Deepening Networking Through Relationshipswith Christine Sotmary
Let me tell you a little about how Howie Gershman and I met.
I was just coming to the end of 7 isolating years of taking care of Alan, my sweetie, who sadly acquired early-onset Alzheimer's disease. I was introduced to my first BNI meeting by my friend Barb Bodnar (see last month's article), who encouraged me to bring Alan along. Howie was one of the members of this BNI chapter; he invited us both to the table and made me feel welcome. I’d come nervous about delivering my weekly 60-second presentations for the Life Coaching Business I have, but the warmth in the room helped me to relax.
I learned much from Howie and the others about how to present my business but also how to trust that these new found BNI friends would soften my re-entry into a busy, plugged-in world.
Howie has been networking for years and years both for his catering company and now with his financial planning business. These are his wise thoughts on networking:
"When I hear the term 'networking' my thoughts easily picture a room of sleazy, slick-looking salesmen throwing business cards at each other and promoting their product or service. Networking in the 21st century is as different from that image as an iPhone is to a rotary dial phone.
"Today networking is about building tight relationships with real people and becoming a center of influence. Become the 'go to' guy (or gal). Be that person to go to who has valuable information and knows important people.
"Here are a few steps that keep me focused in that direction. Keep in mind that all these steps can take a significant amount of time to accomplish, but it is worth your while to spend the time:
1) Become an expert in your particular industry or at least a niche within that industry. In conversation, be able to provide interesting facts about your field. Have ready 6 – 8, “Did you know that…”
2) Keep a database of people and companies. Not just names, phone numbers, and emails, but also hobbies and info about their families. And more important: whom can I refer them to, and to whom can I refer them, to facilitate positive connections?
3) To be respected by your contacts, provide them useful information (not sales information about your products) by email, blogs, or even 'snail mail' if appropriate.
Eventually, you’ll get to know who should contact whom and you can act as matchmaker.
But that’s only the beginning...Taking your database online with tools such as Linkedin, Plaxo, Twitter, and Facebook can bring your matchmaking possibilities to a new level. These online tools not only help you find new connections but also help your connections to find new connections.
As people connect with each other, new ideas and collaborations naturally develop. There’s no telling where it all can lead.
I know the owner of a new quick serve restaurant. The restaurant theme and menu attract 18 - 30 year-old customers. The owner decided not to advertise his new restaurant for a while because of a lack of funds and because he felt his demographic didn't respond that readily to newspaper ads.
Knowing that the relatively young customers did spend significant time online, I felt that there ought to be a way to use online marketing techniques to promote the restaurant. I know some online techniques, but I don't know everything about the newest technologies. I asked several people for advice on whom I could talk to about an online marketing plan. Each person I talked to led me to another person. Each step added to my knowledge, focused my marketing ideas, and added people with specific skills to my team.
We now have a team in place and are ready to launch the first phase of our marketing plan. If successful, we'll be able to expand our marketing system to other restaurants both locally and nationwide. "
Thanks to Howie, I'm all over Facebook announcing book signings, radio interviews and information about my memoir. Since I have started focusing specifically on supporting caregivers and ex-caregivers going through re-entry once their task is complete, my internet life has taken off. Howie's right about having statistics ready. "Did you know that there are 50 million nonsalaried caregivers each year, saving our country around 400 billion dollars by providing volunteer services?
Adam J. Kovitz suggests that we may not need money some day in the future. Well, caregivers have learned that lesson only too well. The 8 years I spent in the trenches as a caregiver have prepared me to reach out to my audience with useful information, inspiration and connections to fabulous resources. So all in all I'd say Howie is right on with his advice about quality networking.
You can contact Howard Gershman at:
Primerica Financial Services
845-531-9222
www.primerica.com/hgershman
Come join Howie online:
Linkedin profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/hgershman
Plaxo profile: http://hgershman.myplaxo.com
You can contact Christine Sotmary at:
Getting On Track Coaching
www.gotcoaching.com
917-273-1308
sotmary@gmail.com
www.livingontheverge.com
www.christinesotmary.blogspot.com
www.sotmary.com
________________________________
Howie has been networking for years and years both for his catering company and now with his financial planning business. These are his wise thoughts on networking:
"When I hear the term 'networking' my thoughts easily picture a room of sleazy, slick-looking salesmen throwing business cards at each other and promoting their product or service. Networking in the 21st century is as different from that image as an iPhone is to a rotary dial phone.
"Today networking is about building tight relationships with real people and becoming a center of influence. Become the 'go to' guy (or gal). Be that person to go to who has valuable information and knows important people.
"Here are a few steps that keep me focused in that direction. Keep in mind that all these steps can take a significant amount of time to accomplish, but it is worth your while to spend the time:
1) Become an expert in your particular industry or at least a niche within that industry. In conversation, be able to provide interesting facts about your field. Have ready 6 – 8, “Did you know that…”
2) Keep a database of people and companies. Not just names, phone numbers, and emails, but also hobbies and info about their families. And more important: whom can I refer them to, and to whom can I refer them, to facilitate positive connections?
3) To be respected by your contacts, provide them useful information (not sales information about your products) by email, blogs, or even 'snail mail' if appropriate.
Eventually, you’ll get to know who should contact whom and you can act as matchmaker.
But that’s only the beginning...Taking your database online with tools such as Linkedin, Plaxo, Twitter, and Facebook can bring your matchmaking possibilities to a new level. These online tools not only help you find new connections but also help your connections to find new connections.
As people connect with each other, new ideas and collaborations naturally develop. There’s no telling where it all can lead.
I know the owner of a new quick serve restaurant. The restaurant theme and menu attract 18 - 30 year-old customers. The owner decided not to advertise his new restaurant for a while because of a lack of funds and because he felt his demographic didn't respond that readily to newspaper ads.
Knowing that the relatively young customers did spend significant time online, I felt that there ought to be a way to use online marketing techniques to promote the restaurant. I know some online techniques, but I don't know everything about the newest technologies. I asked several people for advice on whom I could talk to about an online marketing plan. Each person I talked to led me to another person. Each step added to my knowledge, focused my marketing ideas, and added people with specific skills to my team.
We now have a team in place and are ready to launch the first phase of our marketing plan. If successful, we'll be able to expand our marketing system to other restaurants both locally and nationwide. "
Thanks to Howie, I'm all over Facebook announcing book signings, radio interviews and information about my memoir. Since I have started focusing specifically on supporting caregivers and ex-caregivers going through re-entry once their task is complete, my internet life has taken off. Howie's right about having statistics ready. "Did you know that there are 50 million nonsalaried caregivers each year, saving our country around 400 billion dollars by providing volunteer services?
Adam J. Kovitz suggests that we may not need money some day in the future. Well, caregivers have learned that lesson only too well. The 8 years I spent in the trenches as a caregiver have prepared me to reach out to my audience with useful information, inspiration and connections to fabulous resources. So all in all I'd say Howie is right on with his advice about quality networking.
You can contact Howard Gershman at:
Primerica Financial Services
845-531-9222
www.primerica.com/hgershman
Come join Howie online:
Linkedin profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/hgershman
Plaxo profile: http://hgershman.myplaxo.com
You can contact Christine Sotmary at:
Getting On Track Coaching
www.gotcoaching.com
917-273-1308
sotmary@gmail.com
www.livingontheverge.com
www.christinesotmary.blogspot.com
www.sotmary.com
________________________________
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