SMPS Build Business 2016 – Takeaways

Start every day as Day 1—live your life in “Permanent Beta” …meaning never stop striving to improve and do better

Ask yourself at the end of each day if you learned something new.

Invest in yourself, invest in your network, invest in your community – that is the best formula for promoting your career

o Spend money on opportunities and experiences, not material things

Be an ideal team player: check your ego at the door, and take emotion out of the equation

Tailor communication for your intended audience; and edit, edit, edit.

Communication should 1) Educate, 2) Inform, 3) Inspire, 4) Persuade, and 5) Help

Regarding pursuits and proposals: make sure everyone in the core team is speaking the same language. Provide a glossary of terms if warranted. Clear, concise communication can go a long way to make the proposal process as smooth and stress free as possible.

3 Books that have influenced me, and helped me strive to be a better person as a result of the Build Business “Synthesis” theme this year:

o The start-up of you (Ben Casnocha)

o The Ideal Team Player (Patrick Lencioni)

o Emotional Intelligence 2.0 (Travis Bradberry)

And another book on my reading list is Ego vs .EQ, by Jen Shirkani, who held a break out session during BB in Philly. Very intriguing stuff…

When thinking about “building business” keep in mind that…

o Relationships matter

o Listening counts

o Attitude is paramount

Something intriguing I learned at Build Business: Ambiverts make the best sales people. An ambivert is a person who has both introvert and extrovert qualities and may bounce between the two.

An ambivert also has a pretty good understanding of people overall and different surroundings/settings. We are highly intuitive and can sense the emotions of others while likely being able to relate to them in many ways. We aren’t afraid to talk, but we also like to observe and listen. We are likely to know when to help or stay back.

The truth is, personality goes way beyond a simple label, but having some understanding about the different traits can help you to understand yourself and others better and perhaps make you more successful in your daily life. So, if you can relate to the above, you just may be an ambivert too.

http://www.danpink.com/assessment: guess what? I am an ambivert! Are you an ambivert too?

Bring it All Together: Remember to Begin with the End in Mind!