Three Networking Tips From Ellen Ely

"What Should Your Focus be as a Successful Networker?" was Ellen Ely's session topic at a recent National Association for Professional Organizers (NAPO) National Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland.

Ellen presented 19 networking tips and my favorite tip was to wear a "networking uniform" to a networking event. Her comments about this uniform:

1.  Wear a jacket with two pockets.  Use the right pocket for incoming business cards and the left pocket for your cards.  Once you receive a card, present your card to the other person...right away.  A two-pocket system keeps the two sets of cards separate and prevents handing out another person's card rather than your own (embarrassing situation).

2.  Wear a nice lapel pin/unusual earrings/necklace; men can wear a great tie.  The item you wear must have meaning to you, then people will notice and comment on it.  This technique works at other types of social events and at work too, especially if small talk is not your strong point.  My Texas sister and I were chatting about this topic and she mentioned commenting on a customer's unique necklace which led to an interesting dialogue.

3.  Write down identifying information about the other person on the back of their business card--in code.  Listen to what they have to say.  Once your conversation is finished, go into the restroom and add notes to help jog your memory the next time you meet.  Ellen said, "...You know information about them and they will love you for it.  Whatever you do, don't drop the card."

• Start by writing down the phonetic spelling of their name; pronouncing their name correctly is most important.
• Next, jot down their gender (F - female; M - male) and race (Ellen uses the government's racial code numbers for this purpose).
• Code their hair, for example, S or short for haircut, R or red for color.
• Draw two circles with a arch connecting the circles to indicate eye-glass wearer.
• Married can be denoted with two circles touching each other.
• Use the letter "K" for kids.
• Body type symbols annotated with these letters:  CH - chubby; SK - skinny; AV - average, and so on. 

This quote from Stephanie Goddard Davidson's book, 101 Ways to Have a Great Day at Work, is not from Ellen's session; however, I thought it fit. 

Decide that every person that you come in contact with today can teach you something.  Be aware of this possibility and manage the conversation toward this outcome.

Quick Steps Move You

       Do you make to-do lists to tidy your home and complete work projects?  I do.  Finishing one job and crossing it off this list inspires me to do another.  Each lined-off task moves me on to the next.   
       Some days...I don't make a list and would rather "shut the door" on an untidy room...and nothing more.  Does that happen to you?  If it does, my friend and fellow organizer Jill Viglione, owner of Embrace Your Space, suggests we:  Take ten tiny actions.  These may be as minute as turning off a light in an unused room; putting away a pot holder in a kitchen drawer; or rinsing off one dirty dish.  Finish one, cross it off your mental list, and then complete another little chore...until you've reached your goal of ten. Taking care of each little job is a reward in itself; and it might inspire you to bring order to an entire room.  If others live with you, invite them to join in the fun and share in the maintenance of your home.
       You can use this method on any space, room, or for paper pileups. Try it! It's fast and it gets you moving!

Paperwork Past Its Prime

 

                 Paper, in some form, arrives daily in most households.  True?  Advertisements, bills, junk mail, magazines, donation requests, and newspapers are received by mail; documents are brought home from work and/or school; and business cards, fliers, and pamphlets are collected at business networking meetings, expositions, and trade shows.  Upon arrival, the tendency is to lay the paper object on the nearest chair, couch, desktop, or kitchen counter with the intention of taking care of it...later.  However, unprocessed, miscellaneous papers lie around, multiply, and may spread into other rooms.   

                Eventually, the time is right, or an occasion arises and the paper finally gets some attention. Hours upon hours are needed to sort, review, and dispose of the amassed paper collection.  Recently, a client’s decades’ worth of papers was processed by us, and inspired me to write this cinquain poem:

Papers

Many, saved

Reading, filing, recycling

Stack up, clutter minds, cause disorder

Toss!

Small Steps...Lead to...Success!

What causes a stall in your life—then, what inspires you to move forward?   Kathie England, Professional Organizer and Coach, and owner of Time for Success, recently reviewed One Small Step Can Change Your Life , by Robert Maurer, at a National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) Oregon Chapter meeting.  Her summation intrigued me.  I purchased and read this book, and now it’s my favorite book about changing behavior and achieving success…using six small simple steps.  The goal of the book is to “…change your life without fear, without failure.”  It takes a small amount of time to read and yields a practical way to overcome inaction.

One Small Step Can Change Your Life