POWER THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: Corporate Social Responsibility, Part 2

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

My World is Green

As we network and do business, how “green” are we? Green companies produce little “waste” and they recycle. Any instance of using virtual means of communication in lieu of paper increases our “green-ness”, as does using biodegradable products in our operations. Whenever possible, does your business take advantage of alternative sources of energy? How much has your company looked into these strategies? Being green is our responsibility to the planet. Share ideas in your networking.
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POWER THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: Corporate Social Responsibility, Part 2

THE POLITICAL FRONT: The "Stimulus" Package - A Study In Self - Interest.

The Political Front with Douglas Castle

Dear Readers:

At present, the President of the United States is receiving a lesson in dilutive compromise -- that special effect which happens to any idea, invention or legislative bill when an inharmonious group of individual decisionmakers are much more myopically focused on their respective interests, agendas and politics than they are in the economic well-being of the people whom they are supposed to protect. And while Mr. Obama learns this horrifying lesson first-hand, the United States plummets deeper and deeper into a shattering economic depression. An economic stimulus package is undeniably needed - that part is unanimous - but just what "package" will emerge after this originally well-intentioned beast has run the gauntlet of Washingtonian politics as usual is not looking like anything like any reasonable person's idea of a Silver Bullet. In fact, the package (or rather the bill being discussed in the Legislature) is mutating in the womb as I write this.

The analogy is that the highly-compensated gods atop Mount Olympus are busily hosing each other while we mere mortals down below, all but forgotten, are being consumed in an uncontrollable fire. And the fire is growing in its intensity and destroying every object in its path. The blaze is out of control.

In properly-focused networking, teambuilding and policymaking, all parties involved 1) share a common vision; 2) share a measurable common goal; and 3) have a personal opportunity to reap some political, emotional or financial gain, but without conflict with the group's vision. If any of these three elements are missing, you have a recipe for slow-cooked compost.

Despite Mr. Obama's apparent good intentions; despite the desperate need for the government to take a definitive, leadership role in the shoring up of a dangerously failed economy; despite the time sensitivity of the mission at hand; despite the manpower and might behind this legislative C-Section effort; and despite the growing list of economic casualities in this fiery meltdown -- there is no plan, there is no bill and there is no concensus.

Sadly, our legislators are suffering from some conditions that are rendering them unable to unite and draft needed legislation:

1. They are well-paid, and do not relate to the problems faced by their constituents;

2. They have wonderful job security, without an assessment of performance, or a requirement to actually "produce" anything;

3. They put partisan politics and special interests ahead of the welfare of the State;

4. They do things to impede the success of adversaries, instead of reaching a status of cooperation in order to put their grudges aside and work in concert;

5. They do not understand the causality of the problem, do not share a vision of how to solve it, and they do not have a defined set of goals toward which a stimulus package would work;

6. They enjoy showing power by slowing the process until such time as their personal agendas and pet projects are incorporated into any programs;

7. There is no personal incentive to any of them to actually help solve the problem. They represent their respective parties, their favorite lobbyists, and simply enjoy a chance to find fault with the ideas of others instead of proposing solutions.

In brief, all three vital elements for effective teamwork and decisionmaking are completely missing from the legislative stimulus plan proceedings. It takes a good team, as well as a good leader to produce effective legislation. I am not certain that we have either of these.

When and if this bastardized, compromised, pork-stuffed patchwork behemoth of a bill emerges, it will likely be 1) unintelligible; 2) non-economically stimulating, and 3) filled with financial patronage and inflationary waste.

But then, I tend to be an optimist.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle,

THE POLITICAL FRONT

for THE NATIONAL NETWORKER

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THE POLITICAL FRONT: The "Stimulus" Package - A Study In Self - Interest.

MASTERING THE MEMBERSHIP MAZE: Who do You Need to Meet?

Mastering the Membership Maze with Glen Gould

I noted in a recent article that the first part of the year is the time when chambers and other membership organizations see a rise in
attendance. And true to form this has been the case this year.
Nearly all of the chambers I work with have reported record attendance at their programs for the first part of the year. Even in these challenging times many chambers have had record renewal and conversion rates as well.

There are many reasons for the jump in attendance, retention, and conversion. The resulting audience at chamber functions is full of people who haven't participated in networking groups before or who haven't been in quite some time. Now is a great time to attend chamber events and meet new people. Because many people at the chamber are new, you should be aware that most of them have limited networking skills. Many people new to chambers in this economy have come from industries where business came to them naturally. They never needed to network so they never learned to network. Here's where you can help them and help yourself in the process.

