DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA: The Company You Keep

Doing Business in China with Dan Paulson

A recent survey by Healthy Companies International states that three out of every four CEOs working in a Fortune 100 company today have spent at least two years in a senior leadership role. Larger companies understand the importance of having international experience, but it shouldn’t matter what size your business is. In today’s business world, and in the foreseeable future, we will require a better understanding of business from a global perspective. Some of the greatest opportunities for business today may exist outside country and it all starts by the relationships you keep.

In business, relationships are everything. Relationships are your most effective marketing tool. They open up networks. They allow you to connect with new ideas. You can get new business, from a referral, or you can increase your work with a client just through the relationships you keep.

In China, relationships are critical. Without good relationships, you may find it difficult to do business there. China is a country rich in culture and much of that culture is reflected in the way they do business. Your success in China depends on the relationships you build. Here are some things to consider:

Enter the market with a good strategy. Know what you want to achieve. Have a clear vision and an understanding of what you need to do to get there. Many opportunities exist in the world market. Seize these opportunities, but do so with a plan. If you don’t, it could be costly.

Know the connections you need. In China, government connections are just as important as business connections. Rules and regulations change often. Having a connection into different government entities can help you cut through the red tape and get your business going. Other countries have their own rules as well. Find the local resources to guide you. Additional relationships that are good to have are in market research, advertising, logistics, travel, health care and manufacturing. Find the resources necessary to build these connections. It may involve a few trips and several meetings, but it will be well worth it. Find someone who can guide you through the process to help you get the right connections faster.

Connect with other economic development centers. Be sure to check out the US Chamber of Commerce or other economic development groups. In addition, find the local chambers of commerce and seek to build relationships there. In larger cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, these Chambers can have a great deal of influence. They can also be another resource to help you start your growth oversees.

Be a capitalist. We can learn so much from other cultures on doing business, both the good and the bad. You want to be associated with reputable business partners so it is necessary to do your research. Have other trusted partners help you as well. Get someone who will look out for your best interests. In China, they are extremely capitalisitic. Poor relationships may help your connection make a buck, but could leave you out in the cold. We often fail to recognize cultural differences and interpret them correctly. Think win-win, but know what’s in your best interest as well as the interests of your client. Understand the cultural differences and how that relates to capitalism for you and for them.

Treat business like a marathon, not a sprint. Learn, learn, learn. Take cautious steps in the beginning. Try not to do too much too fast. The Chinese culture has been around for thousands of years.. It can be a difficult market to break in to. Pace yourself. Take the time to understand how and where to play. Know what you need to do to make in-roads to the market. Find those who can help you grow. Often these people are nationals. They understand the culture the best and can help you maneuver through the business challenges. Seek out loyal partners.

Bring value to your business relationships. In China, business partners, associates, and network connections all seek value in the relationship. Not too different from here, you need to be able to answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” Know what value you bring and use that to start building trust.

Following a few simple steps here can get you on your way to business expansion. Knowing the culture will make a tremendous difference in your success. Whether your expansion plans include China or another part of the world, be prepared to do business a little differently than you have in the past. It’s the little changes that can spell the difference between success and failure.


For more information, please visit Dan's TNNWC Bio.

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DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA: The Company You Keep

BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: Create an Effective Verbal Business Card

Breakthrough Networking with Lillian Bjorseth

People don’t buy a stove because it’s three-feet high and white. They buy it because it cooks their food. When you start your conversations with words that cook others’ food, you will convert them into clients much more easily. People buy benefits, not features.

The way you do this is with a benefit-laden Verbal Business Card (VBC), the front end of your elevator pitch that entices people to want to learn more about what you can do for them or their associates.

Last month I discussed many characteristics of an effective VBC and how to use it as the front end of your LinkedIn elevator pitch. Today, I am going to share what to include … and not … in your generic VBC. This is the one you use when you meet people who are not employed by the same company or in the same industry.

