Network Checkup, Part 2

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

Strengthening Network Filaments

Thin energetic threads or filaments connect you to everyone in all of your networks – business and personal. How strong are these threads and how do you create more powerful connections? One way is to do what the large hotels have done -- personalize contact. Technology allows us to have at our fingertips the significant other, children’s names, hobbies, and special events in the lives of all with whom we interact. Take advantage of it to strengthen your network filaments.

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Network Checkup, Part 2

Magic Words

People, Power and Possibilities with Donna Fisher

Words are very powerful. And yet I often see people being very careless with their words and thus missing out on opportunities. Be selective, thoughtful and picky about choosing words that convey the right kind of energy to engage people and create positive experiences.

Here are some "magic" words to include in your conversations:

"Oh, by the way" is an easy way to transition conversation into a request or a more productive topic.
Example, "Oh, by the way, I wanted to ask you about . . . ."

"I just had a thought" is great when something someone says truly triggers an idea in your head.
Example: "A few minutes ago you mentioned . . .. I just had a thought that Jane Jones would be a good contact for you and here's why . . . ."

"Would (instead of could) you help" conveys that you are asking for the person's willingness (rather than their ability). And by using the word "help" you are actually tapping into people's natural, desire to be of help and support.
Example: George, I'm in the process of . . . . Would you help me with . . . "

I believe that, in general, people want to help. They want to give and contribute. Sometimes it's all in how you ask, though, that influences their response. Practice using these "magic" words to make requests that trigger a positive response.

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Donna Fisher believes in the power of people to connect and communicate to create new possibilities. She is a Certified Speaking Professional, author, drummer, Nia White Belt and business owner. Author: Power Networking, Professional Networking for Dummies, People Power, and Power NetWeaving

www.donnafisher.com
Houston, TX
713-789-2484

Email: Donna

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Magic Words

The BIG Payday

By Lynn D. Spencer
Financial Services Editor

As someone who has only really achieved BIG success in Networking within the past two years, by some standards, I suppose I’d be considered a novice. And perhaps I am in some circles. But never-the-less, I have achieved more financially in the past two years than many people do in a lifetime. I’ve personally gone from the brink of financial disaster to earning over $1 million per year in Networking in a very short period of time, and there-in lies the lure of the Networking industry; the BIG Payday.

But let me share some inside secrets with you that you may not be aware of. One big inside secret is that virtually every BIG successful Networker (I’m talking about the high income earners here) all focus on just one thing: recruiting. No one ever got rich selling the product of any Network Marketing company, no matter how good it is. Yes, you can make fairly good money selling products, especially in companies that feature high commission dollars on their products, which are the ones I tend to choose. But you’ll never get truly rich and accomplish your BIG Networker Payday unless you focus on recruiting. Believe me, it’s the time tested and proven way to truly make it BIG: replicating yourself.

Do you remember that quote from J. Paul Getty that says “I’d rather have 1% of 100 people’s efforts than 100% of my own”? There have never been truer words spoken about the opportunity that Networking offers. When it comes to success, the one thing we all have in common is that we each only have 24 hours in a day. The ONLY way to achieve that BIG Networker Payday is if we successfully replicate ourselves. And it doesn’t take an army, just a few good people with vision, focus, commitment, who are willing to take action.

People don’t believe me when I tell them that I only have 32 front line people to me in my primary business, yet I have over 25,000 agents throughout the U.S. and Canada. But I assure you, it’s absolutely true. How did 32 turn into over 25,000? Simple replication, otherwise known as Networking.

But what do I do when I run out of people to talk to? What happens when I burn through my warm market and I need someone new to talk to? I hear this all the time! Here’s what happens: you either quit or you find a real good lead source that actually works. Well, I don’t know about you, but I hate prospecting or cold calling. Even if the leads are business opt-in leads, it’s still a stranger, and for me, the phone weighs 100lbs when it’s time to make those kinds of calls. Can you relate?

Well, great news! I have discovered a brilliant marketing tool that allows anyone to recruit like a pro, spend your valuable time with (and focus on) ONLY those people who want to talk to you. And the best part of it is, you can make extremely BIG money just by referring others to this powerful marketing tool as well. One of the agents on my team has been test driving this system now for about two weeks, and has earned over $12,000 in that short period of time. Needless to say, everyone in my office is talking about it. It’s the new buzz for those who want to finally find that BIG Networker Payday. Here’s the link to find out all about it and sign up: http://cbdtools.ibuzzpro.com Make sure you watch the 13 minute over-view while you’re on the site. You’ll quickly see that this really could be your BIG chance to find your own BIG Networker Payday.

Who says the economy is slowing down? You just have to open the door when opportunity knocks!

