When Networking Makes The News

By Peter Biadasz
Southern Plains Bureau Chief
(Missouri, Arkensas, Louisiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico)

Recently I had the honor of being interviewed by a statewide newspaper for an article about business networking. On July 23, 2008 The Journal Record ran as its headline front page story, Wheel and deal over a meal: The business of business networking. Reporter Heather Caliendo began the article by stating “During any given week, industry groups meet with one purpose in mind: generating more business.” In the article she touched on referral clubs, networking events, tip groups, Rotary clubs, City chambers of commerce gatherings, Business Network International (BNI) and the quickly growing Gold Star organization. At the end of the article Heather quoted me and noted that I am a writer for The National Networker. It is always nice when networking is in the news.

The article deals primarily with business networking as it is in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While Oklahoma City and other parts of the state of Oklahoma have some good networking activity, Tulsa has set itself apart in the networking community. On any given month in Tulsa there are at least 42 networking groups meeting either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Some are open groups in which anyone can participate; some are closed groups in which only one representative from an industry is allowed. In addition, the Tulsa Chamber has a breakfast network every other month which averages over 200 attendees every time. They also have a business after hour’s showcase every other month in which 250-500 people attend every time. Every August they also have a Restaurant After Hours event which is enjoyed by 500-700 people. If you are ever in Tulsa feel free to visit these events. You will never forget the massive amount of networking that occurs at these gatherings.

Enter into discussion the business of networking: there are two types of businesses in existence, for profit and not for profit. This also exists within the business networking community. The article compared two for profit networking companies, BNI and Gold Star. It appears I was interjected into the article to act as referee, noting that I “witness the competition among networking organizations up close” and I feel that “regardless of which networking group people join, members will most likely be successful” if they work the group as a proficient and professional networker.

Everyone in a networking group is there to improve their business and make money. “It’s no different with the business of networking because Gold Star, BNI, they are businesses to make money” I am quoted again. Then we get to the bottom line. “From my independent perspective, when the bad-mouthing hits my way, I say this is all about networking – let’s put the business of networking aside.” Interpretation - No matter what type of networking organization you are involved in, there is always enough business and a wealth of business relationships, to go around for all networkers involved.

As an unbiased reporter who has been involved in Business networking, both as a participant, teacher and author, for nearly 20 years, I suggest to anyone who asks to find a group your are comfortable in considering the personality of the group, the business you can give and receive, and with the financial obligations, if any, of being involved in the group. I feel that Tulsa has set a great year round-model for business networking. The Tulsa Metro Chamber calls it the Networking Circuit.

I encourage you to contact your local and/or state newspapers to promote the networking activities in which you participate. Let’s keep business networking in the news.
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When Networking Makes The News

TNNW, August, 2008, Week 2: Lynn Spencer Joins TNNW

The idea for The National Networker came to me when I made the startling discovery for myself that NETWORKING IS AN INDUSTRY. And while this may be quite intuitive now, back in 2004 when if first discovered this and spoke to others, their eyes would glaze over.

One of the ways I discovered this relatively young industry is when I began to compare networking organizations to mutual funds, bond funds and investment funds...how are they alike?

Simple...they're ASSETS! Here's my reasoning:
1.) They are something in which you invest (money and/or time) in the hopes that they will yield a favorable return
2.) They are "managed" by one or more individuals whom you hope will add value to your bottom line, and
3.) They have a constantly-evolving portfolio of holdings

Why do I talk about this? Because this month, we have a new Financial Services Editor. What I find so fascinating is how alike, yet how different these two industries are (read my Ten Laws of Relationship Capital series to see for yourself). Nonetheless, most banks that I know of still do not accept Relationship Capital...yet!

So since finances are important, as is Financial Capital, it is with great pleasure that I introduce Lynn Spencer, CEO of Futures by Design, LLC, and Oklahoma City-based organization. Lynn is a licensed Financial Advisor and an author as well. WELCOME ABOARD LYNN!!!

As always, I look forward to Networking with you...

- Adam

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TNNW, August, 2008, Week 2: Lynn Spencer Joins TNNW

Networking is Building Community, Part 2

Power Thought of the Week

By Patricia Parham, Ph.D.
Contributing Writer

Opposites Compliment

Knowing persons with an opposite approach to your business often leads to competition and avoidance. This person, however, might be your best partner – especially if both of you are successful. What could you learn from one another? Do you come across clients more open to their way of doing business? And vice-versa? Would you benefit from a formal referral relationship? Look for value in unexpected places.
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Networking is Building Community, Part 2

Using BlogRush

Networking Your Website with Rita Wilhelm

Would you like an easy way to drive more traffic to your blog? Consider joining a “Cooperative Syndication Network” such as BlogRush, which is a free service created by internet marketing guru John Reese.

BlogRush uses a widget that each member places on their blog. The widget lists 5 clickable headlines of 5 other member bloggers who have similar audiences.

The system is completely automated. Whenever you have a page load on your blog, you earn a “syndication credit”. This syndication credit will place your recent blog headline within the widget, on someone else’s blog. So if you have 500 page loads on your blog, you will enjoy having the headline of your recent post show up within the widget of other blogs 500 times. You can also earn referral credits, giving you even more exposure.

A concern for some people is that the link to other bloggers will make people leave your site. That is not the case. The clickable headline opens up a new window, so that your visitor does not leave your site when they click the headline.

BlogRush will work on almost any blog, as long as the blogging software allows JavaScript as well as an active RSS feed. It does not work on the hosted version of Wordpress at Wordpress.com.

BlogRush takes just 5 minutes to set up. You simply go to BlogRush.com, register for free, enter some information about your blog, and then copy and paste a snippet of code onto your own blog.