Try to remember what it was like when you attended your first chamber networking event. Chances are you felt intimidated, unsure of what to do or how to do it. For me, I was blessed to have Kathy Lehner, a professional realtor in Venice, Florida greet me at the door. What she did those many years ago has left a powerful impression on me. In my estimation, Kathy saved me from myself and from many of the mistakes most new networkers make. She greeted me at the door and asked, "Who do you need to meet?"

Of course I didn't know who I needed to meet because I never gave it much thought. Then she introduced me to interesting people, most of whom I would have never had access to without her introduction.

New members of the chamber are hungry for results and full of energy.

They need help channeling that energy into a positive experience. You can help them. Greet a new member at the next event. Walk up to someone you haven't met before and ask them, "Who do you need to meet?" Even if you don't know the person they are looking for you can help them connect with someone who probably does. Either way you can help them in their quest to be successful

And what about you? How does this help you? We've all heard of "paying it forward". But often we become impatient, seeking immediate results. When you help someone today, they will remember it for a long time to come. Need proof? You just got it. Kathy Lehner greeted me at the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce in Venice, Florida nearly ten years ago and I am still promoting her to this day. You must trust the process. If you help someone find success, success will certainly come to you.

Glen Gould
770-745-5102

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MASTERING THE MEMBERSHIP MAZE: Who do You Need to Meet?

FRANCE: 3 Common Mistakes About Business Networking (It happens in France too!)

by Thierry Mazué
French Bureau Chief

#1 Networking overload
Have you ever met one of these desperate business owners who attend almost every single network event they hear of? Does this sound familiar to you? Hope it doesn't. Based upon result, they may end being a well known networker... crying out & desperate to get more business. Truth is, you have to be selective when it comes to choosing the networks you participate in. It does not make any sense to spend your time at all network events held in your area!

#2 And the winner is...
I know this guy, the Net-King! He won the latest speed-meeting contest with over 75 business cards in... minutes! GREAT! I guess he can do better next time.

But let's take a look at the day after: Who are these contacts? Can you remember any face, what they where looking for, not mentioning what do they look like?
If you ask yourself any of these questions, it is time for you to consider acting differently.

Multiplying contacts is definitively not the best contact sport you should choose.
It leads you to a weird zone. Mike Macedonio (President of the Referral Institute and co-author of the new York times bestseller "Truth or Delusion - Busting Networking Myths") has a nice definition for this zone : he calls it IN-VI-SI-BI-LI-TY!

#3 The day After: Wow! Email is such a nice tool!
Quite often, after a networking event, we all receive an impressive amount of emails, offers, "You need it/You need me/Buy it" sort of message.

How do I feel when this happens? Good! I don't even read it!

I've met somebody for the first time yesterday, spend 3 minutes talking just to have a single reason to exchange business cards, and the next day this prospect turned into a customer! How fantastic is that!

We all know that networking is all about people, getting to know them, building serious and meaningful relationships with them. It remains true for business and social networking.

Whatever your goals are, if you are really serious about how you net-work (thanks to Dr. Ivan Misner for this one), take a look at http://www.29percentsolution.com. This is a serious and fun journey!

Please help all the "invisible Net-Kings": share this link with them!

Thierry Mazué

Maisons-Laffitte

(France, Paris)

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FRANCE: 3 Common Mistakes About Business Networking (It happens in France too!)

DEALING WITH GIANTS: Preparing for the First Meeting

Dealing with Giants with Claudine Halpern

CONGRATULATIONS; you’ve scored a first meeting with the Big Boys, What Now?

Remember what your mother said about first impressions, well she was right, you have about two milliseconds until everything that you and your company represent registers with your Big Boy prospect.

In this article we will talk about the how to make that great first impression, and accomplish the first step toward turning the Big Boy into the Big Profitable Customer.

Emotions and Intellect

Always remember that we are human beings reliant on all our senses for information. Intellectualizing emotions does not mean that they go away, we heed our emotional impulses whether we admit it or not. Let’s keep all aspects in mind while we talk through the problem.

Be Prepared

The Boy Scout’s motto of Be Prepared should be you mantra, I can’t emphasize planning enough. This article is about preparing for the first meeting, next month’s article will be about How to Own the Big Boy meeting, TAKING CONTROL and KEEPING CONTROL.

