Lightn Up: Be Happier with Less

I've started to post more in Pinterest, and am using it more as a business tool.  Because of that I have been creating infographics, especially for business books I have read, and have found useful.

As I have been working on a book myself on scheduling and organization, I have reviewed a large number of books on these topics.  One of them is Lighten Up, Love What You Have, Have What You Need, Be Happier with Less by Peter Walsh.  Walsh is a clutter expert and organizational expert who has written many books on the subject.

Here is one interpretation of takeaway points from his book.

In this book, the author focuses a lot on adjusting priorities and self assessment to come to grips with what is really important.  As the title advises:  Love What You Have, Have What You Need, Be Happier with Less.

Hope you find this helpful, as I did.  I'm about to do another cleanout of my stuff.

Trust Me, I'm a Doctor.
Dr. Kaaren
http://www.pinterest.com/drkaaren/

New Follow Up Tip: Track What You Do

Hi. This is Dr. Kaaren Douglas, the Follow Up Doctor. You can find me at drkaaren@thefollowupdoctor and that's drkaaren@thefolowupdoctor.com.

My tip for today is you need to track what you do. This may seem completely obvious to you if you're already doing it, but I find that the majority of people don't understand that the sales that they're looking for are likely to happen between the 7th and the 12th contact. That means contact of any kind.

                           They either may not contact at all and hope that the other person is going to contact them or they may quit after two or three times. You don't want to be one of those people, so you need to track how many times you're actually contacting somebody you consider to be a good prospect for you.  Now, there are variety of ways that you could do this and I'm sure you will appreciate this.

1. I have a client who's a photographer and she actually contacts people using an Excel spreadsheet. Every time she has some kind of contact with them, then she notes it on the Excel spreadsheet. If you're really computer savvy and that's comfortable for you, that maybe  the way that you want to go.
2. Other people like to have a sheet of paper that they're using with columns so that you can actually put the name and then the phone number and then a column for the different times that you're contacting the person. Either do a check mark or some kind of notation for yourself.  Again, the contacts can be social media, e-mail, whatever ... phone calls, whatever and they don't have to be you're contacting them. If you have an assistant, you can have your assistant keeping track also.
3. A third way that you may want to think about doing contacts is a system that I've been using because I'm so visual and I need to be actually able to see what I'm doing and to remind myself.  I put the business the card right onto a 5x7 card and then I have plenty of time or plenty of space to write the date that I contact the person and any kind of notes on that contact, so that's the system that I'm using. Whatever system that you use, you need to be using something.

                           The tip for today is to track the number of times that you contact somebody that you consider to be a good prospect. This is Dr. Kaaren Douglas, the follow up doctor. Trust me, I'm a doctor, the Follow Up Doctor and you can reach me at drkaaren@thefollowupdoctor.com.  Aloha

If you'd like to see how someone else suggests follow up, see AndreaSittigRolf   who has a different take on a follow up system.

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Dr. Kaaren
The Follow Up Doctor
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Do You Ever Graduate From Networking?

Yesterday I was meeting with a young man who is new to networking.  He is a writer and editor, the Writer Junkie.  He asked, "Do you ever graduate from networking?"  It made me think about what our goals are when we go to networking meetings, like the one we had just attended, Contacts N Coffee.  It is about building relationships that go on, even when you don't attend.  It's about knowing how you can help others as well as acquiring clients and customers.  It is about socializing with people you have met before.  And it is about filling your marketing funnel.

A big challenge when you are  networking is to decide to follow up with some of the people you meet, and that can be more involved than it sounds.  You may collect a bunch of cards at each event, especially if you haven't decided before hand to look for specific types of folks to talk to.  Now what?