With BlogRush, your blog will receive exposure on other sites. It’s a great way to get discovered by new people within your target audience.

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Using BlogRush

Social Networking Now: Business Casual May be Too Fancy

By Terry Bean
Social Networking Editor

Go ahead, take your tie off.

Don’t worry about your purse matching your pumps.

Wearing your nametag on the right or left (it goes on the right btw) lapel simply won’t matter here.

Where is this networking utopia of which I speak? Online, of course.

Conversations and connections now move at the speed of light (or at least as fast as your bandwidth will allow).

Social networking sites are popping up every day. It seems like the more connections one has on linkedin or facebook, the move invites they get to new sites. What is your strategy? Do you immediately setup a profile on each new site or do you wait until you have multiple invites to it?

There are so many social networking sites because they can make a significant impact on our lives. I think the coolest new trend is how the sites are becoming very niche. I am not suggesting that we need more sites. However I do think that finding places where you have strong commonalities with people instantly aid in the relationship building process.

It’s interesting how much easier it is for us to connect with one another. I can research people’s profiles all night long or I can actually go and see which of my “friends” “connections” or “followers” are actually online in an instant and strike up conversation.

And isn’t a conversation what Networking is all about? The difference is when your conversations are online, it doesn’t matter what you look like. While people may judge you by your photo, they will definitely judge you by the quality of the information you share.

I was on a social media panel about 4 months ago and we were asked a very interesting question: “If Facebook and Linkedin were in a wrestling match and Twitter was the referee, who would win?” It’s important to note that I was on the panel as a networking pro and the other 3 were there as social media experts. At the time, I didn’t know what Twitter was. The other 3 members did and all suggested that Twitter would win the match. Can you imagine a referee winning a wrestling match? Evidently they can if they foster proper communication and let you be your casual self.

Stay Social and Be Networked!

Terry Bean

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Social Networking Now: Business Casual May be Too Fancy

How’s Your Economy?

By Lynn D. Spencer

Financial Services Editor

I’m not asking how the nation’s economy is. We all know it’s not as healthy and strong as it should or could be. I’m asking you: how is your economy?

It’s easy for any of us to sit back and point out every reason why our nation’s economy is not what it should be. High oil and gas prices top the list followed by high housing costs, food, utilities, and the list goes on. Not to mention the war in Iraq driving up the national debt at an unprecedented rate. I think most people would all agree that our nation’s economy is struggling.

But what about our own personal economy? How are we doing financially as an individual or as a family? Chances are, if we are honest with ourselves, most people would say “not too good.” But most people blame the nation’s economy for their own personal economy being in trouble. After all, if gas prices weren’t so high, and if it didn’t cost so much to buy a home, buy groceries, etc., we’d all be better off, right?

Well, here’s the reality. We can’t control the price of gas, food, utilities, and so many other things we rely on. Most things we as consumers are buying these days are necessities not luxuries. So if we can’t control the prices of the things we need to live, what can we do to better manage our own economy?

The answer is most likely right in your hand on payday. Whether you get a paycheck or a paystub showing your direct deposit, your income statement is absolutely in your control. Here’s what I’m saying. If you can’t control how much you have to spend, then start looking at how much you need to make in order to live life as fully and comfortably as you want to live. Unless you’re born into unlimited wealth, you’re probably trading your time for money. Most people get up 5 days a week, commute to a j.o.b. they really don’t like, work for someone they really don’t want to work for, and accept far too little compensation for their time. In case you’re wondering, j.o.b. stands for “just over broke”. And these days, it may not even be that good.

So what’s the answer? Start working for yourself, at least part time, until your self-produced income far exceeds your j.o.b. income. It’s not nearly as hard to be successful working for yourself as most people think it is. It’s simply a matter of educating yourself on the most lucrative “niche” opportunities out there, finding someone who has been very successful in that field, and asking them to mentor you. That’s called “networking”.

Believe me, when it comes to going broke slowly, I know what I’m talking about. I’ve managed to do that twice in my life. Yes – imagine that. A guy who has been bankrupt twice writing a financial article giving other’s advice. Well, here’s the rest of the story, and why I have now earned the right to freely share my advice with anyone who will listen.

You see, in the past two and a half years I have gone from completely broke to paying off over $340,000 in debts (including a home) and now earn over a million dollars per year. How did I do it? How can you do it?

I did exactly what I just spelled out for you. I found the right “niche” opportunity, found a highly successful person to be my mentor, and did exactly what he had done to become successful. Yes, I “networked” myself. And that was the smartest decision I could have ever made for me and my family.

So what is that hot new niche market that could change your life just as it changed mine? Rapid debt elimination without changing your current lifestyle or budget. No, I’m not talking about traditional debt roll-downs or going on some kind of financial diet, I’m talking about leveraging the money you already earn to eliminate mass amounts of interest you would otherwise have to pay.

By far, the fastest and best program to accomplish this seemingly miraculous feat is the Money Merge Account from United First Financial. Heralded as the “Entrepreneur of the Year” in the financial services category for the western U.S. region by Ernst & Young, United First Financial has proven to be the most powerful new program of its kind for rapid debt elimination and wealth creation. And it’s not just networkers that are attracted to this unique and potentially lucrative opportunity.

Brad Farris, owner of the oldest and most successful mortgage company in Springfield Missouri, Farris Mortgage, publicly talks to anyone who listens to his weekly radio show about how much the Money Merge account has helped him knock years off from his own personal mortgage without changing his monthly payment. And Brad is not the only mortgage professional to see the huge benefits of the Money Merge Account from U First Financial.

