Yesterday I responded to yet another person criticising the “mindless dribble” [sic] of Twitter.

Moments ago I listened to Bernie Goldbach’s Audioboo about a new arrival and was touched by his attention to detail – not about the baby but about the condensation on the inside of his car window!

I then scanned emails from 2005 as I archived them out of my main mailbox. It was like watching a timelapse of my life.

I often quote Rob Paterson’s phrase “the intensity of the mundane” but it is worth restating that it is the little things that make life real and understandable – not the big exciting things that we are coached to value by the media.

View Rainmakers Bio »
Go to Source »

When I first left the BBC and was considering whether to have a fancy corporate sounding name for my business, or to pretend that there was a whole team of people rather than just little old me, I decided to be up front and not pretend. I also chatted to my former boss about whether to adopt the dispassionate, third person tone of much consultancy and he said “Why be like everyone else. Be yourself. That is what people are buying”

Most of my work comes through referrals, speaking gigs or my blog and twitter. As those of you reading this will know I am reasonably forthright and open about what I think in each of those spaces. As a result people who I work with know what they are getting in advance. The advantage of this is that I get to work with those who I consider really, really nice, smart people!

Do your clients, or indeed your boss, know what they are getting up front?

View Rainmakers Bio »
Go to Source »

North America contains just five per cent of the world’s population, yet we consume 33 per cent of the world’s resources. If every person on the planet consumed as much as us, we would require at least four more planets to feed the demand. At the heart of our unsustainable North [...]

View Rainmakers Bio »
Go to Source »

Why network? The number one reason people cite is that they don’t have to make cold calls any more. Other benefits are building relationships, meeting others in your field, finding a mentor and, of course, the social aspect of spending time with others.

There are a variety of networking groups to fit anyone’s goals, business preferences and schedules. Some organizations allow only one person from each industry per chapter, are very structured and require attendance. The best (in my opinion) and most successful with this format is BNI, the largest referral organization in the world. They meet weekly, at the same time and location; membership dues apply to the Chapter in which you belong. Passing good, quality referrals is the top focus.

Other networking organizations have less structure. I am Vice President of Rainmakers, which is a networking/marketing group that allows open membership. This means there are no restrictions to the number of members per industry, and when you become a Rainmaker, you can attend any meeting throughout the state, rather than just one chapter, or hub. Meetings are held early morning, at lunch and after hours to provide a variety of options to meet members’ needs. They have a template to provide the Chairman of the hub to follow, but are not a business-meeting format and do not require attendance. Building strategic relationships is the primary goal of Rainmakers.

Civic organizations, chambers of commerce, power circles, church groups, industry associations, etc., also provide opportunities to meet others and develop relationships. Though their focus is not helping you grow your business, the result is you now have a team of people who know and trust you. Fellow members will introduce you to their connections because of the relationship you’ve built over time.

Another networking format is social networking. There are a plethora of online sites – Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo, MySpace, to name a few – where you find ‘friends’. You can post a profile, upload photos, select others to be among your connections, feed your blog to your home page, ask questions, and even form groups for people to join with like interests.

Twitter is a micro blogging site, and the newest form of online social networking. It serves the same purpose, but with a limited number of characters per conversation. It is amazing how quickly you can meet someone and begin to ‘follow’ them. Many tweeple most links to sites that they feel will benefit others. It’s like a moving, virtual library of information!

A more serious, business-focused type of online networking is also available. My favorite is One Degree Connected (ODC). As the name implies, you are just one degree away from the person you want to meet. You have the option to sort by a specific person or company. Or, if you want to meet a channel market category, or target market, you can search by title. For example, I like to meet insurance agents because they are a perfect channel for me. I enter “insurance agent” in the title box, and all agents who are in the databases of each of the ODC members are found. Then it’s as simple as asking the members for an introduction to the agent(s) in their databases. One Degree Connected! It’s fast and easy. The huge benefit is that when I make the call, they already know who recommended me, and have had an opportunity to view my profile. Unique to ODC over other business sites is you can request an intro from each of the members who knows my desired connection. You’ll create a buzz for yourself and pique the interest of the person you want to meet.

Ask friends and business associates where they network. Visit some of the meetings and check out the online sites. There are so many choices and opportunities; find the format, philosophy and meeting schedules that work best for you.

Cindy Hartman is President of Hartman Inventory, a woman-owned business. Visit her website at http://www.HartmanInventory.com to discover more reasons you need a business or home inventory. Also view the Turnkey page to learn about the Hartman Inventory Systems, a complete turnkey business package; start and grow your own personal property inventory service. Cindy’s blog, at http://www.HartmanInventoryBlog.com – discusses marketing, management, entrepreneurship and asset inventories.

Author: Cindy Hartman
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Creditcard Currency Conversion Fee

The term rainmaker in business means “an achiever of outstanding results in a profession”. Do you want to excel in your career? Then be a rainmaker! Some people think that means bringing in new business. That is not the only thing it is. It also means doing an exceptional job.

A big part of being an exceptional employee is making things happen. If you are a salesperson that means bringing in a new account. As an accountant, there are new cost cutting measures; as a production person, looking for new and top notch factories; as a designer, new concepts that will add plus business. Even as a receptionist starting out you want to stand out. Be so extraordinary that clients tell your boss how you have made the experience of coming to your office exceptional.

Always look out for ways to bring extra value to your company. In my case I am working on trying to bring new businesses to my company. But, from the beginning of my career I always looked for ways to stand out. What ways can you stand out? How can you be a rainmaker?

Be the one that does the exceptional job. Come in a 1/2 hour early leave a 1/2 hour late. Don’t take long lunches. When you work, work. Don’t let people steal your time. If someone comes to hang out in your office to gab, tell them you have a project to do and have to stay focused. Tell them you can talk after work. Being focused on your job while you are at your office will give you a leg up on all your coworkers. Most people waste a lot of time at their job and their actual productive time is quite low. Don’t be that person .

Where are the opportunities for you where you work? Always be looking out for ways to grow your job. Take on new duties. I don’t necessarily mean more work (not that you shouldn’t help out your boss wherever possible). What I am talking about are responsibilities that stretch you as an individual and make you more valuable in your place of employment and the industry. You will become more capable. By doing this you’re sure to bring the attention of your higher ups. Doing exceptional work and bringing in new business or ideas are very important parts of being a rainmaker.

There is another way to be impactful on your company’s business. That is the person who takes the idea and runs with it. Many ideas die on the vine through lack of follow through. What if you were the person who made it happen? In a meeting when the idea comes up ask if you could help with the concept. Offer to do the leg work. Find out the information and the action steps required to get the project going. Some people are thinkers and some are doers. Nothing wrong with being the doer. In most cases the doer is way more valuable than the thinker. Being a person who spearheads projects is another component to being a rainmaker.

The rainmakers in an organization are the people who rise to the top. These people are usually the CEO’s of a company. So always being looking for ways to help impact the success of your company. Don’t have the attitude that, “It isn’t my job, or I am too low down on the totem pole”. You can do this and it will speed up your path to the top.

Author: Maria Pesin
Article Source: EzineArticles.com