Who’s coming to the Meeting

I worked with a small company whose founder/CEO was insistent on going to every meeting that was held, as you might imagine this overkill did not go over very well. The CEO was a larger that life figure who had some really strong opinions about everything and was totally in love with his product, we want that in a CEO, but not for exploratory meetings.

Know who’s coming to the meeting, if the Big Boys have three mid-level people coming to vet your firm’s capacity, don’t bring ten people, overkill shows desperation.

On the contrary if the room will be filled with twenty Big Boy participants, you don’t need 20 people to match one to one.

You need to have the knowledge and clout in the room so that you are matched in experience, business knowledge, and capability.

So how do you get people to a meeting, representing your firm, if they don’t exist? Many emerging and startup companies do not have the staff to bring to meetings with the Big Boys. Beg, borrow, steal or hire the right people for the meeting. I have clients who call on me specifically to manage Big Boy meetings and communications; they understand the need and value of a strong first impression.

Dressing for Success is not Outdated

The first thing that a person registers is how you look. That doesn’t mean that you need to be a candidate for America’s Top Model. Dress for impressing, but don’t overdo it. Many firms will tell you that they are business casual. That runs the gamut from sport coat and ties to beat up jeans and tee shirts.

My personal opinion is in New York and on the East Coast, you can’t go wrong with being professionally dressed in a suit and tie. It shows respect for the client and understanding of the holistic local business environment.

In Europe it is critical to be formally dressed for business meetings, in Asia it depends on whether the firm is domestic or international. Domestic firms take cues from the local culture; international firms take their cues from the country of the firms’ origin.

On the west coast and California there is a different norm, but there are still expectations. Most important for men, well-fitted, neat, high quality, classical styles that you are comfortable in. Women have more leeway but I am a proponent of very classic styling for the first impression, keep away from bright colors, overdone jewelry and makeup.

It’s most important be comfortable, the last thing that you need is to be uncomfortable in your clothing while the prospect is trying to make you uncomfortable.

When I manage prospect meetings for emerging and startup companies with new Big Boy prospects, I ask everyone to show me what they will wear. This sometimes causes a bit of internal friction the first time around. I am never questioned on the Dress for Success mantra after that.

Setting Roles; Rehearsing for the Big Show

Write the Agenda, Control the meeting

Determine what you want the Big Boys to think, know and talk about after you leave, then TAKE CONTROL. Write a detailed agenda, chances are that the Big Boys will be really happy to have you do this.

A good agenda includes the following items:

o Question that you are answering- subject

o Who is presenting

o How long it will take

o Timeslots for questions and answers

o Bathroom Breaks

o Meeting Goals

o Timeslot for enumerating Next Steps

Vet the agenda with the Big Boys to make sure they understand what you will talk about.

Formal or Informal Presentation

How many times have you been invited to a meeting, seen the presentation before the meeting, and decided that you have enough information and don’t need to attend. Don’t publish what you will say before you say it. Give just enough information to interest the Big Boys, Hollywood has it right on this, a small teaser trailer is all that you need, use the agenda as tool to accomplish this.

NEVER READ FROM A POWER POINT; I WILL WALK OUT…nuff said

Less is More; Keep it Open Ended

Wouldn’t it be great if the Big Boys ask every question that you want them to? You can make that happen, you can bring the Big Boys exactly to the place you want them be, YOU ARE IN CONTROL. If you do it right the Big Boys will ask the exact questions that you want them to ask, and you will have the killer answer prepared.

Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse and Rehearse Again

Go through your presentation four or five times with stand-ins for the Big Boys, anticipate the questions, script the answers, then do it again and again until you are so sick of it you can do it in your sleep, then you’re ready.

Assign all of the people that you bring to the meeting something to say, otherwise why do you need them. Make sure everyone talks; it shows that you have the knowledgeable staff and depth to support the Big Boys.

Create hand signals for things like cut, or please shut up, and hope you don’t need them.

Be Relaxed; or at Least Look Relaxed

This seems like a no brainer but believe me, it’s really important, if you are traveling to your meeting, make sure that you have alternative arrangements to get you there, make sure that you get a good nights sleep, go to the gym, or do whatever it takes to be relaxed and on top of your game.

NOW YOU’R READY, GOOD LUCK

Watch for my next article; Owning the Sales Process with the Big Boys- TAKING and KEEPING CONTROL of the First Meeting

Claudine Y. Halpern, President, The YCH Group, Inc.