Aubrey Roberts, president of the Oklahoma Mortgage Brokers Association and owner of Roberts Mortgage in OKC, is actively training all of his loan officers to offer the Money Merge Account to every client. In an environment where most mortgage companies are either struggling or out of business, because of the Money Merge Account, Roberts Mortgage is growing and recruiting! Bill Hackley, long time financial advisor and owner of U.S. Retirement & Tax Benefits in Fort Worth Texas, has literally put his thriving insurance and annuity business on hold to build his new U First business. Bill says it simply makes more sense than anything he has ever seen in his financial career. Terry Kingsberry, long time licensed financial planner in the Norman Oklahoma area says “anyone who does not get their free analysis run to see just how powerful the program can be for them is simply throwing away their hard earned money.”

And no surprise here, so far the number one income earner inside the ranks of U First agents is long time networker Barry Elrod who lives in Chicago. Barry says he has never seen anything like the United First Financial opportunity. Now earning more money per month than most people do in a year, Barry will tell you that whether you’re a white collar professional, a single mom, a regular blue worker, experienced or new to networking – you owe it to yourself to take a serious look at United First Financial.

Whether you decide to become an agent, go through the proven “earn while you learn” training system and be assigned a professional mentor or not; just becoming a client on the program can help almost anyone eliminate their debt and become financially free faster than they ever imagined possible.

And here’s the best part: if enough people improve their own personal or family economy, spend and invest more money, the nation’s economy improves automatically. This writer believes that citizens should stop looking to the government or solutions and start looking at ourselves. Think about it; if hundreds of thousands (and possibly millions) of families become debt free fast, just think what an incredible impact that could have on our economy.

So, the next time someone brings up the word “economy” I want you to ask yourself these two important questions. “How is my own personal economy? And what am I doing to improve it?”

____________________________________________________________________

Lynn D. Spencer is President & CEO of Futures by Design, LLC. Lynn is also a Sr. Executive Branch Manager and Sr. Advisory Board Member with United First Financial, and a licensed Financial Advisor with the State of Oklahoma. In the past two years Lynn and his team of financial professionals have saved American Homeowners over $50 Million in interest in the last two years through cutting edge debt reduction strategies. Lynn’s office is at 1700 S. Broadway, Suite H., Moore, OK 73160 (405) 237-3800

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How’s Your Economy?

Entrepreneurial Ways of Connecting in the Northwest

By Lori Richardson

Northwest Bureau Chief
(Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Alaska)

When I first started reporting for The National Networker about all things networked in the Northwest, I was surprised at the lack of sites available to help me learn about many of the states I cover. In a "summer special" edition here, I have reviewed each state again, and am pleased to find such robust resources for entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to grow and learn through networking.

This is the year of the joint venture or strategic alliance, according to Thomson Financial. With that being said, make sure you get out there -- be seen, and get connected.

Alaska:

http://www.accessak.org/ Access Alaska

Idaho:

http://www.gaebler.com/help-for-Idaho-entrepreneurs.htm Gaebler Ventures

Montana:

http://www.matr.net/companies.phtml?cat=23 Montana Associated Technology Roundtables

Oregon:

http://www.oen.org/ Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

Washington:

http://www.nwen.org/ Northwest Entrepreneur Network

http://www.mitwa.org/ MIT Enterprise Forum

http://www.iloveseattle.org/ - The Seattle Networking Guide

Wyoming:

http://www.venturewest.org/ Wyoming Innovations Network

And don't forget great web-based, "virtual sites" to connect with others - if you want my "Dirty Dozen for Entrepreneurs" list, send me an email at lori@scoremoresales.com

_______________________________________________________________________

Lori Richardson writes, speaks, and trains about sales effectiveness, networking, building strategic alliances and asset-based thinking for sales professionals. She is a regular blogger for All Business, owned by Dun & Bradstreet, and also writes for have a dozen other sites. Reach her at www.scoremoresales.com

Score More Sales

(206) 972-0265

lori@scoremoresales.com Join the Asset-Based Thinking discussion on Facebook

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Entrepreneurial Ways of Connecting in the Northwest

Specializing in Enthusiasm - Tapped Into the Source!

By Anne Kelley
Southeast Bureau Chief
(the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi)

How could I possibly resist the line: "Specializing in Enthusiasm - Tapped Into the Source!"? Of course I wanted to know more!

That is the tag line that closes Benjamin Turpin’s email. I know Ben and it is certainly true. Ben is a Christian, a husband, a father of three, a master (of Dutch, his chocolate lab) a friend, a businessman, a salesman, a coach and a good listener. His is also half of the Inspiration Agents team (www.inspirationagents.com) that helps bring networking to a different level. I have enjoyed many of their seminars over the past few years as well as attended hosted events in Atlanta. Not only to the attendees learn new or improve upon their networking skills – they also network for their businesses as a result of the format of the meetings.

The newest launch for The Inspiration Agents is Leads To Business. This closed networking group has Hubs rather than teams and each Hub is owned by an individual, not the Inspiration Agents. There is a standard format and agenda for the weekly meetings with different formats for each week keeping things fresh and interesting. Once a month the weekly meeting is “open” to allow guests from any category to visit even thought that seat may be “owned” by someone on the team. The non-intimidating way of sharing leads is also unique to this networking group, yet everyone that attends leaves with a lead or referral. I have seen this system work in an open networking luncheon of about 70 people. Needless to say I was skeptical at first and totally impressed as I left the meeting.

The annual membership is currently $250 with a $25 application fee to secure your seat in the Hub. Meeting fees apply to cover food or room cost depending on the location of the hub meeting.

The exciting thing about the Leads To Business group for me is that it is connecting members from the Sarasota, Florida area hubs to members of the Metro Atlanta hubs by way of a member only website that features profiles, blogs, networking ideas and education.