To be Included

• Your first, last name. Everyone suffers from memory lapses; so even if you are wearing a name tag, repeat your name every time you start a new conversation. It also helps people know how you preferred to be called, i.e., Bill vs. William and how to pronounce a more difficult name like mine: B-or-seth. (The “j” in Bjorseth is silent, and some people wouldn’t know this without first hearing it.)
• What you do. This is key. People always ask, “What do you do?” yet so many people answer by sharing “who” they are or “how” they do it.
• Benefits to others. How does what you do benefit the people you are meeting or people they know?
• Active verbs. Include the most powerful words in the English language in your introductory words. You can feel the strength in words like “help,” “work with,” “share” vs. linking verbs such as “is”, “am” “was.”

Probably not Included

• Company name. Don’t take up precious seconds with a name that is not immediately recognizable. I could use “AT&T” when I worked there. I never use my company, “Duoforce Enterprises.” It is not a household word and, therefore, doesn’t add immediate value. People might pause and think, “What is a Duoforce?” Instead, I want them to concentrate on me because I have spent time and money branding Lillian Bjorseth. Duoforce is the necessary corporate structure. Your company name could be important at an industry networking event.
• Company location. Generally, this is not necessary in your first few words in a generic VBC. This could be important if you work for a multi-location company and are attending a company function. You have plenty of time to talk geographical locations latter in the conversation.
• Adjectives and adverbs. Use only with careful scrutiny. They are modifiers, and the extent to which they do this is usually at your discretion. They reflect opinions and often are exaggerated and superfluous. Refrain from telling people you, your products, services or talents are the best, quickest, greatest or most reliable within the opening seconds of meeting them.

Not Included

• Company title. Including your title in your first words is not necessary or wise. If you are a vice president, manager, director – this is not necessary introductory information. After all, how many bank vice presidents have you met … and have no idea what they do? If you are a president or CEO, it could well be your ego you are feeding vs. relating valuable data.
• How you do it. How you do what you, especially differently that others in your field, comes later in your elevator pitch. Make sure you have honed those words well, too.
• Business label. Avoid words like accountant, attorney, trainer, etc. These words are nebulous and add little value in those precious first moments. For instance, if I were to introduce myself as a trainer, it could be interpreted as an animal trainer, personal trainer, soft skills trainer, technology skills trainer, etc. I want people to focus on easily understandable and valuable information, rather than giving them a reason to ponder what kind of trainer I am.
• Industry jargon. Avoid jargon at all costs in your generic VBC. Others won’t understand. Jargon is acceptable in your industry version and possibly in your intra-company version if you are talking with others who understand your responsibilities.

An example

I’m Lillian Bjorseth, and I help you build a new kind of wealth – social capital – by improving your networking and communication skills.

If you have taken to heart what I’ve said and want to create your Verbal Business Card, be kind

to yourself and patient with your efforts. A succinct, easily understandable VBC can take hours to create and often is done best under the tutorage of an objective outside source such as a networking skills coach.

For more information, please visit Lillian's TNNW Bio.

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BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: Create an Effective Verbal Business Card

BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: Build Your LinkedIn Video Clip On Your Verbal Business Card

Breakthrough Networking
with Lillian Bjorseth

The latest craze on LinkedIn is to post your elevator speech as a video clip. Just this week I talked with two people who have added that feature to their consultancy offerings. Trade shows and networking events are offering the opportunity to do it right on the spot (make sure you have rehearsed it!)

It’s a perfect time to discuss a helpful tool I created: the Verbal Business Card (VBC), those all-important first words you say when you meet someone or reconnect. As the front end of your elevator pitch, it has multiple uses including in your LinkedIn video message.

Your first words set the stage for the rest of the encounter and are equally important for college students, entrepreneurs and employees up through CEOs. Everyone needs to be able to succinctly articulate what he or she does to encourage people to hire them, do business with them or at least hold a conversation.

You want your VBC to inform, intrigue, inspire, interest and educate others so that they are eager to find out more. It leads to more meaningful conversations that leave you more memorable in the minds of those you meet i.e., you are the interior designer, website developer or financial planner someone easily remembers even if they have met others in the same profession.

