Networking Insight

Get to Know Your Neighbor

A few days ago, my family and I moved to a new house.  Moving is not fun as you probably already know.  We are slowly moving our life out of boxes.  It will take awhile to get settled, however, we are happy about the move.  We moved from Chicago to Vernon Hills, which is a northwest suburb of Chicago.  It will be an adjustment not living downtown any more.  At the same time, we feel that our new environment will be a great place to raise our kids.

Since we moved in on Thursday, I have met some of our neighbors.  They have welcomed us into their neighborhood.  Everyone has been very nice, which has made our transition much easier.  The neighbors that we have met have introduced themselves to us.  So, they were proactive in making the connection. It would be great if more people were like this when attending networking events.

Anyways, getting to know your neighbors is an excellent way to build some new relationships.  If you live in an apartment building, then make an effort to get to know the people around you.  You don't need to stick with just the people immediately next to you.  You never know where some of these new relationships will lead. Take every opportunity to meet new people. 

Whether you are moving or not, your neighbors are people that you interact with outside of work.  It is important to build new personal and professional relationships on an ongoing basis.  Don't miss an opportunity. 

If you don't know your neighbors, then I challenge you to get to know them.  You will be happy that you did.

Network Now Rather Than Just When You Have Immediate Needs

Many people only network when they’re looking for a job. However, finding a job is the result of good networking rather than the immediate outcome.

Instead, business professionals should concentrate more on building relationships with people no matter what their immediate needs may be. By taking this approach, you will then be able to contact people in your network for needs such as jobs, sales leads and partnership opportunities.

Without building trust and a relationship with people, you will have a much harder time with requests. In fact, you should try to help others before you ask for their help. By helping others first, you are showing the kind of person you are and good faith.

When you need help later, your requests should be received very favorably. Business professionals should therefore integrate networking into their routine and make it a continuous aspect of their business life.

Network Now, Not Later

Most people only network when they have a need and often get frustrated when that need can’t be immediately met. As a result, they have a bad experience with networking. People with this experience often have an unfavorable impression of networking and tend to stop attending networking events.

Rather than waiting until you need to network, start networking before a need arises. Concentrate on meeting people and building relationships for the long term. Find ways to help others and to keep in touch. Yes, it takes discipline and time, but it’s well worth the effort. When you need to find a job or sales lead, you can approach your contacts with ease.

It will feel natural and won’t be a burden to others because they will trust and know you. These are the kind of relationships you should strive for through networking. These will ultimately make the networking process more effective for you.

Regularly Attend Networking Events

In order to meet people and build your network, you need to regularly attend networking events. It’s a good idea to attend several events every month so it becomes part of your routine.

“The approximate range of monthly Chicagoland technology-related and business-focused networking events that are posted on the TechVenue.com calendar is five to 10 per month,” said David Flint, founder and president of TechVenue.com.

Another great source for Midwest technology and business events is MidwestBusiness.com. Both of these calendars should give you several options to choose from each month.

By getting yourself out there, it will become easier and more natural for you to talk with people. You will start to run into some of the same people, which will help you to build relationships and become known in networking circles.

The more people you know, the better your resources will be for helping others. With each new person you meet, you should pay attention to his or her needs so you have a chance to connect someone in your network with this person.

Connecting people is a great way to keep in touch with others and continually build your relationships. Networking is a continuous process rather than just something that happens every once in a while.

Keep in Touch

One of the more time consuming but fun aspects of networking is keeping in touch with the people you meet. Yes, it’s challenging, but it’s often rewarding to remain in contact with your network. After you meet people, the networking shouldn’t stop.

You should make an effort and find a way to continue to communicate with these people. Find out their interests and send articles and other resources to them, which will let them know you’re thinking about them. Your contacts will appreciate your thoughtfulness and will remember you.

A great way to keep in touch is to create an e-mail newsletter or e-mail group. With each new person you meet, you can add them to your list. Make sure to use content in your newsletter that will either reach a broad audience or a niche audience (depending on what you would like to share and with whom).

One affordable solution is Constant Contact, which allows you to create professional-looking email newsletters through template designs. With Constant Contact, you can easily keep in touch with people and track who’s opening up your newsletter. You will then have a good idea of who values what you’re providing.

Another great way to keep in touch is to periodically ask people to meet you for coffee, lunch or drinks. Let them know what events you will be attending so you can reconnect. With networking, one of your goals should be to get people to remember you. Make sure to keep in touch so you will be fresh in their minds when you need to approach them.

