Motherhood to Mompreneur Series

I remember my first networking meeting at the Chapel Hill Coffee and Contacts like it was yesterday.  I had no idea what a One-On-One meant, but I quickly realized that it meant I had to speak up and verbally INVITE a fellow small business owner in the group to coffee or lunch to share our stories and message.  I was quite intimidated.  All of the other women seemed so well versed, they all knew one another and scheduling a one-on-one was second nature to them.

It was imperative that I muster up the confidence to schedule one-on-ones with other women in the group because that is where the relationships are built.  I have found over the last 18 months that it is near impossible for participants at a networking event to fully understand your product or service during a 30 second elevator speech.  The meat and potatoes comes with building a relationship together, getting to know the other person and how you can help them in a one-on-one.

Rather than asking, "How can I help?", ask "What do you need help with?"  or "What do you want?"

This opens the door for you to listen to their problems and then show them how you will help them solve their problems whether it's through a product or a service that you offer.

Another great way to build a relationship is through sharing your personal story including your struggles and how you solved these problems.  Through sharing your story you will attract the clients that you want because your story will resonate with them on a more personal level.

My story is going from a full time job where I was extremely successful to becoming a stay at home - my life became unrecognizable.  I didn't know what to do on a daily basis, knew I needed to contribute to our household income, but felt useless.  I set out to discover and define my purpose and passion and that's to help other women identify their purpose and passion and develop a business that will thrive into the future.  I want to help both mothers who want to become successful entrepreneurs as well as women in general who are highly motivated to cultivate a successful business.

Lesson Learned #9:  Establish a clear purpose once you have identified your true passion in life.  Who do you want to help?  What is your message?  What mark do you want to make?  Once you know your purpose and begin to share your story, things will begin to fall into place with hard work and dedication!

Megan

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