Here are my takeaways from WCBS/880 Small Business Breakfast.

Joe Connolly led the discussion this morning (6/4/14 in Mahwah, NJ).  The panel consisted of Marc Halpert (LinkedIn Trainer), Adda Birnir (CEO Skillcrush), Richard Greenwald (Exec. Dean St. Joseph’s College, WSJ columnist, author), and Noelle Stary (founder 20 Lemons).

My key takeaways from Joe, the panel and audience discussion were:

Professionals must think in terms of “the brand of me”.

Don’t be afraid to talk about yourself.

The headline of your LinkedIn profile has to be your value proposition, not your current title.

The most important aspects that customers or companies are looking for is people who are honest, straight-forward and trustworthy.

Operating your business/service in the cloud has the major advantage of not being bound by geography.

Richard Greenwald discussed the concept of “Freelancing Alone – But Together” which he wrote about in the WSJ (http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB20001424127887324136204578642353957488308 ) and is authoring a book on this topic.  Basically, individuals or small firms collaborating to provide full-service to clients as if they were a larger firm (one contact, one bill) and they fluidly come together based on specific project talent needs and disburse upon completion.  These are referred to as “hives”.

Co-working/flexible office space is a growing trend in NJ and NYC.  Many are finding that they generate sales leads and grow their professional network at these locations, which is an unanticipated benefit.

Spend the time to fully understand who you are looking for as customers, then you can look in the right places for sales leads.

Never neglect the opportunity to upsell your existing customers or ask them for referrals.  This should be your most valuable resource for growing your business.  If a customer will not refer you, take the time to understand why because it is likely your relationship w/ that customer is not what it should be.

Get in the habit of asking, “What are two things we could have done better to enhance your experience w/ our company” rather than a general “How did we do” or “How was everything”.  When you ask for “two things”, you’re likely to get a response; which you can then use to improve your business/service.

Generate leads via social media by being helpful, providing quality content that interests your audience, being a thought leader, and ask for comments (and reply if appropriate), which generates a dialog that is helpful and interesting to your contacts.