Motivate Your Networks, Part 3

Power Thought of the Week with Patricia Parham, Ph.D.

Motivate by Leveraging Resources

All of us want to get more for our money. Many of us run small businesses and are unable to take advantage of economies of scale. Establish collaborative relationships by sharing administrative help or warehouse shopping memberships. Pool your resources to share advertising costs or office space. Be creative in looking for ways to share costs and reduce overhead expenses. You’ll end up telling others about your partners and they’ll be advocates for your business also. You just strengthened your network.

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Motivate Your Networks, Part 3

Just What IS Business Networking, Anyway?

Networking Success with Dr. Ivan Misner
Ivan's section is sponsored by qAlias.com

Business networking is much more than showing up at networking functions, shaking a lot of hands, and collecting a bunch of cards—networking is about being proactive.

Networking is the process of developing contacts and relationships to increase your business, enhance your knowledge, expand your sphere of influence, or serve the community. In its most basic form, “business networking” is leveraging your business and personal connections to bring you a regular supply of new business. The concept sounds awfully simple, doesn’t it? Don’t let that fool you, though. Because it involves relationship building, it can be a deceptively complex process.

Think about it. How many people do you know? How many of these people truly understand what you do? How many of these folks have directed prospects to you as referrals? And how many of those referrals have actually turned into business?

Business networking is much more than showing up at networking functions, shaking a lot of hands, and collecting a bunch of cards.

For example, imagine two people entering an event, sizing it up, and drawing an imaginary line down the middle. They separate, each taking half the room. At the end of the event, they meet again to see who’s collected the most business cards.

Have you met these people? Sure, you have. We all have. What did they accomplish? They collected a lot of cards that will end up on a shelf, in a drawer, in the trash, or—worse yet—scanned into a computer so they can spam everyone they just met. Why? What does a business card represent? At this point, in reality, it’s a piece of paper, with ink and images on it. No relationship has been formed. This networking strategy, by itself, isn’t an effective use of time, money, or energy.

Some people get frustrated with networking because they seem to be making as much progress as a rear-wheel-drive truck on an icy hill: one foot forward, ten feet back—getting nowhere fast. Networking for business growth must be strategic and focused. Not everyone you meet can help move your business forward—but everything you do can be driven by the intention to grow your business. You have total control over who you meet, where you meet them, and how you develop and leverage relationships for mutual benefit. You have total control over whether you enter into the unique 29% of the population who are separated by six degrees (as I discussed in my book, The 29% Solution), whether you stay there, or whether you never get there at all.

Networking your business means you have to be proactive. The point of business networking—the core of what it really is—is doing something specific each week that is focused on networking for business growth. Make a plan, focus, and be consistent. When you understand exactly what business networking is and step up to the challenge, you will be introduced to avenues of opportunity that you may have otherwise never discovered, and you will be making an invaluable investment in the steady growth of your business.

Called the “Father of Modern Networking” by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author. He is the Founder and Chairman of BNI (www.bni.com), the world’s largest business networking organization. His latest book, The 29% Solution can be viewed at www.29PercentSolution.com. Dr. Misner is also the Senior Partner for the Referral Institute, an international referral training company (www.referralinstitute.com). He can be reached at misner@bni.com.

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Just What IS Business Networking, Anyway?

The Freedom Formula

By Ann Barczay Sloan

Women's Networking Editor

Ann's article is brought to you by The Joy of Connecting

Introducing Christine Kloser

President,

Love Your Life LLC

and

Author of The Freedom Formula

I feel so fortunate: Each of my monthly TNNW articles affords me the opportunity to get acquainted with an amazing woman ─ someone with an inspiring story of success to tell. This month’s interview again proves the rule: I am connecting ─ actually re-connecting! ─ with Christine Kloser, who’s just arrived at a thrilling crossroads in her life. Her book was just launched on Amazon August 13, 2008 and is already a best seller! Here’s the official account:

Christine’s new book, The Freedom Formula® hit #1 best-selling status in multiple categories on Amazon.com including Entrepreneurship and Motivation/Self-Improvement.

Her book also hit the Top 25 best-seller list in overall Amazon rankings. The timing couldn’t be more advantageous, especially since her most recent book Conscious Entrepreneurs was also just released, and Christine’s LIVE 4-day “Freedom Formula Experience” is happening this January (more info on this later.)

