POWER THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: Choosing Your Most Powerful Networks, Part 3

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

Discretion

To what extent are you able to market your wares without regard to rules, licenses or permissions? How much freedom do you have to exercise your own judgment as you apply your knowledge, skills and abilities in different arenas? Act to increase the amount of discretion that you may exercise. Choose networks with greater flexibility. It will increase your options and illumine new opportunities and avenues to extend the reach of your business and networks.

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POWER THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: Choosing Your Most Powerful Networks, Part 3

MASTERING THE MEMBERSHIP MAZE: One Thing You Can Do Now That Can Change Everything

Mastering the Membership Maze with Glen Gould

The first quarter of 2009 is in the books. Now is the time when we look at the figures and identify trends. No doubt the figures will tell a story and as my mother always said, "figures don't lie, but liars sure can figure."

But what exactly are the figures telling us? What figures should we be considering?

And most importantly, what really matters? The last thing any one needs right now is someone adding to the negative news we are being bombarded with every day. But perhaps you are one of many examining your figures and you are beginning to believe that things are not going so well. Remember, the figures don't lie.

Of course there are many who are experiencing a great year. Their numbers are up and things are going well. What could be the difference for these people in this challenging economy? Could it be one thing? Most emphatically YES.

Those who have good results now or at any time most certainly have faith. Faith should not be confused with belief. Belief can be based on proof or fact. When your numbers are down and everyone around you is telling you that things are going poorly, it is easy to believe that things are going poorly. But belief does not trump faith.

Faith is more than a good attitude or a belief that things will work out for the best. Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing. Faith is belief that is not based on proof. In the example of our numbers being down, one would believe that the numbers are down based on the evidence, but could still have faith that things are going well regardless of the evidence. Faith requires trust, confidence, and belief not based on proof. Simply put, faith is a choice. It is the choice of optimism over pessimism.

Which brings us to the one thing you can do now to change everything. You can choose to have faith that things will be good. You can have faith in your company, your product, your service, and yourself. You can have faith that your clients will buy and that they will pay on time. You can have faith that you will benefit from this economic climate and not be a victim of it. You can choose to have faith.

And when you choose to have faith the world will respond in kind. People who have faith are more optimistic, more jovial, and more engaging. People are naturally attracted to those who smile more, speak positively, and are engaged with others in a positive manner. You will be more attractive when you have faith. And others will want to be around you and do business with you.

You'll receive more orders, more leads, more referrals, and more money. This will lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy: I have faith that things are going well and they are. I am more attractive to others, more people want to be around me, and more people do business with me. And they are telling others about me too!

The choice is yours. You can believe what everyone is telling you or you can choose to have faith that you are exceptional. Choose to have faith and you will find that networking is easier, referrals are plentiful, friends are abundant, and your wallet is fat.

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MASTERING THE MEMBERSHIP MAZE: One Thing You Can Do Now That Can Change Everything

NETWORKING SUCCESS: Word of Mouth Marketing is Only as Good as the Referrals You Give

Networking Success with Dr. Ivan Misner

Ivan's section is sponsored by qAlias.com

Word of mouth is the most effective form of advertising—but it’s not the safest. Some people approach referral marketing with the attitude that all they have to do is get to know people and referral business will simply bubble up like water in a spring. What they don’t realize is that, once trust evaporates, so does the water.

In word-of-mouth (or referral) marketing, your integrity and your reputation are on the line all the time. You can’t hide behind an ad. In the referral process, you are continually transparent. You’ve got to do what you say you’re going to do. You’ve got to be professional. Any flaw in your integrity becomes instantly visible to everyone you’re dealing with.

When you give a referral, you give away a little bit of your reputation. While giving a good referral will enhance your relationship, a bad referral will hurt it. If the person you referred does a poor job or is dishonest, your reputation is what takes the biggest hit. Your relationship with the prospect will probably suffer, at least temporarily, and you may even lose that person as a customer.

For example, even top-flight master networkers can inadvertently pass a bad referral once in a while. I started a new company, the Referral Institute, with two partners – Mike A and Mike B. Knowing that we would be doing a lot of business printing, Mike A referred one of his clients, who owned a business-printing company, to Mike B. A deal was made, but before long it became apparent that the vendor was charging for services that had not been included in the quote. Mike B called Mike A and complained. Mike A called the business printer and complained. The vendor called Mike B and apologized for neglecting to reveal hidden charges in the contract. Mike B told him, “I’ll accept your apology, but I think the bigger apology needs to go to my partner, because he’s the one who referred you. You’ve done him a lot more damage than you’ve done me.”

