Knowing what you don't know: a followup posting to my latest one

In my last installment to this blog I mentioned people who don't know what they don't know.

Once in a while I am fortunate enough to run into someone who says, "I need help with online donations and don't know where to start. Can you help?"

I was asked for help after I completed a presentation at a conference in May and yesterday visited with the Finance Committee of the Board to explain all that they needed to know about online donations. I brought an esteemed colleague who is an expert in an affiliated area in which they needed assistance as well. A dynamic duo!

The potential client was warm, honest, engaged and curious.

They admitted they needed to know. It was a pleasure to educate and inform rather than hear skepticism and misunderstood concepts perceived as fact. They were invigorating!

Don't know "squared"

Don't know "squared." (If I could figure out how to make the superscript 2 on this, I would have!) That means someone who doesn't know what he/she doesn't know.

Now that the definition is out in the open, why bother blogging on this topic?
Because many people think it's perfectly acceptable to proclaim they know it ALL. And they try it all, sometimes not so successfully. Or at least they don't know how unsuccessful they have been until an expert lends a hand.

I certainly don't know it all. I don't perform dentistry on myself. Nor do I think I can figure out how to bury all the gremlins and demons that I encounter in my business and personal life. But I know enough to ask for expert advice from seasoned experts. I might have to pay for it. Paying a fair price for continual service and attention is part of what I expect to have to do.

Put another way, I am as good as my vendors so I keep great company. I choose who to represent. And...my clients get more than just plain service. They get 110% of me. Good service is already hard to find today. Great service is rarer.

For those who don't know what you don't know, I suggest you ask for, and try to get, experts with a little gray hair. Experience and expertise go hand-in-hand.

I can recommend a bunch of great experts. Just ask me if you need a referral to a great service provider in whatever area you need help.

How else can I help you?

A current client emailed me asking to help his sick family member raise money for hospital costs, asking if my services could provide fundraising.

No, I replied, unless you have a 501c3 and a bank account, and, and, and...

But back in my memory I had filed away www.chipin.com as a way nontraditional fundraising could be handled for needs that are too small for formal organizations. This was a great application, I thought. So, while I hate turning away an existing client who comes to me asking for fundraising help, I was able at least able to refer him to ChipIn.

I touched base with him this morning and asked how it was going.

His reply:

I am using Chipin.com...and have raised over $5000 in 48 hours…unbelievable and a renewed sense of the American spirit.

I am glad to be able to help in another way!

Optimism and how to get more of it!

It's easy to be cynical or even downright pessimistic if you read the news: religious leader and mayors arrested for corruption, etc. etc.

I am not advocating suspending your newspapers subscriptions.

But I am suggesting finding optimistic open-minded people to mingle with and enjoy their energy. I am lucky I get to do this a lot.

Today I joined a new green business group sponsored by the local award-winning SCORE chapter. There were so many intelligent and sustainable business ideas in one room!

On Monday I am attending a social gathering of the Optimists' Tribe, a newly formed group that revels in an optimistic view of the present and the future. I am looking forward to an infectious evening of new contacts and positive friends.

I will report back soon.
Optimistically,
Marc

Would you like to save $4000 a year?

It pains me to meet a nonprofit to find out that their credit card rates and other online donor services are so out of the market that they could realize savings of $4000 a year, that's a 50% savings! It happened again last week in Stamford.

Not that they are foolish or asleep at the wheel; on the contrary. It's just that my trained and objective eye can find new ways to give them the same functionality (actually better!) for less.

Once a controller came up to me after a presentation meeting at which I won their business and said, "You don't realize what you've just done-you saved us enough money to take one of our staffers and make her a full time employee."

Now that's good for the employee and for the organization. And it makes me feel good too, that I am able to help out in a new way.

What can we do for you?

Guest Blogger Adrian Miller writes on How to Screw Up a Good Introduction

Before I let you read the guest blog post, I have to set the stage:
Have you ever met a person who exudes so much vitality and business savvy that you are left saying to yourself, "Wow, I REALLY need to get to know that person better. I have so much to learn from him/her."

