Posts Tagged ‘seminars’

Do you often attend in-person or ‘Live’ events? Seminars or training events, even meetups – whether local or requiring travel – can be a great way to learn and network with other business individuals. Referrals, contacts and even friendships can develop at events and seminars. After each event you’ll want to take a breath. But, don’t breathe too long. There is work to be done that mustn’t wait. Seize the day!

The tendency is to think about the exciting things you learned and the people you met – for a while. After a week, you seem to lose your enthusiasm and settle back into life before the event. That is the last thing you want to do especially where your business is concerned.

Now, is the time to cement that lasting impression that you believe you made on the people you met at the seminar. Don’t let a moment go by, from the time you get home, that you are not harnessing the power of that meeting. Besides you know yourself that out of sight truly does mean out of mind if there is no contact for a while.

Here are a few tips to help you get the ball rolling on that pocket full of business cards, that camera full of pictures and that briefcase (or tote) full of helpful handouts and resources.

1. Create a new plan. Now that your head is swimming with ideas, take out that handy notebook and look at what you’ve jotted down. If you have been putting off a new program or service for one reason or another, this may be the perfect time to get going. Find out a new way to streamline the process and create a plan to get the ball rolling right now.
2. Email your new colleagues. Each business card in your hand should contain the website and email address of the one who handed it to you. Contact each person individually and tell them what a great time you had meeting them. To give them a mental picture of you, include your picture at the end of the email. What will impress them is if you can recount one tidbit from your conversation with them and include it also.
3. Get involved in online social networking. Find your new connections on all the social networks: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Invite them to be friends or followers (depending on the site) so you can keep in contact.
4. Blog about the experience. Get your readers interested in the event happenings. Share your experiences and any new business takeaway advice you received.
5. Develop new products. Talk about leveraging! You can turn that one seminar presentation into a wealth of digital products. Create an e-course on your topic. Use the handouts as filler for your monthly newsletter, content for your site or new topics for video media. Those brainstorming techniques you developed at the event will come in handy now.

What did you learn at your last live event? Did you do anything with the knowledge? Hopefully you did. If not, use these five tips to reawaken the enthusiasm and create new action items.

Technorati Tags: events, seminars, Social Media, social networking, training seminars

FOVA (Forum on Virtual Assistance) is only 5 weeks away, and I CAN’T wait! I’m ready to learn and network and this conference is a perfect place to do both.

I think I am most anticipating all the people I know I will be meeting. Since last summer I have been very active with my online networking (primarily at VAnetworking, CVAC and VAClassroom) and I am going to meet several of these people face to face.  I love connecting a face with a name or a voice!

Generally you don’t attend any conference unless you have an interest in the topic and there are always many sessions available to learn new skills, ideas or trends and more.  The agenda that Barb Lang and her organizers have prepared is chock full of great topics and speakers from all over the world, and topics that will help us Virtual Assistants in our daily work. However, in my humble opinion, the biggest benefit you get from a conference is the networking aspect of it.

So many opportunities are available at conferences to meet and talk with new people, to match a face to a name, or connect with old friends. Being virtual, a large part of our daily work is done online and by phone, Instant Messenging chat or email. To be able to meet in person all the “usernames” I deal with on a regular basis, really adds another foundation block to our relationship.

I almost feel like I need to make a list of all the people I anticipate meeting in order to ensure that I don’t miss them as to me that would be a tragedy.

No matter what your line of work, and especially if you work from home, I urge you to find a conference in your industry and attend it every year.  You’ll return rejuvenated and having met many new contacts and with a brain full of new information relevant to your work.  ALL of this will help you excel in your job and your life.

Technorati Tags: conference, event, networking, seminars, Small business, virtual assistant

My VAnetworking seminar this week was a presentation by Jill Jordan of Smart Women’s Coaching, the topic was Personal Branding.  She gave a great talk, and really got me thinking…especially when she asked us all to write down what made us different from others in our line of business. It’s a big part of the process to help you brand yourself.

Through all my classes and workshops with CEED, I have done a Strength and Weakness list a  few times, but I found myself stumped when asked this question directly.

What makes me different and unique…hmmm let’s see.  Well… I have 15 years administrative experience, I like to learn new things, I am fairly organized, and motivated to work, but how do I translate all this into a one liner?   It surprised me that I couldn’t quickly give an answer to this other than “I don’t know, can I get back to you?”  I wonder if other people find this as difficult as I do.

Now I have some “homework” for the next week – because I am determined to find an answer to this question – What makes you different?

Technorati Tags: branding, seminars, starting business, VAnetworking, virtual assistant

I was just thinking the other day that I am not certain I am “using” my blog effectively, and came across this blog by Copyblogger, by Sonia Simone.  It has a list of 9 great tips for more effective blogging.  You can check it out here – Copyblogger.

VAnetworking is also having their weekly Free Eseminar on Wednesday November 5th at 7pm Eastern time.  This seminar is open to anyone with a VAnetworking membership (free to join).  Kathie Thomas will be presenting the topic “All about Blogging”, geared for for individuals and businesses.

You should know that these Wednesday seminars presented by VAnetworking may be run by a Virtual Assistant association, but many of them are helpful for any business in any industry, you do not have to be a VA to join in.  Seminar info and be found at www.vanetworking.com/seminars

Technorati Tags: Blogging, blogging tips, seminars, VAnetworking, virtual assistant

Having joined several online groups and forums, I have found that there are many, many user-friendly tools and resources out there to help businesses, finding them and having the time available is holding people back. Whether it’s by teaching you something new or showing you how to use something you already own,  there are many resources out there to help you and your business.

Just yesterday I was speaking with a friend who had bought a headset for her computer so she can participate in one part of a course she is taking.  I told her to call me when she had it and I’d show her how to chat with me on the computer using Skype.  Since that chat, she has looked into signing up for one of Skype’s accounts that will save their business money each month. Until I talked to her, she never even knew it existed.

I have been doing weekly seminars online through several groups – learning many new things that help my business. As a Virtual Assistant, there are many options and methods of doing work for clients, keeping on top of new ways is mandatory if I want to better serve my clients.

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Technorati Tags: learning, online teleclasses, seminars, training