Networking Insight

How Event Technology is Shaping the Future of Networking by Shannon Kelly

Technology is constantly changing the way we connect with the world around us. Thanks to social media platforms like LinkedIn, we can communicate with someone halfway around the world at the click of a button. But changes in technology are not only improving online connection opportunities – face-to-face networking is also rapidly evolving as a result of technologies that have emerged in the last few years. Here’s how event technology is improving networking online and in-person.

Matching technologies make meetings more strategic.

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to networking is connecting the right people. At large events, it’s particularly difficult for attendees to form concrete connections in a room full of people they know nothing about. In the past, it was impossible to strategically pair people together without spending a ton of time manually matching participants. Today, technology can do that for you. Whether it’s connecting people based on shared interests, common goals, specific industries, experience, or job function, algorithms and software have been developed to ensure all attendees are meeting with people whose interests and experience align with their unique preferences. It’s more strategic, structured, and effective.

Social networking platforms and event apps help facilitate discussions and increase participation.

Social networking platforms and event apps are an innovative way to facilitate discussions among event attendees who don’t have the opportunity or ability to meet face-to-face. Online message boards, Q&A sessions, live streaming, and real-time polling are just some of the ways event technology is helping attendees feel more involved and engaged. In addition, some event apps allow attendees to directly message other attendees, thus allowing for one-on-one conversations among individuals who have similar interests.

Event technology helps event planners create more personalized experiences for their attendees.

Perhaps one of the most powerful parts of event technology is its innovative ability to create more personalized experiences for your event attendees. Instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach, event technology is making it possible for attendees to offer feedback, and in some cases, even on-the-spot select what types of programming and networking they want to take part in. Allowing attendees to select what types of activities, speakers, and networking sessions they’re interested in helps give each person a unique event experience and connect with the right people at the touch of their finger. In today’s fast-paced, smartphone-centric, immediate gratification driven world, that is paramount.

All in all, event technology is proving to be an important component in improving attendee event experience. Whether it’s through event apps, social networks, matching software, or more personalized event experiences, technology is enhancing networking by allowing it’s users to connect, collaborate, and communicate more efficiently and more effectively than ever before.

Interested in learning more about event technology that helps connect the right people? SpeedNetworking.com takes the traditional value of face-to-face networking and combines it with an advanced matching software to take in-person networking to the next level. It’s strategic, structured, effective, and fun! Visit speednetworking.com to learn more.

Small Talk is Huge! by Lillian Bjorseth

The content can be current chitchat; the role small talk plays, however, is far from minor.It’s an enormously important conversation starter and often determines if you want to keep talking – hence the opportunity to build a relationship – or make a quick escape.

Because the content may seem unimportant (let’s get right to the “what do you?” and “what can you do for me”), you may think it unnecessary to prepare ... and wing it. That works for the few people who can think succinctly on their feet and then articulate their thoughts fluently and effortlessly.

Gender differences in communication can also be small talk hazards. Men have three main topics in their small talk repertoire: sports, current events, business/jobs. Women have hundreds and since they disclose more about their personal lives they may run into a blank stare when they start with children and spouses.

1. Fill your small talk arsenal. Get up-to-date on current news through whatever vehicle you use and then form an opinion so you can discuss it. It’s fine if you have a divergent opinion so long as you listen to others’ and remain congenial.

2. Prepare a few questions based on the time of the year.

a. Current business news

b. Unusual weather

c. College/pro basketball/football/baseball/hockey games and standings

d. Movies and TV shows/ Oscar or Emmy nominees

e. Questions/comments about the sponsoring organization

It is generally advisable to steer clear of politics and religion.

3. Practice by yourself. Talk to yourself in the mirror and watch your expressions and gestures. Are they appropriate? Do they need honing? Don’t imitate the president who raised three fingers when he was discussing two items.

4. Practice with others. Try starting conversations with family, friends, clerks, neighbors, co-workers, wait staff, people in doctors’ waiting rooms, etc. Mentally record if you get the conversation started and if it goes in the direction you want.

5. Listen better. Use your two ears (and two eyes in person) and one mouth to your advantage. Remind yourself of the proportion as you glance in a mirror at an event ... in fact, every time you look in a mirror.

