Networking Is About Your Business PASSION

Writes Trevor:

Nikki writes one of the best article insights I have read on the REAL WORLD of quality business networking in THE POWER OF NETWORKING - PART 1 .

In this piece, Nikki identifies exactly why it is a PRIVILEGE to be referred by someone who is a quality business networker - and why YOU, by being referred, have two reputations at stake should you not follow-up on the referral.

Nikki identifies the biggest secret to quality business networking, covered perfectly in her article: '..the first thing that you have to know before you even start to think about networking successfully, is what your PASSION is.'

Reminds me of an article I once wrote entitled: The Finest COMPLIMENT One Can Get.

I had a visitor yesterday who paid me one of the nicest compliments one can get. To paraphrase, he shared: 'I first met you in this very office in 1995. I had a boring humdrum life and was uninspired at work.'

'It was an It's So Simple! presentation... and something you said connected with me... both spiritually and intellectually. For the first time in my life I drove home on a high with a feeling of total JOY... I will never forget it... I was actually singing in the car. I had never done that before.'

'I have followed your information for years since... I was inspired at work... I developed a PASSION and PURPOSE in my life which is paying off today. I am about to do what I want to do in my own business.'

'Your example as been one of consistent passion and purpose... you have never wavered... you have always walked your talk with integrity... and I want to thank you for that.'

'As I've got closer to getting into my own business and asked you pertinent questions... you have got tougher and tougher... you don't beat around the bush (I recognise that is because you are so busy yourself)... and you have forced me to THINK deeper and deeper... you have made me realise just HOW DILIGENT and knowledgeable you are when it comes to business... which has strengthened my conviction to do it RIGHT.'

'I have seen people crumble at this most critical process that you adopt... I have learnt that you are TESTING their resolve because you know something about how difficult business can really be if you are not prepared. I have chosen to take each comment you make and treat it as a lesson... and to bounce back when I feel I have understood the lesson. I learnt that your door is always open to someone who does this. You NEVER shut the door. This has made me stronger and ready to face the future in my own business. I am ready.'

Well... how about that... it really makes me feel good. I am amazed at how many people have surfaced this year, already, to say how much my work has MADE A DIFFERENCE in their lives. I think that it is one of the finest compliments one can get.... a 'thank you' for helping to make a difference in someone else's life. I know one thing... a genuine 'thank you' is one of the most humbling things anyone can give... especially in person. All manner of feelings from personal pride, embarrassment, ego and plain ol' bloody-mindedness have to be overcome and subordinated. So it is a GIFT that I REALLY APPRECIATE for its true worth.

Now, there's some PASSION in there somewhere..!

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

The POWER Of Networking

Writes Trevor:

I received some inside news that Nikki will be writing an article in her blog - When Reality Bites - highlighting The Power Of Networking.

I quickly linked to her site to see if it was there and found a neat story - WE ARE ALL VALUABLE - where Nikki describes the story of a crumpled R100 note retaining it's value.

To take that little analogy further, I think that The Power Of Networking can be demonstrated by tearing that R100 note in half and giving it to two business-people in the room. If those two people do not network together on finding a mutually-beneficial synergistic solution to extracting value from the two pieces of that R100 note... it will be rendered worthless.

In my experience most business-people who come together have torn MILLION RAND cheques in their pockets... most just don't bother to bring them out to match them with the other pieces held by their colleagues. Those that do have magnificent experiences.

Nikki will write: 'Networking is a daily part of my life, in fact I could not imagine how my life would be if I were not able to ‘network’! I am a ‘natural’ networker and it is at times excruciatingly difficult for me to understand that this is not the case with many people! How they ‘manage’ is beyond me, which is probably why I keep threatening to write a book which I will entitle - The Reluctant Entrepreneur!’

In a recent blog article of my own - The POWER Of Networking - I discuss how SEVEN attorneys in my own network provided invaluable insight for my youngest daughter just entering her law degree at Tukkies.

And, I am reminded of how Nikki herself has opened up amazing connections in her personal network for my eldest UCT-just-graduated daughter. Thanks Nikki - you truly understand and apply the POWER of Networking - can't wait to link this article of Nikki's.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

Things To KEEP In Your Life & Business

Writes Trevor:

Was writing this extract - MAD 2. YOU Will Be 'Judged' By What You DO… Not By What You Say..! - to one of my own blogs: It's So Simple! ..1 ..2 ..3 , when in comes this prescient thought from Nikki:

Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words.

Keep your words positive, because your words become your actions.

Keep your actions positive, because your actions become your habits

Keep your habits positive, because your habits become your lifestyle.

Keep your lifestyle positive, because your lifestyle becomes your
destiny.

To right Nikki, as I point out in the above links: 'People follow and respect those who 'walk their talk'... who DO what they say... who deliberately take ACTION to deliver on their promises... and make good on their commitments.'

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

Be Aware - People 'SEE' Things Differently

Writes Trevor:

Having worked with many 1000's of people in my business career, one reality I have come to accept is that you will always come across people who see things differently to the way that YOU see them... and it does not mean that they are right or vice versa.