Claudine Halpern is a chameleon, she has worked in many different situations during her more than twenty five years in business; as a management consultant, Claudine advised many of the major brokerage, insurance, and financial houses, completing more than fifteen major corporate initiatives during the past ten years. As a crisis manager for major corporations, Claudine successfully brought in projects and products that other firms would not touch. As a specialist in business and management consultancy, Claudine consults to emerging businesses across the spectrum.

email chalpern@theychgroup.com

http://ychmagicclaudinehalpern.blogspot.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/claudinehalpern

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DEALING WITH GIANTS: Preparing for the First Meeting

ASIA PACIFIC: Kung Hei Fat Choy

By Victor Cattermole

Asia Pacific Bureau Chief

It’s Chinese New Year time and the year of the Ox has arrived. This month I can’t help but look at what that means for the locals in China.

Quite simply the place goes crazy, the town is covered in decorations and red envelops with cash gifts are being given out like US treasury trying to kick start the economy in a day. On the evening of Tuesday 27^th the Hong Kong harbor is lit with a fireworks display that lasts over 20 minutes and is viewed by over 250,000 from every vantage point.

For Chinese though New Year is about more than these things. The Chinese are very spiritual and mystic about what the new year holds ahead for them. The year of the Ox is supposed to be a year of prosperity through hard work. Feng Shui masters are having a field day with predictions based on a variety of events and it’s fair to say the future doesn’t look bright.

A long tradition at this time of year is for family to unite and be together. For thousands and thousands of Chinese that means long trips to the provinces to be with family. It really amazes me to hear reports of people standing on trains and buses for 20 hours, 30 hours or even longer to get back to their family for a few days of celebration. It really shows what incredible value they place on these simple family relationships.

In some way we can all learn something from this aspect of Chinese culture as we look to our own relationships, the way they are created and the way we upkeep and build them. Many westerners may see the journey as a crazy one, especially to simply see family. But in the Chinese culture the family relationship is so important that this journey is what must be done to maintain that relationship.

I found that through hearing these stories and seeing these people I asked myself “What do I do to upkeep and build my relationships? In business and in life.” It is a valuable question to ask, especially as business net workers who place such importance on our relationships.

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ASIA PACIFIC: Kung Hei Fat Choy

TNNW BULLETIN: FEBRUARY, 2009, WEEK 1

---TNNW BULLETIN---

Major Developments, Forward Motion and Actionable Items

February 1, 2009

Our Second Bulletin

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Some significant and wonderful changes are underway at THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. In addition to being the nation’s leading authoritative publication regarding networking and Relationship Capital, we are in the process of becoming the foremost provider of networking, marketing, public relations, image-building, distribution, communications and financial resources in the United States and internationally.

Welcome to a new universe of Powerful Resources, Tangible Results and Exponential Growth through Cooperation and Partnership. Be proactive – start to visualize yourself as a stakeholder in TNNW, instead of as a passive outsider.

The bottom line: TNNW has more to offer you than ever before.

You will want to carefully read every single item of information in this briefing. Please be certain to save this document for your files and ready reference. And of course, our excellent and informative articles for this issue follow…

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ACTIONABLE ITEMS – IMMEDIATE

If you haven’t done these things yet, please do them now! As our format is changing, we need every longtime Subscriber, as well as every newcomer to do take the following steps to assure your continued receipt of our Newsletter, and to gain access to all of our new Resources. Please take a moment and do these things even if you are already a subscriber:

1. Click on http://TheNationalNetworkerWeblog.blogspot.com/

2. Go to the upper right-hand column of the page and subscribe to either the RSS feed, or to the email feed. You must do this even if you are already a Subscriber or a Member. The process will take less than one minute.

3. Congratulate yourself! Good things are headed your way.

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RESOURCES FOR YOUR SUCCESS

TNNW has outstanding new services to offer its Subscribers and Members… and there are more in process.

