Networking- does an entrepreneur weigh enough to break the ice?

Networking… a term that makes the introverts in the business world cringe. Perhaps even some extroverts due to the skill set and confidence it takes to meet new people. Networking can be hard for anyone, especially if you’re not sure how to approach a total stranger… but you shouldn’t let that stop you from promoting yourself and your business to other professionals. Sometimes approaching someone at a networking event can be well…awkward. Here are three tips to introduce yourself and “break the ice” that may help you at the next big shin dig with local business owners.

1. A good start may be to compliment something someones wearing, for example: the lady in the corner with the bright red scarf or the man by the table with the funky tie. This starts the conversation and “breaks the ice” so you can introduce yourself (almost sounds similar to picking someone up at the bar, but we won’t go that far).

2. Bring along a Friend or co-worker that may know others attending the event. This allows you to be introduced to someone you may not know by your guest and you don’t even have to start the conversation! But be aware, you’re not there to network with your friend so make sure you’re not spending your valuable networking time on someone you already know.

3. Check out the name tags, usually you can catch what business they’re representing and you can ask them a question about their company- whether it be out of your own curiosity or for your business needs. Entrepreneurs love being asked about their business and maybe you’ll find the amazing connection you’re looking for.

If these tips don’t seem like the right steps out of your comfort zone go prepared with the bright red scarf or funky tie to stand out, you never know who might walk up and compliment you…and hey, maybe the strangers will turn into that friend you bring along to the next event.

Communications Management

Hello, my name is Julie Hatfield and today I will be speaking about…..white space, intro-body-conclusion, persuasion, how to land a job, reports and a lot of other stuff related to communications management. Well…that’s how I would start this blog post off if I learned anything in class. Communications management was one of my most useful courses taken in University so far and it was one of my favourites. Not only are you learning how to communicate in a business setting but also you get to practice it!

Developing your professional identity is hard, it takes work and practice. Communications management teaches you everything you need to know step-by-step on how to build your professional identity and show it off. I’ve been using things I’ve learned in class everyday, for example I auditioned for Dragons Den and made sure my pitch presentation had an intro, body and conclusion. Without learning these key communication skills you won’t be able to effectively communicate in a business setting…or any setting for that matter.

So if you’re planning to go to university you need to take this course because you learn a lot about communication management, how to do it, you get to practice it and you actually get to use it in your daily life..not only in a business setting but where ever you may find yourself needing it…and trust me, you’ll need it.

dear blog

Dear Blog,

Today I ate a banana, it was delicious. Just kidding, that was just to get your attention, this blog post is all about, well, blog posts. It is so interesting how far technology has come in the last decade, so much so that online platforms have taken over. Blogs are the new craze in pop culture, anyone who is anyone either writes a blog or has a crazy social media account that could double as one. But have we gone too blog crazy? I think so.

It boggles my mind that so many people can express their opinion to the masses online, there are so many different opinions about ANY subject you can imagine, and comments too.  It raises the question of going crazy with all of this “my opinion versus yours”. People can express themselves in many ways behind a screen and usually wont hold back, as they would if it was a face-to-face conversation. This online posting has created a different society.

We are so busy reading about other peoples lives and opinions that sometimes we are forgetting to create our own. Sure they’re are some informational blogs that are a great read but consider this…create a blog, read a blog, or go out and just be the walking talking blog (which is a lot easier and less time consuming). And by the way I ate an apple too.

 

Were you brave?

When was the last time you did something brave? Sarah bareillies’s song relates to being brave and being you. This also relates to business communication, not just communication in general. In business you’re always trying to use your words to do something, whether it’s networking, persuading a group of people, or to help someone understand something. This could mean that you are called on to talk about something without having any preparation time. You need to be brave a lot to do this. Especially if you’re not exactly extroverted.

Giving impromptu speeches can be hard; there is a lot to think about in such little time. This is where believing in yourself (yes super corny but true) comes in. knowing you’re prepared and having confidence is half the battle. Just keep your brain sharp with gathering info and listening to others, step out of your comfort zone a little. Do something brave.

