PEOPLE, POWER & POSSIBILITIES: Are You Asking the Right Questions?

People, Power & Possibilities with Donna Fisher

Networking weaves together listening, offering, thanking and, of course, asking – asking for leads, referrals, contacts, information, support. It's all about knowing how to ask, when to ask and most important to ask the right questions. And the right question is the one that is easy for someone to respond to and give you valuable information.

Tips for asking:

Initially ask questions that help to put people at ease (a question that is easy to answer).

Typically ask open-ended questions that help to generate interaction.

Ask for support once you have developed rapport or offered support.

Ask when you are able to have the other person's full attention.

Ask while respecting their time and availability.

Ask "Who do you know who . . . " questions (rather than "Do you know anybody . . . ?"

Ask with specificity (rather than making a request that's so broad it's difficult to respond).

Ask with enough information so that people can respond and without overwhelming people with too much information (give people a chance to ask for more information if they need it).

Ask with clarity and confidence (don't beat around the bush and don't use guilt or manipulation).

Get in the habit of asking so that it flows easily and naturally.

Remember that asking someone for help or support is an acknowledgment of them (it shows that you value their support).

Ask for contacts in your target market but don't expect people to qualify your prospects for you. Ask people how you can be of help to them.

Ask in a non-demanding, assertive manner so that people can feel good about "choosing" to respond.

Donna Fisher

www.donnafisher.com

donna@donnafisher.com

Houston, TX

713-789-2484

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PEOPLE, POWER & POSSIBILITIES: Are You Asking the Right Questions?

PEOPLE, POWER & POSSIBILITIES: New Possibilities

People, Power & Possibilities with Donna Fisher

Whether it's a new year, new month, new relationship, new day or even a "new" moment, it's an opportunity for new possibilities. It's easy to keep doing the same things we've always done. It takes an open-mind and sense of adventure to step into "the unknown" and pursue a "new possibility".

Creating an idea for something new takes innovative thinking. And innovative thinking comes from asking the kind of questions that "stir up" your thinking. Our minds get in the habit of just lazily thinking the same thoughts over and over. And those "same ole" thoughts don't produce any new, innovative results.

So stir up your thinking. Ask yourself:

· What might I do if I lived like "anything's possible"?

· What are 3 unreasonable ideas that could help me grow my business?

· What would I be willing to let go of (thoughts, beliefs, behaviors) in order to be open to new possibilities?

· What would I love to pursue (as a hobby, career, etc.) if only I thought it was possible?

· How could I add "new twist" to what I've been doing to make it more unique, exciting and memorable?

There are no right or wrong answers to any of these questions. And there are no required actions to take based on the answers. It's all an inquiry. It's an exploration into your thoughts to stir things up and create and uncover some new energy, ideas and enthusiasm. It's so easy to get focused on the answers that we have, when what's really important are the questions that we are willing to ask ourselves as a way to explore new possibilities.

Donna Fisher

www.donnafisher.com

donna@donnafisher.com

Houston, TX

713-789-2484

_______________________________________________________

Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newsletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free RSS feed, go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com.
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PEOPLE, POWER & POSSIBILITIES: New Possibilities

Awareness Leads to Learning

People, Power and Possibilities with Donna Fisher

Awareness is always the first step towards growing and learning. Becoming aware of something that you want, something that you don't want or something that you wish were different, gives you valuable information for taking steps to make the desired changes in your life.

Being aware includes being in touch with your feelings, desires, the people around you, and the opportunities available to you. Awareness can move opportunities into possibilities and then into realities.

Awareness is about being conscious, being present, and being in touch with what's going on in the moment at a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level.

Be aware of:
What you could change that would enhance your life.
What you could change that would enhance your work.
What fears, concerns, and "mental roadblocks" get in the way of you expressing your full brilliance
The nudges and inklings that can guide you in making wise choices.
How to connect with people more quickly and easily.
The people in your network and how you can be of support.
How vast and powerful your network is when utilized effectively.
The natural human desire to connect and contribute.
Each individual as a network of connections.
Your ability to contribute to the people that you come in contact with on a daily basis.
The power of your speaking to direct a conversation in a positive, productive direction.
The vast, unlimited and organize nature of your network of people.

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Donna Fisher believes in the power of people to connect and communicate to create new possibilities. She is a Certified Speaking Professional, author, drummer, Nia White Belt and business owner. Author: Power Networking, Professional Networking for Dummies, People Power, and Power NetWeaving

www.donnafisher.com
Houston, TX
713-789-2484

Email: Donna

________________________________________________________

Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newsletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free RSS feed, go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com.
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Awareness Leads to Learning

Magic Words

People, Power and Possibilities with Donna Fisher

Words are very powerful. And yet I often see people being very careless with their words and thus missing out on opportunities. Be selective, thoughtful and picky about choosing words that convey the right kind of energy to engage people and create positive experiences.

Here are some "magic" words to include in your conversations:

"Oh, by the way" is an easy way to transition conversation into a request or a more productive topic.
Example, "Oh, by the way, I wanted to ask you about . . . ."

"I just had a thought" is great when something someone says truly triggers an idea in your head.
Example: "A few minutes ago you mentioned . . .. I just had a thought that Jane Jones would be a good contact for you and here's why . . . ."

