Networking Insight

Get a Smart Phone for Smart Networking

In today's mobile age, you need to always have your contact database, calendar, and email at hand.  As you meet people, you can impress them if you can find someone quickly in your network to introduce them.  So, having your contact database handy allows you to search and find the appropriate person.  At the same time, you may want to schedule a follow-up meeting to your conversation.  So, having your calendar handy is great for scheduling appointments on the spot. 

While email access is nice to have with you on the go, don't get in the habit of checking it during meetings, events, or conversations.  You need to be focused and don't want to come across rude.  Use email wisely and not during relationship building time.

For the past few years, I have been using the Samsung i500, which has been an awesome phone for my calendar and contact database.  It is a very small PDA phone that fits easily in the pocket.  However, email and Internet usage is not great on the phone. 

Since I use Sprint service, I have been waiting awhile for the Motorola Q smart phone.  Sprint just started carrying this phone since Verizon had a 6 month exclusive distribution with Motorola.  Well, I ordered the phone and just got it in the mail. I haven't even set it up yet but am very excited because it is so small and  has much more than my last phone.  I know that there have been some issues with the phone.  Basically, you can't please everyone all of the time so I will adjust to whatever issues that I come across.

So, having a smart phone can help you become a more effective networker when you are on the go.  With prices coming down on phones and plans, it is worth the extra investment to enhance your relationship building.

DePaul University's Sales Leadership Program

Over the last year, my organization has built a good partnership with DePaul University's Sales Leadership Program.  Currently, DePaul is the only university in Chicago that offers a sales degree, which is designed to better arm students for a career in sales.

My friend and fellow DePaul MBA alumnus, Clancy Ryan, was instrumental in getting this program off the ground. He also teaches the first course, "Fundamentals in Sales & Networking". This course is near to my heart because as you know, networking is important for building sales.  Without building relationships, sales can be a challenge.

One of the neat aspects of this program is that its partners such as 3M Worldwide, ACNielsen, and Target, all come into the classrooms and offer student internships.  Working for a large company can be a great experience, however, working for a small company can sometimes be more rewarding.

In fact, it was my good friend, John Dallas, of Hillview Partners, who actually suggested that my organization partner with DePaul so we could expose the students to early stage companies.  John hit the mark with this suggestion because one my organization's goals is to help small businesses increase sales.  So, thank you John. 

By interning for an early stage company, not only will the students get hands-on sales experience, but also they will have the opportunity to get involved in various other aspects of the business.  At the same time, the early stage companies will get some additional resources and help, which is vital for any company to grow.

So far, we have had a great success rate of matching early stage companies with DePaul students.  So, the partnership has been a success.  With any potential partnership, make sure that both parties interests are aligned and that you have built a good relationship before you engage in business together.

As you can see, a couple of my key relationships were instrumental in forming the partnership between my organizaiton and DePaul.  Nurture your relationships because you never know what opportunities will come in the future.

Pick the Right Time to Ask for a Favor

As you have probably heard many times, you should help others before you ask for assistance.  In networking, this is one of the most important tenants to remember.  You need to build relationships, trust, and credibility before you should ask for a favor.  It doesn't happen over night so be patient.

After you help other people first, you will be in a better position to ask for their help.  Think about it - if you ask for help right away before someone knows you, then your chances of receiving the help is very low.  People have their reputations on the line so they don't want to jeopardize themselves if they help you and you make them look bad.

So, find the right time to ask for a favor.  It usually happens with a need arises unexpectedly rather than forcing a need.  Let it happen naturally so your need is genuine and real.  Just make sure that you adequately helped someone first and that you are seen in a positive manner.   As long as people like you, you shouldn't have a difficult time asking for and receiving a favor.

Over the weekend, I asked my friend, who is a real estate property manager, if he could find me the prices of the most recent homes sold in my town home community.  Because I want to sell my house, I need these prices so I can make an informed decision on my selling price.  My friend was glad to do me this favor because we have a very good relationship and have helped each other over the years. So, it was natural and appropriate for me to ask him for this favor.

With some people, asking for favors will not be a problem.  For other people, you have to be careful and ask at the appropriate time. 