Also available is a new tool for preparing your “elevator speech” ( www.elevatorspeechbuilder.com ). I know this is always a challenge for me. What do I say that will make an impression? How can I tell someone what I do in just 60 seconds? For me, it is about creating enough interest to be able to talk later. I always envy the people that can stand up and totally engage a room full of people when they speak. The Elevator Speech Builder will help you do just that. Increasing your confidence level is always a bonus in sales!

As interest grows in other states it will be exciting to see this close contact member network helping our businesses grow. As Ben says, “the object of the exercise is the building of a better networking mouse trap -- one that does what networking is intended to do and that is get people more business, without intimidation.

This month’s question is….What do you do to make your elevator speech more exciting? What works well for you? I will share your responses in next month’s column.

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Specializing in Enthusiasm - Tapped Into the Source!

Executive Networking

By Andy Lopata
UK Bureau Chief

“None of us is as smart as all of us”. The strapline for Footdown sums up the focus of an increasing number of Chief Executive and Leadership networks in the UK.

There is a growing recognition that there is no need for business leaders to plough on alone, learning from their own mistakes and having to hide any vulnerability in order to set a strong lead. While support for CEOs may be hard to come by within their own organisations, many have discovered the benefits of working closely with others in a similar position to themselves.

Footdown is a mentoring and peer group for entrepreneurs, directors and senior executives. It was founded by British entrepreneur, Andrew Mercer, who had sold his software company to the technology giant Oracle in 1998. Rather than basking in his success, Mercer recognised his shortcomings as a businessman and opportunities he had missed. He felt that, with more support at critical stages of the company’s growth, the success of his business could have been so much greater and it could have been publicly listed.

Mercer believed that the creation of a group environment for people in a similar position to share their experiences, discuss challenges and offer solutions would help other people achieve more than he had been able to. His approach wasn’t unique, nor was it new. Such groups have been operating in the UK for a number of years and worldwide for over half a century.

Vistage International was founded as The Executive Committee (TEC) by Wisconsin businessman Robert Nourse in 1957 for similar reasons and they now have a worldwide presence. Richard Alberg was a member of TEC for five years before he sold his psychometric testing company in November 2006. He found the process invaluable.

“When I joined TEC I did not have a strategic direction for my business. My objectives were growing the business whilst avoiding going bust. TEC helped me think about strategy and exit. I sold the business in 2006 and it was guidance from my TEC group and chairman that helped me appreciate what I needed to do to make my business attractive and valuable.”

Richard joined originally because he realised that he was learning on the job and making a lot of mistakes. As the head of the organisation, there was no-one for him to bounce ideas off, or to be inspired by. In his TEC group he found that he had a sounding board for ideas and people who would hold him to account for his actions, a key need for a business leader.

For Jo Wright, a member of Footdown in Bath, the support of her Leadership group is equally as important. When she joined, Jo had moved through her organisation, Feilden Clegg Bradley, to the position of Finance Partner, despite her training as an architect rather than as an accountant.

When the Senior Partners approached Jo to become Managing Partner, the members of her Footdown group took her through an evaluation process to help her decide whether the position would be right for her and how to make it work, without losing touch with the design side that brought her into the business in the first place.

“It’s given me more of a feel for the business side of the practice”, said Jo. “I now have a much better insight into how businesses operate and are led and therefore it’s moving towards making me more effective as a potential leader for this business.”

Having founded The Academy for Chief Executives (ACE) in 1996, Brian Chernett has seen similar stories in a number of their groups. “In one group alone there have been nine members selling their businesses for more than £3m. They would tell you that this had a lot to do with the support and help of the group.”

ACE was formed as Brian felt that TEC’s approach could be improved. “At the time I was working for our major competitor – TEC (Vistage) - and felt that there was a need to focus more on the softer skills of leadership and this didn’t appear to be a belief cherished by the American operators of TEC. Therefore I left to set up the Academy. Today you will find the processes very similar to those within Vistage but the philosophy is very different.”

Like Footdown and many similar groups, ACE follows a very recognisable format, with an expert speaker working in the group before lunch and a session in the afternoon that Brian calls “the Board you could never afford and the agenda you could never have” where members share their challenges and find the solutions to overcome them. Like other groups, members will meet with the Group Chairman once a month for a 1:2:1 coaching session.

John Cremer, a business speaker who runs an improvisation company, The Maydays, finds that the ‘softer’ approach of ACE works very well for his group.

“I find with ACE there is a feeling of continuity and sharing as equals, more like a family” said John. “I think this is due to the emphasis placed on personal as well as professional development, they are seen as inseparable.

“This seems to make differences in status or income level between members largely irrelevant.”

The personal development opportunities clearly stand out for John. “To see a fellow member rapidly make a huge and difficult shift in his personal life as a direct result of robust feedback from the group is priceless. I doubt he could have made such a transformation elsewhere.”

Roger Harrop, a CEO Expert, who has spoken to over 50 such groups and is a former ACE Speaker of the Year said, “I love working with these groups – the members are generally highly motivated and totally trusting of their fellow group members. This means that objective and meaningful discussion takes place, real actions agreed and, most importantly, each is held to account by the others.”

The trust that Roger speaks of is one of the main keys to success of such groups. It is important for members to feel confident sharing core concerns and to be completely open with their colleagues.

Confidentiality, respect and trust are cornerstones for all of the Leadership groups. Jay Hale, Co-Chairman of The Midlands Leadership Group, recognises that the levels of trust between members are integral not only to encouraging openness and honesty when discussing challenges, but also to the long-term success of the group. Jay’s group actively discourages trading between members.

