The Jody Maberry Show

In order to get important work done, you need to understand the difference between action and progress.

If you have ever asked for an introduction or been referred by someone, you need to understand what a referral really is. At the minimum, a referral is saying "I vouch for this guy", or basically, I endorse this person I am telling you about. You need to understand the importance of a referral. And you need to understand what you are really asking for when you ask someone for an introduction. I have two stories about introductions one bad and one wonderful. I love connecting people when I know they can benefit each other. But I am also deliberate about introducing or referring people. I know everyone I refer is a reflection of me. Call it selfish, but I only want to make introductions where the two parties involved will be glad I made the introduction and welcome the next introduction I might make. I want people to know if I am referring someone, which they have my backing and they will reflect my quality standard. So if you ask me for an introduction to someone, I might not do it. Not if you are not ready for it. And I might not refer your work to someone else unless it meets a high-quality standard. But it delights me when I connect two people, and it works out for both of them. I win because they won. We all win. What a perfect situation. In this episode, I highlight two examples of introductions, one with a bad ending and one with a wonderful ending. In the introduction with the wonderful ending, Bryan Buckley did two things that made a big difference; He respected the referral. He understood his actions would be a reflection of both of us. He did his research. Before reaching out to Jeff, he bought his book; he left an Amazon review, he listened to Jeff's podcast. It worked out well for Bryan. After exchanging some emails, Bryan had the opportunity to meet Jeff at Podcast Movement in Chicago. They had a great conversation. The home work paid off. Handling an introduction the right way paid off. So there are two stories about introductions. One handled poorly where no one benefited from the introduction. And one that was handled with excellence where everyone benefited from the introduction.

Not long ago, someone asked me what I do to get the most out of a conference. That question is again on my mind since I am here at the Podcast Movement conference and I want to share with you the 8 things I do to make sure I get the most out of a conference; Have a plan before you get there. Be willing to abandon the content of the conference to make connections. Only go to conferences that can help you. Dress better than most other people who are there. 5. If you took notes, do something with them. Send follow up email or physical cards to people. Take action on at least one thing from the conference. Try to build a good connection with at least one person you meet at a conference.

On this episode of The Jody Maberry Show, we examine how you can go the extra inch to recognize solutions to problems your customers are facing.