Another major advantage for Christine: Her notable personal success with her own book will now further help her in guiding the authors she works with through her award-winning “Get Your Book Done” publishing program for entrepreneurs.

How I first got to meet Christine:

It was in the pivotal year of 2000 that I met Christine during her NEW Entrepreneurs dinner meeting in Santa Monica, California. The group had just recently gotten started, amid much excitement and enthusiasm on the part of founder Christine and the women attending. It appeared to me like one of those extraordinary moments where one could clearly feel, one could simply know, this enterprise was destined for success. The energy in that hotel meeting room was palpable, and appeared to increase month by month as the number of women attendees ─ and thus the size of the meeting room ─ correspondingly increased. These networking events were fresh, inspiring fun for me – amidst a most interesting, talented assortment of women to meet.

Eight complicated years later – packed with numerous changes in both our lives ─ here I am with an unexpected opportunity to interview Christine in her newest role as Amazon best-selling author. I’m eager to get started!

So here we are again, Christine – after such major moves each of us has made in time and space!

How would you sum up what you are doing these days?

“You want my elevator speech?” Christine laughs. “Here it is:

“I help conscious entrepreneurs integrate their spiritual wisdom with tangible business strategies so they experience a business (and life) filled with purpose, passion and profit.”

And what would you say makes your company unique ─ your so-called Unique Selling Proposition:

“I would say our tagline sums it up perfectly:

Put Soul in Your Business…. And Money in Your Bank”

Great! And now let me ask ─ what is the primary goal of what you do: the mission of your work?

“My mission is to transform the lives of conscious entrepreneurs. In helping them transform their own lives and businesses, they can use their success as a vehicle for positive change in the world.”

Definitely sounds like you’re committed to humanitarian causes. From what I know of you, I can’t imagine you without philanthropic involvements!

“You’re so right about that!” Christine laughs. “I ongoingly support several causes including Trees for the Future, Free the Slaves and Donors Choose.”

And now: Introducing the Freedom Formula® book!

It’s time to highlight Christine’s bestselling book at this point. The Love Your Life website www.TheFreedomFormula.com provides extensive details on the book contents, plus the opportunity to purchase it directly.

Christine poses a powerful question here:

Are you a coach, consultant, speaker, author, healer or other entrepreneur who is ready to experience TOTAL freedom in your business?

· Freedom to make a difference in the world

· Freedom to make as much money as you desire

· Freedom to do what you want, when you want

· Freedom to follow your Divine path

· Freedom to be...YOU

She then explains how this book will provide, step by step, practical answers to this multi-part question.

This page also lists glowing endorsements for the book from well-respected business and personal development authors: e.g., Michael E. Gerber and Neale Donald Walsh and even Kendra Todd, Winner of Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice .

Presenting a special event: The Freedom Formula Experience

The theme of this book and its clear-cut success has inspired Christine to create a live event upcoming early 2009. She calls it The Freedom Formula Experience. See www.FreedomFormulaExperience.com

Basic details are shown on the web site as follows:

The Freedom Formula Experience
Los Angeles, CA - January 22-25, 2009

This event is for entrepreneurs who believe that business and spirit belong together... and their integration is the key to a life filled with purpose, passion and profit. Come learn from these incredible teachers:

· Marianne Williamson, author of A Return to Love

· James Twyman, director/producer of The Moses Code

· David Neagle, Author of The Art of Success

· Christine Kloser, author of The Freedom Formula

· Neale Donald Walsch, author of Conversations with God

How Christine’s ever-expanding success had its start - OK, Christine ─ back to our conversation. Now that we’ve delved into your exciting current events, let’s go back a bit in time / space!

I’d love to hear how you got started on all this, and how you arrived where you are currently.

“Well, Ann, my entrepreneurial journey began in 1991 when I literally fell into a career in the fitness industry as a personal fitness trainer. Out of that I also became certified as a Yoga instructor and ended up opening my own yoga studio in Los Angeles. Opening that studio in 1998 was the beginning of the most challenging time of my life. I had gone from working only 20 hours a week, enjoying lots of time off and making great money doing something I loved….to working 60-70 hours per week, teaching up to 40 yoga classes a week and yet not able to pay my bills.”

