HOW TO FIND NEW TEAM MEMBERS
IN THE MIDST OF A BUSY LIFE
by Jacqueline Freeman
Life has been very busy on our end. We're on Day Ten of a two day
project, taking up the old linoleum in our farmhouse so we can
refinish the hardwood floor under it. Instead of three hours it
took five days to scrape off the old glue). Sure, we could have
hired someone, but isn't one of the joys of home ownership
and a home business that you get to do whatever work you
want yourself?
So we've prepared every meal for the past week on our grill in
the outdoor room, which was great fun at first and now I'm ready
to have a stove back -- but on the plus side, we are now very
skilled grill cooks.
I even baked little apple pie tarts on our grill. Recipe: Wrap
chopped apples, a pinch of rosemary and a dab of butter in two
layers of egg roll wrappers. Put on top shelf of grill on a flat
sheet of tinfoil. Cook your other foods below and take the apple
tarts off when they look toasted on top. (15 minutes?) Could it
be any simpler?
I'm telling you this because I want you to know we work our
business at the same time as we live our life. You can, too.
Every day I make time to make my calls, alone or with my
working team. Now that we live in a new area, I'm growing our
business right here, too. I am always looking for entrerpreneurially-
inclined people. I intentionally drive into
town 2-3 times a week because I ALWAYS meet someone who might
become my next business partner. Here are a few examples
of how I do that:
1. I NEED A BAKERY
Who should I ask? Why not make a friend while I'm looking?
I still haven't discovered a good local bakery, but I found a
little bistro in town and went in when no customers were there so
I could talk longer if needed. I chose this bistro because:
a) it's small and likely the owner
would be working in it, and
b) she'd likely know where a good
local bakery would be.
Result: We had a great conversation, which mostly consisted of
me asking her friendly questions and her answering (I've way
shortened her answers but she was very descriptive and easy to
talk with).
How is business going? (just right)
How long have you owned this? (five years)
Did you own another business before this one? (Yes,
I used to own a bakery myself, but this is
more profitable and easier to run. I do a
little catering, too.)
Oh, catering? And events planning? (yes)
Boy, you sure like to keep busy!
Sounds like you have a real business head on
your shoulders and always have your ears
perked for where you can earn more. Is that true?"
Note, I did not bring up my business opportunity then and there.
My goal is first to see if I liked her and would want to work
with her and to assess her skills.
She's got what I look for (friendly, self-starter, motivated) and
I do like her, so I got her number and left her mine. She called
my answering machine last night to leave a message about another
bakery closer to me, so I know I stuck in her head, too.
My next move? I have another new business owner friend downtown
(a dress shop) and I know they'll hit it off so I'm going to
invite my friend to have a late lunch at the bistro and introduce
them. Bring them both a little mutual business. The dress shop
owner has agreed to be my customer, and I'm going to suggest the
bistro owner take a look at Excel on my next visit.
I don't know yet what the bistro owner's WHY is, but I do know
she likes to earn money and isn't afraid of work. Good traits!
2. AT THE LIBRARY
How DO you build a retaining wall for a garden? I needed to know
this for our next home project. I'm really looking forward to it,
but I couldn't find the right book so I asked the young woman in
reference to help me.
As she looked I mentioned my husband
and I are going to make the wall
ourselves and she said, "Oh, what fun.
I'd love to do that. I wish we had a
house of our own." (There's her WHY!)
I asked, "Are saving up for one?" (yes!) I immediately told
her
about this great mortgage agent we have and suggested she call
her and get an appointment to find out what she and her husband
need to do to get themselves in the right place for buying. (here
I'm also bringing one of my customers more business!)
Then I asked her if she was working full time at the library.
She's not. She's doing fill-in and very much looking for
something else to earn more with so she can get that house. (a
well-defined need!) And she mentioned she has a one-year old
daughter.
I said, "You're kidding! Do you know what I do? I help people
start their own businesses, but working FROM HOME.
Her eyes went wide with the idea of working with her baby playing
at her feet. I could see it! She said, "Please tell me more."
With her boss standing a few feet away, I said, "Give me your
number and here's mine and the mortgage agent's. Let's talk when
you get off work. I'm busy tonight, but how about I call you
tomorrow?"
I'll book a home appointment with her. (Late Note: She just
called ME before I even got to her! Good sign!)
3. AT THE HARDWARE STORE
It's a big chain so there are many, many employees, but I noticed
that whenever someone can't answer our questions about what we
need, they all call this same guy over for help.
So I said to him, "Are you the boss or manager? You seem to know
about everything in many different departments."
He said, "No way. I just work here part time, but I've done most
every kind of project myself."
I said, "How's that? What's your other job?" (he's a contractor)
Hmm...
a) He owns a business that's not pulling
in enough income.
b) He needs more money desperately enough
that he's working nights and weekends.
c) This guy RUNS between customers (industrious),
and he is really helpful (right personality
for Excel), and he's not afraid of work.
Get my drift?
Next trip over there I'll tell him my perception of his skills,
what I ascertained about why he might want to take on something
else (Excel), and ask him if we can sit down on a coffee break.
HERE'S WHAT I DO
I'm friendly and ask engaging questions.
People love to talk about themselves! I want to know what makes
people tick. I gather lots of info about them before I ever bring
up Excel, and only then if it feels like the right thing. Never
push or you risk sounding like the kind of rabid salesman we all
despise.
I usually know their WHY before we talk about Excel so it's
much easier to tell them what I can help them do.
I look for skills.
My ears are always open. I look for people who make eye contact
and are friendly and who I'd like to work alongside. If they like
work, all the better. I don't look for laziness. I look for
self-starters and industrious people. (I've done my share of
rep-dragging!)
Today I'm off to run a few more errands, try out the new bakery,
swing by my friend's dress shop and set up a lunch meeting with
the bistro owner. I'll set up the librarian's meeting first
thing. See how simple that is?
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Jacqueline Freeman is a Senior Director with Excel Communications.
She and her husband won the prestigious Excellence in Service award
for founding the Excel Philanthropy Team, a group of Excel reps who
have, in the past three years, contributed $2.5 million and 200,000
hours
to charities, and donated enough blood to save over 7,300 lives.
Jacqueline can be reached at TheFreemans@myexcel.com
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