Book Review: Networking Magic

Networking Magic: Find the Best - from Doctors, Lawyers, and Accountants to Homes, Schools, and Jobs is written by Rick Frishman and Jill Lubblin who are the authors of the bestseller, Guerilla Publicity. The basic premise of their new book is to teach you that networking is a wonderful and natural tool for you to connect with just about anyone who you want to meet whether it is for business or personal.  Finding the best doctors, lawyers, schools, etc. can all happen if you leverage your community resources and existing network.  Believe me when I tell you that you do have a fairly established network already whether you know it or not.  Your network is comprised of people such as your family, fellow church members, kids’ teachers, and co-workers.

Take advantage of this powerful network to get recommendations, introductions, and suggestions for who you should get to know for your family and business needs.

Book Description from Book Cover

Networking Magic is a revolutionary concept that shows you how to find the best in all aspects of live.  Whether you’re looking for the most lucrative job, the highest-rated child care facility, the leading medical specialist, or virtually anything else – this is the one book that gets you on the inside track to the top experts, the highest-quality services, and the least expensive products.

Chapter Headings

It is important that you get a good understanding of what content is covered in this book so below are the chapter headings.

Chapter 1: Creating Magic
Chapter 2: The Boardroom Dinners
Chapter 3: Building the Best Network
Chapter 4: Setting Your Priorities
Chapter 5: Finding the Best
Chapter 6: Positioning Yourself for the Best
Chapter 7: Your Networking Toolkit
Chapter 8: Approaching the Best Targets
Chapter 9: Turning Contacts Into Partners
Chapter 10: Organized Networking Groups
Chapter 11: Evaluating Networking Groups and Events
Chapter 12: The Internet and Special Tactics
Chapter 13: Networking for Your Life
Chapter 14: Survey Says – Networking Do’s
Chapter 15: Survey Says – Networking Don’ts
Chapter 16: Summing Up

As you notice, this book covers quite a lot of material and is very logical in its content order.  So, you will not come away reading the book feeling that you didn’t read anything.

My Take on the Book

Rick and Jill do an excellent job dispelling the myth that networking is only for business.  In fact, most of us inherently network when we are looking for a personal referral.  We may not see it as networking but this is definitely what is happening.

While this book does a good job of discussing networking, it really is very basic (like most books on networking).  If you are an active networker, then you may not come away with much from this book. However, if you are fairly new to networking, then you will learn a lot from this book.

I am a firm believer in learning from other people so you should still come away with some nuggets regardless of your networking savvy.  One of the best parts of this book, which unfortunately came at the end, are Chapters 14 and 15, that shares the networking dos and don’ts that the authors uncovered when researching this book.

Much of what is discussed will reinforce what you already know. In addition, you will come away with new information that you can implement into your networking style. 

Here are a few networking dos that are shared:  make a strong first impression, network with those you emulate, talk to everyone you meet, and find common denominators.

Here are a few networking don’ts that are shared: don’t act desperate, don’t ask too soon, don’t misrepresent yourself, and don’t overextend.

I recommend Networking Magic: Find the Best - from Doctors, Lawyers, and Accountants to Homes, Schools, and Jobs for anyone who wants to learn back to basics about networking. Also, this book will get you in the mindset that every conversation is to build relationships.  I don’t recommend this book if you are expecting to come away with several new networking techniques. If you are a seasoned networker, then you probably won’t learn anything new.