How ironic is that!

“Yes, really! This challenge led me to invite some women friends to dinner who could give me the moral support and encouragement I desperately needed. This small group of friends that began in 2000, grew into a large networking organization for women in Los Angeles that was the first networking group to integrate spiritual principles into a business networking environment. I named it NEW: Network for Empowering Women Entrepreneurs.”

What a great name, a dynamite group of women… I was so excited to be part of it!

“During the time this group was growing, I had moved to a larger yoga studio. Unfortunately, this second yoga studio forced me to the edge of bankruptcy and sent me to into several years of financial struggle. Thankfully the Network for Empowering Women Entrepreneurs gave me the inspiration and motivation I needed to keep pursuing my dream of entrepreneurial freedom. I experienced a lot of personal fulfillment and success through NEW, as did its hundreds of members, but sadly the organization was not something I planned on.”

How do you mean, not planned on?

“Well, I just thought I’d meet with a few friends for dinner once a month, not host meetings for nearly 100 women in a hotel ballroom ─ and so it wasn’t intentionally built on a profitable financial model.

Again, I was faced with having to shut down this business because it just didn’t make financial sense anymore. Around the time I was coming to this realization, I was also on a deep personal quest to figure out what it really took to make a business succeed in making a difference and making money. This is what set me on the path of identifying what it meant to be a conscious entrepreneur, what the elements for success were for this new and growing business model, and how I could experience this in my own life.”

And somewhere during this process you said goodbye to California and moved to Pennsylvania. How did that come about?

“After I shut down my yoga studio and had been running the Network for Empowering Women Entrepreneurs for 5 years, things changed with the arrival of my daughter, Janet Rose. My husband and I always knew that we wouldn’t permanently settle in Los Angeles, but we had never talked concretely about plans to move. But, within 60 days of the birth of our daughter, I came home one day from a traffic jam and told my husband, ‘It’s time for us to leave.’ And, within 60 days from that conversation, we were on the road with our four month old moving east where we could be much closer to family, especially to Janet’s cousins.”

So this means you were working your business remotely: long distance?

“Yes, thankfully, most of my business ran from my laptop and the telephone, so it was no problem moving; as long as I had my computer with me, business was open. And, I had an assistant run the networking meetings until February 2007 when I flew out to facilitate the final meeting.”

That’s outside-the-box thinking at its best! Which brings me to your book on Freedom. When and how was that born?

“Here’s how it started. After several years on this quest of personal, spiritual and professional development, I was inspired to put my understandings down on paper and wrote the best-selling book, The Freedom Formula: How to Put Soul in Your Business and Money in Your Bank. The process of writing this book, pursuing my purpose and clarifying my message has opened so many doors of opportunity for me; it has been a miracle to experience.”

Sounds like a terrific miracle!

“But wait ─ there’s more! Now, The Freedom Formula concept has been turned into a 4-day live event, ‘The Freedom Formula Experience’.”

Wow! When and where is that happening?

“It’s coming up January 2009 in Los Angeles and will feature such visionaries as Neale Donald Walsch, author of Conversations with God, James Twyman, director/producer of The Moses Code and Marianne Williamson, author of A Return to Love. And you know, even beyond all this, the doors just keep opening as I continue to create products, services and events that help entrepreneurs put soul in their business and money in their bank. “

Which of your projects are you most passionate about at this time?

“Definitely, it’s The Freedom Formula Experience! www.FreedomFormulaExperience.com. This event is going to set the stage for a whole new movement for conscious entrepreneurs… My intention is that this event has a tangible, positive impact on our world.”

As our focus is on women’s networking, let me ask: How much of your work is directed specifically toward women?

“While I don’t exclusively market to women, 90% of my clients are women. I think, in general, the type of work I do that incorporates business and spirit naturally attracts women.”

Why do you think that’s so, Christine?

“Bottom line, I find that women are often more conscious of their spiritual connection and are seeking more meaning and purpose in their business.”

What are some of the ways in which you promote your various enterprises?

“There’s a number of ways:

· I published a bi-weekly award-winning ezine, Conscious Business Connection.

· I distribute media releases at least twice per month.

· I do a lot of joint venture marketing with like-minded entrepreneurs in which they’ll host a teleclass for their database with me as the guest speaker.