The Relationship Capital Toolkit, RSS and Articles: Click on this new page to get information on all of our new services, and to receive a daily feed (between weekly issues) either by RSS or email (that’s correct…the RSS feed can be received as an email). If you don’t sign up for one of the feeds and make the page a favorite, you will be missing valuable information, additional articles, crucial intelligence, opportunities and special offers. Even if you’re getting THE NATIONAL NETWORKER now, grab the feed. [THIS SERVICE IS ACTIVE]

Calendar of Events: Check our Calendar daily. It is available to the public, and will be distributed monthly to several million recipients. Make the page a favorite, and list your events to get the message out to the networking world. If you are a Member, you can post one event weekly at no charge. Publicize yourself and your events by adding your events to our Calendar. [THIS SERVICE IS ACTIVE]

Press Release, Publicity and Public Relations: Our suite of services in these areas is unparalleled. Our pricing and abilities are the best available. Make the page a favorite, and harness the indisputable power of print and e-media to send your message, to get attention and to build your personal or company brand. Well-crafted press and news releases are the most cost-effective means of accessing the largest possible audience. [THIS SERVICE IS ACTIVE]

Custom Text-Messaging Programs: Instant communication via text messaging has become a three-fold breakthrough for working teams, networking groups and advertisers. Text-messaging now plays a key role in communications – ask Barack Obama (he won, didn’t he?) – His campaigning and fundraising activities were carried out through a communications mix of internet marketing and text-messaging. People might leave their laptops at home, but they carry cellular telephones in their pockets. [THIS SERVICE IS ACTIVE]

International Agent/ Distributor Services: The networking community is increasingly international. You can grow at an incredible pace by partnering with international agents, distributors, representatives, vendors and consumers. Through TNNW, you can now access pre-qualified international contacts with personal introductions…or, you can get pre-qualified leads sent to you to follow up directly. We give you choices. Build a virtual import, export or global “division” in cyberspace at a miniscule cost, and become global in no time! [THIS SERVICE IS ACTIVE]

Webinar and Broadcast Programs: This suite of resources will become available within the next week, and it will give our Members the capability to produce professional quality webinars, broadcasts, podcasts and top-quality interview programs. [THIS SERVICE WILL BE ACTIVATED BY 2/10/09]

Membership Page: To gain entry to all of these services (and a number of others which are being built right now), you should be a Member. Individual or company Membership is very inexpensive, and might be the best investment that you can make in yourself, your business and your future success. [THIS SERVICE IS ACTIVE]

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NEW, RICHER FORMAT

In the coming weeks, both our Website and our Newsletter are going to be fully re-formatted. They will be easier than ever before to navigate, and will fully integrate a number of new features. Keep watching. We are privileged to have several new columnists to increase our event coverage and our in-depth expertise in a greater number of areas

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MAJOR EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

-FOR INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING WEEK-

“Get Connected 09…Experience the Power of Networking,” a fabulous, power-packed conference, is coming up during International Networking Week, February 6-8, 2009. This world-class event will be held at the Sirata Beach Resort, St. Pete Beach, Florida. This is a major, “can’t miss” conference for serious business professionals. The roster of presenters includes the very best of the best in networking.

***The time left for registration is extremely limited, so register as soon as possible at www.GetConnected09.com to reserve your place.

This event is being coordinated, sponsored and produced by TNNW Members LuAnn Buechler, CMP (of Professional Meeting Consultants, www.ProfessionalMeetingConsultant.com) and Beth M. Anderson (of OrgTrack.com, www.OrgTrack.com), and their special purpose company, PMC Events, to celebrate International Networking Week and to provide valuable, practical entrepreneurial education from the some of the most noteworthy and successful experts in the Networking field to those business professionals who conduct a significant amount of their business through word-of-mouth or referral marketing. The presenters are going to focus on how your business can survive and thrive in this challenging economic environment. The target objective is to thoroughly recession-proof your business.

Both LuAnn and Beth are Directors of BNI, the world’s largest and best-known business networking organization. OrgTrack.com serves 35% of BNI’s membership through its proprietary network management software tool. LuAnn utilizes her 25+ years of hospitality industry experience to bring like-minded people and organizations together in meetings that make things happen. More event information follows:

The Friday evening keynote presentation will be delivered by Dr. Ivan R. Misner, Founder and Chairman of Business Network International (BNI). Chartered in 1985, the organization has in excess of 4,600 chapters today, and is represented throughout every populated continent of the world. Last year alone, BNI generated over 5.5 million referrals resulting in over 2.2 Billion Dollars’ worth of business for its members.

Called the "Father of Modern Networking" by Ecademy.com and the “Networking Guru” by Entrepreneur magazine, Dr. Misner is the foremost thought leader and authority on the art and science of Successful Business Networking. He has been a keynote speaker for major corporations and associations spanning the entire globe, and has been featured in the L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times, as well as on numerous TV and radio shows on such networks as CNN, CNBC, and the BBC in London.