6. Look confident. You automatically appear to be more knowledgeable and someone others want to get to know.

a. Plant your feet.

b. Hold your head high.

c. Keep your shoulders back.

d. Put your chest out.

e. Hold your stomach in.

f. Make direct eye contact.

7. Observe and listen before joining a conversation in progress. Prepare your remarks and wait for an opening.

Author Bio

Lillian is a highly sought-after communication and business networking skills speaker, trainer, coach and author. The Chicago Tribune calls her a “networking expert,” and the Association Forum of Chicagoland dubs her “the business networking authority.” Her many products are essential components for excellence in networking and communication skills.

Lillian received the 2011 Wordsmith award from the National Speakers Association-Illinois Chapter and in 2010 was named Member of the Year. She was also named 2009 Outstanding Chicago Speaker by Red Carpet Concierge, a Great Women of the 21st Century and an Influential Woman in Business. Her book Breakthrough Networking: Building Relationships That Last, is in its third edition. She is a certified DiSC® trainer and a top graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Fortune 100 experience include 11 years at AT&T where she coached top executives in communication and media relations. To learn more, go to Duoforce.

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The Power of Trust in Business by August Turak

Sooner or later every executive realizes that 99 percent of the people she depends on for success don't report to her. The success of every CEO depends far more on vendors, stockholders, board members, regulators, politicians, strategic partners, the financial community, the media, and customers than it does on the relatively small number of paid employees that report to her either directly or indirectly. Leadership relies on persuasion and persuasion relies on trust. As another example, few people realize that the all-important corporate profit-and-loss statement (P&L) contains no cash or real money. It consists primarily of accounts receivable and accounts payable, which in turn are merely the promises that others make to pay us and the promises we make to pay others at some future date. Without the trust that underlies these promises commerce would grind to a halt.

My experience with the Trappist monks of Mepkin Abbey holds some valuable lessons on how to get and maintain trust.

1. Become Trustworthy. We are hardwired to seek out trust- worthy people, and to test others to see whom we can trust. But the first step is to become trustworthy ourselves. Like attracts like, and if you invest in becoming a person others can trust people whom you can trust will be attracted to you.

2. Keep Your Promises. The surest mark of a trustworthy person is one who keeps his promises. Keep small or even trivial promises because others will gauge your reliability on the big things from how you handle the little ones, even if they are not consciously aware of it.

3. Keep Promises to Yourself. It is an unfortunate human failing that we insist on virtues in others that we don't develop in ourselves. Keeping promises to yourself is closely correlated with willpower and self-control, and these virtues are essential to being trustworthy -- especially when the chips are down. Remember, willpower is like any other muscle. No matter how out of shape your willpower may be, if you engage in daily exercises like being on time you will gradually master yourself.

4. Under Commit and Over Deliver. Make sure that you only make promises that you know you can keep. We overcommit because we want people to love and respect us, yet the quickest way to lose love and respect is to fail to keep our promises. Get in the habit of writing down every promise you make, no matter how trivial. This will give you a way to manage your promise making and evaluate how well you are doing in keeping them.

5. Be Willing to Make Promises. One of the stratagems that notoriously unreliable people use is refusing to make promises in the first place. This fallacious line of reasoning argues that if you don't make any promises, you don't have to worry about breaking them. People quickly see through this strategy, and even more quickly you will get the reputation not only for unreliability but for being indecisive as well. Remember that a refusal to make a decision is just another kind of decision.

6. Protect Your Personal Brand. We usually think of a brand as something that belongs to laundry soap. But we all have a personal brand. Like a good brand manager, get in the habit of constantly asking yourself, "How will this decision affect my personal brand?" Everything you do or don't do affects your brand, and in the long run your reputation is your most valuable asset.

7. Eradicate Ambiguity. Nothing undermines trust faster than ambiguity. We default to phrases like "I'll try" in order to furnish plausible deniability when we fail to deliver. Many of the "he said, she said" controversies that produce so much friction in business are caused by ambiguous attempts by everyone involved to stay off the hook. Almost every time I run down one of these disagreements I find that the real culprit is a failure by the parties involved to be clear and specific in the first place about who is promising what to whom by when.