While the words themselves are minimum, their value in your relationship-building activities has maximum impact. It takes a lot of concentration and effort to create the right compelling combination.

The Front End

Think of your VBC as the front end of your elevator pitch like the tines of a fork or the baited hook on a fishing line. It’s what connects you with your food or entices the fish to bite so you can reel it in. Your opening words should also entice the other person into a conversation with you.

Length

It’s short – a sentence or two – and lasts for about 10-15 seconds. That’s all the time you have to grab someone’s initial attention … and that’s also the time it is proper for you to talk before giving the other person a chance to speak.

Content

It is laden with benefits, not features. When people meet you, they care much more about what you can do for them or people they know than just what you do.

Variety

It’s wise to develop several VBCs, one a generic version for people who are not necessarily familiar with your type of business or career interests (chamber, civic or business referral groups; LinkedIn), one for intra-company use and one for use within your industry. People hire me to help them with the generic one; the other two are far easier as you can use company and industry jargon, which is verboten in the generic version.

Here’s an example to help you better understand the principle. The goal is to make yours the most productive for your audience.

John Smith (not real name) is one of my clients who is a psychologist interested in working with people in transition. This is the VBC he was using:

“I’m John, and I’m a psychologist. I do stress management programs to help you get over the stress in your career, especially when you lose your job.”

Before you read further, write down the number one word that my research showed turned off people in transition when they met him. Some actually tuned him out.

The answer is “psychologist.” People shared that it was a downer to be out of work … they didn’t want to have to work with a psychologist to find another job. It left a negative connotation, as if something was psychologically wrong with them.

John was so proud he had earned a PhD that he wanted to tout it right off the bat. Mistake. John needed to realize that, first of all, psychologist is a label (a no-no in his VBC) and also that he was feeding his ego, not starting a win-win conversation. He accepted my advice that he use his degree in psychology to help people after they became clients … not frighten them away up front.

We changed his VBC to:

“I’m John, and I have a developed a three-point program to help you take your career to a new level.”

John is delighted with how positively people, both in transition and employed, respond to his new VBC. And, of course, he proudly displays his PhD on his printed business card so people immediately know his qualifications.

The “How”

The one question you want others to ask is, “How do you xxx?” Then you can launch into the information you wanted to share anyway and that you know better than anyone … because it’s your livelihood. That’s the information that comprises the rest of your elevator pitch.

I’ll share more next month about what to include … and not … in your VBC. If you want much more information in the interim, you can find it in Breakthrough Networking: BuildingRelationships That Last, third edition , and my online 5-part series, “Building Relationships for Business and Career Success.”

A final thought: your video clip doesn’t have to be your elevator pitch. It can be a video you already have … I use an “enthusiastic, rousing” 15 seconds from one of my keynotes and another 15 seconds from a green screen shooting on my LinkedIn profile.

For more information, please visit Lillian's TNNW Bio.

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BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: Build Your LinkedIn Video Clip On Your Verbal Business Card

BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: Divide and Conquer for Better Results

Breakthrough Networking with Lillian Bjorseth

Volumes have been written and said about how to network successfully as an individual. I’m going to take a different approach and discuss why to do it as a team when your goal is “all for one and one for all.”

Interestingly, more than one also appears to be the approach for deciding who first said, “Divide and conquer.” It is attributed to sources ranging from the Bible and Philip II of Macedon to Julius Caesar, Louis XI and Sun Tzu … and probably others! May as well join ranks like that!

Recently, three of four who comprise the Speakers Roadshow in the Chicago area (we visit prospective clients to give a free 10-minute preview of our presentations so clients can see us before they hire us) attended a large networking event (400 attendees) at Hard Rock Café. We arrived together, split up and reconvened in two hours. Conservatively, we spoke in aggregate and exchanged business cards and information with at least 35 people. Far more than each of us could ever have successfully connected with solo!

I want to examine this method in more depth so that hopefully you, too, can benefit from it.