“Business between members introduces a reason not to be totally open and frank in the issue sessions. There are some things that you might not wish to share with a customer or supplier”, said Jay. “Such activities can weaken the group and cause a rift if things don’t go right. We have heard stories about groups in other organisations breaking up because of commercial disputes between members, although I don’t know if they are true.”

According to David Glassman, a Vistage Group Chairman, the pressures on a modern CEO mean that leadership groups play an important role in encouraging strong decision making, relieve the isolation on business leaders and act as a vital check on hasty actions.

“Groups of peers help in decision making”, said David. “Given the relentlessness of the pressures on CEOs they might not have thought of all the relevant aspects of an issue.

“Equally, CEOs usually have no one to whom they are truly accountable. Often their chairmen, NEDs and functional heads do not challenge at all, let alone constructively, and their (marriage) partners do not inhabit the same planets in terms of being able to understand their business needs.

“CEOs recognise that they are isolated because often they are not fully informed and they feel that they dare not expose their doubts and vulnerabilities even to their key lieutenants. In a group environment, they can discuss proposed changes within a trusted group of colleagues where absolute confidentiality rules. It is cheaper to make mistakes in a presentation to such colleagues who offer (and receive) peer advice from experience and with goodwill than it is to proceed with a project that later has to be aborted.”

‘Networking’ means different things to different people. In the case of groups such as these, it’s not about new business generation, selling to each other or referrals. Instead, the focus is on collaboration, support, feedback, self-development and mentoring.

Pilar Martinez-Vidal, is the MD of Impulse International, a global courier firm located close to Heathrow Airport.

“I wanted to focus more upon the future, but I was too entrenched in the day-to-day running of Impulse. I felt overworked and isolated. When you are in such a position, you can’t share doubts with your staff because they look to you to lead.

“Mentoring makes you accountable to somebody, which pushes you harder to achieve what you’ve set out to do. I have quarterly targets I set with my one-to-one mentor, which I have to report back on. In the group mentoring sessions, my peers act as my non-executive directors.

“It has helped me focus.”

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Executive Networking

TNNW, August, 2008, Week 1: TNNW Welcomes "New" New England Bureau Chief

Now that the "dog days" of summer are officially here, most of us are looking for anything to keep us cool. Even at times, offline business networking seems to slow down, as many networking organizations plan vacations and exist in a summertime hibernation, ready to awaken for the busy Fall Season right around the corner.

Of course this time of year is also one of the best times to take a holiday/vacation, and many folks in the U.S. like to take off to the cooler climes of New England. We are proud to have a new Bureau Chief to serve as the successor to the Emonds after their departure to the Southeast U.S. Noelle Southwick, life coach from Massachusetts submits her first article this week and we're happy to have her on board. WELCOME NOELLE!

As always, I look forward to networking with you...

- Adam
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TNNW, August, 2008, Week 1: TNNW Welcomes "New" New England Bureau Chief

Networking is Building Community, Part 1

Power Thought of the Week

By Patricia Parham, Ph.D.
Contributing Writer

Power Networking

Think of networking as community building. Visualize community as all persons within the area connected to each other, directly or indirectly, like a huge spider web. Communities gain strength when the connections are conscious, concrete and constructive. Look for linkages everywhere – in opposing ideologies and approaches, as well as in complementary ones. Each one’s success or failure impacts us all.
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Networking is Building Community, Part 1

How Much Evidence Do You Need?

Strategy: What Say You? with Jay Deragon

The mass of evidence builds. The old are now writing about the new. The new are writing about the old that get it. Then there are those writing about why businesses don't get it.

From the WSJ: One of the hot investments for businesses these days is online communities that help customers feel connected to a brand. But most of these efforts produce fancy Web sites that few people ever visit. The problem: Businesses are focusing on the value an online community can provide to themselves, not the community.

David Gammel hits the nail on the head in his post over on High Context Consulting on "Three reasons Branded Online Communities Fail."

• Focusing on the technology over the value of the community to its members;
• Failure to assign experienced staff to develop the community;
• Poor or no metrics for measuring success

The Wall Street Journal article quoted by David says, "Businesses say that their primary objectives are generating word-of-mouth marketing and increasing customer loyalty. Yet the metric that businesses use most often to measure success is the number of visits to the site. Moran points out that there isn’t much of a connection between what businesses want and what they’re measuring. Better metrics might be rankings in Google or the number of inbound links."

The Experience blog says: Social media tools are the building blocks for communities, but communities are more than the sum of their social media parts. If we look to real world communities as a metaphor for virtual ones, social media functions--forums, blogs, micro-blogs, ratings, profiles, friend lists, widgets, collaborative tools, and the like--are the buildings, roads, and utilities, but if no one moves in (or everyone leaves), there is no community. A site rife with Web 2.0 tools that go unused is like a ghost town--empty of life and uninviting to anyone who chances to wander in. As in the real world, a virtual community isn't characterized by its components but by its people.

Eric Schmidt, Google CEO said “One of the things to say,very clearly,is that social networks as a phenomenon are very real.If you are of a certain age,you sort of dismiss this as college kids or teenagers. But it is very real.”

The people wonder what is all the fuss about when fundamentally people have been discussing the human relations since the beginning of time.

Then people move into business roles and somehow think human relations take second seat to making money quick......this mentality has breed short term thinking, cost cutting, cover ups and poor quality products and services needing a defense which takes away energy from building relationships, value and pride in what one does and what a business offers.

Maybe all this social stuff is taking us back to the future when relations meant everything. The question is whether business leaders can transform their thinking and their organizations to be more relational. In other words, "How long will business pretend?" they are social rather than be real about relations.

What say you?

