CharlieKenny.me

people * stories * engagement

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about

I love the coast and in particular, the area in which I live, the North East of England. It’s an uncomplicated life, for the past twelve years I’ve been away from the ‘big smoke’ … and the decision to relocate my business to the North has been the best move of my career. So far. I am a writer and have a lifetime of experience in publishing and personal development. I now consider myself a specialist in helping my clients with memoirs – this could be a biography, or simply bringing diary pages to life. I tend not to advertise my business, word of mouth has always been kind so it’s no surprise that I do spend a couple of days per week in collaboration through networking. Peer collaboration can be very rewarding. Therefore, if you’d like to join me fortnightly for Wednesday ZOOM or either Tuesday or Thursday for (in-person) morning coffee, please get in touch. I’d love to meet you and perhaps help in any way possible. Thank you for stopping by the website. engage, develop, grow … with Go! charliekenny@live.co.uk
  • Simple vision … through words

    Simple vision … through words

    For a good while now I’ve stuck to my three-word principle.

    It’s something that keeps me ‘on track.’ The three word principle is a short-cut to the plan of where I want to get to and what I need to do to be there. It’s a (much) shorter version of the business plan. Three words to guide me.

    Each word is a pointer, representing the path I need to take in achieving what I used to refer to – in the old days – my goal … or more specifically at this time of year, and as with many other people, the new season resolution.

    I have never been very successful with making resolutions or compiling ‘wish lists.’ In fact, with all good intentions the resolution has usually petered-out after just a couple of weeks into the New Year and the ‘wish list?’ Well, that’s a forever changing something which I’ve managed to settle on …

    I’ve found that the three words I’m stuck with right now – “engage, develop, grow” are comfortable for me. I recall these words on a regular basis when I seek inner clarification of what it is I am pursuing, acting as a benchmark in fact, for how I’m doing.

    What would your three words be if you were looking for a reference, a pointer – a compass to help keep you on track?

    “Build the business?” Perhaps, maybe, although why waste a word by using ‘the?’

    Try it.

    I’m sticking with my own compass points for now – they’re familiar and help me.

    Try three words you can use as an easy reference, a benchmark, and a directional signpost for your business that together, offer vision as they ease you along the way.

  • Patience is indeed a virtue.

    Patience is indeed a virtue.

    Darren had ‘bought in’ to the commitment of spending time to realise a return on his efforts, so when we met up recently I was pleased to see he was now participating within a vibrant Network Forum, with a determination to help ‘grow’ with the group.

    ‘How do I give?’ was the question.

    In short the best advice I could give him was to ‘continue turning up and educating the audience.’

    ‘But I feel under pressure to offer referral.’ Came the sharp reply.

    This is a common misconception and one cultivated in some circles and although Darren had an understanding of why  ‘people do indeed – buy from people’ he was still bothered with anxiety.

    So keep the appearances I suggested, offer your support to colleagues through regular close meetings ‘off-piste,’ (the 121) ask questions that you cannot in the structured environment of the Forum, learn from each other, grow the partnership. Avoid at all costs the “takers” such as ‘Matt The Fat’ of post past … these you will come across ‘hunting for business’ on the odd occasion and their influence is sure to dissuade the uninitiated from ever returning to networking …

    Most importantly I added, keep smiling and introduce your friends to the Forum … nothing consolidates your standing and reputation as a ‘giver’ within the Forum as introducing your wider circle of contacts.

    Offering referrals is of course a great way to develop the relationships, although too much emphasis on passing referrals can undermine credibility – in a lot of cases, (especially during the early days of network experience), leads confused as referrals can do more harm than good.

    Building a solid and reliable network of like-minded individuals does take time and of course the best referrals always come to those who are patient.

  • Team, time and biz.

    Team, time and biz.

