Networking Insight

Social Networking Usage Rises With Younger People

According to research from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, social networking has risen among all age groups in the past few years, especially among teens and younger adults. Below are some results from this study:

• 73% of online teens used social networking sites in 2009, compared to 47% of online adults. Breaking down online adults into older and younger demographics, 72% of adults 18-29 use social networking sites, compared to 40% of their counterparts 30 and older.

• Social networking adults in all age brackets favor Facebook by a wide margin, with older adults preferring it slightly more. Seventy-three percent of all adults 18 and older who use social networking sites have a Facebook account. Broken down by age demographic, this includes 71% of adults 18-29 and 75% of adults 30 and older.

• 48% of all adult social network site users have a MySpace account. The younger generation is much more apt to use MySpace, with 66% of social networking adults 18-29 having a MySpace account, but only 36% of the 30 and older bracket.

• Twitter and other status-updating sites are more popular with younger adults than older adults.

• Blogging is becoming more popular with older adults and less popular with younger adults.

The results of this study are not surprising to me at all. To read more, go to Social Networking Rises, Especially Among Younger Set.

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7 Reasons Why Blogging is Good for Relationship Building

Blogging is one of many tools that can be used for building quality relationships. Below are seven reasons as to why blogging is an important piece of this puzzle:

1. Enhances your online presence
2. Opportunity to share with others your subject matter expertise
3. Enhances your personal and professional brand
4. Ability to connect with people by responding to comments that people leave
5. Ability to provide valuable content to others
6. Opportunity to share information that others send to you
7. Provides another talking point when having a conversation

What other reasons can you think of?

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Entrepreneurial Panel Discussion on 2/24 - Succession Planning and Exit Strategy

I am moderating this upcoming panel discussion:

In this panel discussion, hear first hand from a panel of experts on how to successfully plan the departure of your business. The panel is comprised of four successful entrepreneurs and industry professionals.

The discussion will be interactive and include some of the following topics:

• Setting Financial Goals
• Figuring Out the Current Value of the Business
• Building Business Value
• Selling the Business
• Creating a Contingency Plan
• Planning for Death

After the discussion, guests will be able to participate in a Q & A session with the panelists. Open networking will take place before and after the panel discussion so you can interact with other entrepreneurs.

Expert Panel Includes:

• Jason Ewing - Stevenson & Company
• Bruce Leech - Evolve
• Mike Mazursky - North Star Benefits
• Katarinna McBride - Beerman Sweedlove

Moderator: Jason Jacobsohn - AEGIS Professional Services

Title: Succession Planning and Exit Strategy
Date: February 24, 2010
Time: 8:30-10:00 a.m.
Location: 120 N. LaSalle Street, 11th Floor Conference Room, Chicago
Registration: $20 (includes continental breakfast)
Sponsors: The Executives Profit and American Chartered Bank
Contact: Andrea at 847-317-9296 or andrea@theexecutivesprofit.com

For more information and to register, go to The Executives Profit.

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Speak and Be Heard

One of the best ways to demonstrate your expertise on a particular subject is to speak at events.  When people see you in action, you will be billed as an expert. Once this happens, people will start coming to you and your network will grow.

You need to be visible so your voice can be heard. Seek out speaking opportunities with tradeshows, networking organizations, chambers, and employers. At the same time, you may want to create your own speaking opportunities by hosting your own events. 

Whatever events you are speaking at, you should reach out to your network to let them know.  Even if they can’t attend, your brand will be enhanced with them. When we generally think of someone who speaks, we think of this person as a subject matter expert.

Generally, speakers meet lots of new people and generate many leads for what they do professionally. So, it may be worth taking the time for you to speak in public.

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Book Review: The Dip by Seth Godin

The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) was written by Seth Godin who is also the bestselling author of Permission Marketing, Unleashing the Ideavirus, Purple Cow, Free Prize Inside!, All Marketers Are Liars, and Small is the New Big.  In addition, Seth is the editor of The Big Moo, and founder and CEO of Squidoo, and writes a popular business blog that can be found at www.sethgodin.com.