8. Institutionalize Promise Keeping. At our own company, RGI, we institutionalized promise keeping. Every critical task had to have its own paper trail that included a clear understanding of who was involved, the promise made, and the criteria by which the promise could be determined as fulfilled. My partners and I relentlessly managed this process, and the little bit of extra effort up front that it took to produce this paper trail paid off handsomely in time saved and ill will avoided after the fact.

9. Never Make People Ask. If you make people hound you about a promise, you have already lost half of your credibility. If one of your people is up for review and must ask you for it, you usually end up giving a bigger raise while receiving little goodwill in return. Nothing builds trust better than anticipating your obligations and delivering on them without being asked. A debt repaid before it is asked for reaps a huge dividend in trust. The money that changes hands is the same, but the trust equation is radically different.

10. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. No one can keep all their promises, but there is no excuse for a failure to communicate that we may be unable to deliver. We often avoid communicating from embarrassment or the fear of admitting failure, but this only leads others to assume that you had no intention of keeping your promise and were hoping that they would fail to notice. Get in the habit of preemptively sending status reports on your promises. If everything is going to plan you spare others from worrying, and if not you give them time to go to Plan B.

11. Aim Past the Target. It is impossible to be trustworthy in business if you are unreliable in the rest of your life. The monks of Mepkin give little thought to that narrow field called "business ethics." The trust that the monks enjoy in business merely spills over from the way they live their lives. Trust for the monks is not a business strategy or tactic; it is the natural by-product of living for a higher purpose. Conversely, if you value trust for its selfish utility value alone, you will most likely fail in your efforts.

Trust is the most powerful form of capital there is, and nothing makes a business run more smoothly than trust. In addition, trust is not a scarce resource. Like Mepkin, we can all have more of it than we need. Warren Buffett has spent his life accumulating trust, and this trust is directly responsible for the "Buffett Discount" he often gets when he buys a company. Sellers know that he will treat them honorably, and this is so valuable that they are willing to accept Buffett's offer even when richer offers are on the table. However, while trust is not a scarce resource, it is a fragile asset. Once squandered it may be impossible to regain.

Author Bio
August Turak is a successful entrepreneur, corporate executive, award winning writer and author of Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks: One CEO's Quest for Meaning and Authenticity (Columbia Business School Publishing; July 2013). He has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Selling Magazine, the New York Times, and Business Week, and is a popular leadership contributor at Forbes.com. His website is http://www.augustturak.com.

Expand Your Network by Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti

Many of us apply to job postings hoping we’ll be discovered. However, it’s not that easy and our time is too precious to waste, so taking effective steps is key. Expanding your social and personal networks are good places to start.  Recruiters suggest that more than 80% of jobs are still found through networking.  Here are 3 ways to expand your networking opportunities:

Social Media Networking

Apps and Sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ Circles, and Yahoo Groups provide online access to professionals, hiring managers and recruiters. Make sure your online profile, email discussions and photos are professional and position you in a positive way.

• LinkedIn is a networking tool that has grown exponentially.  The site once primarily used by recruiters is now an enhanced networking and job hunting platform. Users can join groups, email contacts and network with other professionals, hiring managers and recruiters.  Update your profile regularly to display your skills, get public endorsements, and list your experiences.

• Facebook is an excellent networking tool to reach friends and family, but also a great way to connect with businesses and potential employers.  Friends of friends may have job and hiring contacts of which you were not aware. By updating your status, you can come onto someone's radar who was previously was unaware of your situation.

• Google+ Circles is especially great if you already have a Gmail account.  It’s easy to add all of your contacts to your circle so that they can view your profile and other information you want to make public.  Also, it’s easy to search for and add different users to different circles – personal, professional, school, etc.

• Yahoo groups are an excellent place to find recruiting groups where the members are all recruiters and HR professionals. There are national groups as well as regional groups.

Industry Association Networking

Associations are excellent resources for meeting people and also learning new things about your industry. Join a network that aligns with your functional interest, for example, marketing, sales, or high technology. The goal of joining an association should be to meet people who are working in the firms that are most likely to hire you.

Prepare for an association meeting just as you would a job interview.

