauce and make your dish delicious.

© 2011 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved

Now there’s a statement I thought I would never make, but there it is. I’m a gang member. But, this sort of gang is the kind that helps business leaders and executives in all matters related to running and thriving in business!

Here’s the deal…

Alan Weiss, author of Million Dollar Consulting and about 30+ others, has created a forum for business leaders and entrepreneurs to access the immense firepower of his global consulting community. The program is called Alan & the Gang. There are 25 “gang members” and I’m thrilled to be included as one of them (no tattoos or piercing required at this point).  Alan & the Gang is a repository of articles, white papers, templates, audio, video, etc. just for the business leader that needs his or her questions answered by an expert in their field. There are 4 levels of membership to access Alan or the gang in areas like technology, human resources, insurance, risk management, crisis leadership, leadership, communications, diversity, generations in the workplace, and much more. In total, there are 25 gang members with already 60 articles, 320 video pages, and 426 audio pages. It’s a place where entrepreneurs discuss, learn, and grow!

View may bio page on the site

If you own, run, or manage a business, I encourage you to check it out. There are levels of membership for everyone and the return on investment is tremendous.

This is one time, it pays to be part of a gang!

© 2011 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved

As a Master Mentor of the Alan Weiss Private Roster Mentor ® program, I’m pleased to present his Million Dollar Consulting ® Accelerant Curve to the fine consultants and entrepreneurs at the Lake Washington chapter of Biz Enrich last Friday. I’m also pleased to present highlights to you.

This model was developed by Alan and his community. This model is ideal for all consultants, coaches, speakers, entrepreneurs, and professional service providers. I hope you enjoy…

© 2011 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved

This week’s focus point -

Overcoming Resistance.

When we were on vacation in Washington D.C. six years ago, we were warned about the metro system. As you leave the train, all the “slow” people stay to the right, and the “fast” people play through on the left. Boy, were they right. Everyone who needed to get somewhere fast zipped past us like Dale Earnhardt Jr. The system worked because those on the go were not delayed and those who were tourists like us didn’t get trampled.

Getting off the ferry to go into Seattle last week, I recalled fondly that system. Unfortunately for me, there is NO system off the ferry. People walk with large bags, dawdle, stop mid-stride, and stroll in all areas of the walkway. They literally block all of those who are in a hurry to move and trying to gain speed and momentum. Guess which lane I want to occupy here!?

The same thing can happen to your speed and momentum in business. You will encounter resistance just like I did trying to get into the city. Instead of baby strollers and rolling luggage, you will run into people, systems, situations, competition, and plain bad luck all trying to derail you and impede your momentum. However, in my experience one of the biggest culprits of resistance comes from ourselves. We can be our own worst enemy and hinder our own progress. Lack of confidence, discouragement, stress, and impatience mask our own talent and cause us to quit before we should. “Resistance” can be an invidious condition and one that we need to recognize and hold fast against.

Today’s’ morale – make sure you’re playing in the fast lane and don’t let anything slow you down.

This week’s quote – “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”
- Admiral David Farragut – a lifelong left-lane sprinter

Referrals are the platinum-standard for acquiring new business. This concept is as old as sales itself. There are three key principles to getting and leveraging good referrals…

1. You need to be referred to the economic buyer. If the person you were referred to can’t write a check or have the authority and budget to have one cut, you’re wasting your time.
2. The buyer must respect the referral source. If they run screaming from you when you mention the name, or worse yet, never return your call, you’ve got a bad referral.
3. They must be in need of your help. Now, that doesn’t mean today or tomorrow. It could mean in 6 months or a year. However, they must be a business or individual that can gain value from what you provide.

In the nearly 6 years since I started my practice, I’ve mined referrals from clients, prospects, CPAs, attorneys, bankers, friends, family, acquaintances, and just about anyone else who had a pulse. That being said, one of my best referral sources (and perhaps THE best after clients), have been consultants. If you’re a consultant and you’re not actively receiving referrals from your colleagues in the consulting world, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.