Do you remember the movie Castaway with Tom Hanks? If you saw the movie, you probably remember Wilson, right? Wilson was the volleyball Tom Hanks always talked to. If you haven't seen the movie, let me catch you up without spoiling anything. Tom Hanks is stranded alone on an island for a long time. If it were not for his volleyball sidekick, Tom Hanks would not have been completely alone. It was a compelling story, even though Tom Hanks was the sole character for most of the movie. Chances are, you would not be entertained or fulfilled if you were alone on an island. Yet, too often, we put ourselves in Tom Hanks' position, feverishly rubbing sticks together to start a fire and shouting aloud to no one once we reach our goal. To avoid being a Castaway, you need to add what Tom Hanks was missing in the movie. You need a cast of characters to build your story. If you want to live your life as a rich, fulfilling story, you need a cast of characters. If you want a thriving workplace where work gets done, and people enjoy being there, you need a cast of characters. I will tell you now, that I stole this cast of characters idea from Chris Guillebeau. In the back of his book, The Happiness of Pursuit, he lists the cast of characters of the people from the book. When I mentioned that the cast of characters idea could be applied to networking, he recommended I run with it and turn it into a blog post or a book. I didn't turn the idea into a book, but I did turn the idea into a podcast. To get an idea of what a cast of characters is, I want to tell you two stories. Lee Cockerell explains, At Disney World, they are putting on a show every day. Each day is a new performance and employees have a deliberate role to play in delivering the best performance possible. This is why Disney employees are called cast members. Disney uses a cast of characters to put on a show for their guests. And you can't put on a show without clearly defined roles for the cast of characters in the show. Now, let's look at one more story involving a cast of characters. I mentioned New York Times bestselling author Chris Guillebeau and his book The Happiness of Pursuit. In this book, Chris uses case studies of real life quests people have undertaken. Each quest is individual and unique as the person who is doing it. At the same time, each quest is weaved into the greater whole of the story of the book. At the end of the book, Guillebeau included a cast of characters appendix. The appendix lists the name of an individual, their quest, as well as the category and status of their quest. Your career or business life is no different than the story in the book or the show they put on every day at Disney World. You can apply the cast of characters concept to build a better team, build better relationships, and build a better project. Let's begin by looking at team building. You can use this concept for team building. Whether you are a supervisor or a front line worker, you can build your team by viewing the in individuals as a cast of characters in the show you are putting on every day at your organization. How to apply the cast of characters for team building; Keep a list, perhaps a spreadsheet, of all of your team members. Keep track of the one big thing each team member is working on at work. Also, keep track of the one big thing they are working on in their personal life. Make note of important personal information such as birthdays, work anniversary, the name of spouse and kids, hobbies or any other relevant information. If you work for a small organization, this will build deeper productive relationships with your whole team. If you work for a large organization, building a cast of characters will set you apart, help you stand out, and move you closer to the promotion you have your eye on. You can also use this approach outside the walls of your office. Build a cast of characters for vendors, suppliers, contractors, or anyone else outside of your organization that plays a role in the work you do. You can also use the Cast of characters to build relationships. Networking has been a hot topic for a couple of years now. There are books about networking. There are podcasts about networking. The contemporary view of networking has moved away from handing out business cards and trying to get new business. Modern networking, thankfully, has turned towards adding value, noticing others, building relationships, and connecting with other people. But what if you viewed networking completely different? What if you considered you're a life a story being told in a book or a movie? Wouldn't you pay more attention to the characters in the story? Wouldn't you take the time to build depth and meaning for each character? Just like a good book, when a new character is introduced, you don't know what role she will pay in your story. Will the person you just met be a hero in your story? Will he introduce you to an idea or person who will change your life? Will he become a friend who brings you joy and comfort? You never know, but by using the cast of characters approach, you can build a network of relationships as you have never known. How can you apply Cast of Characters to building relationships. Begin by creating a spreadsheet of those closest to you. Add the one big goal or dream you know they are working on. Add other important personal information, such as birthdays and other important dates. Add a section for contact information. When was the last time you were in contact with them?? Did you correspond through email, phone, face to face, or handwritten note? What new information did you gather during the correspondence? With each new conversation or interaction, you can build depth to their profile. When you meet someone new, add them to your cast of characters spreadsheet. Include how you met them. Don't leave out new online contacts. You will meet some new people on Twitter or Facebook you will want to include. Perhaps you will want to start a cast of characters list strictly for online contacts. If you work independent like I do, there is another way to use the cast of characters concept. My work is project based, as I do a series of projects for different people, or different projects for the same people. Either way, it takes a cast of characters to do great project work. You don't complete projects by yourself. There is a cast of characters who play a part in every project. If you are a freelancer, entrepreneur, coach, or someone else who mostly works by yourself, using the cast of characters concept will help you keep track of progress and who is playing each role in a project. I work out of an office in my garage, but I have a cast of characters who help me get work done. How to apply; Create a spreadsheet listing everyone who has a role in the project. List their name, role, and include a section for highlights, milestones, and correspondence. This can be critical to help you keep track when you have multiple projects going, which many of us do who work independently.

Aaron Walker helps men live extraordinary lives. After a successful career, he now focuses on helping others reach new levels in their personal and business lives. In this episode of the Jody Maberry Show, Aaron shares his personal story and delivers three key points that can help any business or personal brand; Focus on Significance Be Clear on Your Message People Buy Confidence Aaron is offering three free resources for you, which you can find here. Aaron's website - viewfromthetop.com Aaron on Twitter - @VFTCoach Aaron on Facebook - View From the Top

Recently, my next door neighbor had a new roof installed. During the process, the roofing company (let's call them ABC Roofing) stacked some roofing material on my lawn. They didn't ask if that would be OK. It was on my lawn for only a day. No big deal, but it was a missed opportunity. Had ABC roofing knocked on my door and explained they were installing a new roof next door and would like to stack some material on my lawn for a day, they would have left a good impression. They would have been first on my mind when I need a new roof, and everyone needs a new roof eventually. Doing so would have been Collateral Marketing. Collateral Marketing are the small things you do that promote your company and you work you do. Usually, it is not direct marketing, and these opportunities are usually overlooked. In this episode of the Jody Maberry Show, we will take a look at what Collateral Marketing is and how you can take advantage of it. Also mentioned in this episode; Creating Magic podcast with Lee Cockerell Agents in Action podcast with Todd Smith Great Escape Radio with Lori Allen Morgan James Radio with David Hancock Brand You Podcast with Mike Kim