"Would (instead of could) you help" conveys that you are asking for the person's willingness (rather than their ability). And by using the word "help" you are actually tapping into people's natural, desire to be of help and support.
Example: George, I'm in the process of . . . . Would you help me with . . . "

I believe that, in general, people want to help. They want to give and contribute. Sometimes it's all in how you ask, though, that influences their response. Practice using these "magic" words to make requests that trigger a positive response.

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Donna Fisher believes in the power of people to connect and communicate to create new possibilities. She is a Certified Speaking Professional, author, drummer, Nia White Belt and business owner. Author: Power Networking, Professional Networking for Dummies, People Power, and Power NetWeaving

www.donnafisher.com
Houston, TX
713-789-2484

Email: Donna

________________________________________________________

Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free RSS feed, go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com.
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Magic Words

The Flip Side of the Hurricane

People, Power & Possibilities with Donna Fisher

The hurricane had not even reached the shore when people started reaching out to help each other. An employee from the other side of town stopped by to help board up our windows. My neighbor called from out of town to see if I would check on her place. Numerous phone calls (especially from my Mom in North Carolina) and emails came in prior to the arrival of Ike and lots of text messages (many phone were not working) during and after Ike.

As a result of that NATURAL desire to help others in need, Houston and the Gulf Coast area had people arriving from all over the country to help our area recover. And individuals from this area showed up all over town to hand out supplies, assist with clean up (anyone with a chain saw became very popular) and answer the telephones at the "help lines". Neighbors (who hardly ever even see each other) helped each other clean up the debris and get their lives back "in order".

Sometimes the magnitude of our networks is fairly transparent until a crisis or need arises. But the main thing is that when there is a need, we do think to reach out to one another – to ask for help, to offer help or simply to let someone know we're "there". The good nature, compelling spirit and fortitude of human beings makes for a powerful network of support.

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The Flip Side of the Hurricane

Social Fun Leads to Natural Networking

People, Power & Possibilities with Donna Fisher

I noticed that I was "busy" with work and life all the time and not spending quality time with friends. I was really missing feeling connected with my friends. So I scheduled a couple of get togethers; one for my women friends and one for the members of a former networking breakfast club.

In fact, I decided to revive our networking breakfast club (which many of us had belonged to for over 10 years) as a virtual networking club (yahoo group) with quarterly social gatherings.

All it took was one conversation during my quarterly visits with my financial advisor, "It sure would be great to get together with everyone from Windsor Club." Her response was "It sure would". She offered her home. We picked the date. I sent the evite and we had a wonderful event with the chance to catch up and reconnect. And now we've planned another gathering.

For my gathering of women friends, I picked a place called Path of Tea (here in Houston, Texas) where the owner conducts tea tastings for groups. I scheduled the date and time. Again, I sent an evite. And some wonderful women friends showed up for a lovely afternoon of learning about various types of teas and learning about what each other was up to in their own lives.

It's been my experience that as we bond socially, we then open doors to opportunities for each other in all areas of life. And I learned that I can create simple, easy events as a way to see my friends, have fun, feel connected and maintain my friendships (personally and professionally).

So, rather than always going to events, how about hosting your own event for some of the people with whom you really want to stay connected? Don't let networking always be about "business". Create events, opportunities and environments for connecting socially, having fun and being with people you enjoy.

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Donna Fisher believes in the power of people to connect and communicate to create new possibilities. She is a Certified Speaking Professional, author, drummer, Nia White Belt and business owner. Author: Power Networking, Professional Networking for Dummies, People Power, and Power NetWeaving

www.donnafisher.com
Houston, TX
713-789-2484

Email: Donna

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Social Fun Leads to Natural Networking

Beware the "Lone Ranger Mentality"

People, Power & Possibilities

By Donna Fisher
Contributing Writer

The "Lone Ranger Mentality" is an attitude of "I can do it on my own". This mentality gets in the way of your effectiveness by limiting the ideas, contributions and support of others. And, oftentimes, the thoughts, actions and behaviors represented by the "Lone Ranger Mentality" are just habits that you have developed over time. And because they are habits they can be upgraded to new, more productive habits. Here are some suggestions for shifting your mindset to create a more interdependent and productive approach to life.




Think about other automatic limiting thoughts that you have that you could shift for yourself:

By developing new "thought habits" you will change your actions, behaviors and way of relating to the world. We are here on this plant together to be of support to one another. Everyone's heard the phrase, "No man is an island" and yet it is still easy to keep ourselves isolated and disconnected. However, your power comes from your ability to connect with others to make a difference. Give up any and all of the "Lone Ranger" thoughts that may be lurking around in your consciousness. Trade it in for a more powerful, productive and fun approach of being interdependent, connected and inclusive.

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Donna Fisher believes in the power of people to connect and communicate to create new possibilities. She is a Certified Speaking Professional, author, drummer, Nia White Belt and business owner. Author: Power Networking, Professional Networking for Dummies, People Power, and Power NetWeaving

www.donnafisher.com
Houston, TX
713-789-2484

Email: Donna

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Beware the "Lone Ranger Mentality"