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How Much Evidence Do You Need?

Strategy Three: Declare Your Interdependence & Cooperation: Your Independence is a Direct Result

Beyond Networking: Being with Ron Sukenick

Ron's section is sponsored by SmallBizAmerica.com

In Part Two, we emphasized the importance of seeing self as interdependent; we have always and we will always need each other to be successful. We see how our interdependence strengthens the ability to be independent. Interdependence ultimately results in liberation: the ability to be self sufficient, and to contribute to the world. We now provide questions to help you assess how your interdependence and cooperation play out in various relationships. As you read the following questions, think about a relationship with which you are currently struggling.

1. Trust: Do I trust you and do you trust me to follow through? Do I trust that you will tell me when you are unable to help me? Do I trust hat you will keep confidential concerns to yourself? Do I trust you to tell me when things aren’t working? Do I trust that you will work through learning curves with me?
2. Mutual Vulnerability: Do I feel safe to share struggles, concerns, misgivings, with you? Do I feel safe that we can work through the tough times or go our separate ways without incrimination? Are you willing to be vulnerable with me—sharing your struggles, concerns, misgivings with me.
3. Mutuality: Do I see mutuality in our relationship? Do I see how I can help you and you can help me? Do I see that we can positively impact each other through shared learning, through sharing contacts, through providing services to one another, through friendship and/or support?
4. Respect: Do I respect you and feel respected by you? Do we show consideration for each other beyond the work that we are doing together? Is there positive regard between us?
5. Balance: Do I feel a balance in our relationship? Do we both initiate contact with one another? Are we are both contributing to the success of the project or relationship?
6. Acceptance: Do I feel acceptance and ongoing learning in our interaction? Do we look at how we can continuously improve our process of interaction? Do we discuss and dimension unfulfilled expectations? Do we pay attention to past as helpful information in going forward?
7. Partnership: Do I feel partnership in the relationship? Do we share information with each other that impacts our partnership?

Do you see anything as missing from this compilation? The important element here is to constantly look at what might be needed to strengthen and continuously improve the relationship. It is important to ask yourself what might be missing that keeps you from success in the relationship.

As you reflect on this strategy, what action steps will you immediately take? Add these steps to your calendar right now

____________________________________________________________________

Ron Sukenick is the Chief Relationship Officer and founder of the Relationship Strategies Institute, a training and Relationship development company that provides innovative, effective and relevant programs and systems for corporations, organizations, and associations. To learn more about the value of Relationship Development, visit his Web site at www.Ronsukenick.com . You can reach Ron by phone at: 317-216-8210, or by email.

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Strategy Three: Declare Your Interdependence & Cooperation: Your Independence is a Direct Result

Are You Working Way Too Hard for Far Too Little?

By Bill Doerr
Sales and Marketing Editor

Bill's section is brought to you by qAlias

15 Second Executive Speed Read

Marketing, like many things is something you either do by design or by default. And, if it’s ‘default’, it’s ‘de fault’ of you for not doing it ‘by design’.

In this article, you’ll learn some insights gleaned from some recent conversations I’ve had with people who are doing their marketing by design. And, as result, are doing it with much better results than those who aren’t.

THE BACKGROUND

I made two blog posts recently. In one I mentioned how I’ve been waiting for a contractor to get back to me on a project for my home. With fall setting in last year, he said, “Let me get back with you on this in the spring”. I said, “OK”. Well, spring came. And now it’s summer. I never heard from the contractor. And I have a check waiting for him to do this next little project. So now I’m talking with another contractor and the first guy’s lost a ‘low-hanging fruit’ opportunity.

A second post was about a certain business person – a realtor. This person is, on a personal level, a nice guy. Personable. Pleasant. I’m sure he’d do a great job for you if you asked. But as a marketer, he effectively cancels out his ‘strengths’ as a personable professional by being a marketing mess.

For example, he mails out ‘one-size-fits-all’ postcards addressed to ‘__________ or current resident’ (wow, super duper extra points for that one!) and often on topics that are of no interest, value or relevance to me or anyone else in my household. Consequently, his ‘intrusion’ marketing is amateurish and borderline offensive. In each piece he mails – and to his credit he does mail regularly – I can’t recall a distinct offer to contact him. Nor have I ever received a follow-up phone call asking what I think of his mailings or if I have any interest in knowing more about his services.

I guess he believes his recipients are psychic and will just ‘get’ that he wants you to call him. Must be he comes from the ‘Hey, look at me -- I’m on the moon’ school of marketing! And it seems he assumes that all he must do is ‘show up’ on my mental radar screen on a regular basis and if I need or want a realtor, then he’ll get my business. That may work for some people. But I doubt it works for most. And if this guy’s not careful, I’m betting a more thoughtful and intentional effort by an even less capable realtor will produce more transactional opportunities.

I don’t want to rip this guy a second you-know-what and I don’t know if he’s truly ignorant of how to cultivate a relationship properly or if he’s just afraid to engage with prospects in a forthright and deliberate manner or what.

Regardless, it’s definitely NOT the way you want to go about courting someone’s awareness and affection to develop a productive business relationship over time.

THE INSIGHT

If you buy (and I sincerely hope you do) the reality that most prospects for your services are likely to develop a recurring need or desire for the benefits your services offer . . . over time . . . (also known as the ‘lifetime’ value they offer a marketer like yourself) then it’s incumbent on you to find a way to ‘keep in touch’ and ‘stay in mind’ so that, when (not if!) the next ‘need-to-know’ occurs in a prospect for your services they will already:

1) know you (you’re a recognized ‘bogey’ on their radar screen),

2) like you on a personal basis (they find you to be an attractive personality)

3) trust you to have integrity (your words and deeds align), and

4) respect you as a professional (you’re seen as a credible expert in your field)

So, what you want your marketing to do then is make certain that these four outcomes occur for you better and more frequently than they do for your competitors. Fair?