The fact is that people will always have very different perceptions of the same challenge, incident or offer, dependent upon where they come from and what their current point of view. The trick in business is to prepare for these different perceptions and either accept them (you're unlikely to win every deal or to have everyone believing in you and your products/services) or challenge/convert them as you believe you must with quality evidence and logic.

This insight stemmed from this humorous mailing from Nikki which highlights this point:

'Hi Trevor, I know you love these! Regards Nikki

(To understand Nikki's sense of humour... my daughter's name is Maxine).

'A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon?

Four worms were placed into four separate jars.

The first worm was put Into a container of alcohol.

The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke.

The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup.

The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results.

The first worm in alcohol - Dead.

The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead.

Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead.

Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive.

So the Minister asked the congregation - what can you learn from this demonstration?

Maxine was sitting in the back, quickly raised her hand and said,

"As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!'

Ooooh Maxine....!!!!

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

Kill Corruption With YOUR Personal INTEGRITY

Writes Trevor:

Nikki writes in one of her latest blog posts - '..there is a huge amount of corruption in this country. Having said that, it is not confined to the police, or any one sector of the community, it is rampant everywhere. Everyday in the newspaper there is something about someone somewhere who has accepted a bribe of some sort.'

Nikki points out how tempting it is for a business owner to particpate in bribery and corruption to further their business and personal desires.

I cannot see how one with a personal foundation of honesty and integrity, and open transparency in dealings with others, can ever participate in bribery & corruption.

It would be the ultimate in hypocrisy!

“Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it's set a rolling it must increase.” - Charles Caleb Colton

If you take a bribe, if you give a bribe - no matter how small - then you corrupt society and you kill YOUR personal integrity. You betray yourself. The money you make is tainted. The relationships you have cannot be trusted... as they cannot trust you.

Concludes Nikki: 'But is that the right way to go (bribery & corruption)... logic tells me no, because as some point, what-ever it is that has been done illegally, will rise up, like the Phoenix out of the ashes and bite you on the bum! And please believe me, when it bites, it is going to hurt like hell!'

And yet, so many do it... many have been the people who have criticised me in business... and many of them have ended up in jail. How does that work..? Something to do with 'skeletons' I think! And, it's always about greed.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com

Go With The FLOW!

Writes Trevor:

Nikki writes in her latest blog post - Extract: 'As business owners, we often despair... at the business we don't seem to be able to generate... the staff who let us down... the client doesn't want to pay... the Government "red tape"... at all the challenges we are faced with, and yet... we generally survive!'

Hey, what about the power load scheduling that shuts down our internet businesses? Who knows how to send email by manual typewriter?

Business reality in my experience is that anything that can get in the way of you doing business... WILL..! And generally, it is primarily the TOUGH that survive... and survive well.

Being an old big-water river canoeist, I can tell you that there is only one thing to do when flipped out of your canoe and caught in the churning big water - don't fight it - go with the flow!

Raging waters tend to follow the philosophy of 'Lead, follow or get out of the way!' and those who succeed in these waters follow the same philosophy... right, Nikki?

No point stressing about the immediate frustration... try to learn from the experience. Sometimes just being able to breathe is a positive experience... ;-)

Sooner or later you'll get to calmer waters where you can sit and plan your strategy to follow the course that you want. At the end of the day, YOU can decide to stay in the river (in the game) or choose another path over the hills. All choices are hard, you may as well enjoy the thrill of taming the wild waters.

Nikki concludes: 'Many of us not only survive, but we end up making a pretty decent living not only for ourselves but for our employees too, and when we look back, we often remember the tears and perhaps even the smiles, but the best is the dance - the dance for joy at the people we have become.'

That's the reality Nikki.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790
www.innercircleforum.com

HOT & Spicy Comment

Writes Trevor:

Nikki Viljoen was one of the initial group of pioneering INNER Circle HOSTS who, in August 2005, took up the challenge to bring together a group of Business Owners, Directors & Decision-Makers for business networking purposes.

Today, Nikki conducts MOST of her business through business networking - having recently revealed that her 2006 business networking resulted in 3 times more invoices being posted to her books in less than half the time of her previous years in business.

That's AWESOME... because I know that Nikki has only just begun to scratch the surface of this business networking game - it gets even more exciting the longer you're into it!

Nikki it was who first approached me about her idea to write a book for RELUCTANT entrepreneurs - entrepreneurs who seem to do everything in their power to make it as hard as possible for others (whether subconsciously or not) to do business with them. An interesting concept that Nikki can expand on in this blog

Nikki is an action-oriented no-nonsense business operator who tells it like it is. So if you like your comments spicy & hot with a bit of a kick in them, you've come to the right place. Hence the chilli (chili) in our blog logo above right.

I smile at Nikki's signature line quotes on her email posts:

'If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you.'

'Lead, follow or get out of the way!'

This blog project should be fun... :-)

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790