When talking candidly about topics concerning everything from influencing skills to authenticity, a point was touched upon about the younger generation and their response, or lack-thereof, to each of these things. Questions were raised about what it took to have a genuine influence on people in the workplace and what the reality behind operating as an authentic professional truly meant. Do you need to be intimidating to be influential? Smart? Successful? Accomplished? Do you need to expose your weaknesses and beliefs, be they political or religious to be genuinely authentic? How do you gain respect from others and most importantly, how do you do so while simultaneously reaching that younger generation that seems to unapologetically full of entitlement? How do you bridge that gap?

As a member of that younger generation myself, I felt it my duty to speak up. Surprisingly, the answer is quite simple. While the professional world of today is a dog-eat-dog market full of fast information and competition, there is one thing that it sorely lacks; And that one thing, is humanity – the very thing that the 20-30 somethings can’t find through their beloved Googles, blogs and Blackberries.

As a part of that generation myself, I have been influenced by so many people along the way. However, unlike things may have been before my time, it wasn’t by the people who knew more than me, or competed with me to prove their rank, it was the people who made a difference by taking the time to form a relationship with me, be it large or small. At the end of the day, the internet can provide us with all of the hard information that we need, but they are not people. And that’s where the true value lies. Remember, it’s not about competition, but compassion, not about rank, but respect, and never as much about quantity, as it is quality, three things that a computer, cannot compute.

Next time, before you tell the kid down the hall what your worth by spouting out your list of accomplishments and skills, tell them first about the baseball game you went to last night, the type of beer (or wine!) you drank, the college you went to and what you loved (or hated) about your freshman year roommate – and then go through the report with them. Once people expose themselves as humble, honest, genuine, authentic players in the game only then do things become real, and only them, do they become respected influencers to that hard-to-crack generation.

By Guest Blogger:  Devin Cirillo

My work background in between school years has mostly been in offices, doing things like administration, projects, and production. But this summer, I acquired a job at a small business in the service industry. I’m finally dealing directly with what it’s all about: the people! From the start, I believed that the customer should come first. And in my first few weeks of working, I learned some ways to make customers a lot happier.

Perhaps most important is to smile! Just the other day, a man came in to buy himself something nice, and informed me that my smile is great for sales. I think anyone trading their good services for money should be happy to see the people who enter their business place. Stand up politely when they enter. Say, “Your total is $19.99, please.” These people keep your business alive and are the source of your paycheck. Don’t avoid eye contact, ignore them, or stare at them with a blank or tired look on your face. That’s no fun. It is your job to give each customer the friendly attention he or she needs. Why not be entertaining, make conversation, and ask them about themselves? One positive interaction can make you glow all day.

Even when big crowds come in, you’ve got to acknowledge each one and let them know that they’ll be served soon. It would be great if you could even offer them something to do or think about as they wait for other customers to be served. These people are giving you their time, and they’ll logically lose interest if you aren’t making the best of it all.

It is also your duty to inform people all about what you offer them. Know your products. Ask the customers what they prefer so you can make better recommendations for the benefit of each individual.

When a customer is rude, you will feel better if you just laugh and let it go. It may not always work, but showing interest in a person could awaken the happy person in them that had been forgotten in the midst of a rough day. It is so worth it.

Give a nice memorable experience to people even if they don’t buy something. They may remember you and tell their friends about what you offer. Every customer deserves your best wishes that they have a wonderful day as they leave. We’re all humans here.

I propose a goal for anybody who deals with people as part of their business: Let’s all make life a little more fun for each other. Discovery Conference Centre and Kramm Court Reporting exemplify this goal.

Posted by Laura Gros

As one of the principals of Discovery Conference Centre, Inc., I have had the pleasure of meeting dynamic, smart businesspeople who need a place to conduct business and/or trainings in a professional setting with all of the technology bells and whistles available to them.  Many of our DCC clients are using our conference rooms to “network.”