Let's say you use your smart phone and immediately send them an email requesting a coffee date.  If you have met and followed up with just five people, and they all respond, you will need to integrate five new follow-up meetings within the next week or so.  And it doesn't stop there.  If you decide that one of them is someone you really want to keep in touch with for the long term, then you will put your plan for follow-up into high gear so you don't allow them to get lost in your busy schedule.  As you can see, if you are attending several networking events each month, you could have overlapping meetings for each new group of people you meet.

Since you are building relationships, not selling products or services, then the follow-up just flows.  It has a natural rhythm all its own.  But if you decide you are overwhelmed, like I was today, just so far behind, I needed to stay in the office and pay bills, or work on projects only I can do, then it is time to pull back.

But the truth of the matter is that as long as you are in business, and you want to stay front of mind in the memories of your contacts, customers, and friends, you will need to continue to network.  I know he was asking about face-to-face networking, because it is so time consuming, and can be expensive.  Thank goodness there are other ways to network that you can do from your home, car, or office.  Thank goodness for social media as another networking tool.

Don't worry about graduating from networking.  You will always need new contacts, and new friends, so keep getting out and sharing yourself in your neighborhood.  Remember those folks you are meeting have many of the same challenges you do, and you may just find some unexpected allies.

For some tips on how to classify your networking contacts, check out my free report.

If you have some awesome networking stories, please share with us.

Dr. Kaaren
The Follow Up Doctor
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Follow Up Tip for Today

Hi. This is Dr. Kaaren Douglas, The Follow-Up Doctor and I'm recording this actually as I start a new journey, with my exercise program.

 I don't know about you but every few months, I step back and I go "Okay, what can I do differently that's going to make a difference?"

Today I'm at the park and I started running again and I'm going to continue doing this in a way that doesn't cause me to have injuries.

 I hope that you’re having a great day and I just wanted to make sure that I gave you a quick little tip on follow-up.                      

 I have a new tool called ScanBiz cards and I have used it very successfully in a variety of meetings that I have gone to.

One of them I just came back from is AuthorU, at the May extravaganza. One of the things that I learned is when I use this app, ScanBiz cards which is on my smart phone, I get immediate responses from almost everyone. It makes follow-ups so much easier.

                        

 If you want more tips like this, please contact me. This is Dr. Kaaren Douglas, the Follow-Up Doctor. You can reach me at kaarendouglas@gmail.com. That's kaarendouglas@gmail.com and I look forward to hearing from you. Tell me about a tip that you've got that you're using for follow-up. Aloha.

 Dr. Kaaren

kaarendouglas.biz

805 273 1561

Time to Activate: Get Writing

I am embarrassed, because I haven't even looked at my blog for so long, and here it stands idle, because I have been "busy."  Really ????

Ok, no more excuses.

Have been working on a new book, and I need some help with the title.  The one I am going with is:  The Follow Up Doctor's Prescription for Networking and Follow Up.  Any thoughts?

When you put together a manuscript, if you are lucky enough to find Dan Poynter's Writing Nonfiction:  Turning Thoughts into Books you know how important it is to have a title that tells the tale, and hopefully along with great cover art, encourages people to explore it.

After the title, Dan encourages you to write the back cover first, so you really get a handle on who you are writing it for, and what topics you want to discuss.  Then you get a notebook.  Yes, a 3-ring notebook and put the dividers in it for each chapter, or section.  I have done all that, and now am going through the notes to write the individual chapters.

To be thorough in my covering the topic, I'd really like to hear from you about your networking and follow up challenges.  With your permission, they will be included in the book.  I have my own stories, but a writers' group I was in told me I need stories from you.  Help me out here, ok?

As I complete each section, I'll be posting what I think are the bullet points that will help you be a better networker, and improve your approach to follow up, which I believe is the critical element, and one that gets buried, and forgotten about.  So don't leave money on the table.  Make sure you follow up with your best contacts, until as my mentor Eric Lofholm says, they buy or die.  Not to be too graphic, but only if you can persist will you be successful.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

All the best until next time, Trust me I'm a Doctor, The Follow Up Doctor
Dr. Kaaren