Since that time, we’ve done no business with that business printer and would never consider referring him to anyone we know. It was later learned that the vendor had cheated other people that Mike A had referred him to and that, like termites, the damage to Mike A’s reputation stayed hidden until it came to light in his own business referral. In the end, Mike A greatly mitigated the damage by contacting and apologizing to each of the people whose business had been harmed by the unscrupulous vendor he had referred them to. In this way, he was able to minimize the damage to his own networking relationships.

As you can see, the biggest risk in this referral was to the referral giver’s reputation and business relationships. Many people had hired this printing shyster without a bid process because of Mike A’s reputation and clout. This is why referral marketing is dangerous, and it is why the referral provider owes it to himself and others to know as much as possible about the vendor he’s referring to others. Take the time to get to know the person you’re referring. Make sure that person has integrity, because if he doesn’t, your own reputation is at risk. And here’s an important point: never give good referrals to people who don’t want them or can’t handle them with integrity and professionalism.

Similarly, if the person being referred assumes he’s got carte blanche because he’s a referral, a friend of a friend, he can do himself permanent damage by performing poorly or dishonestly. When your business depends on word of mouth, you can’t hide behind a mass advertising campaign and bank on plenty of new customers replacing used-up, disgruntled ones. Word of mouth is always working—if not for you, then against you.

The same thing goes for the prospect. If you’re expecting to get a break—say a special price or a freebie—or if you try to take advantage because a friend referred you to a vendor she knows, there’s a strong chance you’re damaging the vendor’s relationship with the referral giver by making the referral giver look bad. Rather than refer other vendors to you and risk damaging those relationships, chances are the referral giver is going to avoid you in the future.

As you can see, everybody in this three-way referral relationship is in a fishbowl. Everything you’re doing or communicating, everything you’re displaying is part of your word-of-mouth message. Dishonesty, incompetence, and carelessness quickly become apparent to all. In traditional advertising, a graphic designer can create your image, your brand. In word-of-mouth marketing, your image is not only things that have been created for you but also the way you come to the table—even the way you behave in roles outside of business. If your child’s Little League coach is timely, well behaved, professional, and a good leader, you’ll be favorably disposed toward giving him your business when you learn he’s also a respected attorney.

Even for someone who is honest, skilled, and dedicated, word-of-mouth marketing may not be the best choice. If your business can ring up plenty of sales based on your customer-service reputation alone, if you are uncomfortable spending the face time needed to maintain good networking relationships, if you don’t want to market personally, then traditional advertising should probably be your choice of marketing strategy.

Remember, word of mouth is always working; it’s just not always working for you. Especially if you’re a jerk.

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

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NETWORKING SUCCESS: Word of Mouth Marketing is Only as Good as the Referrals You Give

TNNW BULLETIN AND ARTICLES, APRIL, 2009, WEEK 3

Major Developments, Forward Motion, Events and Actionable Items: TNNW - We ARE Networking

April 19, 2009

Bulletin # 12

"PUTTING THE 'BULL' BACK INTO BULLETIN"

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THE NATIONAL NETWORKER - WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU SUCCEED. WE ARE HERE TO HELP EACH OTHER SUCCEED, TOO.
-A Brief Commentary by Douglas Castle

THE NATIONAL NETWORKER is an interconnected, interpersonal community, with a shared armory of fabulous intelligence, superb and dedicated writers, industry coverage, great entrepreneurial and networking tools (an unparalleled suite of services!), resources and PEOPLE...Not just our staff, but our Subscribers, our Members and our service providers.

We build together for each and all of us. And we build exponentially. We are growing bigger, better and stronger -- and even more importantly, we are keeping our editorial quality and editorial integrity to the highest standard. TNNW will never sacrifice quality for growth. WE WILL SETTLE FOR NOTHING LESS THAN BOTH. We have too much going for us to compromise, or to "sell out."