Here are areas you gain leverage…

1. New business. The clients referred to you by consultants have one giant obstacle eliminated – they already are used to working with consultants. How many times have you had to fight the battle of persuading a business owner that working with an outside source is an investment rather than a cost? Now, you can get right to showing your value and how to improve their condition.
2. Speaking opportunities. Two weeks ago, I was at the Alan Weiss Mentor Summit and re-connected with a colleague out of San Francisco. She mentioned that last year she’d spoken in Bogota, Colombia for a conference. I was intrigued because I’m half-Colombian. She gave me the contact information for the organization and I contacted them immediately. I’m now scheduled to speak at their conference in Bogota in August in front of 350 buyers, plus get to do it in another country. This offers the potential of global expansion and more speaking possibilities.  That’s opportunity!
3. Marketing gravity. Another colleague from the Mentor Summit happened to get an e-mail from Help a Reporter Out (HARO) with a query ideal for what I do. He sent me an e-mail asking me if this would be a good lead to follow up on. Turns out I was in transit home from Seattle on the ferry. The deadline was quickly approaching so I contacted the reporter. I will now be quoted in Entrepreneur.com on a topic in my area of expertise. Now, I may have seen this query when I got home OR over the weekend. It may have been too late. Leveraging my relationship with a fellow consultant so he knew exactly what I do and what my target audience looks like is priceless. When thanking him for his generosity, his reply was “We have to watch out for each other’s backs.”

Garnering a steady stream of referral sources from consultants takes planning and consistent contact. Here are 5 ways you can best leverage your opportunity…

1. Clear value proposition. Like my last example, your colleagues must know what you do. If you’re not clear, concise, and value-laden, they may not be able to identify those people in their community who need you.
2. Consistent messaging. I had someone once tell me they thought I had a highly effective “drip system.” I’m glad they didn’t mean the plumbing at my home! What they meant was I have a regular method for contacting colleagues with my value proposition, intellectual property, and new offerings.
3. Give to get. You can’t be just a taker. You must reciprocate. When relationships are a one-way street, you’ll soon find yourself driving down the wrong way. You must understand their value proposition and how they can help your clients. It’s a win-win-win because you will continue to get referrals, look like a hero to your client, and help someone else in their career.
4. Create a “rap sheet.” This is basically a one-page that is meant to be given to your consulting pals so they will know a referral for you when they see one. Include your value proposition, your ideal client, your target audience, your typical client results, and testimonials.
5. Take care of their clients. Treat those leads like gold. Contact them within 48 hours; provide value right from the start; and ensure they get their issue solved, or are added to your mailing list.

BONUS: Always send a note of thanks (not just an e-mail) to your colleagues. That little extra level of gratitude goes a long way.

These steps are painless and easy to implement. In addition, you will gain new friends and forge remarkable relationships. Take the time to meet, network, and share with other consultants. The results will be a bigger pipeline, more clients, and accelerated growth for you and them. And that is a win-win-win proposition!

© 2011 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved

I just completed my third Mentor Summit with Alan Weiss in Las Vegas. As I sit in the lobby waiting to catch a ride with a colleague to the airport, I figured this is about as good a time as any to start de-briefing. Step One (as provided by Alan) is to find the three points that created the biggest impact on you without reviewing your notes. The point of not reviewing the notes is that you should have those important, key points top of mind and don’t need notes to remember them. Fair enough. I’m going to share this virtually, so you can gain value from my experience.

1. I need to increase assertiveness and decrease persuasiveness in my business interactions. What this means is being more focused on the business agenda at hand, and accelerating the process of working with clients and prospects.

2. I need to have the three key points of my value proposition top of mind (my new favorite term) and ready to express to clients and prospects. What are the three key issues related to crisis leadership and risk management in my mind? How do I turn those into intellectual property and conversations?

3. Find creative ways to gain the attention of those who most need your help. What are the best ways to reach these people? How can you gain gravity and become an object of interest?