• Who can use this approach? Companies, associations and other not-for-profits that send more than one person to conferences, trade shows and chamber and other professional meetings.
• Why use this approach? It’s the number one way to increase value for your time and dollar. You/your employer pays for more than one person to attend outside events to build more relationships and increase your exposure … not to talk with each other. I learned this well when I worked for AT&T. We were instructed to sit at different tables, talk to “strangers” and save the water cooler talk for the office. In this economy, organizations can certainly benefit from this practice and educate their employees about this approach.
• Here’s an example. In addition to standard networking events, use this approach when numerous company employees attend the same trade show. As the owner or supervisor, review the program ahead of time and assign booths and presentations to various people. (No one person can successfully visit 500 booths or attend fifteen presentations!) And make them accountable to report at a debriefing shortly after the event.
• Use the tag team approach. If two of you are speaking with the same person, it’s a great opportunity to say positive things about the other person that s/he may not be comfortable saying. At our recent event, someone was complementing one of our group about the excellent presentation he had given for her organization. One of our other members asked the person making the flattering remarks if she had written a LinkedIn recommendation encapsulating those thoughts. She hadn’t … and promised she would the next day! Another use is when one of you is speaking to a person and wants to move on. One of your team members can “relieve” you seamlessly.
• Get free exposure. Consider having a business card with more than one name if that is appropriate for your business. In our case, we have one card with four names/email addresses/phone numbers on it. To help the person receiving the card, we put a check mark by our name … that way s/he knows immediately whom they met since we have two women and two men in our group. Each of us is gaining exposure when any one of us gives out a card. As I was writing this, I got an email from one of the group letting us know she had had lunch with a hot prospect at a big company and had shared “our” card with him along with the invitation to visit us at our website. Great publicity for me while I’m writing an article for The National Networker!

For more information, please visit Lillian's TNNW Bio and The Speakers Roadshow.

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BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: Divide and Conquer for Better Results

BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: Work an Event, Not a Room

Breakthrough Networking with Lillian Bjorseth

Much has been written and said about ways to work a room. That’s only one-third of the process … if you want to be a master in-person networker. Those who remember the glory days of the Chicago Bulls recall it wasn’t just how they “worked the floor” that won them six championships. It was their attitude and preparation that enabled them to play like champions, and their follow through on and off the court that kept them at the top for so long.

The same principles apply to relationship building. There are specific things you need to do before an event, keep in mind as you work it and as you follow up. Ignoring them can lead to half-baked or even no results for the time you invest.

Before the Event

1. DISCover Your Relationship-building Strengths/Limitations.

Good relationship-building results begin with a thorough knowledge of you. What are you hot buttons? In what situations are you naturally comfortable/uncomfortable? Use a behavioral tool such as DISC to analyze yourself in the networking arena. Learn to read others so you can adapt and flex and quickly make them feel comfortable. If you are naturally confident and have a powerful stance, handshake and eye contact, ease up a little, lest you overwhelm others. Curb your natural enthusiasm and desire to do almost all the talking. You’ll benefit more from listening more. Introspective networker? Push your comfort level, and talk with three or four people, rather than just one who makes you feel safe. And, for those with a careful style, be less stoic. People may think you are aloof, don’t care and don’t want to be bothered with small talk and, therefore, relationship building in general.

2. Polish What You Say Before You Speak.

While there are 86,400 seconds in a day, it takes 10 or less for others to form an impression of you. It is based on your image, a combination of your appearance and behavior. Every color you wear sends messages. Decide what you want them to be. Authority, responsibility and knowledge? Wear navy blue. Dependable, practical, stable? Brown. Powerful, dignified, sophisticated? Black. And so on for every color. Body language is another key element that “speaks” before you talk. Your walk, posture, handshake, eye contact, facial expressions and use of time and space say volumes about you.

3. Create a Relationship-building Plan

To ensure that you achieve maximum results, you need a plan – in writing! Define what you do uniquely, the benefits of working with you, your target market and how and where to reach them. The time you spend planning will provide innumerable dividends as you put it into reality.

4. Craft an effective Verbal Business Card (VBC).

Think of your VBC as the 10-15 second front end of your elevator pitch. Make these introductory, benefit-laden words intrigue people while informing them. People are most interested in how what you do affects or helps them. Make sure to include active verbs, the most powerful words in the English language. Elicit the question, “How do you do that?” That’s when you can launch into all the things you are itching to say.