• Elevator pitch - Prepare a 10-second answer to the question "What do you do?" That lets the person know in concise terms who you are, what you do and what you are looking for. Don't prolong your discussion about not having a job. Rather discuss what you have accomplished for firms you have worked for and what skills you can offer.

• Business cards - Prepare business cards even if you don't have a job. Typical protocol at any business meeting or group is the business card exchange. Prepare a business card that has your contact information and add in key skills or expertise that will help position you. Make sure you have a personal website and add that website address to your business card.

• Resumes - Bring a stash of resumes with you. If you meet a hiring manager or a key recruiter you have your credentials right in hand. Resumes should not be handed out like business cards but rather pulled out in a discussion if there is a job opening and the person is interested. Many times associations have booths with firms and employers on site. These are good places to find out about the firm, its culture, who is hiring, and also key contacts for follow-up.

Local networking

Networking within your local community is a key way to find the local hiring managers and job openings in an informal setting. Here are some places to network.

• If you have children you may be actively engaged in a lot of school and after school activities. School activities, sport team meets, PTA and parties are all great opportunities.

• The gym is another excellent place to make new friends and expand your network. Start by attending the gym at the same time every day so that you become a familiar face to the AM crowd or the PM crowd. Another method is to sign up for a regular class and take it each week.

• Common interest groups. Meetup is an organization that posts groups that have a focused interest such as hiking, eating out or even job hunting combined with wine tasting. The Palo Alto Wine Group, for example, is one of the San Francisco Bay area's largest meetup groups started by a recruiter with a hobby of critiquing resumes while wine tasting.

About Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti

Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti is a prominent thought leader on the impact of technology on society, work and careers. She has been a visiting scholar at Stanford University's Media X program and is a former Silicon Valley executive who has held leadership positions at Apple, HP, Cisco Systems, and the Apollo Group. The author of 10 books, Dr. Wilen-Daugenti catalyzes new thinking among business leaders and employees. Dr. Wilen-Daugenti frequently contributes to The Huffington Post, the Examiner, Christian Science Monitor, and other national and international media outlets, including FOX News Live and CBS Radio. You can find more details about her and her work at TraceyWilen.com.

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How to Get a Quality Introduction from an Existing Client by Steve Fretzin

One of the first things I talk about with new clients is how to increase business through referrals.  Unfortunately for most business owners and salespeople, this is something they struggle with everyday.  What if it was made easy?  How much would your business increase if you were provided one referral from every existing client?  Even better, what if they made a quality introduction for you to a new potential client? 

The difference between a referral and a quality introduction is simple.  A referral is a lead passed on from a client that he thinks you should meet, typically including the individuals name and number.  However, this ends up being a glorified “cold call” most of the time.  A quality introduction, on the other hand, is a completely different situation.  This is an introduction by your client where he provides information about how you met, why he uses your products or services, and most importantly how you helped him solve a problem or get results. 

Now that the difference between a referral and a quality introduction has been established, we need to eliminate the “head trash” we all live with everyday.  I define “head trash” as the reservations, fears and past experiences that keep us from thinking and acting clearly to achieve the results we desire.  For example, if you aren’t currently comfortable being asked for a referral from an associate, chances are you won’t feel comfortable asking for one yourself.  Another important factor in removing “head trash” is your belief.  You must truly believe that you are the best and most qualified individual in your industry and that everyone is better off working with you more than anyone else. 

Now all you need to do is put the two parts together.  Get rid of your head trash by believing that you are helping others by asking for the referral and then upgrading the introduction by preparing the client on how to introduce you.  For example, after asking a client for an introduction, he might say “I have a great lead for you. Here’s his name and number.”  I now have to move the referral to a quality introduction by asking some background questions on the lead and replying, “Thank you, would you do me a personal favor?  Would you call your friend and give them a little background on how we met, why we started working together and the results you’ve achieved working with me?  Also, at the end of your conversation, would you make sure that he will accept my call?”  In some cases I will actually role-play the conversation with my client to insure he knows how to handle the introduction properly. 

Try to eliminate the “head trash” and try out this approach with your happiest clients.   You’ll see the difference in the introductions you receive, how receptive they are to meet with you and most importantly, their interest in doing business with you. 

