How Can You Use the 'ENTER AND KNOCK' technique to Achieve Your Dreams?
Do you have a brilliant business plan, but you "just don't know anyone who will give you enough funding to get started"?
Which organization or company do you want to work for, but "can't" because you "just don't know anyone who works there?"
What ideas and plans are you holding back because you don't have the right contacts and connections?
While you think about those three questions, come with me on a little journey and you will learn how to use the 'Enter and Knock' technique that may help you overcome these barriers so that you can get started on your dreams:
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If you were with me two years ago when I'd just graduated from high school, you would have seen me very excitedly talking to a bunch of friends about a "brilliant business idea" that could potentially make me several hundred thousand dollars in profit.
While I won't go into the details of the plan, my idea was to export a very popular product from Kenya and into Tanzania (where it wasn't available on the market at that time). Figuring the popularity of the (newly-launched) product in Kenya, I believed that the product would prove equally popular in Tanzania. I had all the proposals written out and a thorough strategy in place, but I never did carry out the plan.
Why?
Because a little negative voice inside my head said: "You don't have any connections...you don't know anyone who would fund your business plan!" Is there a negative voice inside your head is telling you that you can't succeed because you don't know the right people?
The positive person inside of me answered: "I believe that if you search hard enough, if you're dedicated enough, you'll surely find several organizations who'll be willing to adopt your plan and give you a shot."
Immediately, the negative voice retorted: "Oh yes, sure, there may be a few organizations who might be interested in the proposal, but how can you possibly convince any of the big-shots to even listen to you, let alone accept your plan?"
Sadly, the negative voice triumphed, and I lost. As I write this, there is another organization in Kenya that is exporting the very same product to Tanzania - and they're making a fortune out of it. I let a great money-making idea slip out of my hands because I felt that I didn't have the 'right connections to get started'. When have you ever talked yourself out of your hopes and dreams because you "didn't know the right person?"
Last week, I had another great idea that, had I let slip, would have cost me HK $130,000. Fortunately, this time, when the negative voice inside my head started speaking ("You don't know the right people!"), I acknowledged that it was correct. It was true that I didn't know the 'right people'. However, "not knowing the right people" or not having the "right network" can not be treated as a valid excuse for you to not carry out your plans. Instead, like I successfully did this time around, you can use the Enter and Knock technique to achieve success.
Before I expound on what the Enter and Knock technique is, think of this: Have you ever seen a person (or maybe it was you) who entered a room, and then, upon entering....realized that they forgot to knock? It happens all the time!
What happens in this sort of situation? For example, say that you (in a bit of your hurry), enter your boss's office before realizing that you forgot to knock. Most of the time, your boss will just let it slip and you can sit down and start talking. At the end of the meeting, he may add with a smile, "And next time, please don't forget to knock". Not much harm done.
Now, to illustrate this Knock and Enter technique for Success in your career, let me show you how I effectively used it to gain a significant amount of benefits worth HK$130,000.
Imagine that you were with me in Hong Kong on Friday, 13 August 2010 at 2.03 p.m. on the elevator to the thirteenth floor. On the elevator, you would have seen me inhaling and exhaling deeply in an effort to calm myself down because I was heading over to a company called 'Active Communications Limited' (a firm that specializes in providing presentation skills, leadership and managerial training for top executives in Asia). I knew no one at Active Communications, and I had made no prior appointment...All I had was a good idea that I believed they would be interested in.
When the elevator doors opened, you would have seen me confidently walk out of the elevator and into the offices of Active Communications, where I politely asked the receptionist if I could see the General Manager. Several minutes later, I was sent into the General Manager's Office where I introduced myself before giving a five minute overview of my business plan. [This is the ENTER stage, where you're still seen as a stranger by the organization you've barged into...but at least you've entered, which is better than being a stranger outside the organization]
After talking for 10 more minutes, you would have seen the General Manager stand up, reach across the table, shake my hand and give me his personal business card so that we could talk more about my proposal the following day [This is the KNOCK, when you get invited back by the organization. In the coming article, I will show you how to make sure that once you've ENTERED, you get invited back for a chance to KNOCK]. The following day, the General Manager and I went over my business plan and I was able to secure benefits worth HK $30,000.
Later that very same Tuesday after talking to the General Manager of Active Communications Ltd, I ENTERED the offices of another company, was invited back (the KNOCK stage) and was able to secure additional benefits worth HK $100,000+.
When you don't know the right people and you don't have any polite way to 'knock and enter' the offices of an organization (whether you're trying to get a job there or get funding from them), try the 'Enter and Knock' technique instead. It is not ideal, but it still works a lot of the times.
Sometimes, you may have to ENTER more than once in order to get an opportunity to KNOCK [For example, I have spent the last month barging into the offices of J.P.Morgan, but I still haven't been invited back. Once I enter enough times, eventually they'll let me knock :).