A mental strength coach once told me to step out of my comfort zone once a day, I’ve also hear quotes that say “ your life begins at the end of your comfort zone”. So maybe volunteering for an impromptu speech could lead to great things, even if it doesn’t, at least you can say you were brave.

Have millennials forgotten how to speak?

Interestingly enough the older generation is under the impression that millennials are losing the ability to communicate face to face and are using technology too much… I wonder what gave them that impression!

Well I know what gave them that impression because I too catch myself glued to my iPhone when I probably should be paying attention to what’s happening around me. But if this is happening, why aren’t we doing anything about it? A question widely asked by the older generations, similar to the question how could you maintain healthy relationships through technology? Well let me tell you as a millennial I don’t think constantly communicating through technology is ideal.

Its important to be in the moment when dealing with business and personal interactions because we need to retain important details. If were too busy checking instagram or emailing someone we are distracted and will make it seem like we don’t care about the person right in front of us. But are we too late? Are millennials too far gone? Maybe we are… but for now were just trying to keep up with the rest of our generation.

Avos in Space: Super Bowl Commercial Win

 

Here we are again, another year another set of Super Bowl commercials. As if last year’s didn’t pull at your heartstrings enough, this year’s Super Bowl advertisements took another route, hitting your funny bone. I wonder if next years theme will be to scare you into buying something.

Among this year’s weird and celebrity filled commercials trying to sell a range of different consumer products, the “Avos in Space” commercial is the winner in my opinion. The commercial shows a so called “museum” tour for aliens on humans, the museum being made up of current pop culture items that are said to completely shape humans.

The museum guide starts off alluding humans weren’t the smartest species, describes emoji’s as our alphabet that shows every emotion, the famous blue and gold dress that “started a civil war” and some actor who, I don’t believe my generation knows or cares about. But then it all comes down to the point of what they’re selling in the ad…human’s greatest creation….Avacados. The aliens even get to enjoy some guacamole. My favourite.

So not only did this commercial give me a good laugh because it made fun of things in my daily life but it also made me think “great I love avacados too”. Not sure if people will be encouraged to buy that brand of avacados necessarily but you might see the odd person laughing holding an avocado at the grocery store like I will be.

 

Are you in the right place?

My first thought upon watching Steve Job’s Stanford Address was “I never thought I’d see that side of Steve Jobs.” He actually sounded like a normal human being during that speech and not once did I think about his reputation as one of the worlds most successful business creators… except for the fact that I acknowledged it was a smart man with experience saying this stuff.

Steve Jobs captured my attention, especially in his Stanford address, more than he ever has. He reflected on three stories that changed his life, the first being dropping out of college, the second getting fired from his own company (Apple) and the third was being “close” to death. The story that interested me the most was the fact he dropped out of college and then actually went to classes that he wanted to take which led to one of his greatest creations with apple technology.

This is what I’ve been trying to tell people since I got to university… take the courses you want and you are interested in, not the courses that make university seem like a jail cell to you. The whole objective of going to university is to learn the skills you must have to gain a career in the industry you want. If you don’t like what you’re taking in university, are you even in the right place? But the funny thing is maybe it’s not about being in the right place as Steve jobs would say.

Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are-TedTalk

Amy Cuddy’s Ted Talk on “how our body language shapes the way others see us’” was inspiring on a scientific and a personal level. As you’re watching it you start to feel more confident and believe in the fact that you are in control of your own life. Which is a great feeling, I must say. Amy Cuddy speaks on the importance of our body language and how it affects us in our daily lives. She gives examples of positive, confident body language, which could mean having your arms more spread out and a relaxed position, versus shy and uncomfortable or nervous body language, which is folding your arms, being hunched over and having your head down. She then makes the statement that scientifically depending on what we are displaying, confidence or shyness, our hormones literally produce a response that either makes us feel happy or stressed.

 

You proceed to think in your head “no way!” but yes way, it’s a thing. But why is this important? Why should I care about how I’m sitting in class or standing in the hallway at work? That’s when the saying I’ve been hearing since I started playing sports comes into play: “fake it until you make it”.

 

“Fake it until you make it” is a common saying athletes will hear from coaches meaning: “pretend to know what you’re doing and show you have confidence, until you actually do know what you’re doing and have confidence”. This helps because in sports if you’re overly nervous and display it with your body language the other team or your competitors, will smell it from a mile away, even your coaches might not put you in the game. This is a problem for athletes, evidently. Although with saying that, this is not only a problem for athletes… but for anyone.

 

Amy Cuddy explains how scientifically your body language can improve your mood but it also builds on how you are regarded professionally and personally. If you react better to stress, you’re confident and self-aware, people will see this and respond positively to it. It could help your overall success in LIFE.

 

But wait… this kind of sounds like one of those motivational speakers, when you hear them you’re like “yeah! I’m going to go out and be a better person and change the world!” then you go home and you’re like “well maybe tomorrow, I’m too tired to change the world today ” Amy Cuddy stops you right there, because what she’s asking is not to change the world, all she’s saying is to change your body language and maybe slowly, but surely, your own world will change for the better.

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COMM BLOG #2- C.T.- Skype

“Skyping” is now a familiar term known across the world today, being one of the worlds largest and most used communication applications. This mostly free application connects people from around the world by telecommunication and also video calling. Many companies use this tool to connect with other branches of the company/locations. Companies such as “joyride coffee” (as ill talk about) like to use Skype to create a better social presence when communicating with his various branches of coffee shops. I personally often use Skype and think this application is helpful for any reasons to communicate.

Skype is an application you use on your computer, tablet or smartphone that lets you call of video-message other people. Educause Learning Initiative explains how this technology works and can be provided as a free service when you have Wi-Fi,

“skype uses voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) technology, which converts voice signals into data streams that are sent over the Internet and converted back to audio by the recipient’s computer. Although Skype is not the only company that offers VoIP services for consumers, it functions on a P2P model rather than as a centralized application. With the P2P model, users download a piece of software that allows computers to communicate directly with one another, without having to be routed through a central location. This decentralized model allows Skype to function as a robust, distributed medium for communication.” https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7032.pdf

Skype has several features that are useful for communication such as: voicemail, call forwarding, conference calling, alerts, instant messaging; the instant messaging also allows the use of emojis. As you can see all of these features are beneficial. Large websites such as Ebay and Myspace use Skype for various different things. Skype is also used frequently for international calling and video messaging due to the lower price rates. Skype has said to improve student engagement while learning by distance education, helps with cultural differences, also with getting a better understanding of cultural language skills.

A company named Joyride Coffee http://www.joyridecoffeedistributors.com, a business that sells premium coffees to offices, started to implement Skype in their business more frequently when they acquired different locations. Their main store started in New York but then they expanded to the east coast. Their CEO Paul Tascano started using Skype and the video messaging function when the business started to expand to maintain the idea of “social presence”, in other words interactions that are more like face-to-face interactions. Paul liked the idea of being able to know what his baristas at different locations were actually like in person, without having to fly to go see them. Being able to see facial expressions, and have a strong sense of social presence helps our communication in businesses because it eliminates certain types of ambiguity an email or text message might have. Paul also used Skype for conference calls with his different locations; this lets multiple interactions at the same time possible, just like if you were sitting in the same room as everyone having a meeting. http://blogs.skype.com/2014/06/23/brewing-up-business-with-skype/

I believe it is beneficial for businesses because when businesses expand or have more than one location it is crucial to be able to be in contact and communicate and when using Skype you can make that communication smooth and prevent confusion by using its many features.

“Brewing up Business With Skype.” Skype Blogs. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.

“7things You Should Know About… Skype.” (n.d.): n. pag. Educause.edu. Web.

“10 Cool Ways Companies Use Skype!” Skype Blogs. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.