Effectively Manage Your Contact's Information

The more people that you meet, the more cards that you will have to file away.  It can get overwhelming with all of this information.  So, you need have a system in place to manage all of this data.  Most people just file cards away in a Rolodex and don't look back.  It is important that this information is captured right away in an electronic system such as Act, Outlook, Palm, etc.

Without properly filing away this information, you will probably forget about some of these people and won't know where to look when you do need to contact someone.  Another benefit of using an electronic filing system is that you can keep track of meetings and conversations.  You can record anything that you would like to remember about someone. 

Still another benefit of this type of system is that you can search for people.  One way to help with a search is to use key words in the notes section that will pull up in a search. Example key words include: marketing, finance, MBA, golf.  You should capture people's professional and personal lives in your notes section. 

When building relationship with people, it is important to get to know certain things about people.  This can help you align your interests with other people as well as give you a reason to reach out to someone.  Whenever I meet someone who I want to stay in contact with, I always capture this person's data in Outlook.  My notes include when and where I met this person and any other information that came out of our conversation such as a birthday, wife's name, number of kids, degrees, etc.

By keeping good notes, you will stand out as someone who takes the time to get to know people, which is so important for networking.  Most people do not remember things about people so make sure that you are not like most people.

Ezine Articles - Great Branding & Marketing Tool

In a recent post, Brand Yourself by Writing Articles, I mentioned that it is important to write articles to show your subject matter expertise.  In the last 2 weeks, I have uploaded 15 of my articles to EzineArticles.com, which have resulted in 336 views, which averages 22 views per article.  Check out my author page at Jason Jacobsohn-EzineArticles.com.  I have close to 50 articles that I have written over the last few years so I plan on adding many more to this site.

The beauty about this system is that my bio is attached to each article, which includes a link to my blog.  In addition, people can email the articles to anyone and re-publish them on their site with the proper recognition.  So, these articles are driving traffic to my blog!  In the blog world, you need to attach your link to as many online avenues as possible. 

So, if you have written any articles, then I encourage you to post them on this site.  If you don't have any articles, then write some. This is a great way to brand yourself on a particular subject.  Once you have published these articles, you can direct people to them to show your expertise.

Once again, I have to thank my buddy, Dan Arenzon (aka Mr. Cold Call) who told me about  EzineArticles.com.  Dan's articles are about cold calling so check them out at D.M. Arenzon-EzineArticles.com. 

TECH Cocktail Review

A big part of networking is attending events not only to meet new people, but also to maintain existing relationships.  Every month, I attend about 4-6 events. For some people that may be a lot and for others that may not be many at all.  It really depends on your job and motivation.  With my job, I am in the business of helping entrepreneurs so I need to continuously interact with people so I can either help them or connect people together.  Regardless of my job, I just enjoy meeting new people so I would be attending this many events anyways.

Tonight, I attended TECH Cocktail, which was organized by Eric Olson and Frank Gruber.  This is the 3rd event that they have organized in Chicago.  TECH Cocktail is a mixer for bloggers, technology enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and other business professionals interested in the technology arena in Chicago and other underserved technology communities.  These events remind me of the tech boom in Chicago in the late 1990's and early 2000's.  During this time period, the technology community was vibrant and people interacted with each other on a more regular basis at events such as First Tuesday and Big Frontier.

While Chicago still has a very good technology community, it is very fragmented.  The great thing about TECH Cocktail is that it is organized by technologists unlike in the past when these types of events were more organized by the business community.  So, I am excited that Eric and Frank have created this platform to bring people together.  They have generated a lot of interest and momentum from the community.  The attendance has gotten bigger with each event.

For me, it was a great event to see some of my clients, friends, and other associates in the technology and entrepreneurial communities.  In fact, even investors show up at these events.  So, Eric and Frank do a great job of getting various parties together.

Great job guys! I look forward to the next one.

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Form a Small Group to Discuss Topics of Interest

A good way to get to know people even better is to form a small group of like-minded individuals to get together on a regular basis.  You can keep this group very casual and discuss whatever comes up at the gathering.  Or you can pre-determine topics to discuss so everyone comes prepared to talk about the same subject. 

More formally, this could be considered a peer-to-peer round table.  Some organizations, like Vistage International, have made a business out of putting together these groups.  Other organizations such as BNI set up referral groups to help people generate business.

I am not suggesting that you need to go to great lengths to set up and maintain the group. Rather, I suggest that you keep it simple and casual at first so it is easy for people to participate.  Let the group take on a life of its own and see where it leads you.