Keith Ferrazzi on the Radio This Friday

Keith Ferrazzi, author of Never Eat Alone, will be on the radio this Friday morning talking about relationship building. See below for his email and the show details. Also, I encourage you to read his book, Never Eat Alone, which is an excellent book on networking.  Keith shares with his readers some very tangible perspectives about networking.  You will definitely learn some new techniques. I know that I have.

Friends,

My good friend Karen Salmansohn has invited me to be on her Sirius radio show "Be Happy Dammit" this Friday June 29th from 8 to 9 a.m. EST.

If you would like some personal, one-on-one advice on connecting for professional and personal success, now's your chance. I'd love to talk to you and will be taking your calls and questions during the entire hour.

Based on what my friends and readers ask, I'm expecting your questions will fall into five areas:

-How do I define success?

-How do I figure out who will help me achieve life success?

-What do I have to offer and give other people?

-How do I reach out to others?

-How do I identify what is preventing me from being successful and change it?

Program details are as follows:

Date: June 29th
Time: 8 to 9 a.m. EST - that's East Coast time
Place: Be Happy Dammit Sirius radio, on Lime Channel 114
Studio #: 866-LIME-114

If you are not a Sirius radio subscriber, go to www.sirius.com to get a free 3-day trial which will enable you to listen to the show online. I look forward to meeting you on the phone Friday morning.

Best,

Keith

Your Networking Demeanor Can Make a Lasting Impression

How you interact with people is an important component of networking. Your actions demonstrate the type of person you are, which is a reflection on how you do business and associate yourself with others.

When you meet people, make sure to leave a good impression by acting genuine. By demonstrating this type of behavior, people should remember you. You do not want to have a bad reputation in networking and business circles.

If you haven’t already realized, networking circles are small. By the six degrees of separation theory, people know people, so be careful. Make an effort to build relationships with people through sincere networking. Be honest with people, treat them with respect and help them when you can.

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.

Your listening skills will be appreciated.

People like to talk about themselves and their businesses so give them the opportunity. Try not to interrupt by letting others finish their thoughts or sentences before speaking. If you interrupt people, it might show that you’re not interested in what they have to say.

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. After all, you want people to remember your conversations.

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. You will be taken more seriously, which is a necessary component of networking for building relationships.

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. In addition, smiling shows that you are generally a happy person, which signifies that your conversations will most likely be positive.

People don’t like to talk with negative people (especially at networking events). So long as your smile doesn’t come across as forced, you will be perceived as genuine. Your demeanor with people is an important aspect of networking success so make sure you stay positive and smile often.

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. When communicating with people, find out their needs and how you can help them.

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 can’t immediately help someone, find a way to come through later. Reach out to your contacts and ask them for their help. Keeping in touch with your network is important so this is a great way to reestablish your relationships.

If you’re typically a taker rather than a giver, 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. Therefore, show them what you to have offer by helping them with their needs.

What comes around goes around. Do whatever you can to help now. When the time comes for your needs, your contacts will be there for you.

Share Resources

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

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.

Put a binder together or even create a Web site that showcases what you have to offer.

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.

By contacting people in your network, you will be able to continue building or even reestablish some of your relationships. Make sure you don’t put any of these people in an uncomfortable situation and only utilize them for situations that only benefit you.

If you want to learn more about why your demeanor is important, then subscribe to my blog.

How to Enhance Your Personal Brand

One of the most effective ways to build relationships is to enhance your personal brand.  You want people to remember you so you need to be proactive to make sure that happens.  The first thing that you need to do is to pick a topic that you are passionate about and focus your efforts towards becoming a subject matter expert.  Chances are that you already are an expert.  Either way, you should spend more time making sure that people perceive you as the expert.

Without credibility, you won't get very far.  It takes time to build but well worth the effort.  Start talking to people about your subject either one-on-one or in front of groups.  Take the time to educate people on your topic.  It is a good idea if you can relate what you are saying to what has happened in your life.  Again, chances are that what you talk about is what you have learned from your own experiences.

In addition to speaking, create a  Website, start a newsletter, or write articles.  You need let people know that you are out there.  Demonstrate that you are knowledgeable by sharing your thoughts through these channels.  You can take it a step further by starting a blog around your subject matter.

Once you start implementing the above suggestions, you will start to enhance your personal brand.  The above techniques are what I used to brand myself as a "networking authority".  While no means am I claiming that I am an expert, but rather someone who understands how to effectively build relationships.