Lynn D. Spencer

http://lynndspencer.com

405-237-3800

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The BIG Payday

The Art of “Networking” Art, Part 2

By Sian Lindemann

Arts & Entertainment Editor

“John Palmer (b. 1974), Houston painter and fifth-generation Texan, is living his dream and his purpose as he continues to create the life he wants to have. He is quite literally making history in his own life, one painting at a time. He is also making quite a name for himself as a fine artist. While he continues on this path, he will be one of the most dynamic artists of the twenty-first century.

John is pure energy, and it's when that energy is translated onto canvas the real magic occurs. John uses lines and color to describe the indescribable, and perhaps to escape the inescapable. The work is sometimes fractured and segmented, but still retains a certain wholeness and balance. His paintings are bold, expressive and dramatic. Subtlety is not part of John's repertoire.”

The Art of “Networking” Art

It has been a delight to interview the artists for this series on “The Art of Networking Art.” I have been most impressed by the ongoing and consistent willingness of these inspired individuals to share what they have learned, in the hopes that the path for other emerging artists might be less troublesome.

In Part 1, Bob Emser described his “defining moment.” Next month we’ll focus on the work of Harrison Funk, the Rock Star photographer.

For now, a pleasure, to write on the topic of John Palmer, of John Palmer Art, www.johnpalmerart.com , out of Houston, Texas. I conversed on several occasions with Mr. Palmer’s agent, Taft McWhorter, and was extremely pleased and humbled by his willingness to share the success strategies of John Palmer Art.

What I noticed, immediately, and is unique is an ongoing willingness to give reverence and appreciation to those who are the patrons of the artist. The conversation was significantly not personal to the “whim” of the artist. A demonstration to “invite” participation with the artist and the art, was not just based on an overwhelming desire to please the pocketbook of the artist, but a genuine desire to please and revere the “value” of the patron who was inclined to purchase.

This obvious generosity was pervasive through conversation pertaining to the strategies that have proven successful for artist, John Palmer.

“Notable Houstonians”

Among these offerings were a series of events as depicted by “Notable Houstonians.”

The opportunity to gift notable and celebrated people from the Houston business community with an original art work from John Palmer Studio, provided two significant opportunities for the artist.

1) John Palmer created, first, an opportunity for himself to meet people in his community whose business acumen he admired.

2) John Palmer created an opportunity for the “Notable Houstonian” to be surrounded by his friends, family and colleagues to witness the gift of receiving an original art work that had been customized to the individual being honored on this occasion, giving credibility to the art, as if it were an award for “a job well done.” The client base invited to support the “gift” opened the door to other potential acquisitions during the primary event

“Concierge Packet”

A consideration for Major Hotels in the Houston area, a Concierge Packet was designed and presented to the local Hotels to allow guests to participate in a private viewing of the works of John Palmer Art. Guests are picked up in the hotel by limousine service and are driven to the unique John Palmer Art Studio, whereby they are greeted by the artist, treated to a wine tasting and a private viewing. Each client, whether they purchase or not, is gifted with a personal hand-signed book by the artist of his latest works, thus providing a unique “tourist” destination in the greater Houston area, and encouraging immediate, if not also, future sales.

“Giving Back”

As with most artists, I’ve discovered, nearly all wish to ‘give back’ to their own communities and help other emerging artists find a way to succeed. John Palmer has found a unique way to do so. With a % of his revenues, he has successfully acquired a “loadable” credit card that he will gift to worthy emerging artists that subsequently provides an adequate dollar figure for that artist to go directly to a local Houston Art Store to acquire new supplies, with which to continue to paint.

At this time, I wish to thank Taft McWhorter, Agent for John Palmer, for his time and willingness to share these innovative and remarkably generous and “refreshing” business strategies in the hope they will inspire new thinking for our readers.

Art is a “gift,” a “modern luxury” yet with the kind of consideration presented here, I come away with a significantly “warm” and inviting feeling about John Palmer and his original works of art.

It makes for a genuine curiosity to know more about him, to continue to follow his progress.

Sian Lindemann

November 2008

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The Art of “Networking” Art, Part 2

The Ivy League Comes to Atlanta

By Larry Block
Southeast Bureau Chief (The Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida)

Greeting from the South. Today I want to introduce you to a networking and social group that I have been affiliated with for the past 5 years. Originally created by Mike Eastman 11 years ago, shortly after he moved to Atlanta, Team Ivy is comprised of alums from all the Ivy League and Seven Sister Colleges as well as elite schools nationwide. They refer to it as the Ivy League Plus schools. A partial list of eligible schools includes: Brown, Cornell, John Hopkins, Princeton, Wellesley, Bucknell, MIT, Smith, Wharton, Colgate, Duke, Emory, Mt. Holyoke, Stanford, Yale, Tulane, Vassar, Penn, Colombia and Harvard. The group was originally created as a way to network professionally but has reaped many social benefits as well. Mike, himself, met his wife, Jill indirectly through this group.

