Coverage

I plead guilty.

Last week, two “old school” conference calls with more than one person dealt a left hook to my ego as a communicator. The mark it left was this:

I need a yellow bar to tell me who is speaking so I don’t interrupt.

Perhaps that’s being a little too hard on myself. Yet it does encapsulate how much the “new normal” has changed our behaviors.

Now, it’s not all about needing the yellow bar to see who is speaking. An unquantifiable part of it could be the current environment of pandemic, protests, PPPs, no sports, not enough in-person contact and more. It makes us anxious and want our voices to be heard. We fear we won’t be heard if we don’t jump right in.

Fortunately, it’s a correctable behavior for me and others who have misplaced the skill of actually waiting until somebody stops speaking to talk. It’s as simple as admitting you have the problem and then actually waiting for someone to finish speaking.

Here’s the real trick. If you’re not sure, ask.

That’s right. If on a conference call you are unsure of when somebody has finished their train of thought, when they stop talking, you can ask, “Can I jump in here or would you like to say more on that topic?”

Okay, that’s the strategy. The key will be doing it. If you’re on an old school conference call with me in the very near future, please hold me accountable.

My Pinnacle Network will host its first ever virtual happy hour on Thursday, April 30, from 5 to 7pm. Quite obviously, this event will be BYOB—bring your own beverage.

In addition to a beverage, we ask you bring a story. Specifically:

• What’s the most outside-the-box thing you’ve done for your business during the shutdown?

Those who don’t come with an answer will have to drink.

Deal?

Who’s in?

The call info is as follows: https://zoom.us/j/2385118922 or call in at 312-626-6799. Feel free to invite other B2B professionals and small business owners who might be interested in My Pinnacle Network.

BRAINTREE, MANSFIELD, NEEDHAM, PEMBROKE, WESTBOROUGH, MA …My Pinnacle Network recently announced a full slate of business-to-business networking meetings for February. My Pinnacle Network meetings are as follows:

My Pinnacle Network – Westborough, Tuesday, February 4, from 8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m at Digital Federal Credit Union, 18 Lyman Street, Westborough, MA 01581.

My Pinnacle Network – Mansfield, Wednesday, February 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Mansfield BioIncubator, 241 Francis Avenue, Mansfield, MA 02048.

My Pinnacle Network – Pembroke, Thursday, February 6, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., ACTSmart Training Center, 70 Corporate Park Drive, Suite 1225, Pembroke, MA 02359.

My Pinnacle Network – Needham, Thursday, February 13, 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. at Bullfinch Group, 160 Gould Street, Needham, MA 02494.

My Pinnacle Network – Braintree Third Thursday, Thursday, February 20, from 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. at 100 Grandview Road, 3rd Floor Conference Room, Braintree, MA 02184.

Only one B2B professional will be selected for each category. Those categories can be found at bottom of http://www.mypinnaclenetwork.com. Prospective members are encouraged to attend a My Pinnacle Network meeting before committing to join.

If you are interested in attending a meeting in your area, please contact Steven V. Dubin at SDubin@MyPinnacleNetwork.com or 781-582-1061 to RSVP. There is no charge to visit a My Pinnacle Network meeting.

It’s time again for My Pinnacle Network’s 6th annual Networking Ninja Awards. Please vote for your favorite networker by clicking here.

Here are the available categories:
Best Connector (helping bring people together)
• Most Ubiquitous (appears to be at every networking event)
• Most Altruistic (does most for others)
• Brightest Beacon (adds energy to networking events)
• Rookie of the Year (new member to a My Pinnacle Group)
• Lifetime Achievement (an appreciation award for long-time networkers)

The winners will be announced in March and honored at an awards ceremony to be held in conjunction with the South Shore Professional Networking Group. That event will take place on Tuesday, March 17, at Stockholders, 1073 Main Street, Weymouth, MA.

Votes are welcome for My Pinnacle Network and other members of the local business community. The general public is welcome to vote. Voting deadline is Monday, March 9, 2020.

Vote now and vote often at: www.mypinnaclenetwork.com/Ninja

My Pinnacle Network recently announced a full slate of business-to-business networking meetings for December. My Pinnacle Network meetings are as follows:

My Pinnacle Network – Westborough, Tuesday, December 3, from 8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m at Digital Federal Credit Union, 18 Lyman Street, Westborough, MA 01581.

My Pinnacle Network – Mansfield, Wednesday, December 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Mansfield BioIncubator, 241 Francis Avenue, Mansfield, MA 02048.

My Pinnacle Network – Pembroke, Thursday, December 5, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., ACTSmart Training Center, 70 Corporate Park Drive, Suite 1225, Pembroke, MA 02359.

My Pinnacle Network – Needham, Thursday, December 12, 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. at Bullfinch Group, 160 Gould Street, Needham, MA 02494.

My Pinnacle Network – Braintree Third Thursday, Thursday, December 19, from 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. at 100 Grandview Road, 3rd Floor Conference Room, Braintree, MA 02184.