Like all of Godin’s books, The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) is short and straight to the point. In this book, he explores how people can get into temporary setbacks with work or projects but can get out of them if they keep pushing. Successful people are able to get out of these dips by staying motivated and focused.

In fact, Godin says that “winners do quit and quitters do win”. It takes self-realization to know when to give up and try a new path. For winners, they work through the dip so the bigger the barrier the bigger the reward. On the other hand, losers don’t stick out the dip and just give up.

Godin’s book will help you figure out if you are actually in a dip and motivate you to get past it and become stronger. The book doesn’t really have any chapters but is broken out into the following two main sections:

•    Being the Best in the World is Seriously Underrated
•    If You’re Not Going to Get to #1, You Might as Well Quit Now

For a fun and easy read, The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) delivers. The book can be read in just a couple of sittings because it is only 80 pages long.

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Facebook Networking Humor

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2009 Was a Busy Year for Spam and Social Networking Sites

According to a Cisco's annual security report, New Zealand is responsible for 0.06% of the world’s spam, Australia produced 0.74%, Brazil produced 12.13%, and the US produced 10.41%. In this report, Cisco "highlighted the impact of social media on network security and how social networking is creating opportunities for cyber criminals."

“Social networks has quickly become a playground for cyber criminals because members of these sites put an inordinate amount of trust in the other members of their communities and often fail to tale precautions to prevent the spread of malware and computer viruses.

“The annual security report also provides more information on the potentially devastating combination of minor vulnerabilities, poor user behaviour, and outdated security software that can dramatically increase risks to network security,” the company said in a statement.

To read more, go to Social networking sites were slammed by spam in 2009.

Are you being affected by spam on these sites?

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5 Ways to Get Value From Your Network

Once you build a quality network of trust and credibility, you will be able to reach out to people when needs arise.  As you are building your relationships, you should be focusing on helping others first. Below are 5 ways that you can get value from your network, assuming that you have provided value to them as well.

1. Referrals – Ask for referrals for client prospects, business partners, service provider needs, etc. Your contacts should have no problem opening up their network to help if you ask them.

2. Testimonials – Ask people for testimonials if you have done business with them. It is important to have these from people who you trust because prospects or other people may ask for them. Also, if you use LinkedIn, then have some people provide recommendations here as well.

3. Credibility - If people in your network like you, then you should be able to count on them to say nice things about you to others. As a result, your credibility will go up with others.

4. Opportunities – You will be presented with opportunities on a regular basis because you are someone your network values. Opportunities could be for jobs, speaking gigs, business deals, etc.

5. Friendship – As you get to know people very well, you will become friends with many of those in your network. It is important that you know people on both a personal and business level.

What other ways can you get value from your network?

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Book Review: Y-Size Your Business by Jason Ryan Dorsey

Y-Size Your Business: How Gen Y Employees Can Save You Money and Grow Your Business was written by Jason Ryan Dorsey who is an award-winning entrepreneur and keynote speaker often referred to as “The Gen Y Guy”.  In addition, he has been featured as a Generation Y expert on shows such as 60 Minutes, 20/20, the Today Show, and The View.

The book is a result of Ryan’s work around the world with business leaders as a speaker, consultant, and generational expert. As a Gen Y member himself, Ryan provides an insider’s perspective on how this generation acts and thinks about their careers.