Steve Fretzin is an Owner, Coach, and Mentor with Sales Results, Inc. and the author Sales-Free Selling.

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Personal Branding by Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti

What is a personal brand?

Corporations promote their brands to increase visibility, public awareness and sales (e.g. Nike, Apple, etc.).  A personal brand allows individuals to highlight and promote themselves professionally.

Why is a personal brand important?

83% of recruiters use search engines to research candidates.  23% of professionals Google search people before meeting with them.  The explosion of social media makes branding more important.  Facebook has 850 million members, Twitter 500 million, LinkedIn 161 million, YouTube 4 billion video views per day.  Your personal brand can reach across all social media platforms to recruiters, potential employers, networks, clients, etc.

Build your own personal brand

Do you have a brand? Personal brands are increasingly important especially in the workplace. Start by deciding what you want your brand to be and who the people are who have brands that you admire. Second, ask people for feedback on their perception of your brand. Are you viewed as a leader, a thinker, a team player, a star salesperson? Your actions will speak your brand. Are you dressing and speaking the part? Every interaction with someone at work effects the perception of how people view your brand and thus your capabilities.

What should I remember in building my personal brand?

1. Make a list of your skills and talents – What are your strengths, weaknesses?

2. List concrete examples of your accomplishments – how have you added value to your organizations.

3. Identify personal traits you have that set you apart from other – Are you more productive late at night? Do you have a gift for helping others to speak up?

4. Clarify your goals – Where do you want to be in 6 months, 5 years, etc.?

5. Find ways to enhance your brand – Look for new opportunities at work, take classes, research that idea for a new project or business.

6. Look for ways to increase your visibility – teach classes, volunteer, start a blog.

7. Know what you’re talking about – make yourself an expert in your area and people will look to you for information.

8. Think big and reevaluate your brand periodically.

What should I avoid doing?

1. Expecting instant rock-stardom. Building your brand takes time and patience.

2. Deceiving yourself about your strengths and weaknesses – if you see a problem, others will too.

3. Letting your personal brand become stale – continuous improvement is key.

4. Being inconsistent – make sure your plan supports your goals.

5. Feeling guilty for promoting yourself – if you don’t do it, who will?

6. Hesitating to ask others for input – fresh eyes.

7. Being closed to new opportunities – you never know where they will lead you.

8. Losing your focus – remember the goals.

About Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti

Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti is a prominent thought leader on the impact of technology on society, work and careers. She has been a visiting scholar at Stanford University's Media X program and is a former Silicon Valley executive who has held leadership positions at Apple, HP, Cisco Systems, and the Apollo Group. The author of 10 books, Dr. Wilen-Daugenti catalyzes new thinking among business leaders and employees. Dr. Wilen-Daugenti frequently contributes to The Huffington Post, the Examiner, Christian Science Monitor, and other national and international media outlets, including FOX News Live and CBS Radio. You can find more details about her and her work at TracyWilen.com.

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How to Boost Your Business through Referrals by Steve Fretzin

One of the best ways to build your business is through referrals. Unfortunately, for most business owners and salespeople, referral business does not come without some hard work. If only there were easier ways to increase clients through referrals. How much would your business increase if you were provided with one referral from every existing client?

Even better, what if your existing client provided you with a quality introduction to a new prospective client? The difference between a referral and a quality introduction is simple, but significant. A referral is a lead passed on from a client which typically includes just the individuals name and contact information. However, this lead ends up as a glorified “cold call” most of the time. A quality introduction, on the other hand, is a completely different opportunity. It’s a more personal introduction by your client that includes an endorsement about why this client relies on your products or services, and most importantly, how you helped the client to solve a problem or achieve results.

Next, we should eliminate the “head-trash” that we all burden ourselves with every day. I define “head-trash” as the reservations, fears, and negative past experiences that keep us from thinking and acting clearly to achieve the results we desire. For example, if you aren’t currently comfortable when asked for a referral from an associate, chances are you won’t feel comfortable asking for one yourself. Another important factor in removing “head trash” is your confidence. You must truly believe that you are the best and most qualified individual in your industry to do the job.