I believe “networking” has become one of the buzzwords of 2011.  It has always been considered to be an important part of business, getting out and about, shaking hands, but since the Great Recession, when businesses need to step up to get work (little to no low hanging fruit is available), meeting potential clients, finding referral sources, and getting your name out there, networking has become essential for survival. 

Many of our clients are in the 2B2 world, service businesses.  It can be uncomfortable for accountants, transactional attorneys, and stock brokers to have to go out and find business, meet strangers, learn the art of “cocktail party” selling, and create opportunity. 

I have learned a trick or two in the art of networking, and I would like to share them.  Remember, the goal of the Discovery Conference Centre is for anyone who walks through the doors to know SUCCESS.

Tip 1:  Always come prepared with business cards that are easy to access.  This might sound too simple, but I have stood there when someone asks  for my court reporter business card and dug into my purse, opening my wallet, hunting in little compartments, and feeling generally foolish.  Put business cards in a shirt or pants pocket or in a professional cardholder placed at the top of your purse ready to go before you get to the event.
 
Tip 2:  Be conscious.  Before you get to the networking event, sit still for a second and think about what you want to accomplish.  Is there someone in particular you want to meet?  Is there a type of businessperson or vendor you need to create a relationship with?   Have a strategy in place.

Tip 3:  Be kind.  If someone looks a little out of place, shy or scared, go to that person, shake their hand, ask them who they are and what they do.  Know that 95% of the people in the room are  uncomfortable and a little shy.  The person you meet might be a goldmine for your future.

Tip 4:  Helping others needs to be part of your strategy.  Once you meet someone, ask who they are, what they do, think if you can or want to help them with a tip or referral to someone else.  I have found it is easier to help others rather than to think I have to sell myself in that moment.  The person you are meeting is going to be grateful and probably will want to help you back.  Human nature.

Tip 5:  Know your business niche.  Meeting someone new and saying, “I am a transactional attorney and do a lot of estates and wills,” is kind of boring and generic.  If you say, “I am a transactional attorney that helps people with their estates and tax planning and do a lot of work with people who own vintage cars” or “apartment complexes,” that opens up the door for conversation.   Add a little flavor and fun to your “elevator speech.”

Tip 6:  Elevator speeches are boring and usually obviously rehearsed and  memorized and don’t sound authentic.  That is my opinion.

Tip 7:  Move along.  Know that everyone in the room wants to meet as many people as possible.  If you meet someone that needs to know someone else in the room, make the introduction and move along.  If someone gloms onto you, say, “I’m going to go get something to eat” or “Oh, there is Ted Smith.  I need to talk to him.  Excuse me.”   And then move on.  No one should get their feelings hurt.  Networking events are to conduct business.

If you have a tip or two you would like to share with people who are in the networking arena, please leave them here.  Let’s all get business and be more successful than ever!

@rosaliekramm  (Twitter)

Our San Diego conference rooms are used by national and international companies to interview job applicants on a weekly basis.  We have had applicants interview for jobs in locales such as Taiwan, Copenhagen, and Washington DC.  Discovery Conference Centre provides the technology to allow for the interview through our high-speed dedicated T1 IP videoconferencing equipment.

We have noticed a pattern of the applicants interviewing for a job.  There are the obvious nerves, and 99% of the interviewees have never been “on TV” before and don’t know what to expect or “how to act.”  We get questions about where to focus their eyes, how to sit…

We cannot speak to how you should answer questions or sell your qualifications, but we can give some tips for “looking good” on video.

1. Don’t wear white or yellow around your face – it will make you look washed out.  The best colors for video are grey,  blue, and pastels.  Wear your power tie, but don’t wear a white shirt under it. 

2.  Arrive at least 15 minutes early.  Coming in the last minute adds to the stress.  This might sound like common sense, but a lot of people don’t map out the location or get caught in traffic…

3. Before the videoconference starts, sit in the seat that you will be sitting in for the interview and expect the technician to frame the shot so you are in the perfect position for the camera.  You will be able to see the shot that the interviewers will see.

