Generation Interim

Originating in New Jersey, Mr Nicholas Bredimus studied the worlds of software, airlines, and hospitality and to the benefit of all three industries. This innovative man has become a standout in a great many fields, from the high-value home industry through an advancement of safety in the air and software programs to help with time management. Examining Mr Nicholas Bredimus‘ roots you can easily see he was bound to reach distinction. With roots back to the glory days of Rome, Nicholas’ family has associations with several nations within Europe. Following the maternal branch he descends from German and Scottish origins. His father’s family, however, originates in England and Luxembourg, which is where they subsequently migrated from toward the end of the 19th century. Naturally, following arrival in the United States, the family continued its drive and zeal to go far. Growing up part of a family of seven siblings – four girls and three boys – Nicholas was blessed with a father who worked as a mechanical design engineer and a mother who worked as a nurse. Mr Bredimus would live in the Lone Star State for a number of years as well as in Scottsdale, AZ, Reston, VA and Kansas City, MO.

After the completion of his education, Bredimus would sign up for a few high-powered jobs at some of the largest airline companies. Trans World Airlines (TWA), Hughes Airwest, Republic Airlines – these businesses would all at one time or another name him their VP. But even taking all that into account, however, above all the airline industry has felt the need to be grateful for his innovation in software design. Mr Bredimus is certainly most recognized for the airplane maintenance system he crafted for US Airways, destined to become the “old reliable” for much of the industry. He programmed many other systems for the airline and hotel sector in addition, including robotic systems for handling airline bookings, used by more than fifty firms, not to mention his innovative room reservation software on the PC deployed by the hotel sector, first offered to the public at more than 700 locations. Expanding into yet another sector, he designed a networking program to automate ticketing – another groundbreaking accomplishment. He has even served in a number of posts outside of software development, let’s remember. With his own company – Bredimus Systems – as a divisional manager with American Express, and as the founding president of an American Airlines division his record speaks for itself.

At the time of writing, however, Nicholas Bredimus has departed from his airline connections and from coding, although he’s still making best use of his skills. You can find his work now helping to advance building design – blending the needs of luxury with honest concern for the ecology.

At a Chamber of Commerce Business Card Exchange several years ago a well-dress woman walked up to me, business card in hand and, in perfect form held it in both hands in front of me, gesturing for me to take it. I took the card from her and smiled. She looked up and in a polite voice, said “Thank you,” and walked away. How sad. Here was this obviously well-intentioned woman, who most likely owned an interesting business but never learned what to do at a card exchange. Somewhere she bought into the idea that you were suppose to hand out as many business cards in as little time as possible. Clearly, this does nothing but waste business cards. Great for card businesses, not so great for yours.

The other extreme is the person who spends the entire time at a card exchange talking to the same individual, sometimes even people from their own company. Again, this is quite unproductive. The purpose of a business card exchange is to get to meet new people in a pleasant atmosphere.

While there are many good books to help you hone your networking skills including, Sue Roane’s How to Work a Room, the essence of networking is quite simple.

Businesses run on relationships. I’ve always felt that everything that we do is about personal relationships and a business just gives us a playing field on which to do it.

Following that theme, growing your business is about developing and nurturing relationships and card exchanges and similar networking events are really the starting point to begin what will hopefully become a mutually rewarding relationship.

Since your time is limited, it is a good idea to spend only a short time speaking with people, especially those you already know. If you feel a resonance with someone you’re talking with, make arrangements to follow-up your connection at a later date and move on to meet someone else. I’m sure the shy looking person in the corner, who is probably there for the very first time, has something interesting to say. Why not go over and extend your hand.

The other big faux paus I see over and over again, are the people who approach the networking meeting with a “me, me, me” attitude. A better approach is to learn about the other person first. You then have the option of explaining how what you do might be of interest to them. This establishes a stronger platform for communications, for as speaking legend Zig Zigler says, “You get what you want by helping other people get what they want.”

Care about the other person

There are better ways to network and meet prospective business contacts. For openers, (no pun intended) people are more responsive if you first show some interest in them and what they do. There is an old clich© that says we have one mouth and two ears for a reason. If you listen more than you talk, you will automatically find people more interested in talking with you and being around you.

Marketing guru, Jay Abraham, once said that “Discovery is the fuel of competitive advantage.” Get curious. Become interested in other people and what makes them tick. Really care about the other person. If you take the time to investigate, you will find that even those people who appear quite ordinary have a story to tell. If you show an interest in them and their lives, you will not only increase your chances of doing business with them but you may gain a friend as well.

How do you do that?

When you do introduce yourself, do so in a way that states the benefit of doing business with you. Saying “Hi, my name is Mary and I sell insurance” is not very exciting. However, if you were to say, “My name is Mary and I help people prepare for the uncertainty that may be in their future.” This causes the other person, if they are at all curious, to ask, “How do you do that?” At this point, you have opened the door for a further explanation or “commercial” for your business. You can go on to explain the benefits of your products and services.