At the Event

Now it’s time to put your preparation to the test! Arrive early. This allows you to meet key people, and gives you an opportunity to choose the right seat, get the best exposure for your materials if there is a networking table, meet others in a less frenzied atmosphere, relax and adjust in the moment … and eat! Since it is impolite to speak while eating and you want your hands free, don’t walk around with a plate in one hand and a beverage in the other.

Think of attendees as guests in your home. Approach people rather than waiting to be approached. Events will appear warmer and friendlier and you will make others feel more comfortable.

My 10-Minute Rule for Working a Room breaks down into an introduction, body and conclusion. The introduction is for small talk and possible business card exchange. The goal of the body is to find a commonality. Have your “ask-for” questions prepared so that you can determine quickly if you wish to pursue building a relationship. Equally important are your “listen-for” answers, again, so you can determine if you wish to move to another level. The conclusion ends the interaction, and for some it is as hard as starting a conservation. Plan endings just as you plan initial words.

After the Event

You will immediately stand out if you do what you promised. It separates those with integrity from those who merely say they will do something. Develop an effective way to store information and then follow up with the method that best fits the other person’s needs. Know whether it’s texting, email, telephone, lunch, an ezine, an invitation to an event or the most personal of all – a handwritten note. Gauge the right amount of time to wait between contacts and how often to pursue others.

Most importantly, follow the Platinum Rule. Treat others as they want to be treated. It is up to you to adapt and flex to each person and situation.

For more information, please visit Lillian's TNNW Bio.


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BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: Work an Event, Not a Room

BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: What do the Fourth of July and Face-to-face Networking Have in Common?

Breakthrough Networking with Lillian Bjorseth

“Men, you are marksmen – don’t any of you fire until you see the whites of their eyes.” Those oft-repeated words from Gen. Israel Putman were spoken while he was commanding the Revolutionary Army at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Every year as we celebrate the birth of the United States of America, I remind people that the best relationships are also begun when you see the whites of someone’s eyes.

Lest I be misunderstood in this age of online networking (I won’t call it online social networking because face-to-face is definitely social, too!), I want to share immediately that I believe both methods are important and compatible.

Face-to-face took a beating for a while as people clamored to become part of the now generation. In face, one person I asked to do a testimonial for the new third edition of Breakthrough Networking: Building Relationships That Last said, “Sure, even though you talk mostly about old-fashioned networking.” I sought other testimonials! Ironically, though, I had a call from her recently sharing how she’s in transition, and her inanimate computer isn’t supporting her like real people. Duh!

My increasing requests for speaking engagements on face-to-face techniques lead me to believe people again realize the value of this form of networking to increase sales, find a job and build solid relationships that last. It is the safest, most effective and preferred way to begin accumulating the kind of wealth you need throughout your life: social capital, i.e., a large network of knob turners to open doors to whatever you are seeking.

I’m going to ballyhoo face-to-face as the preferred initial contact. It deserves equal time!

• Live interaction. About 90 percent of in-person communication is conveyed through nonverbal actions. Your walk, posture, handshake, eye contact, facial expressions and appearance as well as your tone, rate, pitch, speed and inflection share volumes with those who are astute people readers. This form of communication is missing online. The words account for about 10 percent. If someone you want to meet is geographically inaccessible, the second best thing is to spend time with her/him on the telephone because you can at least engage the person in an interactive conversation where you can hear voice modularities.
• The knowledge and trust factors. You do business with people you know and trust or people referred by people you know and trust. Both ingredients are established more quickly when you meet face-to-face. Would you rather do business with someone your associate refers after meeting her/him in person … or online? It’s difficult to engender trust based on your LinkedIn profile alone. (Who monitors that the information is factual?) The profile, however, can be a great way to enhance information you already received.
• Honesty and integrity. You can see that people are who they say they are and how they portray themselves. You also gain valuable information by listening and observing.
• Immediacy of decision-making. One of the early decisions you need to make is whether it is worth pursing a mutually beneficial relationship. It is far easier to do in person as you share your “ask for” questions and measure responses against your “listen for” answers. Ask-for questions help you determine if the person is a first-degree candidate to help you grow your business or further your career or a second-degree candidate because s/he knows someone who can help you. “Listen-for” answers contain the information that alerts you the person has relationship potential because s/he plays in your ballpark … or not.
• Memorability. People remember you much more easily when they have met you in person. An online photo or video is helpful; however, it’s not like looking you in the eye and shaking your hand. You need to ensure your personal encounters are meaningful so that you gain top-of-mind positioning in your subject area.
• Increased online contacts. Increased personal contacts will also help you increase your online contacts on sites like LinkedIn since most of you link only with people you know. You become more valuable as the size and quality of your network grows.