Adrian Miller is unique in these areas. I am fortunate to know her and had her come make a great sales presentation to a private group of clients. My clients loved her!

She knows some amazing people and routinely networks people. I know this personally, she has connected me to the leader of a great group of nonprofit consultants in NYC!

Recently, she has started a unique way of bringing people together in virtual network sessions she calls Adrian's Network. Check it out!

Adrian recently posted a piece on Gotham's list-serve and I wanted to repeat it on my blog. It was that good.

It's called How to Screw Up a Good Introduction and since we are all guilty of this sometime, I thought it was worth distributing on this blog. Enjoy.

How to Screw Up a Good Introduction

Networking isn’t a short-term strategy. It’s not about power selling and moving onto the next lead. Smart networkers understand this concept.

Unfortunately, there are many misguided networkers out there that thoroughly don’t “get” the give and take of networking. They only consider introductions as opportunities to sell and irritate fellow business professionals with their short-sighted, myopic view of networking. They don’t take the time to explore all of the potential opportunities and feel that is more important to lunge ahead and aggressively sell to anyone who is put in contact with them.

If you’re having a lack of success with your networking efforts, it’s well worth your time to explore how you are approaching introductions. Some questions to ponder:

Are You Taking the Time to Get to Know New Contacts?
Relationships of all types, including those with networking contacts, require a period of discovery. How can you begin to explore how you can help each other until you understand each others needs, wants, capabilities, likes, and dislikes?

Are You Looking For Ways to Help Them?
Only after you have a good understanding of how you can possibly work together can you begin to offer suggestions. Use the information that you’ve gathered to find logical, thoughtful ways to help.

Are You Uncovering All Possible Opportunities?
Again, networking is a process not a one-time effort. Don’t stop at one attempt to assist a new acquaintance.

Are You Making Yourself Available?
Out of sight, out of mind definitely certainly applies to networking. Keep in good contact with your new networking acquaintance and provide them with all of your contact information so that they can reach you.

Start reading her blog.

I welcome your comments and war stories, and I encourage you to reach out to Adrian and get to know her and her work. Thanks for everything, Adrian!

Client seminars

We just held our first, in what I hope will be monthly, free client seminars, in this case for my not-for-profit clients.
The repsonse was great as we filled the room, and the comments were even better, as this one was unsolicited:

Hi Marc,
Thank YOU. The seminar exceeded my expectations. I really did get quite a bit out of it. Thank you for that and for being a pleasure to work with.

I think it encapuslates that we can actually help you in non-monetary ways.
All the best.

In re the death of customer service-now hear this!

I just received this in an email and thought it was brilliant:

Customers want you to listen to them. They want you to show them respect and listen to their needs. Don’t assume you know what they’re going to say. Let them tell you. And don’t interrupt them!

Customers want you to take responsibility. They want you to own them and their problem. Don’t pass the buck. Take care of them the way you would take care of your grandmother. See their issue through to completion. And then follow up with them and make sure they are happy with the outcome.

Customers want you to pay attention to the details. They want you to use their name when speaking to them, and call them back when you say you are going to. They want to feel important because they are!

Customers want you to remember it is their time and money. They don’t have to do business with you; there are other companies they can buy from. Remember, you are not doing them a favor. They are the reason you are in business. To serve them!

Give customers what THEY want, and they’ll be sure to come back! And they’ll tell others to come as well. And isn’t that what WE want?

I printed this and placed it on my bulletin board next to my office phone. I hope you will too.

Free hugs

I was in Cambridge Square on Saturday, home of Harvard University, outside Boston. Two students were holding signs offering free hugs.

My wife took one up on the offer, and my son another.

Jack Mitchell, owner of a specialty men's clothing store in Westport, CT and author of the excellent book "Hug Your Customers" has a sequel "Hug your People." His premise: people, whether they are customers or employees, need to feel appreciated. In this ever increasingly impersonal electronic world, he could not be more on target.

So, hugs, free, or as the result of buying a book, are important ways of acknowledging value and worth of the people who help make you successful.

I try to hug my clients. If you are my client and feel underhugged, please let me know. I do not charge for this part of my service. This is my electronic "free hugs" sign.