· I place advertisements on the internet through Google Adwords.

· I submit articles online to several article distribution services.

· I network and speak at live events.

· Social networking is primarily on Facebook and Ning.“

What does your network currently include? How far does your network extend?

“My ezine reaches more than 6,000 entrepreneurs world-wide with the majority of readership in the United States. My network is the most valuable asset I have in my business.”

What has been the best about building a network: Benefits, expected and unexpected?

“The best thing about building my network is the tremendous amount of resources I have at my fingertips every single day. Resources in terms of trusted colleagues and collaborators, vendors for any need I may have and… an abundance of financial resources.”

What challenges (if any) have you found in your networking experiences?

“My greatest challenge has been following up with people I meet in person. It’s so easy to meet wonderful people everywhere I go, but it’s not easy to always follow through with all of those contacts to the degree that I’d like to.”

Any benefits emerging from challenges in the long run?

“The emerging benefit has been creating some great free resources for my target audience. Now, when I meet people I want to stay connected with, I ask for their permission to send them my free Conscious Business Success Kit which includes a subscription to my award-winning ezine. This allows me to ethically opt them into my database and be able to maintain communication with them.”

So ─ bottom line – what do you feel is really working well for you, your company?

“Hands down, what’s working for me is my network! Most recently, as soon as my network found out about The Freedom Formula Experience coming up in January, they are coming out of the woodwork to ask me how they can help me promote the event.

The other thing that’s really working well is having my book The Freedom Formula done and out in the world. Readers are having great results from reading the book and sharing it with their friends. The buzz is spreading because of the pass-along value of the book. This is working really well right now and I am so grateful for everyone who is connecting with my book.”

What’s the achievement, the accomplishment you’re most proud of at this time?

“Not quitting on my dream. I’ve faced some very challenging times… and kept hearing from others that I should just give up and get a job. And, I never did. I knew I had something to contribute through my own business, and I kept pursuing that purpose no matter what.”

What are your plans and goals for the future (organizational / personal), especially regarding networking activities?

“My goal for the future is to continue publishing books and developing new products and services that help entrepreneurs grow their business based on spiritual principles. As far as my networking activities go, right now they seem to be taking on a whole new level.”

How so?

“I think the future of my networking activities will be more focused on networking with centers of influence in related fields and leveraging those connections to impact more people.”

Anything else you’d like to add for our readers? Perhaps words of encouragement and / or inspiration?

“Here’s a message of success I’d like to share:

If you have the desire in your heart to succeed as a woman entrepreneur, you can. Don’t ever give up on yourself or your dream. Keep yourself surrounded by supportive people who believe in you. Ask for help and know that everything that happens to you in your life and your business is happening for a reason… to serve your highest good, and the highest good of the people you’re meant to serve.”

Thanks so much, Christine! I’d like to conclude now with your poem from the opening pages of your bestseller,

The Freedom Formula®.

Let Your Business Lead You

Let your business lead you.

Let it guide you

to those places in your heart you have yet to discover.

Let it call your soul
to be fully expressed and engaged in the world.

Let it be the way
for you to contribute your unique gifts to the world.

Let it be your tool
for making the planet a better place.

Let it be your vehicle
for leaving a legacy long after you are gone.

Let it be YOU...
...mind and body, heart and soul.

~ Christine Kloser

# # #

Contact Information:

Christine Kloser
Love Your Life LLC
PO Box 2

Dallastown, PA 17313

www.LoveYourLife.com

(800) 930-3713

info@loveyourlife.com

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The Freedom Formula

MySpace: Open For Business?

By Chris Kauza
Technology Editor

According to Forrester Research, MySpace is the first social network in recent history to grow as big and broadly as it has, and it is the largest Social Networking site in North America, maintaining a growing monthly user community of 110 Million or more.