  • Lazy marketing? Get real, get personal…

    It’s Time to Get Personal A little something from Chris Brogan … Phew. You’ve never heard that before…getting personal? But here’s the thing. It’s more true than ever before because Facebook and other technologies are now penalizing LAZY marketing. If you’re just lobbing crap over the fence, it’s not going to be seen. By anyone. (Isn’t that great:) Lazy marketing, robot marketing, just poke-poke-poke formula attempts to get people to read/buy/sign up just aren’t working any more. What people want (more often than not) is a more personal connection. They want to be on the inside, part of the tribe, the clearly connected. Not always. I don’t care which bottled water I buy. I probably don’t need a very personal connection with which brand of toilet paper I choose. But for things I buy that matter to me, I want to know who sells it. I want to feel like I’m part of something. I want to have the hint of a reason behind my choice besides “it was there” or “it was cheap.” That’s where you can make a big difference. My friend, Scott Oldford, made some really significant changes this past year. He went from marketing his business to throwing gatherings to discuss limitless business. He got much more personal in his blog posts and newsletters. He admitted some of his darkest secrets, while also sharing how they shape who he is and how he does his business. There are plenty of marketers out there. Scott gets his business these days from people who connect with his authentic self. Pay attention to Sue B. Zimmerman and her ideas about Instagram. She’s right. Follow the lead of Mitch Jackson, who is not just a top trial attorney, but now a force for helping others humanize their interactions. The best wave of media making is upon us: personal media. And it’s not a small-vs-big company story. It’s about people who care about connecting with their buyers and the community they serve. It’s about people who understand that lazy robot marketing and business practices don’t work. And it’s about you. It’s about you choosing to connect with the kinds of people who make you feel like they see you, like they’re there to help you. I aim to be among those people in your life.

    Let’s get personal, shall we?

    Thanks Chris ,,,, so happy when a plan comes together!!!! 🙂

  • I know all that stuff.

    I know all that stuff.

    To my mind, business is about recognising the fundamentals then creating a routine of basic processes.

    Talking with Ian recently (someone who has ‘in the business for a bit’) I asked him … “How they were doing with the fundamental?

    “I know all that stuff.” Came the reply.

    I “know” all that. Know. Not do… Know.

    The magic difference. Knowing without doing … and Ian knows what I’m saying here:

    Check it out, what sets you apart from people who aren’t finding their success is that you know and you practice the basics. You know that discipline and repetition and practice and doing the fundamentals are what will get you over the line.

    Every success story I provide comes from doing the basics. I create a product that adds value to someone’s life. I share what the product will do for them. I ask people to buy the product. I help them understand why the product will help, and I then help people execute the follow-up.

    There’s absolutely nothing advanced in this type of work practice.

    MOST of what anyone requires to improve and be successful stems from understanding the basics.

    People getting the basics wrong is the problem.

    We confuse doing the fundamentals with repeating something. This activity we misinterpret as growth.

    People tell me things like “I do the fundamentals. I blog every day. I tweet all day. I …”

    By this point I’ve taken a seat …

    Take a step back, it’s self analysis time …

    What are YOU doing every day that really doesn’t take your business or your work forward? Can you understand this is the routine? Lets ask yourselves:

     

    What I do each day … does it contribute to growth?

    Don’t forget, the fundamentals of your business will be somewhat different than other people, it depends on what you do, but there will be similarities.

    For instance … the local parish priest helps and supports the congregation by interpret life path, offering comfort and direction. (True, I believe for most religions, right?)

    An educator shares lessons.

    A musician performs (and creates).

    And then on top of those types of basics, there’s your primary role but also what you need to do to sustain and grow.

    A preacher has to find more people to serve. An educator has to market the specific education. A musician needs to get the word out and do all the promotional work, etc.

    What are YOUR fundamentals? What is required for growth efforts? Determine which of these are essentially meant for daily work process and separate these basics from the required growth activity.

    You know the difference, now do the difference.

    I’m going for tea, tomorrow looks busy …

  • Show passion, get lucky!

    I consider myself lucky. I am able to count my true friends on the fingers of both hands.