4. Don’t refuse water or a cup of tea.  Being nervous can cause thirst.  (If you notice in late night talk shows, the guest always has a glass of water nearby.)  Having a cup of tea nearby or glass of water also can act as a prop or excuse to slow down, take a sip, and organize your thoughts.

5. Do some deep breathing – quickly breathe in 10 times deeply and then breathe out 10 times with force.  It is not silly.  The breathing will have the effect of deepening your voice (nerves can cause a higher voice) and help get you centered.  Actors use this trick before every take.

6. Organize your notes, reading materials, paperwork around you on the table so it is easy to access and you know where things are.  Take your papers and a pen out of your briefcase.  You will be more confident if you are not fumbling around looking for documents.

7. Turn off your phone.  Because of our highly sensitive microphone, we will pick up the sound of your phone even if it is in the vibrating mode; and if you have set it with no sound, but it is receiving emails, the phone still can send out a frequency when an email comes in that causes a crackling noise at the remote location.

8. Finally, know you are getting this opportunity because your resume’ and/or your phone interview really impressed the company you are applying for a job with.  They want to meet you and see your demeanor before the next step in the job interview process. 

Good luck! 
@rosaliekramm  (Twitter)

I always enjoy giving clients and visitors VIP tours of our conference center.  One of my favorite rooms is named Tranquility.  It is a room set up for attorneys and business people to relax in, watch television, make a phone call, or think.  Our Tranquility room is named after the base camp that the astronauts used when they first landedwalked on the moon.

DCC principal Chris Jordan’s passion is NASA and space.  Chris named our conference center “Discovery Conference Centre” after the Discovery space program (as well as the play on words, because “discovery” is what attorneys do when litigating a case).

From my research I have learned that “Tranquility Base Camp” was Armstrong and Aldrin’s idea.  Their intent was to emphasize the fact they were explorers, not just pilots like the astronauts before them, and therefore wanted a “base camp” to explore out of.   Where the Eagle landed on the moon was near the Sea of Tranquility, hence “Tranquility Base Camp.”

We want our clients to feel our conference center is their base camp.  It is a technologically advanced meeting space for business people/lawyers to do business out of, whether it is taking a deposition, doing a technology training, or meeting a client.

The next time you are in San Diego, come visit our conference center, grab a cup of coffee and spend a few minutes in Tranquility.  Let us be your base camp.

Brent Bonine of SalesInsights and ProGrowth needed to find a conference room that could seat five to seven people, give him access to high-speed wireless internet connectivity, and a HD video monitor for presentations to potential clients. Brent has contracted with Discovery Conference Centre to use our Rio Room to hold his next meeting to grow his ProGrowth community.

Brent’s background is that of someone with 20+ years in sales.  He has held VP and Executive Director Sales Leadership positions in several organizations in a variety of industries, including:  Financial Services, Information Technology, Construction and Technical Services, Training organizations and marketing services firms.

As a community builder for ProGrowth, Brent provides opportunity for service professionals who want to be part of a high-performing community of smart businesspeople who depend on relationships and referrals to drive their business to work as a team to help achieve each other’s business goals and solve problems that come up when running a business.

Brent Bonine is an incredibly smart, empathetic, and action-oriented man who knows the business of SELLING in a professional and systematic fashion.  He is a forward thinker.

Discovery Conference Centre is proud to have Brent as a client and will do everything to ensure not only his success, but the success of every client he works with who walks through our door.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is defined as a private corporation that acts as a self-regulatory organization (SRO).  FINRA is the successor to the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and is the largest independent regulator for all securities firms doing business in the USA.  FINRA oversees nearly 47,000 brokerage firms, about 167,000 branch offices, and 637,000 registered securities representatives. 

FINRA is a non-profit organization and a non-government organization. 

FINRA maintains the qualification, employment and disclosure histories of more than a half of a million securities employees.

What does this mean for business people, attorneys, and investors?  Anyone can go on the FINRA website, insert the name of a securities broker and/or brokerage firm and have access to information whether or not they are currently FINRA-registered, have been registered with FINRA within the last two years, or have ever been the subject of a final regulatory event that has been reported to CRD.  You might be very surprised what you find out about your stock broker.