Although most of the Ivy League schools are located in the Northeast, the South has proven to be one of the top relocation areas for some of these elite schools. With over 2,000 members in the southeast, Team Ivy has proven over the last 11 years to be a great resource for developing and maintaining both business and social contacts.

The primary purpose of TEAM IVY is to network and socialize with fellow business Ivy grads and friends of Ivy, refer business leads to each other, and possibly even learn something…

Team Ivy holds many different events throughout the year with their biggest event being the annual Polo party held every October in Alpharetta, which annually draws a crowd of over 500 members. A list of regular events include an After Work Social Hour at Park Tavern - every second Wednesday of the month from 7:00 - 9:30 pm. usually at Park Tavern, a Networking breakfast meeting held the third Wednesday of each month at Maggianos in Buckhead, a dinner program called Tables for Eight where people meet at various restaurants around Atlanta, day hikes, hang gliding, horseback riding excursions and even a Martini night held a couple of times a year. More information on all of their various activities can be found at www.teamivy.com.

In addition to social and networking events, in 2009 Team Ivy will begin a scholarship program and a lunchtime series dedicated to addressing the needs of fellow alums navigating the job market in today’s tough economic times. To get additional information or upcoming event information contact Mike Eastman at mike@teamivy.com.

As a regular attendee at the monthly breakfast event, this group is regularly attended by 10 -15 members with another 10 or so first time visitors each month. Recently Team Ivy moved from the Windy Hill Athletic Club to their present location Maggiano’s and as a result the attendance has increased. This group has a much greater influence on business to business rather than business to consumer opportunities. There are several regular members of this group who specialize in start up capital, angel investing and working with existing businesses to ensure success.
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The Ivy League Comes to Atlanta

Instant Brand Recognition

newyorkshitty.com � Blog Archive � Urban Artifact du Jour: If You See Something, Say Something

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Instant Brand Recognition

A House United Versus a House Divided

By Douglas Castle
Political Editor

Dear Readers:

Firstly, I am apolitical, and I tend to assess people by who they are as individuals. As Political Editor of THE NATIONAL NETWORKER, my principal objective is to redefine and examine the political processes into their counterparts in the area of networking, Relationship Capital and team-building.

While I do not support any political party per se, I will seldom turn down a catered affair hosted by any political aspirant or group. In between bites of sweet and sour chicken, and platefuls of baked ziti, I observe, and I learn. While it is sometimes painful, I spend a great deal of my time merely watching, listening and nodding my head.


Everything in politics revolves around persuasion. In fact, the principal objective of any candidate running for any office is to be elected -- and this essential first process requires either wielding or utilizing power in order to persuade voters to say "yes..."... whether reluctantly or tentatively, for fear of reprisals or of an even greater evil, or "yes!" because they (the voters) perceive something of great value in the candidate.

As an interesting observation, negative campaigning has becoming increasingly prevalent, generally speaking, due to its inherent psychological advantages and its tremendous efficiency. It is Human Nature to fix blame -- it gives listeners (or readers) a focus away from their own miseries and failings, and unites them in distaste or hatred for the candidate or out group portrayed as "bad" or "dangerous". The "good" candidate does not have to render a cogent or convinging argument about his or her abilities, merits or plans -- these require pursuasion, inspire thought and possible debate, and would obviously require a demonstrable mastery of the political subject matter. It is easier to persecute and prosecute than it is to put one's own record of achievements and plans for the future in the spotlight. In these types of campaigns, voters cast their ballots against the mailigned candidate instead of voting in favor of the candidate who demonstrates superior skills.

My sainted mother (who is actually very much alive and living in Florida, actively hustling her elderly lady friends out of vast single-digit sums of money at nightly card games held at an undisclosed Senior Citizens gaming hall or profaned house of worship) once said to me: "It's easier to unite people through hatred than it is by trying to achieve concensus by merit." Although I am paraphrasing, she is, and has always been a flowing font of folk wisdom.

More to the subject of this article, political influence and political networking tend to operate through two principally different means -- yet, ironically, they are both focused on the goal of siezing and keeping power. Each employs a separate value system (i.e., an inherent assessment of Relationship Capital) . Each employs a separate promotion system, with different criteria for advancement.