    Sure, I have several hundred network ‘friends,’ cyber contacts and ‘likes’ out there although while I sit here enjoying the first cup of tea of the day I’m struggling to add to that true friend count … although the toes are always optimistic 🙂

    It’s a fact, that this handful of true friends is indeed my family, direct family and partners in fact. These are the people who understand me, know my ambitions well and know where my passions really lie. My family have spent time with me, grown with me and experienced life as we see it.

    So why am I sitting here, supping tea and dwelling on where my true allies really lie?

    I‘d met James earlier this week, he introduced himself through a mutual  acquaintance as a ‘utilities expert.’  James explained that he was ‘giving networking  a go’ as for the past few months he’d found business pretty slow.

    It turns out James had signed up with to promote his utilities solutions in support of his other, ‘main job.’ He was looking to add to his income.

    Sure, even I could understand this. We’re all in business for a lot of different reasons, working to provide a better standard of living for our family is as good a reason as any, right?

    James explained that he was unable to offer a lot of time to promote his new  business as his main job kept him ‘busy’ although he was hopeful that any time he went out networking he was going to ‘get lucky’ and find some business and after all, if it didn’t work out, he’d simply ‘throw in the towel.’

    I asked James to give me an idea of what he was passionate about, not to tell me he was in the job for the chance of business, is this what he told his family?  If it was, this was likely why he had found only limited success …

    I’ve suggested to James that he treat his network with the sincerity that an extended family deserved.  People like to do business with passionate people, with those who they know and who they trust.  I asked James who he trusted … family, right?

    Build your network and look after them as you would an extended family …

    Show passion and get lucky.

    ‘people buy from people.’

  • Leave the light on this Halloween.

    Most of us remember, when children, there were times we were scared by that bump in the middle of the night.  The unexpected awakening. The “Midnight Demon” seemed so real at 3:00am.  He would destroy our dreams and reek havoc.

    I dare say that today many of us still wake up in the night with bad dreams that  still involve the “Midnight Demon”. Just as when the light of day comes about and the reality of the bad dreams goes away – it is the same with the Demon, away go the issues, the problems and blockages when light is turned on him.

    As an adult I still think these Demons are real and effectively stand in our way of success. Although, like magic, when light is shined on our Demon we can then deal with him and I think the Demons among many of us can be described as two very different things, things that stand in the way of real potential.

    The first Demon can be described as fear.  The fear of failure.  The fear of not being perfect. The fear of the unknown.  The fear of openness.  The fear of …

    We each have our own …

    Fear can be terrible and it can be debilitating. Fear causes us to hesitate, it causes us to question ourselves, to have the “I need the loo now, look”.  We actually become less than our true selves, we start to doubt and ask, how we achieve greatness when we are not fully engaged?  How can we achieve more when we are not allowed to be ourselves?  Fear stifles creativity and the best creativity is open, free, boundless and exhilarating.  How can you reach your full potential when you are literally choked by the Demon fear?

    Courage overcomes fear. The first step in beating this Demon is shining the light of truth on him so you know he is not real.  Remember the courage when you fear your Demon …

    The second Demon who stops us fulfilling our potential is … the excuse.

    The Demon becomes an excuse.  He becomes the reason why people don’t ask the questions or try new things, why they stall when reaching for new heights, or even when attempting to learn new skills.

    In essence, excuses become crutches or the Demons who you hide behind.  Greatness comes with transparency and confession at our shortcomings.  Excuses are not acceptable.  Self awareness and self accountability lead to courage and success.

    Something I have learned from my Demons? Become accountable, don’t fear mistakes or failure.  Learn from them.

    Leave the light on.

  • Too busy for biz.

    more too busy1So she said to me that really, she didn’t need to be looking for any more business and that she ‘wouldn’t be taking on any more … for a couple of months at least,’ adding she “had been fortunate enough to pick up plenty of business to … last until Christmas.”  We’re still in October.