Leverage Your Friend's Network for Referrals

One of the most common ways that we find service providers is by asking our friends.  By leveraging the networks of our friends, we can find attorneys, insurance agents, accountants, doctors, and mortgage brokers.  It is important to get a referral from someone who has experienced the work of the service provider.  Testimonials are the gold standard when it comes to picking people to hire.  This is the way that Angie's List works.

While this may be self explanatory, you will be amazed at how many people just pick a name out of the phone book.   While you can get lucky in finding someone this way, I wouldn't suggest this method.  Every service provider that I have chosen, except for one, came from a referral.  When I first moved to Chicago after college, I needed renter's insurance.  Rather than asking for a referral, I responded to a mailer from an agent.  I got lucky and have put virtually all of my insurance through him.  Over time, we have built a good relationship so I feel comfortable with him.

Another reason to ask for referrals is that you can make your contacts look good if you use one of their recommendations.  The beauty of relationship building is helping others so people should open up their networks when appropriate.

In a few days, I will be moving to a new house. In fact, I will be moving out of Chicago and into the suburbs.  I am expecting a new baby next month so my family and I wanted to have a bigger house with a yard.  I have been living in Chicago for 10 years so I will hate to leave. 

Why am I mentioning this?  It is because the moving process is a pain and you need to have a lot of good people involved to help you.  I was referred to every person who I used for this process, which includes: real estate agent, attorney, mortgage broker, and accountant.  By having these professionals referred to you, it should make you feel more comfortable when you have a big life change.

Do you have any good or bad stories to share about picking service providers?

IBM Unveils Social Software

It was just announced that IBM has unveiled Lotus Connections, which "will allow employees to share resources and ideas through blogs, online communities, instant chat and shared bookmarks in a professional business environment."

What this means is that businesses will start adopting the collaborative tools that Internet users have been using for years.  Lotus Connections seems to really bring all of these pieces together. 

I don't know if adoption of this software will happen quickly. However, over time, I believe that most businesses will be using tools like this with employees.

For the complete story, go to IBM unveils business blogging software.

What are your thoughts?  Do you think businesses will start using this software sooner than later?

Recap of Web Ascent Chicago

Tonight, I attended a new technology event in Chicago, Web Ascent Events, that was sponsored by Mashable.com. My organization, Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, was one of the supporters as well.  Because of my firm's involvement, I manned a table part of the night with some of our materials. 

Anyways, the main premise of this event was to connect Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs with Chicago tech entrepreneurs. Several company presentations occured, which included Chicago-based MediaRiver and timeXchange.

Apparently, these events happen in other cities as well.  While the Valley is the center of technology, it still doesn't mean that technology is not thriving in other cities. Chicago is a vibrant technology community so this event helped to showcase this.  At the same time, Chicago's technology community already comes together at various gatherings such as BARcamp Chicago (happening this weekend) and TECH Cocktail.

The bottom line is that this was another event that brought technology folks together so they could build connections.  You can never have enough of these events. Congratulations to the organizer, Kristen Nicole, for organizing a successful event.

Write Notes on Back of Business Cards

After you meet someone for the first time, you should immediately write some notes on the back of this person's business card.  It is important that you remember some key take-aways from your conversation.  Things to write down could be the person's birthday, family information, interests, or Website mentioned.

As you move on from one person to the next, you will forget some of your conversation. This is why you should document what you need to remember.   Also, when you do follow-up with certain people, it is good to have notes that you can draw upon.  This will show that you are prepared and took the conversation serious.  If you portray this, then most people will want to develop a relationship with you.

Make sure that you don't take notes during your conversation. You want to show that you care so pay attention to the other person's talk.  Afterwards, you should take notes before you talk to the next person while it is fresh in your mind.

This is a technique that I use every time that I meet someone.  Once I feel that I have a connection with someone and follow-up occurs, I then put this information in Outlook along with the person's contact information.

Building Your Relationship on Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to any fathers reading this post.  I spent the morning with my daughter and father. Tonight, I am spending time with my father-in-law.  So, it has been a busy day for fathers' activities.  Fathers deserve 1 day a year in which it is just about them. 

Father's Day not only is a great time to spend with family, but also it is a great opportunity to build on your relationship with your father and kids.  If you don't see your father very often, then this is a great time to connect and catch up.  Since this day is about your father, take it serious and get to know your father better.

At the same time, take this as an opportunity for your kids to get to know you better.  Spend quality time with them so you build on your relationship.  We all get busy so let's try to make this a day that we spend with our fathers and kids.  Work can come later when the kids are in bed. 

Do you have any nice Father's Day stories to share?