Networking Insight

Another Sad Story That Involves Social Networking

More and more, we are hearing about stories of tragedy that somehow links social networking. That latest one, Edward Richardson Kills Girlfriend Sarah Richardson After She Changed Facebook Status To Single, is another terrible story.

According to the article,

“Richardson became enraged when Sarah changed her marital status on Facebook to single and decided to go and see her as she was not responding to his messages, stated Fiona Cortese of the Crown Prosecution Service.  “He gained entry by breaking the front door window and made his way into the property.

Some people may want to blame Facebook, however, the service can't be blamed for this person's horrible actions.  There are many disturbed people out there who will go to any lengths to harm others.

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Discover Your Brand - Free Sample of Personal Branding Magazine #7

Personal branding expert, Dan Schawbel, will be releasing has seventh magazine on Feb 1. I have been very impressed with how Dan has positioned himself as an expert the past couple of years. Dan not only publishes a great magazine, but also just wrote at book (Me 2.0), writes a blog, created branding awards, and speaks regularly to groups.

So, Dan walks the talk when it comes to personal branding. You need to be proactive and demonstrate your expertise. Dan has started this journey at such a young age that he has a great future ahead of him.

I have had the privilege of contributing to a couple of past issues of Personal Branding Magazine.

According to Dan, the latest issue "focuses on the first step of the personal branding process, brand discovery. Many people rush into personal branding, without first taking precious time to discover who they are and what they want to do for the rest of their lives. In this issue, we expose how to unlock your true potential, unearth your passion, acquire the necessary skills and how to set achievable goals. We’ve interviewed some of the leading businessmen, such as Marcus Buckingham, to help you with your own personal development."

Featured interviews include:

• Marcus Buckingham is the bestselling author of First, Break All the Rules and The Truth About You. Has sold millions of books and addresses 250,000 people a year in his keynote speeches.

• Marshall Goldsmith is the New York Times bestselling author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There—a Wall Street Journal No. 1 business book and Harold Longman Award winner for Business Book of the Year.

• John Assaraf is the New York Times bestselling author of Having It All and was one of the coaches in the hit movie The Secret.

• Tim Sanders is the author of Saving The World At Work and former Chief Solutions Officer at Yahoo! Inc.

• Gurbaksh Chahal is the author of The Dream. By the age of 25, Gurbaksh became one of the youngest and most successful entrepreneurs of recent history. Chahal has created companies’ worth over $340 million started at 16 years old. 

Click here to get a free sample of this issue. If you like what you read, then you can subscribe at Personal Branding Magazine.

Hope you enjoy this magazine.

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Why You Should Always Be Positive

Whenever you talk to people, you should try to be very positive. Most people don’t like to talk to a negative person. With relationship building, you want to be seen in a positive light.  You don’t want people to have negative thoughts about you.

Try to see the good in everything that is discussed. Refrain yourself from taking a negative stance. Rather turn a negative into a positive discussion point.

It is not a good idea to complain to a new person about your job, someone else, or really anything that is bothering you. Take the time to get to know people first before you should even consider any negative talk. You don’t want to turn people off before they get to know you.

Generally, it is a good rule of thumb to keep any negative thoughts away from the business environment. If you have a habit of complaining to people on a regular basis, then others will not enjoy talking to you.  In fact, people may avoid talking to you altogether.

Many people exist in this world. If you are making it uncomfortable to be around you, then others will move on and not bother to build a relationship with you.

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Book Review: Breakthrough Networking (3rd edition) by Lillian D. Bjorseth

Previously, I reviewed the first edition of Breakthrough Networking. Lillian made some major revisions and just released her third edition. The new edition is organized in a very logical manner and teaches the reader how to maximize relationship building around events.

The new book is comprised of the following material:

Section I: What is Networking?
    Chapter 1: Introduction to Relationship Building

Section II: Before an Event
    Chapter 2: DISCover Your Networking Style and How to Adapt and Flex
    Chapter 3: Polish What You Say Before You Speak
    Chapter 4: Create a Relationship-Building Plan
    Chapter 5: Craft Effective Verbal and Printed Business Cards

Section III: At an Event
    Chapter 6: Learn Techniques to Work an Event with Ease

Section IV: After an Event
    Chapter 7: Follow Up is Golden

As you can see, Lillian covers a lot of material that keeps up with the latest strategies such as online networking.  While face time is extremely important when meeting people, technology is a great way to maintain relationships. Therefore, it is critical that you are effective when attending events and following up afterwards.

Whether you are a novice or experienced networker, you will benefit from Breakthrough Networking. Lillian’s style is very conversational and easy to read.

Related Posts:
Review of Breakthrough Networking (1st edition)
Review of 52 Ways to Break the Ice & Target Your Market

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10 Gestures to Show that You Care

In relationship building, it is very important to show that you care and are thinking about others. In fact, you should spend much of your effort on helping others before you ask for anything in return. Below are 10 gestures of good will that will impact your success in networking.

