A good friend and nationally known speaker, Don Hutson, invited me to join the National Speakers Association way back in 1997.  NSA conferences are just about the only non-appraisal related meetings I attend.  Last week, I attended the 2015 annual convention of NSA, where the theme was Influence.

I attend the NSA conferences to learn more about the art and craft of speaking, as well as to hear about new trends in social media and more.  However, this year, I was pleased to find the session beneficial both for me personally and professionally, but also, perhaps, for you as well.

I shared my top 10 takeaways from the NSA Influence convention with our staff this past week.  I’ll share them here in a more general sense than for internal consumption at Mercer Capital.

There were so many great speakers that I’m not sure I can tie each idea back to a specific person.  I also attended a day-long session with speakers who run substantial business enterprises.  Some of the takeaways came from that session.  In several instances, I heard the same or similar idea from more than one speaker.  When I can tie an idea to a specific person, I’ll do so below.

Top 10 Takeaways

Without any more introduction, here they are.  Read them and use them if you find them helpful.  Feel free to share with your friends and colleagues.

1. Referrals.  Develop a process/system for asking for referrals.  This is a simple and powerful idea that many businesses, particularly professional services firms, don’t always to a great job doing.
   • From clients (at end of engagements and then, periodically)
   • From existing referral sources
   • Others
   • Need consistency and accountability
2. CRM System. A workable CRM system is critical if you want to do effective marketing on a personal or enterprise level.
3. Great Question. “Am I (are we) limiting my (our) growth because of the cost or hassle of change?”  Inertia is a powerful force causing many of us to resist change.  There is a cost to changing the way we do things when we identify ways to improve.  There is also a corollary benefit if we succeed.  The opportunity cost of not changing, however, can be enormous and incalculable.  Ask and answer the question and then do something to change!
4. Anniversary Postcards. Send to clients/referral sources on the anniversary of signing up or the referral. There are numerous extensions of this idea.  This idea was shared by Steve Gilliland.  I remember because I have some of his cards!
5. Theory of Constraints. We all have constraints. Always apply effort to the constraint that is slowing you down. If you don’t focus on what is constraining you, you won’t grow. Direct consistent effort at your constraint.
6. Top 25 Relationships. Develop a list of your top 25 relationships. These are the folks who can and should be your best referral sources (See No. 1 above).  They are the key influencers who can help you and who you can also help.
7. Systematic Thoughtfulness.  Once you have your list of top 25 relationships, or as you build it, maintain a process of systematic thoughtfulness through which each of them is contacted in some way on a monthly basis.  This idea came from Neen James.
8. Develop a consistent routine to be sure that you accomplish your essential developmental tasks, like reading, being outbound (see No. 7), helping someone else….. Work on your constraint for an hour per day (see No. 5).
9. The Goal.  This book was written in 1992 by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, who did write about the theory of constraints when he was alive.  Read or reread this book. It was mentioned by three speakers as being enormously thought provoking.  I read it many years ago and remember it as an interesting parable, but I don’t remember the message points at all. I plan to reread it shortly.

10. Scaling Up: Why a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t.   This book was written by Verne Harnish (and the team at Gazelles). His speech was very good. I am reading the book now and plan to share with our senior staff after I’ve completed it.

So that’s it.  My Top 10 Takeaways from the National Speakers Association Influence 2015 Convention.  I hope you find at least one idea here that you find helpful and worth implementing.

Best Video Clip

I don’t know why I was attracted to this clip, but here are a couple of thoughts that come to mind.

• Bad things happen to good companies, and good gazelles.  That’s a chapter in my book, Unlocking Private Company Wealth.   Quite often, the bad things that happen have nothing to do with our natural enemies (like the competition or the lions).
• If you keep hitting your head up against the tree or the wall, it could kill you.  At the very least, you will drain yourself of critical emotional energy.

Some days are just harder than others.

Final Question for Today

What is the one thing you know you need to do but are putting off doing?  Use your reading of this list to think about it and begin the process of implementing the change you know is necessary.

Until next time, be well!

Chris