Now, put the two parts together. Eliminate your head-trash by believing that you are helping others by asking for the referral. Then, upgrade the introduction by preparing your existing client for your introduction. For example, after asking a client for an introduction, he might say “I have a great lead for you. Here’s his name and number.” Now is the time to move the referral to a quality introduction by asking a few background questions about the prospect, and replying, “Thank you, would you do me a personal favor? Would you call your friend and give them a little background about how we met, why we started working together, and the results you’ve achieved since working with me? Also, at the end of your conversation, would you make sure that he will accept my call?” In most cases, your existing client is more than happy to comply with this request.

Try to eliminate “head-trash” and give this approach a try with your happiest and most loyal clients. You’ll see the difference in the introductions you receive, how receptive they are to meet with you, and most importantly, their interest in doing business with you.

About Steve Fretzin

Driven, focused and passionate about helping business professionals reach their full potential, Steve Fretzin is a Chicago area premiere business coach, speaker and author. He provides one-on-one coaching, group training and seminars through Sales Results Inc., a company he founded. In addition to Sales Results Inc., Fretzin oversees Team Discovery, LLC, the American Club Association, and Networking Monkey, LLC, the number one ranked portal on Google for Chicago area networking events.

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What are the Benefits of Building Strong Business Relationships? by Jaguar PC

 

Whatever your line of business, the ability to build strong, long-lasting relationships is likely to be a key factor in determining whether you will be successful for any length of time. Like relationships in any area of life, finding the people you want to be close to and build one with can take a long time, and it might need a lot of effort on your part to ensure that it continues to work.

What are the key relationships that businesses should look to establish, why are they so important, and what are the best ways to maintain them?

Customer Loyalty

If you don’t have a relationship with your customers or clients, then you don’t have a sustainable business. It really is as simple and as brutal as it sounds. It doesn’t matter whether you are a B2B or B2C company; if you can’t get this right then you’re nowhere.

Why is customer loyalty so important?

When you are looking for new customers, you need to be able to demonstrate what you do well. What is the better option? The business that has had a core of customers loyal to them for months and years, or one that doesn’t have many regular customers? We know who we’d be dealing with.

Building customer relationships is easy, and is based primarily around providing quality products or services, and being a great communicator. Get those two elements right, and you’ll be well on your way.

Building Business Bridges

One type of relationship that businesses often neglect are those with other businesses. While you’re not going to want to buddy up with a fierce competitor, there are ways you can work with other business, for example those in your local area, so that mutual benefits are enjoyed.

This might mean giving recommendations to customers who are seeking the service of another business, or even marketing a selection of their products or services through a referral or affiliate program. Mutually beneficial business relationships will be formed quickly and easily if you’re willing to reach out and talk to others.

Making Your Business Grow

Such relationships can have a huge impact on the growth potential of businesses. Let us look at businesses in a local area, for example. By forming a local business council, for example, these companies can work together to find ways of better targeting the local community so that everyone receives greater exposure. This will often happen as a consequence of a major retailer, such as a supermarket, moving into the local area, but there’s nothing to stop it being a powerful alliance at any other time, either.

Taking the point further, small businesses could agree to work together in shared space, or split the costs of common sundry supplies, for example, both of which will free up cash for the business to use to stimulate growth or invest in other areas.

The Opportunity is There

Opportunities to benefit from such relationships are staring businesses in the face, there just seems to be a reluctance to take advantage of it. If your business has the chance to work with another which will have benefits for you both, reach out, discuss your ideas, and move forward. It could be the most productive thing you could do for your business.

This article is written by Jaguar PC, providers of managed VPS hosting with 24/7 professional support and daily backups.

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Getting Tangible Business Out of Networking by Steve Fretzin

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting with one of Chicagoland’s top networkers. This gentleman is very well connected and admired by many business people. He enjoys meeting new people and is the kind of person who gives selflessly to almost everyone he meets. After about thirty minutes of discussion, he confessed something very interesting to me. He said that he wasn't getting enough tangible business for the time he was investing in his networking.