Once you have invested the time and effort into face-to-face meetings, you can rely on online networking to stay in touch and strengthen your relationships. That’s where the two methods fit hand-in-glove.

May your relationships burst into sparkling successes!

For more information, please visit Lillian's TNNW Bio.

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BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: What do the Fourth of July and Face-to-face Networking Have in Common?

BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: The Ole Boy Network Still Has Teeth

Breakthrough Networking with Lillian D. Bjorseth

I’m not a sexist, and I’m not a bra-burning feminist. I am a realist. That’s why I can say that the ole boy network still unequivocally affects relationship building in the corporate hallowed halls … not so much in the entrepreneurial ranks.

Building beneficial relationships knows no gender boundaries. It is equally beneficial for men and women, and the process can be equally daunting or equally easy for members of either sex.

Male chauvinists and radical feminists agree on one thing: Women, probably by nature or because they are the bearers of children, are more nurturing and tend to be more cooperative, empathic and understanding in a non-biased manner. After all, they share their love unselfishly as they give birth to and rear boys and girls.

Most women are natural networkers and intuitively better at it than men. They, their mothers and their grandmothers have been recommending recipes, hairdressers and skincare products across kitchen tables for generations. Where the challenge for many women arises is in the business arena. The increased emphasis on teaching relationship building is helping women become more confident and competent about transferring their skills to the workplace.

Some “older” women were taught by their mothers (who thought them to be positive qualities) to be seen and not heard, not to exploit their personal relationships or to “brag” about themselves. Hopefully, parents today are teaching their daughters that it is acceptable for women to be just as assertive as men, socially and in business, and that as their daughters become mothers this issue will be largely non-existent.

There is another major challenge, however, that needs to be overcome. I left the Fortune 100 environment almost 20 years ago; yet some of the tales I hear women share today take me back in a flash.

In business likes tend to want to work with likes, i.e. women with women and men with men. Because there are only a handful of women CEOs in the Fortune 500 companies, it’s easy to understand why women may not have the same opportunities to build high-value business relationships. This will only change as more women rise to top jobs at major corporations and become more than token members of corporate and organizational boards of directors.

That’s exactly what the ole boys’ network was and in some cases still is: men at the top helping other men rise to the same levels. Women are not yet as privy to networking in these elite places so while their skills are top-notch, their results may be less powerful and have less impact.

Women, however, are gaining in numbers what they lack in force. Because of the corporate glass ceilings (they still exist!), so many of them are starting businesses and becoming owners and presidents that they are beginning to gain clout through sheer numbers. This, in turn, adds clout to the relationships they are building. While they may not be managing the same number of people individually, in aggregate they are managing as many or more people than their corporate counterparts. They are learning important leadership skills as they grow their businesses and become involved in civic, professional and community organizations.

Another encouraging sign is the number of company-sponsored women’s networks that are being formed within major corporations. Some of them, though, are still perfunctory.

A representative of a newly formed women’s group at a Chicago accounting firm

contacted me to present a program on relationship building. We agreed it would provide valuable skills for the women’s professional development. When we started talking fees, she said there was no budget. Ironically, she continued to

state how top management (all men) was so supportive of their initiative … yet they wanted to get a speaker - a woman - to donate her time. It was even more pathetic that management wouldn’t even agree to pay my travel expenses (from a Chicago suburb)!

