Yellow Dog Consulting

Sales & Marketing Consulting for solo-preneurs.

3/1: Femmenation™ – A Total Networking Event

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image001Today’s Guest Blog Post is from Debbie Whitlock! 

I know how involved many of you are in the movement to enrich empower and educate women and girls and I am excited to announce this one of a kind women’s conference I am involved in, here in Seattle called Femmenation™ – A Total Networking Event.  Now in it’s 5th year – this event is growing under new exciting leadership and I believe now is the perfect time to clear your calendar and register to be there.

Femmenation™ will be held March 1, 2013 from 8:00 am – 6pm and will bring together over 200 women; entrepreneurs, corporate professionals, and women making a difference – (you and I both know they are more than “stay home moms!)  These women are key influencers in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, and are coming together to gain a deep discovery into the “big picture” of their lives, and create connections for personal and professional growth.

Right now – early bird registration is on – and I want to make sure you get the best price before it’s goes up on February 8th.

Here’s what’s included for your $99 registration:

  • Admission to Femmenation™ – A Total Networking Event
  • Light Snacks throughout the day
  • Boxed lunch
  • 4 World Class Speakers covering topics of:
    • Innovation
    • Leadership
    • Ego
    • Personal and professional productivity
    • How sugar and stress are driving your life
    • How to stop the wired and tired cycle.
    • Unlimited opportunities to network and create relationships to grow personally and professionally
    • Ticket to the Northwest Women’s Show – occurring concurrently that weekend

I know the information you will receive and the connections you make at Femmenation™ will be rich and life changing.

Here’s the link to the website for more information on the event – and the registration button is easy to find right on the home page.

Let me know when you’ve registered and I’ll see you March 1st!

 

Debbie Whitlock is a thought leader and inspiring educator for women based in Seattle, WA. For more information on Debbie check out her site www.debbiewhitlock.com

Am I Saying Yes too Much?

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This week I had to make a last minute trip and cancel 2 days of meetings. Sure that sounds like a big inconvenience, but as I was rescheduling and contacting my scheduled appointments I realized only ONE was actual paid client work of the seven appointments I had scheduled. What am I doing?

I haven’t figured out the solution to this problem still. I tend to say yes (and if you’ve known me a long time, you’ll find that surprising) to meeting with people. None of the appointments were bad things. Meeting up with some friends for drinks, helping a friend who’s job hunting, meeting with someone who just moved to town and is looking for a job, starting work on a new client, lunch with a friend, drinks with some friends who we do work for the same client. Great folks, and I’ve rescheduled most of the appointments already. And will get them all rescheduled.

So far what I have figured out is this:

More phone appointments. If I don’t know the people and am not 100% sure they’re going to be worth my time, let’s start with 15-30 minutes on the phone. This can work with some people (especially email introductions for someone I don’t know who could be a good “referral source” but might not be), but sometimes you need to meet in person.

And for that I try to make sure that I schedule meetings on the same day, so that I’m not leaving my house every day for one appointment. So of the 3 days I’m away from my office (and obviously mobile) I only had a day and a half of appointments to reschedule. It could be worse.

How do you manage your time to work with clients and not get it filled up because you said yes and are just “helping out”?

Do We Know What You Do?

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My favorite scene in Office Spaceoffice-space-e1323704377981 is when the Bob’s (a couple of corporate consultants) ask one of the middle managers “What would you say, you do here?”

All too often, that’s a legitimate question. I have met people multiple times throughout the years and still have no idea what they do. They talk in circles and large generalities and I really don’t understand what it is they make money doing. And so I assume that they either confuse enough people who are suckers and just buy it. OR (more likely) they aren’t making much money.

YES, what you do might be complicated and intricate, but you need to figure out a way to clearly and simply explain what it is you do to your network. If your mother doesn’t understand it, no one does.

I was just listening to a podcast and they were talking about how many people have no idea what their dad did when they were kids (and many still don’t). We now live in a world where it’s important to know what it is you do and who you serve. If people aren’t hiring you, is it them, or are they still confused what it is you do? Over the next couple of weeks as you explain what it is you do, ask clarifying questions in return and if they give you a funny look, back up and explain it differently. Not louder, differently.