Networking Insight

9 Reasons Why Your Network is Your Greatest Asset

 

Your relationships are the greatest asset that you can bring to any organization. No one can take them away from you since you have taken the time to cultivate these relationships. You can carry your Rolodex with you throughout your entire career. Below are 9 reasons why your network is your greatest asset.

1. You have spent the time and effort to develop these relationships.
2. You can leverage your network to help you generate sales.
3. You can leverage your network for help in your job search.
4. You can continuously help others by making connections.
5. You can find the appropriate resources to help your company or personal life.
6. You have a network of people who support you and know your brand.
7. You have a network of people who can provide you guidance and advice.
8. No one can take your relationships away from you.
9. Your network is valuable to others.

What other reasons can you think of?

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Business Networking Humor

 

Funding Feeding Frenzy: 12/8 Chicago Event

 
Funding Feeding Frenzy

Date: December 8, 2010

Time: 8:30am-8pm

Location: SYNC Technology Center, 322 S. Greent Street, Suite 300, Chicago

Cost: $60 regular, $127 VIP

The Funding Feeding Frenzy is the place to be for CEOs and founders of fast growing companies to get connected with a group of investors who just may be waiting to sink their teeth into their winning idea. For business owners raising capital, this is an opportunity that cannot be missed. The Funding Feeding Frenzy is a unique opportunity to network with those ready to recognize the potential their company holds. Attendance at this event could be a tremendous step forward in securing the funding needed to rapidly grow their business.

Each company will present to a panel (including angel investors, private equity investors and venture capitalist) whose investing interests match the company’s profile. The Funding Feeding Frenzy is the ideal opportunity to snag investors who are ready to back growing companies.

For more information and to RSVP: go to Funding Feeding Frenzy.

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5 Sensible Tips for Holiday Corporate Gift Giving by Craig Darlow

 

The holidays are a great time to show your appreciation to clients and employees through tasteful, personal gifts. It's also potentially a time to offend, disappoint, or waste money on forgettable or impractical gifts. Here are few tips to help you make your best impression:

1. Avoid Trinkets. Gimmicks like a key-chain flashlight or combination pen/laserpointer/turkey baster may look nifty at first, but they quickly become relegated to a dusty desk drawer. The holidays deserve gifts with a personal touch. Think quality, not trade show freebies.

2. Edible May Not Be Preferable. Although food gifts used to be very popular, it's now almost impossible to find something that will be palatable to everyone on your list. Most people have some restrictions on their diet due to allergies, religious observance, political views, or Robert Atkins. Once you rule out dairy, nuts, gluten, carbs, sugar, and any kind of meat, the only option remaining is to give everyone bottles of water with pretty red bows. (Not sparkling water, some people don't like the bubbles).

3. Know Your Limits. Be aware of your clients' corporate gift policies. Many companies do not allow their employees to accept gifts over a certain value (or any gifts at all) in order to avoid conflicts of interest. As a result, you find almost no such conflicts in business today.

4. Make a List. Check it Twice. Whether giving gifts to clients or employees, you don't want to leave anyone out, or waste money sending a gift to the guy who left the company last month to open a bed & breakfast in New Guinea. Carefully prepare your list in advance of purchasing your gifts.  However, no matter how meticulous you are, there will always be at least one person you forget.  Be sure to add a cushion of at least 5% to your holiday shopping list ... it's better to have extra than not enough!

5. Don't Over-promote. Be careful not to turn your gift into a sales pitch.  A t-shirt with your 12" logo on front and back will come off as a little self-serving. However, a quality gift like a micro sherpa throw blanket with your logo in the corner is much more tasteful.  Or you can leave off the logo entirely and enclose your gift with a note and business card.  For employees, on the other hand, custom embroidered gifts are always a hit — giving them the opportunity to show pride in their company (if your holidays are cold, think hats, earbands & scarves!).

Your holiday gifts make a statement about your brand. Choose corporate gifts that reflect the quality of your organization, and that will be used and enjoyed long after the holidays are over.

For more about Craig and his company, go to CozyCoverz.com.

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Thrive on Getting to Know People

 

One of the most interesting aspects of networking is that you get to meet various people from all walks of life. As you get to know others, you will learn a lot about them and their firms. In fact, most likely you will learn something new that you didn’t expect.

Therefore, think about the relationship building process as an education.  Soak up as much knowledge as you can. You never know who you will meet and when the information will become important.

At the same time, good relationship builders are there to help you. So, the more people you get to know, the more opportunities will come your way. By nature, we are social beings so take advantage of this and go out and talk with people.

Can you share a story about something new and unexpected that you learned from one of your many encounters with others?

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Nine Negative Words Associated with Networking

With all the positive aspects of networking, people still have some negative perceptions about it. Below are nine negative words that people associate with interacting with others at events or one-on-one:

1. Selling
2. Takers
3. Rude
4. Stuffy
5. Boring
6. Drinking
7. Eating
8. Time-waster
9. Inefficient

With each negative perception, you can turn it around into a positive. Please share some positive words about networking.

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Business Networking Humor

 

Don’t Be Too Quick to Discount Others

 

While first impressions are very important, don’t always judge a book by its cover.  If you see someone from afar who may not be dressed properly, then don’t automatically discount this person as someone not to get to know. You may be missing an opportunity to meet someone very important for your network.

At the same time, you may read an article by someone who you don’t agree with or listen to a talk that doesn’t resonate with you. It is okay if you don’t have the same style or views of others. This is what makes us all unique and allows us to create diverse networks.

To avoid missing these opportunities take the time to get to know these people by having a conversation. If you don’t connect with people after you talk, then there is no problem of not carrying the relationship forward.

Don’t be too quick to discount others before you get to know them. Some of the best connections are made with people you least expect.

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Book Review: The Smart Swarm by Peter Miller

 

The Smart Swarm: How Understanding Flocks, Schools, and Colonies Can Make Us Better at Communicating, Decision Making, and Getting Things Done was written by Peter Miller who is a senior editor at National Geographic. He has served as a writer and editor for more than 25 years.

In the book, Miller examines the latest research on how nature’s littlest creatures such as ants and termites are able to overcome challenges and solve difficult problems. Miller explains the basic principles of smart swarms, which are self-organizing, diverse with knowledge, indirectly collaborate, and mimic adaptively.  Therefore, we should be looking at flocks, schools, and colonies to understand trends, social networks, and energy conservation.

The book is not your typical business book. In fact, it is very interesting to learn about how small-scale phenomena has big social, business, and technological implications. 

Below are a few examples of how nature has inspired us to act:

• By studying ant colonies’ simple governing rules, computer scientists have written programs to streamline factory processes, telephone networks, and truck routes
• Termites have inspired climate control solutions
• The U.S. military is developing a team of robots that behave like fish.

The book is divided up into the following chapters:

• Chapter 1: Ants: Who’s in Charge Here?
• Chapter 2: Honeybees: Making Smart Decisions
• Chapter 3: Termites: One Thing Leads to Another
• Chapter 4: Birds of a Feature: Secrets of Flocks, Schools, and Herds
• Chapter 5: Locusts: The Dark Sides of Crowds
• Chapter 6: Conclusion: Doing the Right Thing

While reading this book, you will be fascinated to learn about how certain species (humans as well) act in a group versus alone.  As a result, the power of a group shouldn’t be under-estimated.  If you want to read an innovative business book, then The Smart Swarm: How Understanding Flocks, Schools, and Colonies Can Make Us Better at Communicating, Decision Making, and Getting Things Done may be worth reading.

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Social Networking Humor