Is Social Media a Fad?

Today, technology was not kind to me. The videos in my power point presenstation to the West Virginia Tax Institute crashed. I am sorry for the glitch, but I am attaching one of the videos to this post for your viewing. I hope you find it interesting.

Where Do I Place My Napkin?

When you sit down at a dinner table, you should place your napkin in your lap. Don't wait until the food is served.

If you leave the table during the meal, gently fold your napkin and place it in the seat of your chair. This will signal to the waiter that you have not finished your meal. Some people place the napkin on the back of their chairs when they leave the table, but I don't like this practise because the napkin often falls on the floor or looks unsightly.

When you are finished with the meal, leave the napkin on your lap. Do not place it on the table or drape it over your plate. The napkin should remain on your lap until you are ready to leave the table.

Remembering Names at a Meeting

When you enter a meeting room and are greeted by a group of people you do not know, offer your business card and politely ask for their business cards. At the beginning of the meeting when introductions are made, arrange the business cards in a pattern based upon where the people are seated at the table. This will help you identify names with faces. When a person speaks look down at the card and read the name. This practice will reinforce your memory and ability to recall names.

If you are unable to collect business cards before the meeting begins, draw a diagram of the table on a sheet of paper and place a star where you are seated. As the attendees introduce themselves, write their name on the diagram where they are seated. If you miss a name, leave a blank space on the diagram and listen for someone to say the name during the meeting.

This exercise will help you remember names and will allow you to refer to people by name during the meeting. Remember, everyone likes to hear their name!

Call Your Clients

Bill Atkins, owner of Red Bank Limo in New Jersey, offers a great tip for building strong client relationships.

Each day,pick two customers at random. It doesn't have be your biggest or newest customer. Tell them you don't have any agenda for the call, but just called to see how they are doing. No sales pitches allowed. Focus on the long-term relationships you are building not the sale.

As we increasingly communicate with our clients via email and text messages, successful rainmakers recognize that the personal touch offered by Mr. Atkins hits the mark.

Short and Concise Speeches

Outstanding speeches are measured on the quality of their content, not the quantity of their content. Too often, speakers forget this important fact and fail to present short and concise messages.

When most people are asked to speak, the first question they ask is how much time is allotted to their topic, and they proceed to develop a presentation to fit the time allotted. The better question to ask is how much time is necessary to present the topic.

Rainmakers should focus on preparing concise presentations. Your clients, colleague and audiences will appreciate your efforts.

Author Scott Berkin shares his thoughts on concise presentation in a recent Forbes.com article entitled, The End of Boring Presentations.

"You Gotta Believe"

Cordell Parvin, coach, teacher and frequent speaker on career development and business development, recently posted on his blog a great piece on rainmaking. His basic premise is that you have to be self confident to be an effective rainmaker. As I have said repeatedly on this blog, credibility is a key to establishing strong business relationships, and a confident manner develops credibility.

Cordell's post is entitled, If You Want to be a Rainmaker, "You Gotta Believe" The post provides 12 great suggestions for developing one's self confidence.