Perhaps, I am optimistic in stating how far women have come!

Time will tell. You, as men and women reading this article, can greatly help the process move forward positively.

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BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: The Ole Boy Network Still Has Teeth

BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: The Networking Chain

Breakthrough Networking with Lillian D. Bjorseth

To accumulate important relationship wealth, you need to use the right tools … in this case stellar networking and communication skills. Let’s examine what networking is and why it is an absolute must in your relationship-building tool chest.

Networking is an active, dynamic process that links people into mutually beneficial relationships to build a new kind of wealth: social (relationship) capital.

• Active - You cannot sit back and wait to be contacted or approached. You have to make it happen! The knight or princess on the white horse will not drive up to your door with referrals or job offers. You have to take the initiative to participate and meet others.
• Dynamic - People, events and information are constantly changing. No two interchanges are the same. You have to keep up with your industry, your business, your company, your community, your friends and, most of all, you have to hone your techniques continually so you can apply them universally.
• A process - Networking is a series of hierarchical actions and interactions that leads to an end: a result, a solution, a relationship, an answer, a sale, a job.
• Links - The process connects, bonds and couples people with one another. Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link so is your network only as strong as your weakest link.

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Your Networking Chain

Your chain is comprised of different size links as well as broken links. Take a few minutes now and decide whose names go where in your chain. How much work does your chain needs to make it strong again?

• Big, thick links = people who are strong connections and you can always count on.

• Medium links = people with whom you have more casual relationships and can usually count on.

• Small links = people you may or may not be able to count on. You need to work on strengthening the relationship.

• Broken links = relationships have gone awry because you haven’t bothered to stay in touch. These are vital links you need to repair to make your chain as strong as it can be.

• Mutually beneficial relationships - Networking is as much about giving as it is about getting. You and people you connect with and connect to others need to mutually profit from the interactions to make it work. Just as you can’t take money from your savings account until you deposit it, you can’t take from the universe until you have helped others. And you don’t need to keep track because the natural law of reciprocity makes sure you will get when you give.

• Social (relationship) capital – This kind of wealth is what helps you amass financial capital. Who you know is more important up front than what you know. Advanced degrees and experience won’t open doors for you. It’s people who do that … people I call your network of “knob turners.”

Lillian D. Bjorseth, internationally known speaker, trainer, coach and author of the new third edition of Breakthrough Networking: Building Relationships That Last. http://www.duoforce.com/; http://www.greaterchicagonetworking.com/, lillianspeaks@duoforce.com

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Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER (TNNW). All rights reserved.

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BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: The Networking Chain

BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: Producing Your Own Networking Events

Breakthrough Networking with Lillian Bjorseth

One of the ways to amass more social capital (relationship capital) is to produce events. Before you brush the idea aside thinking it takes too much work, let me share myriad branding and public relations benefits for you, using an ongoing event I co-founded in 2003 as an example.

The event survives and thrives because it was built on a great networking principle: cooperate rather than compete. When a Chicago Tribune reporter interviewed Alec Ross (the other co-founder who has since moved on) for a story on how to network, she asked for other authorities in the Chicago area. Mine was one of the names he provided.

Shortly after that March 2003 article appeared, Alec and I were at a conference where we talked about the benefits of sharing space in the media. As the day wore on, we began to postulate how wonderful it would be to collaborate on an event produced by two experts in the same field that would personify that to give is to get and to share is to benefit.

Thus was born the Greater Chicago Networking Extravaganza, the eighth of which will be held April 29, 2009. It’s a three-hour evening event that combines open and structured networking to help participants grow their network and networking skills. We are proud that the The National Networker (TNNW) has been a sponsor for the last three years.

Now, let’s examine the benefits you can accrue from producing an event.

Reinforce Your Brand.

Branding is vital to any company and particularly to entrepreneurs and small businesses that don’t have the budgets to “buy” their way into people’s minds. You can generate volumes of free publicity online and off by using the event as your news peg. Marketing experts say people have to see your name six times before they think you are for real … which equates to about twenty mentions since most people miss two/thirds of the notices.