Traditionally, Republicans have been successful in their networking and team-building because the following attributes have been generally stressed and rewarded:

1. Unconditional public support of the party line and agenda. Utter unity;
2. The ability to keep secrets and suppress personal objections which could foster intr-party division, exhibit a lack of certainty and ignite debate;
3. A focus on fighting enemies and threats, and uniting through base Human fears, instead of on courting friends and championing positive causes or solutions to problems;
4. Personification of emenies, e.g., making the assualts personal;
5. Respect for seniority (and occasionally senility) within the party, and advancement by A) seniority, and B) a willingness to put party principles ahead of personal preferences and individuality, and be be trusted, beyond morality and reproach, to carry forward the party mission.

As a side note: these techniques helped Hitler to gain power, to enable McCarthyism, unified the old-school Mafia Families, and are actually valuable (and mission-critical) qualities in soldiers under battle conditions. I urge you to suspend moral judgment, and simply view the merits of policies which work. These are powerful lobbying and networking strategies for recruiting, assessing and uniting people to work together. From an NLP perspective, these strategies all have visceral and emotional appeal. The track for growth and rewards is predictable -- this is very comforting to many people who are terrified of uncertainty and risk-taking.

Traditionally, Democrats have been successful in their networking and team-building because the following attributes have been generally stressed and rewarded:

1. The ability to formulate and articulate ideas (i.e., a cerebral approach, and an appeal to reason);
2. The willingness to engage in spirited debate in order to refine or trouble-shoot ideas. Obviously, the difficulty emerges when these "family fights" within the party chambers become media fiascos, and are interpreted by many (including the social icon "Joe Six-Pack") as weakness and indecision;
3. Their technique of speaking to the public, and willingness to listen to, and to incorporate, constructive feedback in terms of policy or platform modification;
4. Their aggressive use of volunteers, interns and communications technologies to stay in touch with the voting public on a personalized level;
5. A time-honored sytem of promotion by A) meritorious work and intelligence, and by B) the ability to frenetically socialize and build interpersonal rapport.

Again, suspend your judgment of how you feel about the traditional party platform, and simply look at the merits of their techniques. Look at their value system.

From the perspective of networking, both principal parties have certain strengths in their approaches to networking and measuring Relationship Capital. Each system has merits, and they are not completely at conflict. I believe that the ideal system should incorporate a synthesis of both approaches.

If I had to summarize the most powerful points of this brief article, it is that the two values which seem to compbine to produce the greatest measure of merit in terms of our assessment of others, are trustworthiness and competence.

Every one of us campaigns every single day. Do your colleagues and prospective constituents see you as trustworthy and competent? If they do not, you are not campaigning as successfully as you otherwise could.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

THE GLOBAL FUTURIST

THE INTERNATIONALIST PAGE

HUMANITAS MAXIMUS

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A House United Versus a House Divided

TNNW, November, 2008, Week 1: U.S.'s Ultimate Networking Event

by Adam J. Kovitz, CEO, Founder & Publisher

First and foremost, I wanted to thank my good friend, Douglas Castle, who filled in for my regular column last month.

It seemed that while I was "off", so much has happened...
- Several networking events took place during this past month as Expo season was in full swing and TNNW had the pleasure to partner on several of them
- The Philadelphia Phillies won the 2008 World Series...even though I'm a die-hard Mets fan, I couldn't help but take part in the festivities and celebration considering I now live in the Philadelphia suburbs
- Daylight Standard Time has given us in the U.S. an extra hour of sleep - how sweet it is!, and
- We are now just a few days away from deciding who the next president of the United States will be.

In many regards, the U.S. Presidential Election is the largest networking event we have as a country. The candidates tour around the country to make appearances at debates and "town hall" meetings. Supporters canvass neighborhoods to get others to come out and vote on November 4th. Volunteers man the voting booths tirelessly while local constituents pile in.

I always look forward to going to vote. I bring my kids with me to their school (where the voters' booths are set up) and we proceed to catch up with folks that we usually don't get to talk to. It's a great way of feeling like you're part of the collective whole.

What makes things even more exciting is that this election is historic. There is much passion and hype around as the winner of this election will be dealing with some very tricky times. No matter the outcome, it is an opportunity for all of us to make a difference.

Speaking of changes and politics, this month we will be unveiling some new writers who will be making their debut (and in one case...return). Hint: the return writer will be joining us as our regular Political Editor. Stay tuned!

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

- Adam
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TNNW, November, 2008, Week 1: U.S.'s Ultimate Networking Event

Are You Tired of Web 2.0 Yet?

Strategy: What Say You? with Jay Deragon

Chris Brogan stirred up a hornet’s nest when he posted an article by Dennis Howlett titled Web 2.0- Was It Ever Alive?. The post received dozens of responses and it still stirring people’s opinions and the dialog bleeds on.

