Guest Article

How to Repel the People You Don’t Want!

Chellie Campbell, Financial Stress Reduction Expert

"Ever notice how 'What the hell' is always the right answer?” -Marilyn Monroe

I got into trouble at a networking meeting. 

At networking meetings, each person is given an opportunity to do a thirty-second commercial or “round robin” on their business. This is your chance to advertise the benefits of the products or services you provide to others. 

It is important that you represent yourself in an interesting way—say or do something that stands out or makes you special. You can’t educate the audience or explain everything you do in thirty seconds—you just have to pique the audience’s interest so that they want to talk to you later.

The money isn’t at the meeting. The money is in the follow-up.

I learned to do round robins at Women’s Referral Service (WRS), a great group in Southern California. People there got into the spirit of fun and let their personality show. 

Here are a few examples of memorable phrases people used:

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. And who did he immediately call? The law offices of Rhoda Walsh.” -Rhoda Walsh, Personal Injury Attorney

“Hair today, gone tomorrow.” -Rita Katzman, Electrologist

“A machine that makes money can be legal – just call Evelyn Siegel!”     Evelyn does Merchant Credit Card Processing

Since I have a background in musical comedy, and now speak and teach workshops on making money, I thought I’d begin mine with a bit of song:

“You’re going to be rich tomorrow!” I’d warble from the musical Annie. 

Then I’d say, “if you take my class today.

I’m Chellie Campbell and I treat money disorders – spending bulimia and income anorexia. My 8-week Financial Stress Reduction Workshop comes with a money back guarantee that you will be better off financially at the end of it. I’m also the author of The Wealthy Spirit and Zero to Zillionaire, so if you’re living on peanut butter and jelly, and would like to afford deli, call Chellie!”

Fun, huh? I thought so. It’s upbeat and funny, and I usually get great responses from it. 

But then I went to the networking breakfast for the attorneys put on by the State Bar Association…

They had NOT been taught the FUN way of doing their round robins. 

Each person stood up in turn and said basically the same thing, “Good morning, I’m John Smith, I’m a business attorney, I’ve been practicing for 23 years, and my office is on Ventura Blvd.” 

The next one said, “Hello, I’m Jane Smith, I’m a family law attorney, I’ve been practicing for 17 years and my office is on Wilshire Blvd…”

You get the picture. Very basic, very businesslike, very boring. It was a snore-fest, people.

I began to get concerned. They obviously had a format, and everyone was sticking to it. 

As it got closer and closer to my turn, I had a moment of panic and thought, “Maybe I shouldn’t sing in this room?”

But then I caught myself and said, “Nah. I gotta be me. Maybe there will be only one or two people who get me, but they’ll be great. And if they don’t like it, oh well. I don’t ever have to come back here.”

So I sang my little bit and the response was electric! Some people were laughing and smiling and nodding their heads. Others were frowning and looking outraged. Haha.

Several people came over to talk with me after the meeting and we happily exchanged cards. 

The next month, I went back to the group for their next meeting. As I walked through the door, a woman came running over to me and said, “I have to talk with you.”

“Sure,” I said, “what’s up?”

“There were complaints about you at the board meeting!” she exclaimed.

“Oh, dear, whatever for?” I asked.

“It was felt that singing was inappropriate behavior at a business meeting,” she replied.

“Oh, that,” I said laughing. “Well, I have to tell you that 10 people came up to me afterwards and got my card, and seven of them signed up for my workshop. So I made about $17,000 from that little song, and I’m going to keep singing!”

Poor dear. She had no idea what to do next. It had never occurred to her that I would do anything but say, “Oh, I’m so sorry! It will never happen again!” like a good girl.

She didn’t know I had climbed out of the “Good Girl Box” years ago.

When my turn came, I sang out loud and proud. As I looked around me, I could see some people laughing and enjoying it. And I could see clearly who was on the board that complained – what sour expressions they wore!

I went to several more meetings and the response was the same: some people loved me, and some people hated me. 

That’s perfect, you understand. You want to attract the people you want and repel the people you don’t want!

The people who were angry about what I was doing, that I was “outside the box” of their conservative, blue suit, button-down, rules, are “Not My People”. They aren’t really going to like me even if I try to fit into their box. I’d be inauthentic and they would be able to tell. 

“My People” love me for my quirkiness, my humor, and my gold sneakers!

They’re the only people whose opinions I care about. You can’t appeal to everyone – if you try you’ll be so bland that you won’t appeal to anyone. 

Have the courage to stand out on your own terms, in your own way, and you will shine a beacon that will draw “Your People” to you.

Quirky rocks!

Chellie Campbell, Financial Stress Reduction Expert, is the author of bestselling books The Wealthy Spirit, Zero to Zillionaire, and From Worry to Wealthy: A Woman’s Guide to Financial Success Without the Stress. She has been treating Money Disorders like Spending Bulimia and Income Anorexia in her Financial Stress Reduction® Workshops for over 25 years and is still speaking, writing, and teaching workshops—now as Zoom classes and The Wealthy Spirit Group on Facebook—with participants from all over the world. Website: www.chellie.com.