Adam J. Kovitz, who founded TNNW four years ago, created this vehicle, this tool, this gift...to help the (then) fledgling networking industry. It was Adam's intention to be the driving force in getting people connected, bonded, cooperating and uniting in a sincere, reciprocal effort to prosper. He does not compromise, and his vision is clearer than ever. Relationship Capital.
You will want to forward this message to everyone whom you know...family, friends, employees, colleagues, new contacts...everyone. You will request that they subscribe.

Within a short period of time, there will indeed be two types of people --- Members of the TNNW Community - and - robotic name collectors. I recommend that you be one of the first type -- and I also recommend that you get every single one of your friends to get in. Now. We build together for each and all of us. And we build exponentially. We are growing bigger, better and stronger -- and even more importantly, we are keeping our editorial quality and editorial integrity to the highest standard. TNNW will never sacrifice quality for growth. WE WILL SETTLE FOR NOTHING LESS THAN BOTH.

Amen.

Faithfully, and with great respect,

Douglas Castle

http://theinternationalistpage.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-was-only-following-my-orders.html

http://theglobalfuturist.blogspot.com/2009/04/some-notable-trends-and-signals-april.html
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NAVIGATE THE MAZE

You can navigate the entire web of TNNW sites, blogs and features by going to http://tnnwindex.blogspot.com/. Our network (no pun intended) is a work-in-progress, and we are busily updating it every single day. We would suggest that you click on http://tnnwindex.blogspot.com/, get onto the page, and immediately make it a Favorite.

WHAT TNNW OFFERS ITS SUBSCRIBERS

THE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER (ALWAYS FREE. ALWAYS VITAL AND INFORMATIVE)

During the course of the past four years, THE NATIONAL NETWORKER has been a free weekly e-newsletter written about many aspects of the art and science of business networking. It has featured articles written by a number of different columnists and regional specialists. It is a true journal of significant import and quality, and has never been an “advertorial” or promotional piece, and it’s well-respected in the industry. It has been subsidized by fully-disclosed display advertisers and affiliate links, and through the efforts of Adam J. Kovitz, with the help of a small but very loyal group of visionary partners.

This weekly newsletter remains the cornerstone of THE NATIONAL NETWORKER, and its intelligence, integrity, objectivity and quality shall not be compromised. It will continue to be offered free to subscribers, and the articles shall continue to be non-advertorial.

INFO AND INTEL FEEDS

Between weekly Newsletters, various articles, offers, bulletins and news are streamed to subscribers by free RSS or EMAIL Feeds – in this way, TNNW has more of a daily presence to our readership, and we have an additional platform upon which to promote the Newsletter, as well as various services and products, as we deem appropriate. While these transmittals may contain advertisements or promotional content, they will always contain valuable information, news or insights.

THE TNNW SUITE OF SERVICES

TNNW offers its subscribers and members an unparalleled and ever- expanding suite of proprietary services to better effectuate networking, communications, marketing, advertising, public relations & promotion, image-building, branding, follow-through, organization, planning and profitability. They apply to businesses across the spectrum. We have assembled the greatest, most comprehensive and most powerful tools (at amazingly good prices) for networking and business development ever to be placed under one roof. Click on every one of these services...they are the best that you will find anywhere, and represent the best value by far. Let TNNW help you to achieve your business, financial and personal growth goals. Check out each one of these services:

1. The Relationship Capital Toolkit, RSS, Daily Email Feeds and Articles Click on this 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.Check this entire page out very, very carefully, and make it a FAVORITE. It contains four critical industry RSS newsfeeds (right on one page) about networking, public relations, advertising, marketing, technological platforms, social media, listing services, affiliate programs, statistics, publishing, new terminology, trends and a host of other topics that you should know about. It takes 10 minutes to read through all of these RSS or email feeds -- gain valuable, cutting-edge knowledge, and sound like an expert. Knowledge is indeed power. But don't forget that knowledge gives the impression of intelligence and preparedness. And first impressions count. (this service is free to all subscribers and members)

2. 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.

3. Advertisements and Announcements

ADVERTISING WITH THE NATIONAL NETWORKER GETS RESULTS. We offer you nine options. Please take a moment to check out our Advertisements & Announcements page at http://tnnw9.blogspot.com/ .

4. Press Release, Publicity and Public Relations Our suite of services in these areas is unparalleled. Well-crafted releases yield greater responses and Search Engine Results than any other mode of advertising. The CPM (cost per thousand viewers) is lower than for any other form of advertising. 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. You can get your news release out to as many as 25 separate newswire services, representing more than 25,000 publications both electronic and in print.....the potential readership that you can reach is well into the millions. The greater the number of press releases that you place, the more coverage you'll receive on future releases.