Other speakers will include Frank de Raffele, Executive Producer and Host of Entrepreneurial Excellence Radio Show, New York and Jeff Stay, of Stay Successful, an entrepreneurial training and professional development firm located in Miami, Florida. Other details follow:

Registration Fee: $259 includes Networking Reception with the Experts, Continental Breakfast each morning with Networking Roundtables, three Keynote Speakers and nine Workshops to choose from to help you grow your business, and your profits, bigger and stronger in 2009.

Hotel Room Rates: $129 single or double occupancy.

Register now at www.GetConnected09.com.

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PROJECTS, ALLIANCES AND NEW LINKS

We have many new projects, strategic alliances and new links to offer you for your information and participation. The following outline is for your quick reference; it contains a combination of “live” items, and a list coming attractions:

*David Wolf, of the Smallbiz America Network and SBTV-Small Business Television is will be co-producing some exceptional media programs with TNNW, all of which are designed to gain each of our Authors, Subscribers and Members instant access to the major markets. These will include TNNW Podsuite™, a proprietary menu of professional podcast options; a TNNW Radio Network; and a TNNW Television Network – each featuring our own selected guests, hosts, interviewers, content, advertising sponsors and coverage. Think of being covered on regional or national radio or television – and after the initial burst of ego, think about having your commentary, content or advertising streaming across the country via airwaves, internet, RSS feeds, YouTube and other media to a prospective audience in the millions. Think about your reputation, your branding, your exposure…your access. What could this do for your business? Learn more about David by visiting www.smallbizamerica.com , www.sbtv.com, and http://twitter.com/smallbizamerica. TNNW will be making small businesses in to very big ones.

*Bruce Newman, one of our Authors and an expert in the field of qualifying and selecting the most suitable consultants for business needing high caliber services but wishing to reduce their fixed employment overhead to accommodate changes in the business paradigm, global economy and communications and organizational technology, is publishing a brand new newsletter. His company, The Productivity Institute, LLC (www.prodinst.com), will be generating the newsletter bi-weekly, To learn more, and to subscribe for The Productivity Institute Newsletter ™, go to http://www.prodinst.com//articles/PI_current_newsletter.html . If you would be interested in writing for the publication, or in advertising sponsorship, please contact Bruce at info@prodinst.com. The newsletter already has a large opt-in subscriber base, and presents a viral marketing opportunity for every organization which participates in contributing content (you may even be the Featured Company), and re-mailing the newsletter to their own opt-in subscriber lists. The readership growth potential is exponential (hey…that rhymes!), and it is an opportunity to get you and your company in front of an ever-increasing audience. It is essentially a cooperative effort where every participant wins. What’s more, the content promises to be excellent, useful and interesting. Sign up to receive your free Newsletter today.

*Author Michelle Bergquist, who has written the widely read book, How To Build A Million-Dollar Database , and who is a principal of SBR, Inc. is going to be one of our contributing writers. You can learn about Michelle’s unique areas of expertise (especially where converting mere contacts into real, profitable business relationships is concerned) by visiting her website at www.michelleberquist.com . Her book is a tremendous and authoritative guide, and she is a powerful speaker and a networker who absolutely and unfailingly practices what she preaches. We will be making a special offering of Michelle’s book on our site. What is your ratio of relationships to contacts? Michelle will demonstrate exactly how to increase it, as well as your profits. By the way, Michelle is an excellent speaker with a genuinely warm and inspiring personality. She leaves people wanting to call her back – and that’s a gift.

* Author Lillian Bjorseth, who has written Breakthrough Networking – Building Relationships that last, is a dynamic presenter and an expert at such critical image- and impression- related details as how to dress, posture, body language (non-verbal communications), optimum utilization of your voice, gets down to very essence of how to re-create yourself into a masterful networker. These are the skills that you will need to navigate your way through a challenging economy. We will be making a special offering of Lillian’s book, and her patented “action card decks,” as well as some new products and publications in the weeks to come. She is a superb presenter with a powerful air of self-confidence that would make even some of the best Toastmasters envious. Lillian can be reached at 630.983.5308. But first, we would suggest that your immediately go to here website at www.duoforce.com, and forward your questions and inquiries to her via email at lillianspeaks@duoforce.com .