    Impressed I was until I enquired how she was lucky enough to pick up such business.

    ‘Only networking’ came the reply, ‘spent the last 7 months at a regular meeting and picked up the business. Won’t be going back for a bit.’

    Now, I should say – good luck to her, she certainly deserved it, after-all she was the one putting in all that prospecting and graft … but something told me to keep the top lip buttoned for a change …

    Seen this before?

    The messages that go out are many and not pretty …

    How can she possibly be seen as the professional ‘go to’ for her particular services if she is simply looking after her own schedules? What does this kind of disregard for others say about the way she feels about her future new business prospects?

    Respectful? No. Offer of support? Hardly? Reciprocal arrangement? No time for that… reliable? Sadly not.

    By simply suggesting that she is ‘too busy for more business’ the damage is done, the time spent cultivating the network to encourage the planning, future growth and attainment of future goals have been undone in one swift gesture of self fulfillment.

    Could you refer a supplier responded with the offer of new business with ‘Thanks anyway – I have enough business for now, I’ll call again some time after Christmas.’

    We could argue that she is only being honest – and besides, she is not going to be letting anyone down by refusing the work. Is she? But what does the future hold?

    Again, we’ve seen this happen a lot although the situation still astonishes me and does nothing for the ‘biz neighbourhood’ do you not think?

    You views? Be interested to find out …

  • Out of my way …

    IS THE GLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY? Are you a positive influence or one of negativity? Do you sugarcoat things or get straight to the point?

    Much has been said about the best way of approaching business development or implementation of change, it can be stressful for many. Each of us have our goals (or we are working on them) and we all strive to do the best or be at our best … but are we willing to do what is needed to achieve the reputation for being ‘the best?’

    If we are to be the best, to succeed in our chosen field, we must be single minded on the task at hand. Know your industry well; take time for education whether through formal training or peer groups, subscribe to those blogs, industry magazines and newsletters.

    Show others what you know and stand out by delivering.

    The ‘scary bit’ … change. Even the smallest focus in a different direction is going to alienate one or two who thought they knew our intentions.  Change though is good if you are not achieving.

    Lets find that fine line where our intentions to excel offer inspiration to others not alienation and ensure we ultimately offer vision for them to achieve and raise their own levels to where they never thought possible.

    So for that particular goal you are working on? How about trying to be someone that is the calming force, offers advice, someone that might be counted on in times of need.

    Who has the time for answers? You do. Who is the person not settling for ‘good enough?’ Who leads by example? You do, of course.

    We all have it inside us to become better and to be the best. But are we willing to really make that happen?

    Let’s get out of our own way, be the change you seek. Don’t dream, do.

  • But, what’s in it for me?

    The effective email marketing message needs to focus on the receiver and what’s in it for them … not what you have or what you offer – not even your product. It needs to be about what is in it for them.

    7 secrets you should consider keeping in mind:

    The subject line serves as a headline for your message. This needs to encourage the reader to do just that – read the mail to generate a response.

    Make the content of your message personal. Whether you’re sending this email to one person or one million it should read like a personal communication. Write the way you wish to talk, make it easy for people to relate to you.

    Make sure the content of your message has one and only one objective. If you include more than one objective for your message you are unlikely meet any objective at all.

    Keep the message brief. You know how it is … getting a long drawn out email is like getting a long voice mail. The reader is unlikely to scan for the punch line, you will end up in the junk folder.

    Include a ‘link’ in your message to match the objective of the message. In all cases you want your email to evoke an action. Adding a link ensures the action is taken.

    Don’t forget to include a Positive Power Statement for Action, otherwise known as a P.S. This is likely to be the most important statement in your entire message as it’s the statement most likely to get read, so clearly state the exact action you want and the exact benefit the reader gets for taking that action.

    Once the message goes out – it’s time to follow-up … to find out what’s in it for you … so make sure the language is consistent, the format to the message is familiar and the signature works to develop familiarity. Most often the close is made with an effective follow-up.