Too often, I have had Recon Meetings with individuals who likely aren't even listening to themselves, so how can they expect me to?
It's essential to remember to prepare for Recons. I find it useful to have my own Recon sheet about myself and my company handy when I am being asked questions. This is because sometimes Recons can go off on tangents, and crucial information can be missed when time runs out and the meeting must end. By having the key points in front of you, it will be easier to ensure the person you are engaging with gets the information they need to refer you.
To have this information ready, you need to perform what I call a Selfie Recon every few months. There are two stages to this process: firstly, answering the questions, and secondly, refining the answers into an effective educational message that your fellow members can use to find you referrals.
Self Answering
Take a Recon sheet and sit down on your own initially. Under each area on the sheet, write down your response as if you were asked in a real recon. By doing this, you will help yourself structure your information into an interesting flow and ensure you don't miss out on crucial details.
Once you have done this, set it aside for a day or two, then come back and reread your answers. This will generally allow you to refine your responses and add any information you might have forgotten.
Testing
The next part is to keep this sheet with you during a recon. By referring to it when asked a question by your fellow member, you can stay on track and deliver your message effectively.
However, be careful not to simply read from this sheet verbatim. Otherwise, you might as well just photocopy it and send it to the other person, eliminating the need to meet. Recons are about more than just disseminating information about your business; they are about developing a deeper relationship with your fellow members.
The Power of Listening to Yourself
One of the unforeseen and often missed benefits of Recons is that you spend 45 minutes talking about your business and explaining how people can help you by finding you referrals. This distilled essence of where you are going as a business should be something you really listen to.
By listening to yourself as you host a recon, you get a chance to reflect on what you do and where you are heading. In the back of your mind, you will also be able to hear if there is a discrepancy between what you say you want your company to do and what you are actually doing. Hearing your own plans and ambitions once or even twice a week will help you focus on making these happen rather than just providing stock answers.
Like practising your one-minute presentations, being prepared to answer questions in a Recon Meeting effectively makes total sense. The other member is there to be educated, and you need to do this effectively in the 45 minutes available. Don't leave it to chance.
Module Actions
Conduct a Recon Meeting with yourself.