So, pick a few people to start with and invite them to join you.  Pick a frequency that makes sense for everyone such as once a week or once a month.  Whatever you decide, make sure that you meet on a regular basis.

Choose a convenient and casual location.  You could meet over a meal, at a bar, or at the office.  I suggest that you change the location around so you keep the discussion fresh.  Today, I heard about a friend's husband who decided to form a group with some co-workers to talk about politics.  Tonight was their first meeting so I hope that it went well and that they decide to get together again. 

Getting together on a regular basis is important for building relationships.  So, make sure that you commit to a group if you decide to form or join one.  Remember, you need to get to know people so you can help each other. 

Entrepreneurs Helping Entrepreneurs

One of the best resources for entrepreneurs is other entrepreneurs.  Building relationships with your peers is important for building any business.  Since many entrepreneurs are in the same situation, they can learn from each other.  At the same time, entrepreneurs who are further along with their businesses should be able to provide you with some good advice and connect you with individuals that were helpful to them.

As a business advisor at the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, I talk with entrepreneurs almost every day.  Because of my vantage point, I am able to connect entrepreneurs together so they can build relationships and ultimately help each other grow their respective businesses.

In fact, I am involved with a Chicago group called "The Big Idea Forum", which is built on this premise - entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs.  The group was formed by some entrepreneurs several years ago to provide a platform for entrepreneurs to share their business ideas and needs with their peers.  As a result, entrepreneurs receive feedback and resources from other entrepreneurs.  The group is mostly made up of entrepreneurs and is kept small on purpose.  We are in the midst of building a Website and will let more Chicago entrepreneurs know about this organization.  We feel that there is tremendous value to the participants so we want others to know about it.

Whether you are an entrepreneur or not, you should seek to build relationships with your peers.  Seek out people with similar businesses, responsibilities, industries, or interests.  By connecting with people with similar backgrounds, you will hit it off for the long term.

Brand Yourself by Writing Articles

One of the most important aspects of relationship building is to brand yourself.  Without branding, it will be more difficult to effectively network with others.  You need to set yourself apart and become a subject matter expert on a certain topic.  Once this happens, people will associate you with a certain expertise.  This is one way to increase your sales. 

One way to enhance your brand is to write articles about your area of expertise.  Submit these articles to the appropriate publications, Websites, newspapers, etc.  For example, I write the monthly column, Tech Connect, for MidwestBusiness.com, in which I contribute articles about relationship building. Check out my articles on Jacobsohn.com. 

In addition, I have recently submitted some of my articles to Ezine Articles, which allows you to share your articles with others so they can republish them (with proper credit of course) in their newsletters, Websites, etc.  By allowing others to republish your articles, you are furthering your reach to new audiences.  Thanks to my friend, Mr. Cold Call, for telling me about this service.

Take the time to research publications to help you determine if your topic is already covered.  If you find a relevant publication that doesn't cover your topic, then share with the editor your topic and how it could benefit the publication's readers.  This is how I was able to become a columnist at MidwestBusiness.com.  If you are creative, proactive, and confident, then you will be able to find a place to submit your articles.

Don't Forget to Thank People

A few weeks ago, one of my friends who is an investment banker told me that he was looking for an analyst to help him with due diligence and deal screening.  My friend only needed someone to help him part-time.  Right around the same time, I met a person who was looking to gain this type of experience.  So, naturally, I connected the two of them together because it seemed like a good fit. 

Well, I am happy to report that it was a good fit and this person is now helping my friend. This makes me very happy because I was able to help out two people.  Even more important, this individual wrote me a nice email telling me that he got the job and thanking me for the introduction.  Follow-up is so important when building relationships.  The fact that he took the time to let me know what happened makes me not only feel good, but also, I will be more inclined to help him again in the future.

A thank you can go such a long way.  People want to know that they are helpful and appreciated.  By forgetting to thank people, you are hurting your chances of building a good relationship.  It is just common courtesy.  As the same time, you need to find ways to connect with people so follow-up and a thank you is a great way to keep in touch.

Make it a goal to thank 1 person each week.  It doesn't matter whether it is for business or personal.  Just get in the habit of appreciating people more.  You will feel better about yourself and will connect better with people.