In 1972, I was the recycling captain of my apartment unit which amounted to taking sorted glass & newspapers monthly to a recycling station. Jim and Charla have made a commitment to the environment and have gone beyond just being a captain. Let me introduce you to the Queen of Recycling and the King of Composting who reside in Sault Sainte Marie Michigan. Charla Gordon (my sister-in-law) and Jim Lucas (my brother) are my heroes for recycling. In their quiet no nonsense way, they not only know what can be recycled, they practice it everywhere.
Q: How do you start recycling at work?
A: Charla - Recycling has to be a policy of your business, needs to be as easy as using the wastebasket, and it has to be encouraged from the top down. Some employees will have to be guided to learn that recycling is important and that it does not take any extra time.
Jim - Find a group or center that takes batteries, old computers, cell phones and other electronic devices. In our community Goodwill takes computers, printers and scanners.
Q. Even with a policy, how do you get everyone to participate?
A. Jim - Recycling has to be made convenient and it has to be visible for people to do it. If your business is not doing recycling at this time, take a few simple steps to get started. Set up your recycling areas in break rooms, offices, receiving areas and near the photocopy machine. Use totes, cardboard boxes or any other receptacles to collect recyclables.
Charla - When we were setting up recycling at the Nursery School, the parents were very willing to share their boxes with us. If you set up containers for cans/metal/glass, paperboard or cardboard, plastic, and paper that will probably cover material that most recycling centers take. The easier you make it, the more likely it will be followed. (Think lean - make the sorting part of the process especially if you live in an area where not everything is picked-up curbside - llf)
Q. How do you keep your staff motivated?
A: Jim - Find a motivated "believer" to put in charge of recycling - if your business is small enough one person can be in charge of taking totes to the recycling center - on your time, of course!
Next week - Thinking beyond the Recycling Center.
Copyright 2010 Linda Fayerweather
What's working in your Business?
Changing Lanes LLC
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
Jim Lucas - Composting King & Charla Gordon - Recycling Queen
Top 10 Ways to Lose Money in Networking Groups
#10 Sell Sell Sell every chance you get to every member of the group. Go for the transaction; never mind educating them and earning trust over time to gain access to the thousands of people in their network that may need your products and services.
# 9 Arrive late - They know that your time is far more important than theirs. Feel free to demonstrate just how busy you are by showing up late (or not at all) for other scheduled meetings with your fellow members. They will completely understand.
#8 Be absent - No need to show up. Your colleagues can just call you with referral information. It's not like you were gonna pass any referrals to them.
# 7 Don't invite guests - Just show up and meet the business professionals the other members successfully invite. Remember to sell to visitors too. As a matter of fact, include them in every mass email you send from now on...especially jokes and chain letters.
# 6 Air your grievances during open networking. Speaking negatively about your fellow members, their businesses and your networking organization will certainly inspire visitors to apply on the spot.
#5 Wing it. You can always think about what you're going to say while everyone else offers their 60 second presentations. You know all you need to know about them anyway.
#4 Schedule one to ones with everyone. You'll definitely increase your referrability by getting in front of as many people as possible and telling them everything you can about your favorite subject...YOU!
#3 Follow up is unnecessary. They trust you or they wouldn't have referred you. Right? It's not like they can offer you any advice on how to motivate a person from their network to purchase from you.
#2 Offer testimonials...that spotlight you. If you hadn't bought one of your fellow member's products or services they wouldn't have had the honor of selling to you. Go ahead. Toot your own horn!
And the #1 way to lose money in networking groups . . .
#1 Take that phone call or text message during a meeting. It's always impressive to see a business professional being ruled by their own office equipment and overbooked schedule. Show em' whose boss!
Copyright 2010 by Ivan Misner & Paula Frazier
Paula Frazier is a referral marketing trainer, consultant and keynote speaker. She is an Executive Director for BNI and part of a select team of Master Trainers for Referral Institute. Paula's business networking articles have been published internationally. She is also acknowledged in the New York Times best seller, Truth or Delusion - Busting Networkings Biggest Myths. Check out #33, Delusion with a twist! Paula can be contacted at paula@referralinstitute-va.com
"Helping people create Referrals For Life®"
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