This problem is an unfortunate reality about networking that most people face. While giving is still the most important element of networking, doing so without a smart strategy can lead to poor results. To better understand a strategy as it relates to networking, consider a talent scout. A talent scout doesn’t randomly head out into the world searching the streets for a new actress. He also understands that true talent is rare and that most of the people he meets will not end up becoming a star. In networking, we encounter the same challenges as the scout. Approximately 90% of the people we connect with are not going to end up becoming valuable strategic partners. They simply may not have the right set of contacts or business focus that you need in a strategic partnership. In order to properly scout out the best and brightest people to partner with, here are the four key criteria for a solid networking partner:

1. Must be Likeable – In order to create a long term and productive relationship with another business professional, it is imperative that you actually like one another. Finding someone that you could be friends with will help out tremendously in building trust and becoming friends.

2. Must be Trustworthy – While it may be difficult to discover in an initial one hour networking meeting, try to give your new prospective partner a few tasks to work on for you. This will help you to better understand their ability to follow up and stand behind commitments. Missed calls or rescheduling multiple appointments are warning signs that this person may not follow through very well or have enough time for you.

3. Must be an Expert – One of the worst feelings you can have is referring the wrong person to one of your friends or clients. If you have a clear understanding of someone’s skill sets and their ability to follow through, it will help you determine if they are referable. Look for online recommendations, testimonials, and an overall track record of accomplishments.

4. Must have a Network – As you can imagine, it’s difficult to obtain referrals if your new friend doesn’t know anyone. Find a new strategic partner who is “wired in” to the marketplace. Although the average person has an average of over 200 connections, someone with many high level connections will fast track your success in building your business. As a best practice, create a mental or physical check list as you’re meeting new people. Rate them on these four criteria to help you determine which new connections will provide you with the most value. As an avid networker myself, it’s my nature to meet with everyone and try to help them all out. While this approach might be a terrific karma building exercise, it’s not the most effective networking tactic. Keep in mind that your most precious asset is your time. By networking with intelligence, you will manage your time and expectations of others more successfully to achieve the best results.

About Steve Fretzin

Driven, focused and passionate about helping business professionals reach their full potential, Steve Fretzin is a Chicago area premiere business coach, speaker and author. He provides one-on-one coaching, group training and seminars through Sales Results Inc., a company he founded. In addition to Sales Results Inc., Fretzin oversees Team Discovery, LLC, the American Club Association, and Networking Monkey, LLC, the number one ranked portal on Google for Chicago area networking events. In addition, Steve is the author of Sales- Free Selling, which explores the lives of three business professionals who are struggling to make it in a competitive and negatively-charged environment where traditional methodologies of selling are simply not working.

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9 Steps For Creating The Best Odds For Success by Bill McBean

When you run a business, there are always some certainties as you look into the future. You know your best competitors will work to become better. You know your customers will demand more. You know you'll have to work smarter and harder every day to improve your bottom line.

You should also know that this year brings with it new taxation and new regulations that may add expenses and affect the way you operate your business. And of course, you face the usual headaches and worries that come with the day-to-day business of "running a business".

However, if you take a long hard look at a few critical pieces and put a plan in place right now, you can have a much more prosperous year. A suggestion would be to break down your planning into what you need to do internally -- with processes, employees, yourself, etc. -- and what you need to do externally -- with customers, marketing campaigns, and so on.

Below are 9 steps that can help you to increase your odds for success this year:

1. Evaluate your leadership

2. Do a top-to-bottom walk-through of your systems and procedures

3. Kick off a cost-cutting, gross-profit-building mission

4. Re-engage employees

5. Set some realistic, specific goals for the year ahead and really go for it

6. Boost your product/service offerings

7. Revamp your marketing campaign

8. Find new ways to impress loyal customers

9. Get knowledgeable about economic/tax changes and how they'll affect you

Bill McBean is author of The Facts of Business Life: What Every Successful Business Owner Knows that You Don't, spent many of his nearly forty years as a successful business owner in the automobile industry where, among many other achievements, he purchased several underperforming dealerships and turned them into a successful business enterprise with yearly sales of more than $160 million. Since selling the company to the world's largest automotive retailer, AutoNation, McBean has been involved in several new businesses, including McBean Partners, an investment and business mentoring company, and Net Claims Now, which provides administrative services and support to the restoration industry. For more information please visit http://factsofbusinesslife.com and follow the author on Facebook.

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