As an exercise, devise three or four ways to introduce your business. Let each one focus on a different benefit of your product or service. Test each of them at your next networking event.

Remember: people do not buy products or services, they buy benefits and solutions.
The more you focus on communicating the benefits gained from using your products or services, the more you will benefit from the increase in business.

With prospecting new business becoming more and more difficult, a personal relationship is even more important and the Chamber of Commerce Card Exchange offers the perfect playground for you do it, besides the food is usually pretty good too.

Jim Donovan is a motivational speaker, business coach, and the author of several books, including Handbook to a Happier Life (New World Library). For a free ebook or audio and a subscription to his newsletter visit www.jimdonovan.com

Had you encountered Trilegiant? When you look at its area, the administration of subscription programs, the company is one of the biggest in America. Trilegiant and Mr Lipman, its CEO, connect with a number of service and retail brands chosen from the big travel, dental, retail, health, entertainment, and consumer protection businesses to benefit the retail experience. The business is not new, we should point out. Founded in the state of Connecticut, the company first opened its doors for business three decades and more ago and its growth since has reached influence in six different states, eight locations, and roughly 3000 well trained members of staff. In the present day, they provide services to more than twenty five million members across North America. Nathaniel Lipman’s company has become known for producing risk-free solutions which help members to save money, get hold of excellent quality products, as well as making your shopping simpler. To give an example, the Buyers Advantage scheme offers a way to obtain inexpensive insurance on extended warranties, guaranteed returns, and repair costs, cementing their assurance regarding their purchase. There are other programs on offer such as HealthSaver — which offers inexpensive quality healthcare — to take one example. It is the occasions when the company’s attention turns to the populace that Trilegiant shows its true colours. Individual events coming from within the business even by small collections of staff often raise charitable contributions of tens of thousands of dollars in roughly 5 days — without doubt a result not to be sniffed at.

Another way they try to help is through research analysis. As you probably know, year to year public companies and the federal government put together an incredible amount of statistical information. Trilegiant studies this information with diligence to be sure of concerns and then considers ways of improving them. For example, the total number of traffic collisions in America in a given year is over six million. As a way to prevent drivers from comprising part of these numbers, the car club discount company Autovantage commenced distributing its yearly “road rage” factsheets two years ago. In this publication, the company reveals useful and eye-opening information to help raise your awareness concerning these important topics.

Helping the population you’re part of is paramount, even if most companies don’t realize it; Trilegiant is happy to count itself as one of the firms in the know. Offering projects introduced to enhance the general public’ shopping experiences and genuine embracing of important causes they demonstrate exactly where their heart is. They’re just what you’d hope from a consumer assistance oriented company.

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When Henry Kravis and his partner George Roberts founded Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) in the seventies with help from the First Chicago Corporation, their specialty was in leveraged buyouts. But they have set up a groundbreaking green proposal that centers not only on maximum ROI, but in addition on the ecological impact of the companies they purchase. Environmentally aware business practices went mainstream a year ago when KKR’s Henry Kravis and the non-profit environmental advocacy group Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) merged. These companies intends to oppose some fundamental issues hurting the ecology of the planet, for example toxic waste, hazardous chemical use, unbounded water consumption, and climate change. In order to accomplish these goals, they deploy eco-efficiency; this calls for concepts like using clean energy, maximum use of renewable resources, and reducing the dispersion of toxic chemicals. Even though the program was an enormous success, no-one realized how important the results were until Ken Mehlman, the man responsible for the program, carried out the review of the first year. Ken Mehlman who graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in 1988, has also served as field director for George W. Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign, became Managing Director and Head of Global Public Affairs at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, LLP in 2008 and currently serves as a member of the board of directors at the National Endowment for Democracy, the Council on Foreign Relations Climate Change Task Force, and the executive leadership cabinet of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation, discovered that eco-efficiency wasn’t simply lessening impact on the environment, but it was also saving business concerns a great deal of money. To date, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman have succeeded in getting virtually every associated company involved in eco-efficiency. However, when you consider that the group has a current business portfolio worth 86,000,000,000 dollars, you can be certain this was no easy see what a massive achievement this is.

KKR with the Environmental Defense Fund along with Ken Mehlman are further developing the initial project. For instance, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co joined the EDF’s Climate Corps Program that teaches MBA interns how to formulate and initiate financially shrewd, ecologically friendly practices. KKR and Ken Mehlman have been creating a package of metrics that measure and administer resources. These metrics allow management to measure their progress and identify any problem areas. Henry Kravis, the KKC, and the Environmental Defense Fund have encouraged all sorts of businesses to become more ecologically friendly. In summary, these systems have made ecologically friendly business techniques not only viable, but commercially desirable, and their radical ideas are setting a new standard in the competitive business world of today.