The “how to’s” come tomorrow. Stay tuned…

© 2011 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved

My monthly column reprinted with permission from the Kitsap Business Journal

I regularly take my canine pals Captain Jack and Bella out for a walk during the days I’m working from home. They get very excited when I utter the word “walk.” That changes momentarily when I pull their harnesses out. They hate being manacled in this unsavory fashion (I think they’re afraid of what the other dogs are saying). Once harnessed and leashed, they fly out the door with great vigor to stretch out their legs. Captain Jack seems to just enjoy taking a stroll. Bella on the other hand is constantly on the lookout. Any smell, sight, or inkling of another dog throws her into a high level of perspicacity. On meeting other dogs, she is very careful to do a complete investigation to determine their intentions. I don’t know how she does this, but she’s very good at it! Once accepted, the dogs part company and we finish our walk. Before heading back to the office to work, they each are given a snack for a job well done.

You can learn a lot from a dog.

Empirical evidence shows that dogs by their very nature behave in ways that we mere humans can learn from in our business behaviors. My story of our daily walk brings five of those lessons into view…

Strive for Consistency. Dogs crave consistency. Whether it’s their walk or napping by the heater in my office, they are creatures of habit. There are things in our world we should make habitual. For instance, marketing activities, goal setting, reading the local and national business journals, returning phone calls and e-mails promptly, and inspiring your employees.

Show restraint. The dogs need to be restrained in their harness for their own good and health. Many times, our mouths and pens need to be restrained from embarrassing ourselves. Show discipline in your actions. Always re-read those e-mails when you’re angry before you hit “send.” Pause and think before you speak. You never can get the toothpaste back in the tube, and you can’t pull back sent e-mails and pernicious words.

Meet challenges with reckless abandon. My dogs literally fly out the door for their daily jaunts. You should do the same to meet your day. Each day will be filled with success and adversity; normalcy and challenges. If you choose to enter that day with apprehension or dreariness, then you will be bound to infect others with that attitude and your day has little chance of success. But, if you attack your day with vim, vigor, and vitality, your positive attitude will carry over to others and put you in a position to enjoy a terrific day. Basically, your attitude is what makes your own luck!

Sniff out your competition. It’s foolhardy not to know what your competition is doing. Be cognizant of your similarities and disparities. Be prepared to articulate to your prospects what makes you different, if not a better value. Don’t you think Apple knows what Microsoft and Google are doing?

Reward yourself. When you’ve accomplished something, even if a small item, reward yourself. It’s good for the spirit. Whenever I finish a new column or article, I reward myself by buying a new song for my iPod. May seem like a minor thing, but it’s something I look forward to, just like the dogs look forward to their treat. How much more effective would you be if you rewarded yourself regularly for your jobs well done?

Dogs are lucky. They do things naturally while we humans often need to learn. Fortunately, we can use them as good teachers.

Let’s go for a walk!

I just finished reading the most recent edition of Million Dollar Consulting on my Kindle reader on my iPhone. Even if you’ve read it before, it’s well worth the read if you’re a consultant. Alan Weiss has added new ideas and commentary with each edition and this one has great information. I highly recommend…

© 2011 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved

I’m sitting at home tonight trying to come up with a witty, yet valuable blog post and Captain Jack begins chasing his tail. I’ve always wondered why dogs so aggressively chase their tails. I have noticed that in the four dogs I’ve owned, the two male dogs chased their tales significantly more often than the females. There may be a lesson there, but I digress.

Maybe they are bored. Maybe they think they are entertaining me. Most probably, they have no reason or rationale. They just do it.

How many of us much more intelligent business professionals spend are spare time chasing our tails? Here are a few examples:

1 – Doing the same thing over and over again and getting the same results. (Note – if it produces good results then you are smart. If not, well…you get my drift)

2 – Searching for perfection while letting simply successful pass by.

3 – Knocking on the same doors and deep down knowing these doors will never buy from you.

4 – Avoiding doing the work you know you must do by finding something less productive to steal your time.

5 – Having a “victim mentality” by blaming others for your bad luck.

The reality is that you make your own luck, and you will never do it by chasing your tail. Dogs do it because they believe this is fruitful behavior. It just might be for them. For you, it will lead to lost opportunities, wasted time, and frustration. Be able to recognize when you start chasing your own tail, learn how to fix it, and focus in on the dog treat at the end of your day instead!

© 2010 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved