The Know Insider Weblog

Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) was set up by Henry Kravis and his business partner George Roberts in the 70’s with the assistance of the First Chicago Corporation. However, they have assembled an unusual green project which concentrates not simply on optimized profit margins, but additionally on the environmental impact of the companies they invest in.

Green business procedures went mainstream a year ago when Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co’s Henry Kravis and the New York based Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) joined forces. Issues like toxic emissions and inflated water consumption rank high on their list of goals. Eco-efficiency (the phrase was originally propagated by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development) informs their mission’s framework, using policies like using clean energy, recycling programs and improving fuel economy through vehicle fleet maintenance. Irrespective of the fact that the program was a huge success, no-one understood how extensive the consequences were until Ken Mehlman, the executive responsible for the project, carried out the review of the first twelve months. Ken found that eco-efficiency wasn’t solely helping to save the local environment, but it was also helping to save businesses a significant amount of money. Nearly all of the companies affiliated to Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman today participate in the Green Portfolio Project. Still, when you consider that the group has a current business portfolio estimated at $86 billion, you may be certain this was not an easy see what an enormous accomplishment this is. The original program has grown beyond its primary purpose and currently includes new opportunities. The Climate Corps Program established by the EDF is an example of this, it advances eco-efficient business techniques to MBA interns.

KKR and Ken Mehlman have been developing metrics and analytic tools which administer resources. With this information available, companies may easily measure their day-to-day activities and identify precisely how they can solve any problems while at the same time letting staff to find out how environmentally friendly they are becoming.

Henry Kravis, the KKC, and the Environmental Defense Fund have made reducing their environmental impact less painful for businesses large and small. Their visionary ideas have set a high standard for businesses in every industry and illustrated that running a profitable business need not entail the hefty price of negatively impacting our planet.

Anyone who was ever traveled around the world and also traveled to the U.S. knows that the United States of America and this great nation is the greatest country and civilization ever created in the entire rate and recorded history of the human species. No other nation even comes close to the level of the United States of America.

Now then, there are some anti-American detractors, complainers and verbal abusers of this great nation and recently bought in Internet forum someone stated that the United States is not quite as good as I have portrayed it and I say to this person, this lone detractor, individual of super low intelligence and worthless scoundrel bathed in the brainwashing of Al Jazeera;

“Bulloney! The United States of America is the greatest nation ever created in the history of mankind and everyone who has ever been here knows that.”

The United States of America, has the cleanest water, highest GDP, most freedoms, strongest military, best communication systems, best redundant transportation systems, best Universities, best entrepreneurial spirit, best government, best legal system, best monetary flows, best quality of life, most number of millionaires, strongest middle class, I am running out of room, where would one stop? Let’s just say it is a very highly evolved civilization for its little over 200-years. Denial will only get you slaughtered in your own rhetoric. Consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

It is so easy to become overwhelmed with trying to drive traffic to your website, write copy that convinces your visitors to make a purchase, and figure out ways to add interested visitors to your list, that it is understandable that the idea of setting up your visitors as a community among themselves maybe isn’t tops on your “to do” list. But helping your visitors become a community, can help you market the items they need, and thereby benefit everybody.

Regular visitors to your site, or visitors who sign up to be on your list, by definition have something in common: whatever it is that your site is directed to. Whether it is sports, recipes, on-line marketing, or politics, the focus of your website has interested a broad and diverse range of visitors. That one common interest can become the basis of community building. As your visitors grow and become a community - or maybe several communities - you will learn their needs and desires, and be able to present them with solutions or assistance. Sometimes you can offer this for free, and sometimes you can charge for it. And sometimes your community can help you improve your website or your marketing.
Email forms can be an effective way of having your community tell you their problems and concerns, but do not allow for response or interaction. You might be able to tally several email messages from several people, and then address common or majority concerns in your newsletter or ezine.

Forums allow for interaction among all members of the community. You can decide if you will moderate the forum, and how much. Will you allow posts that are just ad spamming? Will you allow posts that might offend others? Will you allow cross-posting (posts obviously designed or placed in similar forums)? Will you allow a handful of members to dominate - and maybe intimidate others - or will you “lessen the volume” on the most active and encourage less active members to post.

Finally, chat rooms allow for the most immediate interactivity, but they have two severe drawbacks. First, they rarely archive, so that great answer to a question might be lost forever. Second, unless you limit the hours so that you can attend all the sessions, you lose a lot of the ability to direct the interaction between the members of your community. As the person who drew these people together - like hosting a party - you do have some responsibility to ensure that everyone has a pleasant experience.

Using the unbelievable tools available to the Internet can help you create a community out of your visitors, faster and more broadly than at any point in history. With some planning and responsible leadership on your part, you can create a thriving community of visitors. Once the community has gelled, it will tell you what it wants, and you can introduce much more appropriate products to solve the problems the community members tell you they have. And everybody wins!

ERIK CARTER maintains the FITNESS Portal (http://fitnessportal.bravehost.com), dedicated to making fitness seamless with your life, “Complete Sales Package For YOUR Success” (http://salespackage.bravehost.com), dedicated to improving your on-line business, and “4 Steps To Success” (http://4steps.bravehost.com), the 4 programs every on-line marketer needs. Erik practices community building with his “Mindness Fitness List,” which you can join off any of these sites.

Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) was set up by Henry Kravis and George Roberts in 1976 with some help from the First Chicago Corporation. Lately, however, in the pursuit of making the businesses in their portfolio more ecologically aware, they have set up a novel enterprise that has totally changed the way business concerns and environmental groups operate.

When Henry Kravis from KKR and the non-profit environmental advocacy group Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) joined forces a year ago green matters suddenly became a mainstream concern. Their goals include encouraging firms to tackle environmental threats like toxic emissions and any unconscionable water consumption. To implement this, they deploy eco-efficiency, this uses practicable techniques such as recycling programs, reducing the intensity of materials, and reducing the dispersion of toxic chemicals. Impressive though it was the companies involved didn’t even understand the range of the program’s benefits until Ken Mehlman, the person responsible for the project, reviewed the program when it had been functioning for a year. Much to everybody’s surprise, Ken saw that this program not only enhanced environmental awareness, but was increasing the profits from every last company too. Nearly all of the companies held by Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman nowadays are engaged in eco-efficiency. Still, with a current business portfolio worth eighty-six billion USD, you can be sure that this was not a simple achievement.

KKR with the Environmental Defense Fund in association with Ken Mehlman have also extended the Green Portfolio project. To illustrate, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co got together with the Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps Program an enterprise which teaches MBA students how to encourage cost efficient, ecologically friendly principles.

Furthermore, Ken Mehlman has been in close collaboration with Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co to formulate products that business concerns can utilize to measure and manage resources. This type of info is critical as businesses may easily analyze all of their day-to-day procedures and discover precisely how any problems can be solved while simultaneously permitting them to view how much they have advanced.

Henry Kravis, the KKR, and the Environmental Defense Fund are genuine visionaries when it comes ecologically friendly business development. Their innovations have made going green less complicated for business organizations in any sector and shown the world that making profits need not entail the hefty price of damaging the environment.

In all likelihood you may have encountered Mr. Naveen Jain’s name as the co-founder & CEO of Intelius, Inc. the predictive intelligence company. Well beyond gaining his place on the Forbes 400 Richest in America list 2000, this highly successful business leader has collected several coveted awards, notably the WSA Industry Achievement Award, the Albert Einstein Technology Medal, and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, to list but a small selection. Even so it positively does not finish off here. That’s because Mr. Naveen Jain and his family are by the same token as enthusiastic about philanthropy and will endeavor to assist others as regularly as they are able to. Our kids definitely are mankind’s most valuable resource. Naveen Jain also sees children as constituting the very core of his endeavors and he takes any chance available to support them. This, too, is why he is so diligently leveraging every chance he can to offer assistance whenever it is even remotely feasible. Therefore, Naveen Jain, his relatives and the employees at Intelius have pledged their time to philanthropical entities such as the Children’s Hospital, Hopelink, and the University Preparatory Academy. Naturally, they will provide magnanimous monetary assistance but more importantly they devote premium time and attention to the kids who need it the most. Beyond that, he helps sponsor the Children’s Hospital, hoping to enhance the state of children’s health. Seeing that Jain is an alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur and the Indian Institute of Technology, it is not at all astounding that schooling also constitutes a critical focus in his benevolent endeavors. This also incorporates causes and voluntary organizations that will range from the regional to the global. Consequently Intelius and its head are actively helping fund charitable foundations and establishments such as the Rotary Club, the Vedic Cultural Center and United Way.

Getting sustenance to the starving of the world is another fundamental aim to Naveen Jain and those around him and he refuses all distinction as to whether the individual at risk is very young or mature, and neither where they are domiciled, be it the grandest conurbation or the gloomiest shack. While he is very cognizant that the aim of feeding every starving person in the world can look like an overwhelming task, he also recognizes that the unattainable can indeed turn out to be realizable provided everyone works together. If this business leader obtains his objectives, there will be a definite conclusion to squalor and famine everywhere in the future. People might suspect that functioning as the headman of a wildly flourishing business and a devoted spouse and family man would leave him no spare time for charitable activities. Yet Naveen takes care that each one of his altruistic projects will get all the help he can conceivably come up with. In summary, this entrepreneurial man is certainly a lot more than an ordinary trailblazer of industry. He is, moreover, an absolutely marvelous person and a veritable community advocate.

Most if not all celebrated CEOs are contributing their vast know how to philanthropy these days. You have likely seen mention of Mr. Naveen Jain’s name in connection with him being the co-founder and CEO of Intelius, Inc. the acclaimed information commerce market leaders. On top of having his ranking on the Forbes list “400 Richest in America” in 2000, this highly successful business leader has gained various reputable awards, notably the Albert Einstein Technology Medal, the WSA Industry Achievement Award, and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. However things certainly develop further from there. This is because Naveen Jain and his kin are equally as fervent about philanthropy and will attempt to aid others whenever the opportunity arises. The young of today are truly mankind’s best aspiration or the future. Naveen Jain also regards young people as the deserving core of his endeavors, and he takes any occasion he comes across to help them. This of course, is why he is so persistently using every chance available to him to offer assistance if it seems even remotely possible. Hence Naveen Jain, his relations and the employees at Intelius, Inc. have pledged time to charitable foundations such as the University Preparatory Academy, the Rotary Club, and the Children’s Hospital. As is to be expected, they assign a great amount of monetary aid but most importantly they devote premium time and attention to those kids who require it the most. What’s more, he backs the Children’s Hospital hoping to meliorate children’s health.

As Jain is a graduate of XLRI Jamshedpur and the Indian Institute of Technology, it’s no wonder that education is a very significant precedence in his philanthropic worldview. This also includes causes and good causes that range from the local to the international. In doing this Intelius and its CEO are aiding voluntary organizations and charities, for example the Vedic Cultural Center, Child Rights and You (CRY) and the Overlake Service League. Getting sustenance over to the hungry of the planet is another fundamental objective to Naveen Jain and those around him and to him, it makes not one speck of difference. While Naveen is quite aware that the objective of feeding every destitute mouth in the world can seem like an impossible task, he also believes that the impossible can truly come to be attainable provided the whole world labors together. If this entrepreneur really gets his way, there will be a certain ending to squalor and malnourishment everywhere in the future.

Many people might be of the opinion that as the man in charge of a wildly successful market leading enterprise as well as being a devoted family man would leave him no free time for philanthropic acts. Yet he ensures that every one of his benevolent projects is given as much aid as he can conceivably contribute. Indeed this earnestly energetic businessman is undoubtedly more than just a business trailblazer. In actual fact, he is a very remarkable citizen and a true community hero.

Years ago when I attended what were termed as “Networking Events” we basically walked around smiling and exchanging business cards. Networking when performed with a plan and with panache, however, can reap huge benefits including client leads, helpful referrals, needed information, or business. Let’s take a look at networking with a purpose that produces results.

Know why you are networking. Before attending any kind of event, trade show, and/or gathering, ask yourself why you are taking the time to do this. Making a networking plan with goals that will add value to the time you spend. I often attend gatherings to touch base with people I know, plus meet at least one new person, and learn at least one new piece of information or find the solution to one problem. I even suggest jotting down your goals and the questions you are planning to ask those you meet. When we ask someone for advice or a solution, they are not only flattered by the attention, we also get the answers to a nagging question.

Focus on one or two conversations. There was a time when I would set my networking goal to talk with as many people as possible. It was lively and fun, but from a follow up business standpoint, not very fruitful. I now focus on having one or two in-depth conversations, take down some notes on a business card, and follow-up within a few days. This takes the superficial quality out of the meeting and I have made some excellent on-going contacts. By dropping a handwritten note or card to someone, along with a brief article about a topic you discussed, you will make a long-lasting impression. So few people take the time to write notes today, your gesture will be unforgettable.

Handle business cards with professionalism and thought. At a networking event situation, I only exchange cards with those I want to follow-up with. I am always ready. I wear a jacket or outfit with two pockets - one with my cards and one for the cards I am handed. This makes the transition of cards smooth and easy. Also, I always have up-to-date cards with me. I feel that there is nothing more unprofessional than someone handing me a card with a phone number or other information crossed out or written in. Business cards are so reasonably priced, there is no excuse for handing out a poor excuse for a card.

Be on the lookout for networking opportunities. When attending meetings, seminars, classes, and presentations by others, you will have a chance to meet and talk with people who are attending because they have similar interests. Being active in associations and clubs in your field of endeavor is a great way to make contacts and become known as a good and dependable worker. I am always on the lookout for networking opportunities that pop up during my daily routines. I often see people at the grocery store, the library, and coffee shops and after striking up a conversation, we will exchange business cards.

Remember, networking in today’s tough market is a necessity. Moreover, with a bit of imagination, the opportunities to make it successful are all around us. Go to it, have fun, and make lots of excellent contacts!

Chris King is a free agent, professional speaker, storyteller, writer, website creator / designer, and fitness instructor. Chris has what she calls a “Portfolio Career” –many careers at the same time. If you wonder if you could handle and love having a “Portfolio Career” you will find a free assessment to take at http://www.creativekeys.net/portfoliocareertest.htm Sign up for her eclectic E-newsletter, Portfolio Potpourri, at http://www.freelanceliving.com You will find Chris’ business website at http://www.creativekeys.biz

Do you have a business card? What does it say about you? About your company?

Could anyone pick it up and know instantly exactly what you offer and the benefits they could enjoy by doing business with you? If your answer is “No” you are missing a vital marketing opportunity…

Having said that, the content of your business card depends very much upon how you use it. If you only ever present it to clients or prospects you’ve spent some time with then the minimum amount of information is all you need. That’s because these people already know you and the purpose of your card is purely to serve as a reminder of your contact details.

But if you attend business meetings, networking with other business people then your card has to fulfil a completely different purpose. It has to work harder for you.

The challenge you, and your business card, is facing is making sure that the people you meet briefly DO remember you and DO remember what you offer. You want to know that when everyone else returns to their office or place of business and glances through the, possibly hundreds, of business cards they’ve collected, yours stands out.

Now I don’t mean it has to be a vivid colour, or a garish design or have wacky graphics on it (although if this is appropriate for your business that’s fine). What it does need is information that clearly explains what you do.

Just try this out - have a look at the business cards you’ve collected. Let’s assume you don’t know any of these people or their businesses in any great depth. Does their card tell you what they do? What they offer? And if it is clear, such as for an accountant or solicitor/attorney, what makes them stand out from all the other cards you have for people in the same profession?

What Does Your Business Card Say About You?

* Does it clearly show what you do or offer? (Your Company name / logo may not be explicit enough).

* Does it show your USP (unique selling proposition)?

* Does it give a testimonial from a happy client/customer?

* Is your photo on there?

* What’s on the back of your card -it isn’t blank - is it?

When I explained to a client the business card is a marketing tool and should include a photo, his response was “I don’t want my ugly mug on there” (actually he’s quite good looking, but modest). I told him being a ’shrinking violet’ was not going to help his business to grow. The intention of the photo is to make your card stand out and make it easier for people to remember you afterwards.

Plus, if you send a card with any literature in the post it gives the person receiving it a sense of confidence they are dealing with a ‘real person’ - not an anonymous company. Remember people buy from people.

The Alternative to Your Photo

If, like my client, you really feel embarrassed about having your photo on your card - try this idea:

Get a photo of you with a happy, smiling client/customer. Ask their permission to use the photo and a testimonial from them in your marketing. Make sure the testimonial is specific, not “Great company, would use again” but “I had problem and am delighted with solution you provided”.

Put the photo, with the testimonial underneath, on your card. (N.B. if you are a guy get a female customer to pose with you and vice versa).

Front and Back

Front:

* Company Name
* Your Name
* Your Contact Details
* Your Photo
* A Descriptive Strapline

Your descriptive strapline is a single ‘headline’ style sentence that encapsulates what your business does. (It could be your 1-liner from your elevator speech that we talked about in Part 1 and 2 of Networking Your Way to Profit).

Back:

* Your marketing message: a description of what you offer.
* Testimonial(s) from happy clients/customers
* Key benefits you deliver

If you are planning to use your cards extensively at business and networking meetings include some space for people to make a note:

We met at……………. On (date)…………….
We spoke about………………………………………..

In Networking Your Way to Profit Part 4, you find out how to position yourself and your company with your business cards and then how to put the cards you’ve collected from others to effective use.

©2005 Original Work by Carol Bentley

Author of ‘I Want to Buy Your Product… Have You Sent Me a Letter Yet? (How to create powerful sales letters, advertisements, flyers, brochures, web pages and newsletters that persuade hundreds, or even thousands, of additional customers and clients to buy from you!) by Carol A E Bentley (Rated 5-star on Amazon.co.uk)

Subscribe to your free reports, with no obligation, at
http://www.accelerateyoursales.co.uk or visit http://www.CarolBentley.com

My husband and I tried an experiment one night. We were invited to a dinner party with three other couples we didn’t know. What we did know is that we were all around the same age. We also knew what we were having for dinner. The purpose of the dinner party was to have an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.

That evening as we were heading to the party, we decided to try a communication experiment: we agreed that our role that evening was to ask questions to keep the conversation rolling. You know those 7-minute lulls that occur in conversation? Rather than to allow those lulls and to keep the conversation interesting we’d simply ask questions.

The dinner party lasted two and a half hours. During our time together, my husband and I simply kept the conversation going by asking various members at the table what their interests were, where they’d been on their last vacation, what pets they had as children, describe a memorable experience from their childhood, etc. The mood of the evening was general, casual conversation. Each time we asked a question of one person, it inspired a flow of conversation from the others along similar lines.

At the end of the evening, when my husband and I were leaving the hosts’ home the hosts stopped us at the door to ask a question. They asked: “How did you become such good conversationalists?” We just looked at one another and smiled. The interesting thing about that evening is that we learned a tremendous amount about those six other people, but they learned virtually nothing about us. We had kept the conversation on them and about them, which kept them talking. Consequently, they thought we were amazing!

If you want to get a conversation going with people, talk to them about their favorite subjectsthemselves. Most people get the sense they are never fully listened to. We can increase the level of respect we show them and show that we care about them individually by getting them talking about themselves, their interests, their thoughts, their desires. When we do that, not only are we gathering information about the people; we are also putting their needs before our owna huge sign of respect.

Practice with Conversations at Work

Think about that in terms of your professionalism. If you can discover the needs, wants, and desires of your internal and external clients, you can help to fulfill those needs. When their needs are fulfilled they are generally more cooperative and more productive workers. Your goal, however, cannot be to feign interest in them in order to get more work out of them. People see through that false interest in a heartbeat.

Instead, practice putting the conversations of others ahead of your own just for the sake of showing and giving respect. That in itself is enough of a reason to allow others to speak fully and completely about their topics of interest. When they are allowed that gift, you will benefit from the relationship. You will be learning the value of giving the gift of listening to others, which results in improved rapport.

About the Author:

Dr. Tracy Peterson Turner works with organizations that want to turn their managers into leaders and with leaders who want to get their messages heard. She is an expert in both written and verbal communication and conducts presentations and workshops to help individuals and corporations meet their communication goals.

Visit Tracy on the web at http://www.Mgr-Impact.com. Email her at Tracy@Mgr-Impact.com

Anyone who has done a lot of networking knows how beneficial it can be for a business or career advancement. They often say; “It is all in who you know” and well a lot can be said for that can’t it? Indeed and therefore understanding how to network is essential.

You need to understand how to engage people in conversation find out what they are all about and move around and try to meet and talk with as many people as possible. This is not often easy to do considering someone may find you interesting and therefore make it tough for you to move thru the crowd and get to know everyone else you see?

Rather than calling it “working a room” because that sounds like you are not there to really meet people and that sounds shallow. Lets call it getting to know all the guests and having a great time meeting new and exciting people. Remember; to meet the most amount of people in the shortest amount of time you need to move about and smile and get to know them in a quick way and then move on.

If you spend too much time then you are denying someone the chance to meet you and that would not be fair to them, since most likely are also at the event or party for much the same reason as you are. If you will consider this in 2006 then I bet you become a much better net worker and indeed enjoy the process a lot more you see?

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/