networking – Lucinda Cross

3 Ways to Tackle Abusive Business Relationships

What is an abusive business relationship and how to get out of one?

An abusive business relationship is one that just stresses you out plain and simple. It can be and will be a huge disadvantage to the growth of your business the longer you allow the abusive relationship to linger on.

Most abusive business relationships include:

being inconsiderate towards your needs
lack of trust
often attacking your value and worth
feeling as if you are walking on egg shells
lack of communication
controlling and a “know it all” attitude
being taken advantage of
domination and subjugation

To name a few…

If you feel or know that you are in an abusive business relationship, please don’t ignore the signs of abuse. Ignoring the abuse allows the issues to grow bigger. Start to curtail the interaction with the abusive person so that the abuse can stop or you can walk away a freely.

Here are three ways to tackle an abusive business relationship.

1. Understand that you cannot change the other person. In order for things to change you have to either call in reinforcement such as a coach, mediator, or mutual party to hear both sides of the story.

2. Set boundaries. Decide whether you are going to stick it out, or move on. Your abuser maybe dealing with some sort of trust issues that could have started in childhood, and may have very little to do with you personally. In most cases both parties are suppressing some heavy emotions that are hindering the business from growing productively.

Think about your working agreement…Was it clear? Was it focused? Was it a win-win? Were you clear on results and expectations?

3. Make better choices. Most of the time, alarms and sirens go off before we begin to engage in an unproductive or toxic business relationship. We see the signs, we hear the messages, but we disregard them in the hopes that our intuition and gut feelings are wrong.

Learn to pay attention to your instincts from now on. Make choices that are life affirming versus those decisions that will drain you physically, mentally and emotionally. Stay clear from chaos and drama.

Keep these three supportive principles in mind the next time you embark on a new business relationship. Just like any relationship it takes time to get to know one another. That is why dating is so important. It helps you to see the sirens, smoke signals and warning signs before you say YES.

A great book to read is called Click: Ten Truths for Building Extraordinary Relationships
George C. Fraser

Blog Networking Speak Life, Write from the Heart

Networking events: Are you feeling like Agent Smith from the Matrix?

How often do you see the same people at different networking events?
How often do you see the same folks at different conferences and seminars?

I do believe it is important to make friends and connections outside of the current circle you are in. I remember when i used to attend every networking event that came up and what started to happen is that I was not seen as someone who is indispensable but someone who had a great pitch and great ideas.

No real money was made, no real collaborations happened and I found myself wasting time and money because I did not have clear networking goals and I kept circulating within my same group. I did not add a little diversity into the mix.

I challenge you to go outside of your zone this month and search for an event that is not in your zone. If you can’t find one, then create one.

Activate: Become Indispensable…you do this by changing the faces that are in your face. If you keep seeing the same folks at networking events, conferences and seminars that means you are in the “mix” and not a “special sauce”. I challenge you to network out of your “mix” once a month. Go the extra mile to make new connections. You don’t want to blend in, you want to be that “special sauce” that stands out. I remember I went to speak at an Arabian networking event, I walked away with 4 high end clients because I positioned myself as the “special sauce”. If you are in the “mix” and nothing changing then its time to pack up and change your zone. #crossthebridge

Read: Seth Godin’s book Linchpin : Are You Indispensable?

Not sure how to start your vision or how to stand out from the crowd. Join a group of Activators who are committed to marking their territory and staking their claim.

Blog Hot Topics Market Networking Speak Life, Write from the Heart

Two Thumbs Up: Crave Chat in NYC”Flip It Before You Ditch It”

image by:Love Potion 214

I had the pleasure of going to a Crave chat in NYC. As one of the invited guest panelist our discussion was based on the following topic:

“Flip It Before You Ditch It! Have you ever considered doing the exact opposite of what you’re doing right now? Maybe with your whole business, maybe with a small part… brainstorm what it would look like if you completely flipped it! This is a valuable exercise that, at the very least, will inspire a myriad of new ideas for your business.

Not only have these panel speakers flipped aspects of their own lives to make them happy, but they have built careers around helping others do the same. This month is more than a CRAVE chat of sharing great tips and resources. We invite you to a workshop where you can share your current business concept and receive. We will collectively brainstorm possible ways for you to flip it into something new that makes you happy.”