Don't just take my word for it. Check out Les Brown (a world-renowned motivational speaker) and look at how he used of the ENTER and KNOCK technique:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXS4tWHtItY&feature=related%20
To see the Les Brown's use of the ENTER, ENTER, ENTER and KNOCK technique (sometimes it takes more than one Enter to get invited back for the Knock), click on the YouTube link and forward to 4 minutes 18 seconds.
The ENTER and KNOCK technique may not be ideal, but it works a lot of the times. As with walking into your boss's office without knocking, your boss will forgive you and you will get the job done [if you know how to get invited back for the KNOCK - an issue we will cover in the next article]. Don't lose out on a brilliant idea like I did just because you don't have the right connections!
Do you have a brilliant business plan, but you "just don't know anyone who will give you enough funding to get started"? ENTER and KNOCK
Which organization or company do you want to work for, but "can't" because you "just don't know anyone who works there?" ENTER and KNOCK
****
If you have enjoyed this article and found it useful/inspirational, please share this link with your friends on Facebook.
Most people who visit this website also sign up for the FREE e-Newsletter ('Persuasion and Public Speaking Toolkit) which is valued at $599 by clicking on the following link and 'liking' the Facebook page:
Live Passionately,
Akash P Karia
http://public-speaking-hong-kong.blogspot.com/
Last week, I had another great idea that, had I let slip, would have cost me HK $130,000. Fortunately, this time, when the negative voice inside my head started speaking ("You don't know the right people!"), I acknowledged that it was correct. It was true that I didn't know the 'right people'. However, "not knowing the right people" or not having the "right network" can not be treated as a valid excuse for you to not carry out your plans. Instead, like I successfully did this time around, you can use the Enter and Knock technique to achieve success.
Before I expound on what the Enter and Knock technique is, think of this: Have you ever seen a person (or maybe it was you) who entered a room, and then, upon entering....realized that they forgot to knock? It happens all the time!
What happens in this sort of situation? For example, say that you (in a bit of your hurry), enter your boss's office before realizing that you forgot to knock. Most of the time, your boss will just let it slip and you can sit down and start talking. At the end of the meeting, he may add with a smile, "And next time, please don't forget to knock". Not much harm done.
Now, to illustrate this Knock and Enter technique for Success in your career, let me show you how I effectively used it to gain a significant amount of benefits worth HK$130,000.
Imagine that you were with me in Hong Kong on Friday, 13 August 2010 at 2.03 p.m. on the elevator to the thirteenth floor. On the elevator, you would have seen me inhaling and exhaling deeply in an effort to calm myself down because I was heading over to a company called 'Active Communications Limited' (a firm that specializes in providing presentation skills, leadership and managerial training for top executives in Asia). I knew no one at Active Communications, and I had made no prior appointment...All I had was a good idea that I believed they would be interested in.
Later that very same Tuesday after talking to the General Manager of Active Communications Ltd, I ENTERED the offices of another company, was invited back (the KNOCK stage) and was able to secure additional benefits worth HK $100,000+.
When you don't know the right people and you don't have any polite way to 'knock and enter' the offices of an organization (whether you're trying to get a job there or get funding from them), try the 'Enter and Knock' technique instead. It is not ideal, but it still works a lot of the times.
Sometimes, you may have to ENTER more than once in order to get an opportunity to KNOCK [For example, I have spent the last month barging into the offices of J.P.Morgan, but I still haven't been invited back. Once I enter enough times, eventually they'll let me knock :).
Don't just take my word for it. Check out Les Brown (a world-renowned motivational speaker) and look at how he used of the ENTER and KNOCK technique:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXS4tWHtItY&feature=related%20
To see the Les Brown's use of the ENTER, ENTER, ENTER and KNOCK technique (sometimes it takes more than one Enter to get invited back for the Knock), click on the YouTube link and forward to 4 minutes 18 seconds.
The ENTER and KNOCK technique may not be ideal, but it works a lot of the times. As with walking into your boss's office without knocking, your boss will forgive you and you will get the job done [if you know how to get invited back for the KNOCK - an issue we will cover in the next article]. Don't lose out on a brilliant idea like I did just because you don't have the right connections!
Do you have a brilliant business plan, but you "just don't know anyone who will give you enough funding to get started"? ENTER and KNOCK
Which organization or company do you want to work for, but "can't" because you "just don't know anyone who works there?" ENTER and KNOCK
****
If you have enjoyed this article and found it useful/inspirational, please share this link with your friends on Facebook.
Most people who visit this website also sign up for the FREE e-Newsletter ('Persuasion and Public Speaking Toolkit) which is valued at $599 by clicking on the following link and 'liking' the Facebook page: Live Passionately,
Akash P Karia
http://public-speaking-hong-kong.blogspot.com/