*Author, networker and healthcare practitioner (not to mention superb jazz bass player) Christine Sotmary, M.S., L.Ac., CPC is going to be writing for us about a variety of issues. She is an expert at so many things, and has a private coaching and mentoring practice. She is an amazing amalgam of talents, as a marathon athlete, technical writer, acupuncturist, metabolic consultant, musical performer and promoter. You have to get a subscription to her newsletter (actually one of several) called “Unplug and Get Your Groove Back,” which you might be able to access through one of her sites, which include www.gotbetterhealth.com, www.sotmary.com and www.zoomnia.com/gotbetterhealth . You can reach her directly at 917.273.1308, or via email at sotmary@gmail.com. She is a superb coach and trainer, with boundless energy.

* Mark Sturgell, CBC of Performance Development Network is an expert as resolving team-related issues, and “fixing” teams which need to be restructured, retrained or re-focused. Mark’s practice involves individual, team and corporate coaching. Visit his website at www.pdncoach.com , and reach Mark directly at info@pdncoach.com, or at teams@pdncoach.com . I interviewed Mark for a recent article which appeared in THE NATIONAL NETWORKER (through the RSS feed), and in several of my other blogs.

Note: Mark also has a very interesting blog, titled “Intersection of Purpose and Now,” which you can access by clicking on http://purposeandnow.blogspot.com/ .

* Author Ann Barczay Sloan (abarczay@earlink.com), one of our very popular authors has written a book, titled, “HOW TO USE THE PIECES OF A BROKEN HEART – Recipies for Rebirth” which features some poignant and inspiring short writings, with original and beautiful illustrations by artist Penny McManigal. TNNW is in the process of putting together a small syndicate for the self-publishing, promotion, initial printing and distribution of the finished work. I have a strong personal interest in this wonderful project, and if you speak with either Ann or myself, you will too. The book is ideal for the times in which we live…let’s participate and get some royalties out of this before a major publisher steps in for widescale promotion and distribution of the book, and Ann becomes unapproachable because her inspiring and profound work gets Oprah’s endorsement. Should you have an interest please email me at douglas.castle@yahoo.com, or telephone me toll-free at 888-317-6498 (Extension 3)

* Marguerite Mcleod-Fleming, a TNNW author and principal of www.theresultsource.com, is an expert in the field of telemarketing. She is making special product offerings available to TNNW Members, including a results-driven free trial telemarketing campaign, ongoing telemarketing services, and a series of webinars regarding the enlightened use of the telephone as a contact tool. Some of the topics to be covered include 1) objection-handling, 2) getting past voicemail, and 3) working with “gatekeepers” who try to stand in the way of your connecting directly with the decision makers whom you need to reach. To get a sneak preview of what Marguerite has in store for you, click on http://www.theresultsource.com/telemarketingoffertnnw.html . We expect a full launch of a joint-campaign within a week.

* Jeff Schomay, of Inspire-Your-Buyer, is an expert at getting recipients to open your emails to them. He uses carefully-selected brief key statements and some attention-grabbing graphic arts effects in order to get your recipients “primed” to focus on your email campaign or newsletter. Jeff will be writing for TNNW, and is offering a special program to our Members. Preview the program, and perhaps take it for a test drive by clicking on http://inpire-your-buyer.com/tnnw_special.html. Think of the incremental increase in your profits if you could increase your email response rate from, say 2% to 15%...that translates into a dramatic increase. Jeff does wonderful work, and gets results. In the words of Sian Lindemann, another TNNW writer, and a vigorous networker in her field, “Jeff got my phone to ring like it’s never rung before.” Everybody wants this. Get your email recipients to pay attention and respond!

* Lance Hood has made a career of studying the techniques, histories and winning formulas of the world’s greatest success coaches. He has created a website which shares their wisdom, stories and insights with visitors. He is also producing an affiliated newsletter. Ultimately, if Lance has his way, he will be able to get you featured as one his featured Greatest Coaches to tell your story. Go to his site, and subscribe to his newsletter at www.GreatestLivingSuccessCoaches.com. He is also sharing information about a co-sponsorship opportunity for new projects, technologies, websites and brands, which you can access at www.PromoteTheMastersGathering.com – I would recommend that you review it, and then email Lance directly at Lance@GreatestLivingSuccessCoaches.com with any questions or suggestions. Lance has studied the winners, and we believe that he can help make you one, too.

* Author and networker Jason Jacobsohn has an excellent newsletter which you should subscribe to at http://jacobsohn.com/. The newsletter is called “Network Your Way to Success,” and it is well worth getting. He offers opportunities to contribute content, promote your product or service. Jason’s website, www.networkinginsight.com will provide you with more useful information. You can reach Jason directly at Jason@jacobsohn.com, or by telephoning his offices at 773.368.0229.