The essence of the post was a perspective which started out with "As I look down the speaker list for Web 2.0 Expo in Berlin it’s hard not to yawn. Pretty much the same voices I could have seen at any combination of web conference around the world in 2005, 2006 and 2007. When are we going to hear something new? OK so it’s not all regurgitated stuff but after three years of the most relentless pimping I’ve seen for an idea, are we not a tad worn out with hearing the same stuff? More to the point and despite Forrester’s feel good Groundswell, surely we deserve better?"

Now this exchange it exactly the kind of exchange that is needed to move all this “social stuff” beyond marketing and PR tools and it is refreshing to see someone dare to challenge the mindsets of web 2.0 self appointed gurus. The early adopters may in fact be falling into a trap of “silo thinking supported by their inbred conversations amongst themselves”. Based on the market sentiment we may in fact be headed for a tipping point which helps broaden the perspectives and possibilities of advancing technologies.

Stepping Outside of Marketing

In a previous post titled “What Does Social Media Apply To?” we said “Social Media applies to strategy, learning, understanding and executing, not just marketing.

It appears as though marketers and advertisers are consuming the conversations with methods and madness about social marketing. Businesses are responding and buying the marketing hype while ignoring the fundaments of the landscape of human behavior intersecting with social technologies.

Often we hear business leaders ask about the value gained from all the social computing tools and activities. Many look at social web initiatives as marketing tools while others consider it a means of communicating with various stakeholders. Tomorrows business leaders will look at advanced social computing tools holistically as a means which facilitates operational improvements and breakthrough strategies across all elements of any business.

Every business has a set of common challenges that impact performance which includes both “soft” and “hard” issues requiring constant monitoring, leadership and management methods to achieve improvements. These include:

1. Communication breakdowns
2. Cultural barriers to facilitating improvement
3. Increased demand to deliver higher value to customers
4. Customer and employee retention and acquisition
5. Lowering cost while increasing revenue
6. Satisfying private and public market expectations
7. Removing political barriers that inhibit progress
8. Leveraging technology to improve performance
9. Measuring and monitoring the vital few indicators of progress
10. Anticipating and planning for the future while managing the results of the day

The solutions to these top ten challenges have to do with improvement of methods which need to translate into short and long term results. Business results are a measure of dollars gained or lost as the result of related actions or lack of appropriate actions. Many of the solutions to the top ten challenges are “soft” in that it is more about methods than it is about measuring hard numbers and short term results.

Historically anything having to do with people, culture, communications and satisfaction has been labeled as “soft”. While managing financial results, regardless of actions or methods, has been considered “hard”. The fact is counting or manipulating numbers is a lot easier than managing the “soft issues” that create the numbers. It is difficult for leaders, predominantly male leaders, to both admit and to effectively deal with the “soft issues” because the fundamental elements of the appropriate solutions are essentially socially oriented. Social in that solutions to the top ten challenges require the cooperation, collaboration, consensus and management of “people processes” Most businesses today suffer from social division, internally and externally, between people, purpose and progress.

Devin Stewart, Director, Global Policy Innovations, Carnegie Council writes: “From an ethics point of view, web 2.0 has the potential of dissolving the false divisions between people—whether it is between nations and communities, producers and consumers, or labor and capital. Maybe the real division lies in our minds and in our sight. If we can see all this “social stuff” beyond a marketing tool then maybe others will as well.

What say you?
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Are You Tired of Web 2.0 Yet?

Strategy Six: Consistently Doing the Little Things: Make The Big Difference

Beyond Networking: Being with Ron Sukenick

Ron's section is sponsored by SmallBizAmerica.com

This strategy as you might have previously read emphasizes the power of small acts and how through consistently doing the little things, we make a big difference in the lives of countless others—and who knows, perhaps the world!

We are always in relationship to our environment. Our environment includes our families, our friends, our neighbors, our community, our business colleagues, a spiritual force, and nature itself.

What are the little things that we do that are relational? If we are hiking in a park, perhaps we pick up litter along the trail. Understanding that we are always in relationship with some one or some aspect of our environment, helps keep us mindful of NetBeing as a way of life.

Following are relationship actions that, while not being inclusive, support consistently doing the little things.

• Spontaneity
• Attentiveness
• Listening
• Connecting people with complementary needs
• Graciousness
• Touching base
• Mentoring

How can you use some of the actions above to help support you in doing the little things that make a big difference.

What action steps will you take? Add these steps to your calendar right now.

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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 Six: Consistently Doing the Little Things: Make The Big Difference

Fine, I'll Network! What Do I Say?

by Jason Alba
Career Transition Editor

A few days ago I was with a friend talking about networking into his next job. He was beyond the point of using job boards, and finally decided to develop a networking strategy. He didn't say "networking strategy," of course, but that's what I call it.

