By Terri Hoffman
Networking doesn’t come easy for most of us. Many are intimidated at the notion of creating valuable conversation with a group full of people they’ve never heard of, and if your goal is to rub elbows with top-of-the-rung executives with busy schedules, you’ve got an added hurdle to cross.
Today on Interviewing Influencers, we talked with Bethany Williams about strategically connecting with C-suite executives.
By Wayne O'Neill
Last week, I attended the National Association of College and Business Officers 2014 Conference, better known as NACUBO. I look forward to this conference every year because the finance officers represent the pulse of the University “money engine”.
By Wayne O'Neill
In this video, we talk about how the process of “going to market” is shifting. One of our project delivery partners, Terri Hoffman, CEO of Marketing Refresh, shares her insights on the value of content marketing, how it correlates with The Connections Process and the importance of having a publisher’s mindset to influence the decision making process.
By Wayne O'Neill
I’m a bit of a cross media freak. Somehow, I end up getting a drumbeat about something I should read. Whether it’s messaging from TV, travel media, or a book suggested to me from a friend or colleague, I’m always looking to sink my teeth into something new.
But it’s not the literal suggestion that I link to, it’s about The Why I should read it. My ears are always open. It’s about what moves you. This is what I’ve been reading lately:
By Wayne O'Neill
I’m always reading something. You’ll often find me staring intently at my iPad, soaking up the latest book from my book list or using the latest apps to connect with recent news and industry articles. If you catch me with my iPad powered off, I’ll have my nose buried deep within a trade publication: magazines that are, at times, so bad they won’t charge the readers—just the advertisers.
By Wayne O'Neill
Many firms think that they connect best with their clients when they think geographically. They focus on having an office in every major city, so they can feel physically close to them and more available to meet needs as they arrive. What they don’t realize is that clients are more interested in someone that understands them and connects on a deeper level than can be limited by quantity of miles.
By Wayne O'Neill
A Case against Monday Meetings
Monday morning, 9:30 a.m. sharp: your team gathers around and begins dissecting every single one of the potential clients they’re pursuing. For up to three or four hours, you and your team members could be sitting around that same table, checking leads off your list. It quickly becomes exhausting, and before you know it, no one is listening—they’re waiting for their turn to talk, they’re checking emails, checking Twitter—they’re doing anything but listening.
By Wayne O'Neill
In this video, Wayne O’Neill talks about the difference between “what” dialogue and “why” dialogue with a potential client, and how strategically weaving “why” questions into your conversations with clients can help you uncover the value and impact behind the implementation of your product or service. Understanding that is key in building a long-term authentic client connection.
By Wayne O'Neill
Part of the genius of someone like Steve Jobs is that he saw what was missing and made an educated guess. He sought out different perspectives. What you don’t know can hurt you because someone who is trying to connect with your client may make that educated guess and beat you to the punch.
By Wayne O'Neill
The biggest challenge for me in writing was that I didn’t want this to be the traditional business book. There’s plenty of those out there already. I’d like for this book to be one that you think about for a while after you’ve completed the last page. I hope that if you read RESET: What I Want You to Buy Is…STOP SELLING, you’ll be left with a message that resonates with you as well as ways of doing things that you’ll be able to put to practice for your business.