The book is broken up into the following chapters:
Chapter 1: Hiring Gen Y Makes Dollars and Sense
Chapter 2: Behind the Scenes (and Screen Names)
Chapter 3: Four Generations, One Workplace, Lots of Issues
Chapter 4: An Overview on How to Y-Size Your Business
Chapter 5: What Gen Y Really Looks for in a Job
Chapter 6: Attract Quality Gen Y Employees Faster than Free Pizza at 2 AM
Chapter 7: Day One Is All-Important
Chapter 8: Orientation: Confirming Our Fit within Your Culture
Chapter 9: Keep Gen Y Engaged @ Work
Chapter 10: Develop Gen Y Talent by Making “Good Enough” Unacceptable
Chapter 11: Professionalism Is More than Bling
Chapter 12: Motivate G Y by NOT Giving Us a Trophy
Chapter 13: Retain Gen Y – and Our Enthusiasm
Chapter 14: Lead Me to Loyalty
Chapter 15: Build a Talent Pipeline Like American Idol

Generation Y is the fastest growing segment in the American workforce, which comprises of the 18-32 year old demographic.  As you probably are aware already, this generation can pose challenges to companies because they approach the workplace differently than past generations.

Examples include:

•    Constantly on their cell phones
•    Send text messages to their bosses
•    Expect company to have a green initiative
•    Expect firm to provide community service opportunities
•    Want constant feedback from bosses
•    Don’t dress professional

Regardless of how this generation may appear, they are still very motivated and truly want to make a difference in a company.  Managers just need to know how to work with them to meet their expectations and to find ways for all generations to work well together.

In his book, Ryan shows you how Gen Y can give you a competitive advantage and position your firm for long-term growth. As you can see from the chapter titles, Ryan provides step-by-step guidance and strategies on how to attract, retain, and motivate Gen Y employees to be productive performers for your organization. Throughout the book, Ryan shares real world examples of techniques that have worked for firms.

Ryan’s sense of humor throughout the book makes it an enjoyable read. Not only is Y-Size Your Business: How Gen Y Employees Can Save You Money and Grow Your Business educational, but also inspirational for firms who want to embrace Gen Y to take their firms to the next level.

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Making a Genuine Impression

The following article that I wrote appeared in a recent issue of Soho Magazine.

Making a Genuine Impression

How you interact with people is an important component of networking. When you meet people, make sure to leave a good impression by acting genuine. You do not want to have a bad reputation in networking and business circles.

Give Your Full Attention

When talking with people, make sure to give them your full attention by staying focused on the entire conversation. Do not let your eyes wander as you might come across as disinterested or rude. Ask thought-provoking questions to show you are listening and you actually care about what’s being said.

People like to talk about themselves and their businesses so give them the opportunity. Try not to interrupt and let others finish their thoughts or sentences before speaking.

Of course, times may occur when you don’t want to continue a conversation. When that happens, politely excuse yourself. You want to build a reputation as a good conversationalist so people will enjoy talking with you.

Talk With Enthusiasm

When it’s your turn to talk, show some enthusiasm. Many people speak with little emotion, so make yourself stand out by showing some animation in your voice and actions.

By showing some excitement, people will tend to listen more closely to what you have to say. Not only will enthusiasm inspire people to listen, but it also will show that you have a passion for what you do, both professionally and personally.

Say Cheese

By smiling, you will make people feel welcome and make yourself more approachable. As a result, your conversations will feel more comfortable and natural with others.

Smiling shows that you are generally a happy person, which signifies that your conversations will most likely be positive. People generally don’t want to talk with negative individuals.

Help Others

One of the most important aspects of networking is offering to help others. Before you ask for help, you should first offer your services to others.

Whether it’s industry information, business consulting or connections, everyone has something to share. By figuring out how your resources can help other people, you will make yourself a more valuable person to know.

If you’re typically a taker rather than a giver, then you will have a much harder time with networking. People won’t readily offer their help to you until you have built a trusted relationship with them.

Share Resources

Part of helping others is the sharing of resources – whether it’s information, connections, knowledge or expertise. You should have something to offer for the benefit of others because of your work experience and general business knowledge.

Don’t sell yourself short. Your skills and knowledge will be helpful to someone. Think about what you can offer and compile your resources together so you can easily share them with people.

Another important resource is your contacts. Make sure your contact information is organized, so you can easily draw upon your network when you need to. Your contacts are a big part of your resources. Use them wisely.

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