We went through LinkedIn, and I showed him how to find the right contacts to talk to. We did searches by industry, company, job title, geography, and even Groups. He had already done some searches on his own and found a few people he wanted to talk to. In just a few minutes we easily found a dozen people that could prove to be valuable in his job search.

Then we spent some time on JibberJobber.com (the site I run), and I showed him what a job seeker does with JibberJobber. This is where he would keep track of jobs he applied to, companies he is networking into, network contacts he is nurturing relationships with, which version of his resume he uses to apply to which job, etc. It was obviously a good tool for him at this point in his job search, especially as he was about to start networking more aggressively.

After spending about 45 minutes on technology, he asked "so what do I say to these people? Do I just go up to them and say 'hi'?"

I think this is really the hardest thing to overcome, and once we figure it out, the key to really growing our network and nurturing relationships.

Does a job seeker say, "hey, can we have lunch? I heard there were some openings in your company and I'd like to learn more about them?"

Should a job seeker say, "I'm going to interview at your company next week and I really need some more information. Can I schedule an informational interview with you?"

Should a job seeker say, "I'm in transition and would like to pick your brain - do you have a few minutes?

I think any of these could be okay. Not great, not spectacular, not exceptional, just okay.

This is going to sound very basic, even silly, but the first thing to say might just be "hi." That's it. Sometimes just a "hi" will do, and the conversation can go from there. Here are two tips for what comes after "hi":

1. Ask the person about themself. This isn't a time for 20 questions, but it is a time to see where you have things in common. It's okay to dig deeper on some questions where you really have interest, with something like "oh yeah? That's really cool, tell me about that!"
2. Ask the person why they are at the event. Not a "so, do you come here often?" Perhaps something like "so, are you a member of XYZ association," or "do you work with marketers," or something like that.
   

If you need more help with how to network, or what to say, check out Some Assembly Required by Thom Singer. It's a great book with a lot of advice for business/professional networking.

Aside from what YOU should ask, you need to be ready to say something back, if they ask about you. I'll guess more than half of all first impressions are tarnished because someone wasn't prepared to answer "tell me about yourself." I've heard some that are too unpolished, talking about all kinds of hobby or personal things, and some responses that are too scripted... which isn't bad but they just don't sound natural.

Your target is to create a compelling statement that is around 30 to 60 second that gets across the main thing(s) you want the other person to know, and leave some room for THEM to ask YOU for more information. You can google "30 second commercial" and find a lot of opinions on how to create an effective pitch.

You have to know what you want, who you want to meet, and what you are going to say if they want to know about you. But first, you just have to get to that point where you say "hi," which for some of us might be the hardest step of all.

________________________________________________________

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.

________________________________________________________

Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free RSS feed, go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com.
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Fine, I'll Network! What Do I Say?

The New England Holistic Chamber of Commerce

By Noelle Southwick

New England Bureau Chief
(Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut)

Tara Crawford Roth and her friend Sandy Currie had an idea to have a meeting of holistic practitioners since they did not find people who thought the way they did about their businesses. That idea is what led to the New England Holistic Chamber of Commerce, now with 3 locations in Fall River, MA, Providence, RI and on Cape Cod, MA.

They are a growing non-profit organization. Their mission is two-fold. First is to create a
community in order to network with a diverse group of holistic practitioners and secondly to teach business skills.

The Founder

When I spoke with Tara Crawford Roth I understood her passion is for holistic practitioners to succeed. “We all need their services,” she added. Tara grew up in a family of holistic practitioners. She recognized that many of the people she met in that community lacked the business skills needed to create a thriving business. Now Tara offers her skills as a business coach to those who are following a similar path.

She says that there is a limiting belief out there in the holistic community that making money is not spiritual. However, people cannot offer their valuable services if they cannot earn a living at it. Tara works with a variety of business owners to shift their limiting beliefs and allow prosperity to flow.

Currently, Tara is working on a book, due out early next year. It is titled, Minding a Business, Creating Profits that Match Your Passion. The book is a success manual for holistic practitioners covering what is needed to create abundance in business. It covers everything including financing, marketing, what blogging can do for your business and much more.

The Chamber

Currently each of the 3 NEHCC locations offers monthly meetings. The speakers at each meeting cover a variety of topics focused on building a successful holistic business and there is an opportunity to speed network. At every meeting participants are coached on how to give an effective “elevator speech”, a brief description of what they do. Those in the holistic community are often not skilled at self-promotion and need support finding ways to speak clearly about what they offer. That support is offered at the meetings.