That's big, but is it really a Big Deal? Should you really pay attention to this one? Let's see:

• 20 Billion mails on the site total


• 50 Million mails per day (more than yahoo, Hotmail, or Google)


• 10 Billion “friend” relationships


• 1.5 Billion images


• 8 Million images being uploaded per day


• 60,000 new videos being upload to MySpaceTV each day
  


• More than 8 million artists and bands on MySpace Music Acts including Lily Allen, Sean Kingston, Arctic Monkeys, Dane Cook discovered on the site by users

...wow, that's a lot! But does this site really matter for your business? How does this translate into business or networking success? It depends on your business. And your purpose; as one user recently commented:

“Myspace is like a night-club for a younger crowd to meet whoever, whenever and ‘hang out’. Facebook is more like a casual dining restaurant suitable even for your grandparents. If we’re talking advertising dollars, the very same person may be interested in different things given the social groups they associate with on either site.“

If your business relationships require you to reach localized and / or a younger audience, then I absolutely think you should have a professional presence on MySpace. You should promote your page and it should be integral to your Social Marketing Plan (you do have one of those, right???). MySpace has become a web portal (not just a website) through which people get news and information on topics important to them.

In my experience, the most successful businesses that I have seen on MySpace have been those of bands or individual performers. It offers a great platform to showcase a performing artist's portfolio, and to have fans comment and share on the content – a fantastic way to build a community of interest around that particular artist. It is a great showcase for undiscovered or rising talent, and really gives independent performers an edge against the “big guys”, with users able to profile songs on their page. It has also become a successful advertising platform for new performing art content (think movies, concerts, TV shows, etc.).

In general, though, I would not focus on MySpace for business beyond the exceptions I mentioned above. It takes time to develop and manage a social networking profile, and I believe other sites (such as LinkedIn and Facebook) offer businesses and professionals a better ROI on their time. 50 million emails and 8 million images a day is a lot – but how many of thoise will your customers read or see, and how does that translate into more effective networking? The potential is there, but I think it needs more work. As of this writing, there are only 37 business-oriented applications available for download. Assuming a user is only part of one of these groups (not likely), there are approximately 59,000 users in these groups – the two largest being “Jobs” by Simply Hired Job Search Services (9,057 users) and Daily Despair by KlickNation (5,755 users). And these groups are free (but presumably lead to for-fee content).

To be perfectly candid, I created a MySpace page because it was an easy way for me to stay in touch with one of my cousins (who is 10+ years my junior) - or to check out new bands that he likes (we have similar tastes). Other than that, I don't log onto MySpace.

Facebook, however, is a different story, and we'll discuss that next month. In the meantime, if you have questions about these or other technologies, feel free to email me at ckauza@soltusgroup.com or to connect with me on LinkedIn.

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MySpace: Open For Business?

Shaping a Positive Culture in Your Networking Group

By Candy Webb

Network Marketing Editor

Antecedent, Behavior, Consequences

I have to credit Jack Lannom, People First Management and his wonderful newsletter for much of this article. I read Jack’s great newsletter monthly, and if you would also like to subscribe to Jack’s information, I suggest you go to http://www.jacklannom.com. He is a valuable business resource, always with an interesting perspective on human behavior.

Leaders shape a positive culture by shaping positive behavior, and there are some simple behavioral tools that the People First® Leader can use to build a culture that is marked by happiness. The very best of these strategies is to apply the principles of antecedents, behaviors, and consequences. At the outset of this discussion, I would like to acknowledge the work of two men who have helped me to refine my own thinking: Dr. Aubrey C. Daniels and Dr. Thomas K Connellan. Aubrey Daniels is a performance management systems expert who has consulted with major corporations throughout the world. Thomas Connellan, likewise, has instructed several major international firms on the subject of performance management. I would recommend their work to anyone who desires to further explore the field of behavioral science as it relates to the world of business. Connellan and Daniels both deliver cogent explanations of the proper use of antecedents and consequences.

Jack begins with some definitions. An antecedent precedes behavior, and, to a large extent, causes the behavior to take place. You look at your watch and realize that you are late for an appointment. Suddenly anxious, you dash out the door to your car. The antecedent for your quick movement is the time element. Perhaps your department manager walks into your office and asks you to schedule a meeting with one of your major accounts. You dutifully pick up the phone and make the call. The antecedent to your behavior, of course, is the manager's request. In my world of network marketing I find that the entire “prospecting and sponsoring” process begins with the antecedent normally of a conversation, discussion or inquiry from a person that indicates they are interested and looking for a home based business alternative. I then swing into motion – into my prospecting or selling behavior – to say and do the right things to get them the information they require for a “Yes” decision that results in our potential partnership.