Only one B2B professional will be selected for each category. Those categories can be found at bottom of http://www.mypinnaclenetwork.com. Prospective members are encouraged to attend a My Pinnacle Network meeting before committing to join.

If you are interested in attending a meeting in your area, please contact Steven V. Dubin at SDubin@MyPinnacleNetwork.com or 781-582-1061 to RSVP. There is no charge to visit a My Pinnacle Network meeting.

It’s not an unusual problem to have. Even though remembering names can be a great advantage in networking. So, what do you? You may want to try this technique.

First, introduce yourself to the person at the networking event. Instead of asking what they do or another mundane conversation starter, ask them to name something they like that’s starts with the first letter of their first name.

That’s right. Ask them to name something they like that starts with the first letter of their first name. Explain that it’s a technique you’re trying out to better remember people’s names. Then demonstrate with example:

“My name is Joe D’Eramo and I’m a joker.”

It’s even better if you can tie your reminder in with your business.

Two things can now happen. The person can play along and come up with something. Or, they might decline and move on. Actually, a third thing might be that you come up with a name for them and they either approve or suggest an alternative.

This exercise accomplishes a few things. First, it does give you a reminder of the person’s name. The person I learned this from, someone who leads guided kayak tours, claims she’s been able to remember every person’s name from the past five years.

Second, you just made yourself very memorable to the person you just met. He/she will know you as the one who had that crazy idea about remembering names.

Ideally, both happen. Yet the real goal is that taking part in this exercise makes the other person smile and leads to a conversation that evolves into what each of you do, who you are looking to meet, etc.

Give it a try at your next meeting or event.

It does happen. People get sick. Cars break down. Kids miss buses. The people close to us, for any number of reasons, need us. Yet how you act after a missing a meeting can make just as big of an impression on your fellow members.

Huh?

That’s right. Even a missed meeting can be an opportunity. Here’s a couple of ways.

Double or triple up on your one-on-ones for that month.
If you think about it, missing a meeting is like missing 12-20 mini one-on-ones where you have the chance to learn more about people in your networking group. Doing two or three one-on-ones before the next meeting is a great way to catch up. Additionally, your fellow members will appreciate the initiative and may follow suit if they should miss a meeting.

Offer to follow up with guests:
This one needs a little explaining. The gist is offer to the group leader to follow up with guests who attended the meeting you missed and see what they liked about the meeting and if they would either like to return or join. This may seem a little unorthodox on the surface. Yet it does make a statement to the guest about the group and the kind of people in it that somebody who wasn’t at the meeting would go to that effort.

For the person who did miss the meeting, it does allow them to make up a little of what they missed. It’s also a great help to the group leader.

The danger of missing meetings, particularly in a monthly group, is that you run the risk of not seeing people for two months. Much can happen in business during that time:

• Maybe somebody in your group recently met somebody who could be a possible source of business for you. Seeing you each month is a reminder. If they don’t see you at the meeting, it may not be front of mind for the next time they see you in two months.
• Perhaps there was a guest at the meeting who might also have been a good referral source or even source of business. If they don’t join, you will never know.

Nobody likes to miss a meeting. What you may not realize is how much you and every person in the group brings to the meeting. So when you are not there, the group does miss something. So do you. These suggestions are a couple of ways to help you fill in some of what you missed.

Scheduled for April 11, 11:45 AM – 1 PM

• Features of the different versions of QuickBooks, both desktop and online
• Common add-ons and utilities
• Various usage tips
• Various industry-specific techniques

Fo full details – See –

https://www.facebook.com/events/1613090472137801/

Ed Jaworski, SMB Partners, LLC, (508) 553-9141 office, (508) 641-1277 mobile

Take a look at the calendar. One week from Wednesday begins Movember, an international fundraiser for men’s health issues. Team My Pinnacle Network will once again be looking to raise funds and awareness for men’s health issues such as prostate and testicular cancer, mental health and suicide. Right now, that team consists of yours truly, Joe D’Eramo. But like Italian dinner tables and donuts, there’s always room for more.

What’s involved? Simply go to this link and register. Part of the registration is to select a team. Ours is “My Pinnacle Network”. Once registered, it’s a matter of raising funds and growing a mustache. The latter begins on November 1. Shave your entire face and then commit to growing some kind of mustache during the month.

The fundraising can start as soon as you join. Movember has all sorts of tools to reach out to your network. My Pinnacle Network will help with that effort as well. We will provide updates on your progress via our social media pages and this enewsletter.

Who can join the team? Any My Pinnacle Network member, male or female. That’s right. Ladies can and do participate in Movember efforts. Mo Sistas get involved by:

• Registering online and raising money
• Organizing events
• Making a donation
• Supporting and showing love for the Mo
• Purchasing Movember merchandise

So, if you would like to jump into this very worthwhile cause and be part of My Pinnacle Network Movember team, register here.

Whether you can grow a halfway decent mustache or not (I certainly can’t), it’s an extremely worthwhile cause and a great way to celebrate what’s come to be known as gratitude month. We hope you will join the My Pinnacle Network Movember team.