Some topics covered at recent meeting include: The Highest Level of Success as a Holistic Business with Dr. Mark Mincolla, Tapping Your Passion to Fuel Your Business with Laura Turlington and Luca DiMatteo, Catapult Your Holistic Business- Write a Book with Lisa Tener
and Marketing on a Shoestring with Lisa Almeida. You can get a schedule of upcoming events on their website or emailed to you through their newsletter.

In addition to becoming part of a growing community of support membership in The New England Holistic Chamber of Commerce offers many benefits. Some of the benefits include admission discounts on all events, a classified listing on their searchable website with links to
members’ sites, and an opportunity to be in their speakers network. Additionally they offer an expo twice a year for their members to showcase their services and products.

Tara’s Networking Tips

I asked Tara for some networking tips. She gave me these suggestions:

• Go to events where your ideal client is most
  likely to be there.


• When you introduce yourself start with what you
  do, then your name.


• Be authentic. It is the most
  important way to drive appropriate people to you.


• Always bring business cards with you, especially
  to networking events.

The Future of the Chamber

Tara has a vision to have locations throughout New England. The New England Holistic Chamber of Commerce is looking for local support to further expand and to see that vision become a reality. If you think you might have what it takes to create a local chapter for the holistic community in your area, contact Tara through the New England Holistic Chamber of Commerce website:

www.neholisticchamber.org.

The New England Holistic Chamber of Commerce offers an opportunity to grow a successful business with the support of other business owners & also a place to find business support from like-minded individuals.
________________________________________________________

Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newletter, go to
www.TheNationalNetworker.com.
For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free RSS
feed, go to:
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The New England Holistic Chamber of Commerce

When Good Relationships Go Bad

By Victor Cattermole

Asia Pacific Bureau Chief

The global economy is crashing and it all appears to come back to the US market. When things go pear shape we always want to have something to blame it on, that way we can justify the position we find ourselves in. This month in a tongue in cheek look at the global situation my sense of humor can’t help but challenge the establishment.

Arguably if we look back on the state of events the order could look something like this.

· Mid 2006 USA accuses North Korea of printing the Super Dollar (fake US currency)

· Early 2007 US Treasury orders companies and financial institutions to cut ties with Banco Delta Asia, alleging ties with North Korean Government and being used for money laundering.

· North Korea and US throw stones at each other like a couple of little kids over who is allowed to have nuke toys.

· US subprime mortgage market implodes.

· October 2008 global share markets crash.

The bottom line is the US didn’t like the fact that North Korea had nuke toys that may be better than their nuke toys. So in a little tantrum the US said “we aren’t going to let you print our cash any longer” so they stopped the North Koreans printing the fake currency. The end result was not enough fake US dollars in the system and the whole economy imploded on itself.

Sometimes we can’t see the real value of relationships until they are gone. Here were all those poor North Korean people slaving their hearts out printing US dollars to support the American economy but the pride of that big nuclear toy was too important to see the bigger picture.

I say lets the get North Korean printing presses going again so the whole fake financial world can get back on its feet. It’s time to patch up that relationship clearly the whole global market needs it.

________________________________________________________

Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free RSS feed, go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com.
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When Good Relationships Go Bad

There is No Financial Crisis

by Adam J. Kovitz, CEO, Founder & Publisher

Adam's section is brought to you by Salesconx.com

I thought it important, this month, to pre-empt my current series on Monetizing Relationship Capital to discuss a topic that is on most everyone’s mind: the “financial crisis” occurring in the U.S. and seemingly, the rest of the world. Of course one might wonder why a publication about networking would even care or would have anything to say on the subject– what does networking have to do with economics, anyway? The answer is simply…EVERYTHING!

Fact #1: All Business Networking is About Money

One of the things I do with my audiences when I speak is poll them on how important networking is to their job or place of business on a scale from 1 to 10. Roughly 85% of my audiences feel that networking is between an 8 and a 10.

We all engage in business networking for several reasons:

• More business
• Better resources
• Sharing ideas
• Better job opportunities/promotions
• Accomplish a goal.

And while we can say we network for these reasons, we’re really networking to affect our business’ bottom line. All the above reasons lead to either increasing revenue or decreasing costs. And of course, when we either make money for our company or save our company money, we are usually recognized in a positive manner, increasing our own personal Relationship Capital.

Fact #2: Money is not an End Result

We live in world where we all want money. In fact, most of the people I meet want more of it tomorrow than they have today. After all, it helps to have Financial Capital to pay rent or mortgage, go on that trip we’ve always wanted, get our kids a proper education, buy that sports car, etc. Yet one has to ask, “is it really the money I want, or what money buys me?”