The ultimate victory is when reporters and journalists start to quote you as an expert in their independent articles! You need to issue releases if you are to establish yourself as an expert in your field, or if you wish to get your brand name OUT THERE.

5. 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 a powerful tool for tightening up corporate or group communications in real-time, and for accessing the Gen Y market population... in fact, the market where text-messaging is the most highly-utilized and well-received is for consumers between the ages of 12 and 36.Having said this, expect a new market to emerge amongst the Baby Boomers for this type of service during the course of these next two years.

6. 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. Our information comes direct from foreign embassies, consultates, trade bureaus, UN sources, The U.S Department of Commerce, The Customs Bureau, and international trade development agencies on every single continent. We give you choices. Build a virtual import, export or global “division” in cyberspace at a miniscule cost, and become global in no time! Note: As of the date of this writing, the US government-sponsored benefits and inducements to exporters are particularly attractive.

We can also arrange trade financing, letters of credit, payment guarantees, political and credit risk insurance and direct, personal introductions to international agents, representatives, distributors, wholesalers, and strategic co-venturers. The current US administration is rapidly opening barriers to all trade. Don't limit yourself. don't limit your company. Be "instantly international".

Get Global. Multiply your market in just a few months. TNNW can build you a virtual export or import division, rapidly, very inexpensively and with only minimal effort on your part. What's more, we'll help you make it successful -- we'll help you operate it!

7. Webinar and Broadcast Programs This suite of resources gives our Members the capability to produce professional quality webinars, broadcasts, pod casts and top-quality interview programs. Click on the site for a webinar series which we are hosting with ConferTel -- you may well want to sign up and enroll now.

8. TNNW Mini-Interviews When you write, you can be convincing. But when you personally answer questions about yourself and/ or your organization in a scripted telephone interview (downloadable in an MP3 format!), your appeal is dramatically enhanced. A TNNW MINI-INTERVIEW gives your audience an opportunity to hear your voice. Your listeners will get to actually "feel" your competence, enthusiasm and unique personality. Give yourself the advantage with a TNNW MINI-INTERVIEW. You can embed Mini-Interviews on your websites, blogs, press releases, newsletters and email signatures.

Special Note: WHY TNNW MINI-INTERVIEWS ARE SO EFFECTIVE

The Human psyche is an insecure creature. It constantly requires the reassurance of a "second opinion" or of an "impartial" third party. Accordingly, when you speak about yourself to a prospective client or business associate, it carries the automatic liability of being self-serving, and even patronizing of your audience. In a circumstance where the prospective client or business associate is allowed to "listen in" on a teleconference (formatted as a Q and A interview) between yourself and a professional-sounding interviewer), your presentation stops being a "dog and pony show," and becomes perceived as a critical interview. No longer viewed as an advertisement or an "advertorial", the TNNW MINI-INTERVIEW is seen as an informative newscast. And that makes you more credible and persuasive, with an implicit third-party endorsement by the interviewer. MINI-INTERVIEWS are radar-focused glimpses into your personality, as well as into your products, services and publications. Create a better bond with your prospective buyers... Make the relationship more personal, and you will markedly increase the likelihood of getting to "yes."

9. TNNW Surveys From time to time, and with increasing frequency, we will run a poll or survey to gather information for the benefit of all of our readers. These surveys are sent to in excess of one million prospective participants. If you have an idea for a survey that you would like to put out to the business networking community, go to the page and contact us about it. It is excellent press to get your name attached to the promotion of a survey…and we publish the results by whatever the deadline date on each survey is.

Surveys are not only a means of gathering intelligence and market research; they are a means of publicizing information while getting your company and your brand into the limelight. We will help you formulate your survey, format the survey document, circulate it over the widest appropriate audience, tabulate results and publicise them for you.

Soon, we will be featuring at least one major survey or poll weekly; either TNNW-sponsored or Member-sponsored.

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READ OUR ARTICLES

Now...go on to enjoy the articles written by our Featured Columnists, National Bureau Chiefs and International Bureau Chiefs...

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TNNW BULLETIN AND ARTICLES, APRIL, 2009, WEEK 3