Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com
Today, our business spotlight shines on Midland Concierge. This company offers touchscreen kiosks connected to the internet that allows the general public to buy something or get something done while waiting. Midland Concierge has devised a way to kill boredom of waiting customers, provide business establishments a new and thrilling way to advertise their product and attract customers through these kiosks. Imagine people being able to get what they want right at their fingertips. It’s like having a real concierge only it’s fully automated.
The Things To Do. MidlandConcierge.com showcases two great things that your target customers and even you (yes, you!) can do while on the go. Remember the touchscreen kiosks we were talking about earlier? Hollywood Theaters and Ranchland Golf Club decided to advertise and sell their products the Midland Concierge way. These high-tech and easy to use “electronic concierges” are distributed around town so that people can access various products and services available in Midland. Say, you need to know what’s showing in the Hollywood Theaters or you want to schedule your golf tee time in Ranchland Golf Club, all these are available in the Midland Concierge kiosks. What’s even cooler is that customers can pay for these services through the kiosks.
Homes for Sale section. Jeaneen Pruitt of I Sell Midland, for instance, has a running ad and search bar for people who are looking for a house that fits their needs and budget. If you check it out, interested buyers can pick a home based on prize range or size of the home they want. One can easily sort the search results from the most expensive to least and vice versa or when the posting was added, etc.
The Business Members page. Check out Midland Concierge’s business members: Classic Carpets, Meet Midland, Fusion Power Lab’s VBS Plus, Advance Kwik Lube & Kar Wash, and Midland Memorial Hospital. These business partners enjoy the following: their banner ads displayed multiple times an hour in 20 different locations, detailed information about the establishment through the touchscreen kiosks, and credit card capability to capture sales immediately.
Don’t you just love technology!
Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com
Excerpt from CBS Business Coaching Tips (6:15 a.m. on Thursdays!)
Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com
My favorite person to work with is someone who is confident in what they do. They are focused, grounded and resourceful. Most of all CONFIDENT PEOPLE still value and express their appreciation of the value of those around them.
In contrast, cocky people are self assured yet often self centered. I have found that they preface many things they say with “I have a bit of an ego….” as if to begin our connection setting the tone that there will be loads of “me,me, me” in there. I steer clear of cocky people - those who USE people for their own agenda and don’t work with people or through them for mutual benefit.
What are your TELL TALE signs of a COCKY or CONFIDENT person?
Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com
Click here for the podcast on the E’s of Personal Branding
EXTRACT: (you have a brand - what is it?)
EXPRESS: (do you communicate your brand - with and without words?)
EXUDE: (how do you deliver on the company brand promise with your authentic brand?)
ENGAGE: (do you connect with those who build or tear down your personal brand?)
EXCEL: (do you compel others to speak positively on your behalf?)
Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com
Part Two
• Representing efficient staff: Employees with efficient networking skills should represent you at the tradeshow. Individuals with a positive outlook, updated business knowledge, a zeal to attract the best customers and with an aim to target markets encouraging business by referral should be representing your company at the tradeshow. It’s advisable not to over crowd the booth with too much of staff lest you may lose important prospects who may avoid too many over enthusiastic staff. An important networking tip is to
have fun loving employees who have an inherent desire to combine work and fun, who are infectious in their positivity and have networking skills to understand any kind of clientele.
• Important periphery at the booth: An important networking tip to make your tradeshow a booming success is paying attention to meticulous details. For example, you should be well informed about the target audience and accordingly cater for their demands. Chairs to sit, tables to display, electricity plug points to highlight your presentations should all be well taken care of , well in advance. People usually do not carry their business cards at tradeshows but you should be prepared and carry enough sheets and stationary to gather all relevant data from each individual who visits your booth. This little effort would be extremely useful in conference follow-up later when you need feedback on your performance at the tradeshow.
• Decorate your booth with visibility: To be remembered by potential customers who come to your booth, an important networking tip, is to decorate your booth with enough visibility, giving your business ample exposure. With distinctive banners, fliers, colourful pamphlets and brochures giving business by referrals, one can attract good marketing prospects, thus encouraging business further. The motive behind organizing a networking event is to make sure the customers who visit your booth once, remember and register what they saw and learnt there. Once they return to their busy lifestyles, your presence and presentation at the tradeshow should be in the back of their mind. The visibility of the booth and the professional networking skills of the staff there should lead to effective sales.