As one of the guest panelist in the room, I was able to sit back and observe the energy and the passion that these womenpreneurs had. I have attended many workshops and networking events and this by far is one of the best.

Here are some important qualities I love:

The intimacy- NYC is overcrowded with events and networking gatherings. Entrepreneurs are not lacking direction in this city, but what we are lacking is quality groups, small but powerful and that is what Crave brought to the table. Something intimate that allowed each attendee the opportunity to get as much support as they wanted, some even raved about their business concerns and refused to walk away without them answered.

The location- the location was in a central area and outside was quite busy and was surrounded by lots of places to eat afterwards if you wanted to connect further and most of all it was a small business work space called: Entering the location on one side is the mini conference room where we all gathered and on the opposite side was booth space for people who needed a virtual space to work and I seen one mom there with her son just plugging away at her business. (Awesome)

The team- The people who were hosting and representating for Crave were inviting and made you feel like family. Instantly as I sat down I was greeted with a smile and shoves of agreement throughout the conversations, we laughed and joked as if we were girlfriends already. Anytime you have someone representing your company make sure they represent the brand image and these ladies were awesome.

The panel- This was a perfect set up. We each complimented each other; we each had a huge sense of humor that lightened up the conversation of business and most of all we are already thinking of collaborating and taking the show on the road. I have been to some panels that were more of an EGO challenge, where one panelist wanted to appear savvier than the others, but this was quite different we all had an expertise and we all finished each other’s sentences. It was weird how it happened but we had fun.

Crave was a great place to be on a hump day (Wednesday). To top the night off we had one of the sponsors Love Potion 214 give us a delicious taste test of their Love Potion 214.

More about Crave: http://www.thecravecompany.com

The Location: In Good Company: http://www.ingoodcompany.com

More about Love Potion 214: http://www.lovepotion214.com

And my new BFC’s: Best Friend Coaches are

Rebecca Rodskog http://www.rodskog.com

Michelle Ward http://www.whenigrowupcoach.com

Special thanks to my agent Desiree Frieson who stayed calm during my rant in traffic, since Obama was in town and Bieber fever was at the tree lightning. Talk about a gridlock alert. I could have got out of the car and walked and would have been there faster than the traffic that night, but it was worth every minute of it. #getadrivernexttime

Market Tips

Editor At Large: Increase Your Newsletter Visibility

Having a great newsletter can increase your business by as much as 5 fold – Or more, if you do it right! In fact, a newsletter is one of the most crucial tools in business, yet many beginning marketers miss out on it. Why is a newsletter so crucial and how can you start your own newsletter? Here’s the inside scoop.

Why a Newsletter is So Important

A newsletter is crucial because most people aren’t willing to pull out their credit card the first time they hear about someone.

Instead, they prefer to get to know you and your content bit by bit over time. As they get to know you and realize you’re the real deal and that you can help them, then that’s when they’ll be willing to pull out their credit cards and make a purchase.

To build this trust, you need to build a connection over time. A newsletter allows you to stay in touch with people even after they’ve left your site.

(more…)

Blog Market Networking

Tailor Made Target

I know that most of my clients hear the term target market and target audience but, they still are not quite sure who they are selling to, who they are servicing and where their target audience is located. Many unfocused business owners spend most of their time attending networking events, conferences, seminars and they leave these events with more business cards, than actual business. Tailor made target audiences start from identifying why you are in business and what does your ideal prospect want. This will set the pace for your business profits months and years from now.

How do you find your target market? Where do you look for ideas? Once you have a target market in mind, how do you research it?

Here’s two things you can do right now.

(more…)

Mindset Monetize Networking

Upgrade your Network to Upgrade your Networth

Are you ready to succeed in networking online? Building quality not quantity relationships online?

Meeting people who are succeeding and not trying to shove every service or product in your face by cluttering your inbox. This is the sole difference between success and failure.

How do you network locally and at seminars, online and off?

This post will help you build relationships that’ll help boost your network and your business.

Make Friends First
In online business, this business axiom holds very true: “All things being equal, people prefer to do business with people they like. All things not being equal, people still prefer to do business with people they like.”

If you want someone to share with you their success techniques for building an online business, then the first step is to build a friendship with them.

Get to know them as human beings and allow them to get to know you. Show a little vulnerability, as well as curiosity and interest towards them.
Once you have a bit of a relationship, then talk business.

(more…)