THE OBSTACLE

All that’s well and good. But here’s the problem. It’s not easy to orchestrate all the myriad messages such as phone calls, mailings, emails, etc. that need to be planned, coordinated, implemented, and followed-up in a timely manner so that the lifetime value of your future prospects (which includes your existing clients!) will be realized by you and not some competitor.

While a ‘markitect’ (cute term . . . think about it!) can help you design a marketing follow-up campaign so you maintain a ‘top-of-mind’ awareness with your prospects, you’ll quickly realize that what keeps the potential value of such a plan from being realized is your ability to implement it correctly, consistently, efficiently, effectively and in a timely manner. That . . . is not easy. It’s probably where the saying, “It’s easier said than done” comes from, too!

THE SOLUTION

Fortunately, you CAN do something about this.

Planning is one thing. And, a very important thing. But DO-ing. Boy, that’s critical.

And doing a lot of things – messaging – with a lot of people – your prospective clients -- all the time (potential chaos!) is not a ‘walk in the park’.

As the number of people you’re trying to ‘keep in touch’ with grows, your ability to keep up with the monster of demand you’re creating . . . slows. Until one day you hit the proverbial marketing ‘wall’.

At that point, what will be of immense interest to you is what used to be called CRM.

Unfortunately, CRM has earned a bad reputation with many marketers because the ‘promise’ of what CRM is touted to do is often not realized by the companies that buy it.

Regardless why that is, the idea behind CRM is that you’ll be able to do the right thing with the right person at the right time for the right result you want . . . every time . . . by design, not accident.

Change ‘CRM’ to ‘Marketing Automation’. This term refers to a whole new class of software that’s accessed via the internet rather than an application that resides on your own PC or network.

This new class of software reduces the ‘workload’ of marketing your services and building relationships that, as a result, increases the likelihood of you going to the bank a little more often with a lot more money.

THE RECOMMENDATION

I urge you to learn more about this new kind of marketing automation software. More importantly, learn about what it can do for your revenues – THAT is why you should care.

Recently, I’ve spoken with a couple of leaders in this field and each would, I’m sure, welcome your interest in learning how their software can help you automate your marketing and, as a result, generate bigger and better revenues for your company.

Here are two of my ‘Top Picks’ for a smaller firm or solo-entrepreneur:

Infusionsoft -- by Infusion Software – Phoenix, AZ

Clate Mask, CEO is a highly educated and down-to-earth guy who used a customer-centered philosophy and his own software to become a member of the

INC. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America in 2007. While priced above many in this field, this marketing automation software incorporates many integrated features that others either don’t or you have to buy ‘a la carte’ for more expense.

As a one-stop-shop for improving your marketing, Infusion Software also hosts a monthly webinar with marketing gurus like John Jantsch, Michael Gerber, etc. for both their clients and prospects alike.

Office Autopilot -- by Moonray Software – Santa Barbara, CA

Landon Ray, CEO of Moonray is a personable individual who is also a private pilot – as am I. As such, he understands that a ‘complex cockpit’ isn’t the best way to help you get a productive result. “Simple” he said, “is what we know works best and ‘simple’ is what we deliver in our marketing automation software”. He does. And far better than do many higher priced alternatives. OfficeAutopilot is designed for 1) ease of use – even for a ‘solo’ pilot / entrepreneur and 2) for power – to easily plan, execute, maintain and measure any and all prospect contacts regardless of type – phone calls, emails, direct mails, website visits, etc. Definitely worth checking out!

What I like about each of these solutions is that they have done a better job than most of their competitors in ANTICIPATING what you, my dear reader, want from your marketing efforts (revenues, Duh!) and they’ve created a near custom-tailored solution of laser-focused capabilities in their software that delivers what you need . . . to get the revenues you want.

If there’s tweaking to be done, it’s relatively minor because the marketing tasks you want to do were the driving force behind what their software became . . . i.e. ‘form follows function’ is really true here. And, with OfficeAutoPilot . . . it’s extremely affordable for even a one person business.

While the pricing can vary with the capabilities desired and delivered, if you’re not checking out this kind of software solution to predictable marketing challenges be warned . . . I’ll bet your competitors will be soon -- if they aren’t doing so already!

Next month I’ll be reporting on another but very different solution to help you develop your clientele . . . by design, not accident.

Bill Doerr, CCO of SellMore Marketing, LLC is the creator of The Preferral Prospecting System™,

The Expert Directory™, The Client Machine™ and The Ultimate Client Development System™.

Bill uses these services to help service providers build their business by leveraging relationships and generating more introductions to new business. You can reach Bill by phone at: 860-798-6964, online: www.sellmoremarketing.com or http://www.getnewclientsnow.com/ by email: billd@sellmoremarketing.com or through the TNNW Blog: http://thenationalnetworker.blogspot.com

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Are You Working Way Too Hard for Far Too Little?

Networking at Job Fairs

By Jason Alba

Career Transition Editor

I’ve never been impressed with job fairs. When I worked at the FBI, I manned a booth at a university job fair and was amazed at the college students who would come by. A few of them were dressed to impress, most of the others looked like they strolled in for a few minutes between lunch and classes. The ones who looked more promising had eyes darting to other booths, and I could tell they were trying to get as many resumes out as possible, with little regard as to where they were dropping these resumes.

It was a haphazard effort by the attendees. That’s okay, because as far as I could tell, the effort put forth by the booth people was just as haphazard. We had no training, and can’t even remember what our message was to those who walked by. As I remember it, we didn’t take resumes, just referred people to the website to apply.