If you want to sell more, you need to understand why people don't buy your product. People don't buy your product or service, they buy the result or the feeling the product gives them. For example, people don't buy a drill, they buy a hole in the wall. They don't buy a shovel, they buy a hole in the ground. When you understand what it is people are actually buying, you can tap into it and sell more.

Tommy Spaulding is the NY Times Best Selling author of It's Not Just Who You Know and The Heart Led Leader. On this episode of The Jody Maberry Show, Tommy talks about the important of sending handwritten notes, why Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People does not go far enough, and how opening a restaurant fits his mission. Tommy's website - tommyspaulding.com Tommy's books - It's Not Just Who You Know and The Heart Led Leader Tommy on Twitter - @tommyspaulding

On a recent trip to Nashville, I stopped at Dave Ramsey's headquarters to visit Eric Anthony, the producer of the Entreleadership podcast. I had met Eric at the Podcast Movement conference last year and had worked with him a bit when Lee Cockerell was on the Entreleadership podcast. So I stopped in to say Hello and spent time chatting with Eric and Ken Colemen, who hosts the show. While I was there, Dave Ramsey was recording his radio show, and a couple was waiting in the lobby to do the Debt Free Scream. Do you know about the debt free scream? I didn't want to miss a good debt free scream, so I hung out in the lobby to watch. The couple did a short interview with Dave and finish with the scream to announce their freedom. When they were done, Dave Ramsey came out into the lobby to say hello to them in person. Since I was in the lobby, I had the chance to meet Dave. This was not the first time I met Dave Ramsey, though. I have paid attention to Dave Ramsey for years. Even when I did not take his advice, I was paying attention. Dave Ramsey helped transform my kid's attitudes and actions towards money through Financial Peace Junior. My wife and I are students of Financial Peace University, I have listened to Dave's radio show, and read a couple of his books. Although I don't remember how I heard Dave Ramsey was looking for volunteers for a Seattle event, when I heard he was looking for volunteers to help his team I did not hesitate for a moment. I have organized many events; concerts, Sea Stories, puppet shows, Hispanic Heritage Celebration, and the Scandinavian Cold and Flu Festival. Working as a volunteer for Dave's event would be an opportunity to experience, first hand and behind the scenes, how professionals put on an event. I submitted a volunteer application and was delighted to be accepted as part of the team. The evening of the Living a Legacy event, ten volunteers gathered before the event and received instruction from Dave's team on our assignments for the evening. I was selected to work the Back Stage Experience, where I got to meet Dave and his lovely daughter, Rachel Ramsey Cruze. I learned plenty from hearing Dave talk to the small backstage crowd. Of course, I learned watching Dave on stage. But the biggest lesson I learned was from a member of Dave's team. Before the event, before the volunteers had done any work, Pete, one of Dave's team members, gathered us together to explain how the evening would unfold. As Pete explained the importance of the volunteers greeting guests as they enter, he said "The first few minutes set the tone. If not, Dave will not be able to connect with the audience". Listen to that again. "The first few minutes set the tone. If not, Dave will not be able to connect with the audience. Imagine if we all viewed customer service that way. What if we took responsibility to set a tone to ensure anyone in our organization will connect with the customer? How would you change the way you answer the phone? How would you act when a customer interrupts when you are busy? How would you treat the opportunity of being face to face with a customer? What if your biggest role was to make sure the next person is able to connect with the customer. Let's take a doctor's office. The receptionist sets the tone for a nurse to make a connection with the customer. The nurse sets the tone for the doctor. This makes front line the most important part of an organization. In your case, front line could be the person who answers the phone. The person who greets people at the door, or checks people in as they arrive. Once we can connect with customers we can build relationships. Once we build relationships, then we can get work done.