The consequences of behavior are the results that follow a specific action. On a sticky August afternoon, you come into the house after spending two hours mowing the lawn. You are dripping sweat, and your torso is covered with dust and blades of freshly cut grass. You immediately peel off your clothes and step into the shower. The consequence of that action is that you emerge a few minutes later, feeling cool, clean, and refreshed.

You arrive at school to pick up your five-year-old son. As soon as you see him, your face breaks into a big smile, and you drop to one knee and hold your arms open. The consequence to your behavior is that your son breaks into a run and hurls himself into your arms.

Consequences fall into three categories. They can be: (1) Positive or Negative; (2) Immediate or Future, and; (3) Certain or Uncertain. In both of the scenarios Jack described, the consequences for your behavior were Positive, Immediate, and Certain. You knew before you acted exactly what the results would be (Certain), you obtained the results right away (Immediate), and you felt good about them (Positive). Of course, it would be a wonderful thing if all of the outcomes, or consequences to the act of prospecting could be quite as immediate and positive. They rarely are, and that leads to frustration for some fledgling distributors. I refer to prospecting as a “process” and it’s very important to keep that in mind. Prospecting is not a one time event. It is often a series of events (or behaviors) that will need to be repeated and reinforced as that person goes through the decision making process. It will make you much more patient and comfortable during the process (as well as provide a positive, relaxed atmosphere for your prospect) if you also remember that people simply handle information in different ways in different time frames. And there is no right or wrong to this, it simply is! The best salesperson in the world as well as the best manager are those individuals who “read people” well and understand their thought process.

Let us examine some other forms of behavior and their consequences. You arrive at the local high school to pick up your fifteen-year-old son. You repeat the same greeting you gave your little one--big smile, down on one knee, arms open wide. But the reaction from this boy is dramatically different. Instead of rushing to return your affection, he glances furtively from side to side, hoping that none of his friends are looking. Then he fixes his gaze at a point on the horizon and hurries past you. You rise awkwardly to your feet, and follow his rapidly retreating form. You finally catch up to him in the parking lot, and he turns to confront you, red-faced with embarrassment and anger. "What's the matter with you?" he hisses. "You made me look like I was a baby or something!" These consequences were negative, immediate, and should have been fairly certain to you. If you were to go back to the school and greet the older boy in the very same way tomorrow the consequences are quite certain!

When I read the paragraph above where Jack described the behavior (negative) and response (immediate) of a teenager, I had to chuckle – that’s a lot more apropos to networking than the eager five year old. I have found in my industry that one of the best ways to NOT encounter that type of negative reaction is to be very sure about where the prospect is in their decision making. Although we all want to “call for the close” in a timely way, if you rush it, if you don’t let the cake bake, you can get an outcome you just don’t want that may be hard to recover from.

Jack described another scenario: Several years ago, the state of Florida passed a law requiring the occupants of all automobiles to wear seat belts. Violators would be ticketed. The consequences are negative, but they are future and uncertain. Will I really get pulled over for not wearing a seat belt? Surely no policeman will notice! I might drive two years and not get a ticket! The consequences are negative, but it is not certain they will occur, nor when. This is what we do in networking when we weigh the prospect’s “readiness” to move forward. You are reading the tea leaves – has he or she been nodding their head “yes”. Are they repeating your words back to you – that shows they were listening, and they are weighing your words. And then, when things seem favorable (you don’t anticipate an immediate negative response as occurred with the teenager) you then move for the “presumptive” close. Easy statements, like “Well, John, I have to assume that you would really like to try this awesome product for yourself as you do your due diligence about the company.” Easy in, easy for John to say yes – trying the product is less threatening than the decision to actually begin to develop their own business. The nice thing about the presumptive close is that you can ease in, back away from it if it doesn’t fly, and try again after more information is shared. That’s smart salesmanship!

Jack mentioned that he has a great deal more to tell you about antecedents, behaviors, and consequences, he calls them "the ABCs of Motivation" and will continue the discussion is future newsletters. I’m sure I will incorporate this work into what I do, say and train every day, but remember take a look at Jack’s newsletter to get the information first hand. Jack’s focus of “putting people first” in any work environment is wonderful information for any leader regardless of the industry. And, pick up Jack’s book – People First - I recommend it highly – mandatory reading for leaders in my organization! The more we think about putting people first, understanding their needs and desires before trying to accomplish our goals – the more successful we will be. This is just good solid people skills 101 and you will enjoy Jack’s worki.