• Emphasizing on first impression: As the saying goes, the first impression is the last impression. An important ingredient of business etiquette is making a powerful yet lasting impression on others. Representing yourself or your company at the tradeshow in a good, professional manner will go a long way in creating a lasting impression which will enable them to return to you , thereby promoting sales.
• Indulging in Conference follow up: After the tradeshow is over, important business etiquette remains to indulge in conference follow up. Grasping the data and following it up effectively, is the most important part of a successful networking event. A means to capture information, follow the leads of prospective customers who showed a bit of business enthusiasm is the essence of conference follow up , which is a vital key to successful networking events.
Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com
One of the functions of a chamber of commerce is to create events for members to meet, greet and mingle with other members. Whether it’s a “business after business” (business after hours is an ‘old school’ title before the age of technology when hours have expanded to 24/7). That’s why the savvy chamber of commerce of member will account for their chamber dues under the “marketing” line item section since the chamber is really (supposed to be) about marketing your business - it’s about COMMERCE, after all.
What is marketing? It’s facilitating an environment for exchanged. Don’t be fooled with how the terms of “sales” and “marketing” are often used interchangeably - they are distinct and different functions. So, is YOUR chamber of commerce helping you MARKET?
Look at how many exchange events they have. If all your chamber does is run COMMITTEE MEETINGS or MEMBERSHIP SERVICES meetings (trolling for sponsorships, door prizes and give aways), then you might be in danger of connecting with a NON-PROACTIVE chamber. If that be the case, GET OUT …. and fast! There are way too many other chambers in any locale to stick with one just because “they’re your city’s chamber”. There are community specific chambers of commerce and there are event industry and interest specific chamber of commerce. For example, there’s a VIRTUAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, there’s the INTERNET CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WORLD WIDE WEB CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, INDIGENOUS INTERNET CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, etc. Basically, you have CHOICES and there’s no need to be pressured into joining a chamber because it’s your local chamber. If you’re interested in the rights of small business owners, look to the NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business). A chamber of commerce is about commerce so know WHAT you want from your chamber and WHY you want to join and make sure it’s a great match to YOUR BUSINESS needs.
The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce hosts several great programs that engage members in interaction and exchange. The CEO Exchange is a great program that is not a social or lead-generating organization but is a peer to peer group of CEOs that operate like a “board of advisor” group to provide advice, insight and experience from others in non-competing industries. Locally, in my neighborhood, we don’t have that available - that’s why I began the Circle of TEN. Basically, I got tired of waiting for the chamber to step forward and brought together a group of CEOs who had demonstrated experience, leadership, success and integrity to gather together to learn, brainstorm and mastermind with each other. There’s a second group forming in August if you’re interested!
The Denver chamber also has a leads group which truly works on generating leads. Networking Breakfasts can turn into large infomercials for a group and often garner the ’same group’ of people each and every month. However, the Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has successfully launched their CAFE Y PAN DULCE breakfasts that are ON LOCATION at a chamber member’s business site so they can show off their business, answer questions and provide a venue for chamber members to connect and talk. This is not a canned presentation that is often seen at networking breakfasts - this is a TRUE NETWORKING event where ACTUAL NETWORKING happens. Another feather in the Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s hat is their LEADS GROUP, Chamber LEADers, which is all about generating leads and business by referral. Open to any MHCC member, Chamber LEADers provides chamber members the venue and format to help each other by being “more feet on the street” for each others’ business - looking out for your best prospect each week in their daily business and personal interactions.
It’s exciting to see some chambers putting forth some GREAT BEST PRACTICES that focus on their MEMBERS and FACILITATE COMMERCE - I mean, isn’t that what it’s REALLY ALL ABOUT?
Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com
New 2-minute tip on Introduction Etiquette
Introductions happen everyday in life and how we do at those introductions remarkably affects our personal brand and business connections.
Here are some helpful rules of professionalism to remember:
Your brand speaks volumes before you even utter a word!
Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com
It’s very rare when an event is just “spot on” in their mission and vision and fortunately in the Permian Basin, where I live, it happens more often than not.
My most favorite family fun events is the Mex-Tex Family Fiesta (by the way I think it LUDICROUS that there are those who don’t attend because Mex is before Tex in the name - alphabetically that’s the way they appear - duh!)
It’s a celebration of culture and collaboration - everything from folklorico dancers, to pinata making, to the hawaiian dancers, car shows and hits from the 70’s and 80’s - there really is something for everyone. I find it a unique event in which the mosaic of American, not the melting pot, but the true salad bowl of complimentary cultures are showcased. Whether you were born and raised in West Texas, have a Hispanic ancestry, or if you’re a true Native American or a transplanted Filipino-American raised as an Air Force brat who lived most of her adult life in Texas and is disguised as a Hispanic (LOL!!) there’s some fun for everyone.
The Mex-Tex is an INCLUSIVE DIVERSITY EVENT! Kudos to the Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for a job well done and a landslide of BUZZ POINTS your way!
Here’s what worked:
FOOD: A variety and plenty of it - what a diverse event - with everyone in mind, from the family member, to the children, to the adults.
VOLUNTEERS: Stellar group of volunteers willing to work through the blistering heat, the ice of the beer booth or the bitter cold of the accounting dungeon.
SPONSORS: Lots of love shown to the sponsors - as it should be! This is not a group that EXPECTS or takes ADVANTAGE of their sponsors. LOADS of communication happens before (many months before), DURING and after the event. And, all the sponsors had their logos placed up for them (kudos on the service!) and really got to EXUDE THEIR TRUE BRAND.
VENUE: The downtown area truly is blessed to have this event and it’s a perfect fit (even if on Saturday night they are literally bursting at the seams! I’m saddened with good events move from the beauty and the shade of the downtown area. I’m not saying that there aren’t “better venues”. Yet, in branding, the downtown area is the culture and heart of ANY COMMUNITY and it’s fitting that a COMMUNITY CENTERED event would be at the CENTER OF THE COMMUNITY.
You guys rock at MHCC!
Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com
I caution anyone becoming involved with a chamber to :
I feel strongly that not every chamber is a good fit and yet, a great strategic plan, with the right chamber can be a wonderful marketing tool for you and provide quality opportunities for others to sample your character and competence and for you to do the same.
My only caution is to do this homework upfront. Time passes quickly in any membership organization. And, it’s easy for you to be approached as a luncheon sponsor, or a banner sponsor, or for the membership directory, and many other creative ways for you to spend your money — and yet those networking events, committee meetings and leadership roles slip by virtually unnoticed. Before you know it, your year is up!
Knowing WHO you would like to best connect with is key as well. It’s futile, and way too time consuming, to want to connect with anybody, everybody and somebody! You don’t have time for that.
The MEMBERSHIP SERVICES committee - typically decorate for events and are great at soliciting donations for door prizes. Typical, although not an exclusive list, of membership service members are - sales people, solo-preneurs.
The GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS committee - usually involved with government activities, “hill” visits, and new legislation are typically business owners, upper level managers, district managers. They want to know what is coming and what they can influence that might affect their business.
The CHAMBER AMBASSADORS - while a wonderful committee is an extremely TIME INTENSIVE group with strict guidelines for attendance. Granted, it’s a great place to be known quickly, yet most chambers require that when you’re serving as an ambassador you represent “the chamber” not your business. If you’re shy about selling, the ambassadors will help you meet people by the sheer nature of the group.
The RETENTION AND EXPANSION COMMITTEE - usually has community leaders along with business leaders interested in the growth of industry and jobs in your area. They meet with business owners and boards of directors to find out - whose expanding, whose growing, whose looking.
The EDUCATION COMMITTEE - is usually focused on the quality of life in your community and realizes that education is a key factor for companies and individuals moving to your area. The connect mostly with teachers groups, education leaders, school district officials and school supply vendors.
There are a host of other committees within a chamber but hopefully this gives you some insight on the most common ones.
Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com
Maria Elena Duron
Chief Buzz Agent
Business & Executive Connections Coach
"Turning Social Capital & Relationship Capital To Financial Capital"
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