For those who thought they were going to make progress in their job search at a job fair, I think they were either misled or highly disappointed.

Alas, just like there is value in job boards (even though a supposedly low number of jobs are found from job boards), there has to be value in job fairs, doesn’t there? Here’s what I recommend:

1. Know why you go. Are you going to submit to job postings? Wrong reason. This is a transactional environment where they are ready to shake hands and move on. By the end of the day they might remember three or four star job seekers, but not likely ready to hire anyone until they go through the formal process. Think about this as a great networking opportunity, to meet influencers and people in-the-know. Each person you meet at a job fair, whether they are behind the table or walking around submitting resumes, might be helpful in your job search efforts.
2. Dress to impress. You might be the only one dressed up (I saw too many tshirts and shorts at job fairs), but it’s better to impress than blend in with the slackers. Don’t skimp on making a good impression, dress for the part.
3. Have business cards. Yes, you should have plenty of resumes, but make sure you take business cards. Why? Because professionals pass out business cards to one another, don’t they? You are a professional, so have your business cards ready to hand out.
4. Go to the educational forums. There are usually classes on resumes, interviewing, networking, personal branding, etc. This is a great place to meet at least on expert on the subject, and possibly begin a relationship. Consider the expert a power networker who can introduce you to other professionals you should know. You might also find other professionals in those classes who would be good to network with. I’ve found professionals in a job search to be great networking alliances, whose efforts greatly supplement my own.
5. Know how you will follow-up. You will meet company representatives, job seekers and possibly job search experts. Make sure you follow up with them with something meaningful and manageable. By meaningful I mean something more than “great to meet you,” and by manageable I mean an e-mail that is concise enough it will be read. When I’m in a networking event like this, I put my contacts into JibberJobber.com (you can use any CRM) and log when I met them, any notes I can to remind me who they are, and when I follow-up with them. This helps me put our nascent relationship into perspective so I can nurture it.

Have you had success at job fairs? What preparation do you take, and what do you advice? Send me your input at Jason@JibberJobber.com.

___________________________________________________________________

Jason Alba is the CEO and creator of JibberJobber.com, and author of “I’m on LinkedIn – Now What???” After a corporate downsizing impacted Jason in 2006, he experienced firsthand the difficulties of conducting a job search. Drawing on his extensive computer software and IT experience, Jason analyzed the job search process and developed JibberJobber.com, the gold standard in career management technology.

Widely acknowledged as a leading career management evangelist, Jason continues to spread the word to job seekers through his blog, JibberJobber.com/blog. He is co-author of “I’m on Facebook – Now What???”and offers tutorials on how to fulfill the role of being CEO of You, Inc.

Jason Alba is: CEO of JibberJobber.com Author of I’m on LinkedIn – Now What??? Co-author of I’m on Facebook – Now What??? Founder of CEO Training for Me Inc.

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Networking at Job Fairs

Something Novel for Busy Networkers

By Danielle Lum

Hawaii Bureau Chief

We are busy people. We work. We raise families. We participate in hobbies. We coach teams. We run businesses. We volunteer. We go to church. We make a difference. We cram so much into a day that were nearly exhausted as we collapse into bed to prepare our bodies for the next day.

It’s no wonder that businesses and activities that save us time are so successful. Things like fast food restaurants, 30-minute fitness, instant printing, 1 hour picture developing, and 60-minute dry cleaning. We even have speed dating for the single person who wants to find a mate but can’t take he time to go on actual dates.

Tammy Chang, an officer of the Hawaii Chapter American Marketing Association, was brainstorming ideas for chapter gatherings one day and did what great marketers tend to do: she put a fresh spin on an existing idea.

So move over speed dating. There is something new for networkers. Are you ready for Speed Networking?

Setting Up

In speed dating, one gender sits in the inside of tables arranged in a circle. The other gender sits in chairs on the outside of the circle. They sit in pairs as they talk for a specified time, with the goal of exchanging enough information to determine whether there is potential for a love connection.

At the end of the allotted time, a bell rings and the gender on the outside of the circle rotates clockwise to meet another potential love connection.

Speed Networking

The AMA Speed Networking event was similarly set up, with a small modification. Those who sat in the “inner circle” were selected by random drawing of business cards from a hat as opposed to gender.

Pairs sat for three minutes (a bell ringing at the halfway point to remind participants to let the other person talk, too), then rotated.

There was only one glitch: The people on the outside were never paired with each other, ditto for those on the inside. It was a minor problem that will, no doubt, be corrected next time.

After a full rotation through the circle, those on the inside chose a business card from those remaining in the hat. They then introduced the person whose card they selected. And here is where there was definite room for improvement.

Most couldn’t introduce the person they selected. Not well anyway. They stumbled and fumbled and eventually the person being introduced was allowed to assist by introducing himself or herself to the group. The whole process was a bit clumsy and could mean a couple of things:

1.) They weren’t listening during the other person’s 90 seconds

2.) The 90 second introductions weren’t memorable enough

3.) They have poor memory and recall skills

4.) They didn’t know they would be tested and froze up!

Lessons Learned

Speed Networking is a novel approach to the (yawn) standard network mixer. Attendees will certainly remember it as an exciting new method of connecting with others and learning their businesses.

At the end of the event it was a great way for a networker who faces a busy day of raising a family, saving the world, and making a difference to remember two things:

1.) Our sixty-second elevator spiel must be memorable (practice, practice, practice!); and

2.) Making connections requires a healthy dose of listening. It’s often said that we have two ears and one mouth and should use them proportionately. It’s sage advice, indeed.

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Something Novel for Busy Networkers