1. Open up your network and provide introductions to referral partners, like-minded individuals, potential partners, etc. – don’t wait for someone to ask, just do it

2. Send thank you notes after you meet people and when they help you – acknowledging others is very proactive and will result in future assistance

3. Share relevant and valuable information – emailing or mail people good content that will be useful for them

4. Acknowledge accomplishments of others – people like to be acknowledged for their achievements; they will appreciate that you were paying attention

5. Send birthday and holiday greetings – reach out to people during special times of the year; great reason to re-connect

6. Invite people to events – whether you are hosting your own event or attending an event; let people know so they can join you

7. Ask how you can help – if you connect with someone, then ask how you can best help

8. Invite people to get together – ask people out to breakfast, coffee, or lunch from time to time; invite new people each week

9. Call someone on the phone – pick up the phone and call people from time to time; more personal than email and nice to hear a live voice

10. Ask questions – show an interest by inquiring about peoples’ business and personal lives; people like to talk about themselves

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LinkedIn More Popular Than Facebook with Enterprises

According to a CMS Watch report, LinkedIn is more popular than Facebook when it comes to enterprise collaboration and social software.

According to the study, LinkedIn stands out in the following ways:

• Security: LinkedIn users can be filtered and pre-authorized based on their e-mail address

• Third Party Applications: LinkedIn has been very selective on the types of applications they have launched on their service

• Professional: LinkedIn is perceived as more professional for business users

To read the entire article, go to LinkedIn Beats Facebook In the Enterprise.

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Who is Your Networking Mentor?

Networking is a lifelong activity that can have a major impact on your business and personal life. Think back to when you started networking. Who was your influence? Who did you learn from?

For me, my brother was my mentor while I was a freshman in college (17 years ago). He encouraged me to get involved in student organizations so I could meet more people in my major. He was very instrumental in my early efforts and who knows if I would be writing this blog today if he didn’t point me in this direction.

Even though I have been actively networking before my professional life started, I have had many mentors along the way in addition to my brother.

We are always learning so be open to listening and trying new ideas. Networking works differently for everyone so find out what works best for you. Take advice from people who have already tried and failed or succeeded in certain relationship building strategies.

Here is a list of networking mentors who you may have more than one of. Also, keep in mind that you don’t have to know these mentors personally for you to learn from them.

•    Family – older sibling, parent, uncle, cousin, etc.
•    Boss – past or current
•    Successful professional – someone who has done well in business, relationships play a key role
•    Networking authority – great way to learn
•    Well connected professional – leverage relationships for success, active connector
•    Executive – leverage relationships for success
•    Politician – good at building relationships
•    Fundraiser – good at building relationships

Who is your mentor?

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Celebrate 2009 International Networking Week

International Networking Week takes place this year from Feb 2-6. Here is a description of what this week is:

International Networking Week™ is an initiative of BNI International®. International Networking Week™ will feature a number of networking events across the world.

The goal of International Networking Week™ is to celebrate the key role that networking plays in the development and success of businesses across the world.

Simultaneous luncheon events will be held globally to celebrate International Networking Week™.

To learn more, go to International Networking Week and watch the below video, which is presented by Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder and Chairman, BNI.

My Interview with UpMo

In a previous post, UpMo Study: Tracking the Habits of Elite Networkers, I shared with you some of the results from an interesting study on networking. As a follow-up to this study, I was interviewed about networking in the post, Don’t Know How to Network? Learn From the Elite.

I was asked the following questions:

• Based on the information in your bio, you developed the habit of networking early. Was there an experience in your life that motivated you to start networking or that crystallized the power of networking?

• What, in your mind, are the characteristics of an “elite networker”?

• Your passion for networking would suggest that you find it fun, rather than a chore (like many people do). What are your tips for making networking a habitual, and potentially fun, activity?

• You co-host an annual networking event in Chicago. Many people find large networking events awkward and difficult to navigate. Other than having business cards on hand, what are your tips for getting the most out of such events?

• Networking is a two-way street. How can networkers - particularly younger networkers who don’t have a lot of contacts or experience - add value to their relationships?

Make sure to read the post to see my responses to this interview.

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Don’t Forget the “Small” Things

With our busy lives and constant interaction with people, we need to remember to show respect and pay attention to the details of what we do.  While you may not realize some of your actions, other people will notice and remember.

So, step back a bit and really pay attention.  Your personal brand is a major key to your success so don’t tarnish your reputation.

Below are several “small” things to consider:

1. Give good eye contact to show that you are interested in the conversation
2. Be polite and don’t interrupt people during conversations
3. Carry a nice pen to show that you are professional and pay attention to detail
4. Carry a nice business card holder to further demonstrate your professionalism
5. Accept a beverage offer when visiting someone’s office to show respect for hospitality
6. Smile consistently when speaking to people to show your warmth and openness
7. Follow-up and let people know of the outcome of their referrals to you
8. Be consistent with your actions as you build your brand and so people know what to expect
9. Find ways to help others when you discover their needs

In reality, the “small” things add up and are actually a big deal when it comes to building relationships. Take every aspect of relationship building very serious. You never know what will resonate good or bad with other people.

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