Most of the time, what we really want with money is freedom, convenience, security, respect, the ability to “make a difference” or “give back” and peace of mind. What’s interesting here is that there is a strong link between money and perception, considering that all the above items are abstract concepts that mean different things to different people.

The point here is that money is merely a proxy or middleman by which assets are transferred. Money is considered the hard tangible stuff that we can see, feel and touch, while what it buys us (no matter how material) represents a “touchy feely”, intangible ideal.

Fact #3: Money is Just a Game We Play

Remember the game Monopoly? The idea is to use your money effectively in order to buy properties (named after famous locations in Atlantic City, NJ) in which you charge your opponents rent, which increases when you invest in houses and hotels. Of course the one with the most money at the end of the game is the winner, and in true Darwin-esque style, the one with the money has effectively crushed their opponents.

Now if I asked to play you in a game of Monopoly and said that you can start with all the money as long as I can start with all the properties, who would win? The answer is usually the person with all the properties…why? They are assets and can be leveraged for money. Therefore, the person with all the money finds themselves over time playing the game in a money pit whereby they constantly must pay rent.

In all, there is a game (albeit a sophisticated one) that we play each day to earn money or save money. Quite often, the game occurs in assessing fair value of assets. Why is it that some economists say that my legal tender dollar that I have in my pocket is now worth the equivalent of $0.27 while my Morgan silver dollar which is no longer legal tender is worth $18? Why is an original Picasso worth so much more than a lithograph of the same painting? What makes two people with similar sets of skills and knowledge worth different salaries?

In sales, there is an expression, “people buy emotionally and then rationalize their decisions rationally”. What this says is that the “emotional” sell is based upon our own independent value judgments too sophisticated for any analytical stock market model. In this personal “stock exchange of the mind” we make our own valuation (“sizing up”) of what a person knows and who they know. They only exception might be in the case of a commodity and even this can be argued.

The True Crisis

So when we look at today’s facts and figures on our global economy, housing markets, price of energy and unemployment, we have to ask ourselves, if this is the game we’ve created, then why do most of us feel like we’re losing? Does anyone really want to play a game that is broken? If the game is broken, is it time to get a new one?

I’ve heard a lot of pundits and experts talk about how this crisis has caused a lot of our “feel good” factor to suffer. Again perception plays a role in our financial well-being. If you had a team of unmotivated, uninspired and depressed individuals and another team of motivated, inspired and emotionally-secure individuals, which team would most likely get the best results?

The obvious answer is the team with the most positive mindset will do the best – there is a lot to be said for morale. But still the question must be begged: Do we need money to be happy or do we need to be happy to have money?

What then is the real crisis here? Is it financial as we might choose to believe, or is it a perceptual crisis?

In a recent conversation with my good friend (and TNNW brother-in-arms) Douglas Castle about this subject, we spoke about religious figures like The Pope and the Dalai Lama. Douglas noted that these folks may not have a lot of money and probably don’t need it, but their support network is enough to keep them going. In other words, they have enough Intellectual and Relationship Capital to support them in their endeavors. So does this mean that because they are not heavy on Financial Capital they aren’t happy? No!

I am not suggesting here that we should or shouldn’t try and emulate either of these individuals, but I am suggesting that we often overlook our own greatest asset and it’s not our house or our car…it’s ourselves. If we are in prime condition (internally and externally), Intellectual and Relationship capital will flow and provide us with all we need for years to come, whether there is a perceived shortage of money, oil, jobs, etc. or not. In fact, while money, oil and jobs can come and go, no one can ever take away your own Intellectual and Relationship capital unless we chose to have it taken away.

The danger of Financial Capital is that it can cause us to focus on the external, imaginary reflection of what and who we know to the point where it becomes a crutch. When that happens we loose all our power to affect our situation and often shut out others who can help.

Fortunately, while it seems as if money, oil, jobs, etc. are scarce, there is no end to the number of networking opportunities that exist, or the number of ways that we can change our current “financial crisis”.

It’s time for us to look within and find creative ways to change the game we’ve created. Remember…it took a network of individuals years to build the game, it will take another network of individuals to change it. The question is whether or not you’ll take part in it.

The Emergence of the Relationship Economy

Relationship Capital is the cornerstone of the Relationship Economy, which RNIA defines as an “economic system in which Relationship Capital influences the production, distribution, exchange, and consumption of goods and services.” I am proud to have contributed discussion of the Ten Laws of Relationships Capital to the upcoming book The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, now out as an eBook and in hardcopy. With a forward written by Doc Searls (of Cluetrain Manifesto fame), it is being considered a “must read” for anyone responsible for the strategic direction of their business. If you would like to purchase your own copy of The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, please click here.

________________________________________________________

Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free RSS feed, go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com.
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There is No Financial Crisis