Cinda Hocking and Barbara H. Marynowski, both new authors at TNNW, are Senior Consultants at INTERNAL ENERGY PLUS™, a revolutionary technique for lightning-speed learning, which utilizes an eclectic blend of unconventional but highly-focused training and entrainment approaches in order to empower your self-growth, personal development and professional and financial success. IEP uses such techniques as meditation, NLP, hypnotherapy, subliminal messaging, deliberate breathing, brainwave entrainment, Scripting and certain select energy postures (derived from ancient martial arts) to rid you of stress, fill you with newfound focus and energy, improve your health, and to attain your goals by a linear approach. You can learn, and change at the speed of thought. Your complete personal and business success and happiness are the ultimate objectives of the IEP System, and any person of any age can participate. They offer programs and products (including CDs, DVDs, books, Scripts, etcetera) for home study, as well as various seminars, demonstrations and tutorials for larger teams groups and organizations. Their website is at www.InternalEnergyPlus.com. Their principal blog is at http://TheInternalEnergyPlusForum.blogspot.com , and you can join their free online community at http://heatlth.groups.yahoo.com/group/INTERNAL_ENERGY_PLUS/ .

You might also consider subscribing to some of the other FREE IEP, blogs, services and exciting self-growth tools, including LIFE LINKS, BRAINTENANCE, TAKING COMMAND! , THE INTERNATIONALIST PAGE and THE GLOBAL FUTURIST. Subscribe to these by email or RSS feed – they are all free, and they are great tools for realizing your personal potential.

Visit the INTERNAL ENERGY PLUS website at www.InternalEnergyPlus.com and take a long look at their product offerings. Develop your inner-personal skills, as well as your interpersonal skills. Some of the CDs for de-stressing, positive affirmations, goal focus, creativity, conquering phobias and attracting wealth and opportunity are among the best available in the market. Program yourself for success.

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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW MEMBERS

The following individuals and/or their organizations recently acquired TNNW Membership status. We’ll just name them in this Bulletin, but in the next Bulletin, we’ll feature some information on each one of these treasured Charter Members:

Alan Kovitz ( www.elevationsunlimited.us ): CEO of Elevations Unlimited, LLC, a leadership coaching organization which specializes in helping entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial companies create and realize outrageous dreams. Reach Alan at alan@elevationsunlimited.us .

Bonnie Ross-Parker (http://www.TheJoyOfConnecting.com and http://BonnieRossParker.com ): Founder/CEO of The Joy of Connecting, which is a national, non-membership, innovative customer acquisition and marketing program specifically for female entrepreneurs, professionals and business owners. JOC is for individuals serious about growing business – Licenses are available.

Judy Sunblade (http://www.newenglandcoaching.com): Vice President of New England Coaching – a premier provider of training, education and coaching programs geared toward success. Programs include: Coaching Certification (ICF accredited); Emotional Intelligence Certification; Leadership Development Program; Sales Effectiveness Program, and Executive Coaching Services. Reach Judy at judy@judysunblade.com .

Robert Gough (http://www.CCGMortgage.com): President of Corinthian Capital Group, Inc. Reach Robert at RobG@CCGMortgage.com , or by telephone at 732-521-5253.

Alan Corby (http://www.allanjcorby.com and http://www.npb2b.com) : Reach Alan at alan.corby@axa-advisors.com.

Nicholas St. Jon (http://www.MemoryIn30Days.com): Reach Nicholas at njon@formdriver.com .

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*YOU CAN NOW PLACE YOUR THREE-LINE ANNOUNCEMENT OR AD HERE!*

If you can say it in three lines or less, you can have your announcement or advertisement placed here. This is superb positioning – aren’t you reading it now? To learn more, go to ADVERTISEMENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS. That’s it. This is a three-line ad.

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Advertisements & Announcements – THE NATIONAL NETWORKER is constantly providing information and intelligence to an ever-widening group of Subscribers and secondary readers. Printed and display ads featured in TNNW yield results! This site will be ready in several days for you to use in placing your advertisements and announcements. We feature Three-Line Ads, Textbox Ads, Display Ads, Special Inserts, Classifieds, Affiliate Links and a variety of other proven ways of reaching your market, getting attention, and acquiring new clients, customers, affiliates and additional brand recognition.

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TNNW BULLETIN: FEBRUARY, 2009, WEEK 1