The FINRA website also has fantastic information on how to protect yourself, smart investing, and market data.

As the economy shifts, stock market opportunities come along and you feel inspired to invest, we advise our clients/friends to arm yourselves with information.  Don’t trust a stranger with your money.  Take responsibility and investigate your broker and/or brokerage house.

And if you ever need a virtual conference center to meet with clients, do formal presentations, or connect via videoconference, contact us at Discovery Conference Centre.  Your success is our goal.

Creating a high-tech meeting/conference room space for businesspeople to connect, make money, and survive the Great Recession is part of my 2010 business plan.   I was reading a great article in the San Diego Daily Transcript, “Young business leaders see opportunity in recession,” by Elizabeth Malloy.  The article reports on a Roundtable discussion sponsored by The Daily Transcript.  Fourteen Young Influential award winners participated in a discussion on surviving in the economic downturn.  As Malloy writes, “For San Diego’s young business leaders, the current recession is the first economic downtown they’ve experienced while in charge.  So perhaps it’s youthful optimism or just a case of not knowing enough to be afraid that’s making so many of them positive.” 

While reading the article, I found the Young Influentials to be very candid and honest.  They admit that they are being forced to become lean, watch their spending, and most importantly evaluate their businesses. 

Malloy says, “Accepting change was a theme that ran through the roundtable conversation.  Most of the Young Influential winners accepted that an economic recovery this time around might not mean that everything simply returns to normal.  A combination of the recession and new technology may permanently alter the way companies get financing, manage employees and generally do business with each other.” 

As a principal of Discovery Conference Centre, I believe that technology is currently and will become an even more important strategy for small businesses and consultants to run their businesses.  As businesses down-size, the principals don’t want to write monthly checks to pay for a lease on space they might use once a week or three times a month to present a new product or concept to a client.  Business owners will want high-definition, high-quality, high-speed video conferencing/teleconferencing capabilities at competitive rates. 

How will the Great Recession play out?  When will it end?  I wish I knew.  In the meantime, I plan to create a new future to deal with the new norm with virtual conference rooms, meetings rooms and first-in-class technology.

I just finished reading a great article in the Wall Street Journal titled,
“What’s Holding Back Women Entrepreneurs?” by Sharon G. Hadary. Hadary begins the article, “The phenominal growth of women-owned businesses has made headway for three decades – women consistently have been launching new enterprises at twice the rate of men, and their growth rates of employment and revenue have outpaced the economy.”

And yet with this phenominal growth, Hadary points out, “the average revenues of majority women-owned businesses were still only 27% of the average of the majority men-owned businesses.”

The problems that are discussed in the article range from setting lower goals, revenue and growth, than men; lack of an access to capital from banks and lending institutions and a lack to markets, whether it be B2B or business-to-govenernment.

Hadary says women need to change their mindset. “The most successful businesswomen think big from the start.” The women who think big create relationships with their bankers before the need for capital and are not afraid of financials, but embrace the money side of their business. Having women mentors is important because women do business differently than men. Networking with diverse groups Hadary emphasizes as key to being super successful. Hadary uses the phrase, “develop connections to expertise.” I couldn’t agree more. I see so many people who only associate with “like kind,” whether it be colleagues, family, or peers. Women and men need to step out of their safety nets and meet different people with different interests. Fill up your Rolodex with experts in all fields.

Hadary concluded the article, “Think Even Bigger.” She goes on to write, “I believe we need to do more than simply help women plan for business as usual. We need to dramatically transform women’s concepts of the future of their business enterprises – to move them into a place where they have the vision and the confidence to catapult their businesses to a whole new level.”

When I see the word “transform” that means change to me, a change of mindset, energy, and focus. I believe when a smart woman puts her mind to it, she can create something most men would only dream of. It takes courage to think big. I say, “Go for it.”

rosalie@conferencecentre.biz