Your Network Marketing Success Coach
Candy Webb

webb@quiknet.com

916 408-3637

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Shaping a Positive Culture in Your Networking Group

Interview with John Follis; Web 2.0 Entrepreneur

foundercontact group

By Lydia Sugarman

Entrepreneurial Editor

Lydia's article is brought to you by foundercontact group

1. Please tell us a little about yourself, personally and professionally.

My career has been, and continues to be, an adventure. After flunking out of my first advertising class in college, I eventually co-founded what became one of the most award-winning agencies on Madison Ave: Follis/DeVito/Verdi. I’ve personally won over 3 dozen major creative awards. I speak nationally and write for ADWEEK. My clients’ campaigns have been the focus of national press, a Harvard Business case study, and a Prentice-Hall marketing textbook. I’ve been honored at both the UN and The White House for my agency’s anti-child abuse work. And, I’ve also been fired four times.

More recently, I’ve become an expert on Web 2.0, Social Media and Online Marketing. In ’05, I coined the term “G-Cred” for Google Credibility (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-Cred) and was a featured speaker at Social Media 2007 in Chicago. I author an active blog The Follis Marketing Report (http://thefollisreport.com) and host a top 20 marketing podcast The Marketing Show (http://themarketingshow.net). I also have something called “Marketing Therapy” for entrepreneurs with limited budgets who realize the need for professional marketing help. For a full bio, see my Wikipedia profile: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Follis

Personally, I swing dance, bike, play guitar and sing, play tennis and racquetball, and performed stand-up comedy at The Gotham Comedy Club in NYC.

2. What is the single biggest reason you have followed an entrepreneurial path? Was there a signature event as you were growing up?

Well, getting fired 4 times definitely helped. After the second or third time I began freelancing.

I also came from a family of entrepreneurs, so maybe it’s genetic. One summer, as a kid, I had a lawn mowing business. I created a flyer that said “You Grow It, We Mow It!”

3. Are entrepreneurs born or can it be learned?

A bit of both, I’d say. Like with many things, having a natural disposition for something definitely comes into play. But I also believe that desire is key. If someone wants it bad enough, they’ll learn how.

4. What makes entrepreneurs different? What do you think are the qualities/characteristics that make entrepreneurs different?

I’d say that most entrepreneurs are very independent-minded, self-motivated, and creative thinkers. Leaders, not followers. Perhaps even rebellious. Most are also passionate about what they do.

5. Do entrepreneurs network differently? What networking lessons can others learn from entrepreneurs?

Good question and I think the smarter ones do. Personally, I hate the feeling of being part of the herd at a crowded, noisy networking event. Which is why I’ve decided that if I’m going to meet people, I rather do that as the person that everyone is coming to hear – the speaker. It’s the best way to have everyone in the room meet you.

Unlike most people, I also have a very creative, slightly bizarre, business card that most always sparks a conversation. (See: http://www.follisinc.com/cardstory.htm)

6. What have you found to work well when networking? What caveats can you offer? What's unique about networking from an entrepreneur's perspective? Do entrepreneurs have an advantage in the networking arena?

My comments above addresses some of that. Regarding having an advantage, perhaps they do for the reasons I mention in #4.

7. What is the “successful” model for a master networker.

Well, this can easily be an article, and I’ve read many.

• Be a giver – focus on the other person and how you can help them.

• Be a listener more than a talker.

• Don’t shove your card in the person’s face after 30-seconds of conversation.

• Arrive early.

• Don’t spend too much time with any one person, especially if they’re sucking your energy.

• Etc

8. What are the primary goals for most networkers? Do you feel these differ from those of an entrepreneur?

In any scenario I believe it’s about sharing information and creating mutually beneficial relationships. Out of that, and over a time period of building trust, comes the potential for doing business together.

9. How do you help other entrepreneurs find and network with each other in your business?

Email has become my primary mode and I’m always happy to match folks where I see good synergy. I also make a point of staying in touch with valued associates either face-to-face, or via phone chatting.

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Interview with John Follis; Web 2.0 Entrepreneur