Becoming associated with a successful event in your field also builds/reinforces your top-of-the-mind positioning. Rather than paying for it, you can make money or break even doing it … depending on what you charge. Producing the event repeatedly solidifies your brand even more.

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Make sure to include your website and email addresses and other pertinent data whenever and wherever possible.

Grow Your Database.

This electronic age allows you to market your events, services and products for very little cost. However, the key is to market to the right people, i.e. so that if you want to catch trout, you’re not fishing in a catfish pond. People who are interested in what you do will naturally attend and, thus, you will build quality followers. The database grows exponentially as you produce multiple events.

Partner With Others.

Share the workload and double the exposure. While you may want to hook up with natural networking partners, my experience proves that you can also collaborate with a like-minded business. My new co-producer, Jason Jacobsohn, is also well known as a master connector and networking guru in the Chicago area. We benefit from each other’s established reputation.

I’m a great believer in brainstorming and having a partner allows you the luxury that many entrepreneurs are lacking. Two minds usually are better than one. Also it can cut your work time in half.

Get Sponsors.

Enhance the credibility of your event by obtaining sponsors. Create levels that will provide greater benefits for a higher dollar amount. Also consider in-kind sponsorships when companies can provide necessary services or products in exchange. It’s your event so you can barter as you see fit. Sponsorship dollars will help pay for the event … or enable you to make a profit!

Rub Elbows With Customers.

Nothing can replace shaking hands in real time as you see the whites of your current and prospective customers’ eyes. They can experience current and new products and services in the company of others who are interested in what you offer. You can stage your time in the spotlight reinforcing why you are the preferred supplier.

Let me know if I have inspired you to produce your own event!

Lillian D. Bjorseth, internationally known speaker, trainer, coach and author of the new third edition of Breakthrough Networking: Building Relationships That Last. www.duoforce.com; www.greaterchicagonetworking.com, lillianspeaks@duoforce.com

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Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER.



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For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free, continuous RSS feed (available either by traditional RSS or by direct email), go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com.


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BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: Producing Your Own Networking Events

BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: Build a New Kind of Wealth

Breakthrough Networking with Lillian D. Bjorseth

They are signs of the times. Your neighbors losing their jobs. Home foreclosures. Difficulty getting business loans. Associates still driving their 2003 (and earlier!) cars.

They all deal with financial capital … or the lack thereof.

What complicates these situations for so many people is the lack of another vital kind of capital – the social kind. A type that many people don’t bother to build, especially when the economy is good and they have a job they think is solid. After all, why take personal time to attend after-hour networking events or spend weekends on LinkedIn or Facebook tweaking your profile or responding to group postings.

Starting today, it will be my monthly privilege to share information I have garnered about building social capital from a Fortune 100 career as well as the owner of two companies and experiences from speaking, training and coaching nationwide and the author of myriad products.

I learned as a young woman in what was then an even more male-dominated corner-office environment that what I knew was secondary to whom I knew. I’ve had some powerful male mentors who taught me quickly that power by association was just as powerful as that associated with title …when used professionally.

I learned through experience to listen and ponder rather than speak and share when I spent time behind closed doors with vice presidents … and me. My power by association gained me access.

Building social capital, your network of knob turners, is analogous. Relationships, first and foremost, are built on trust. Listening and pondering will help to establish that trust much more quickly than speaking and sharing all you know about others or yourself. In the former case, you might say what was shared with you as a trusted colleague or in the latter, you may appear to be egotistical or too full of yourself.

You invest money and gain interest or buy property to get equity to build financial capital. Building social capital is about investing mostly time and giving unselfishly to gain more contacts to build a network of personal and professional relationships.

Social capital takes precedence in your success over degrees and job experience until you have managed to get inside the door. In fact, until you have built a network of “knob turners,” you may struggle to even get a job interview and the appointment for a loan.

So how, do you accumulate the quality and quantity of knob turners you want and need to accomplish your goals? Stayed tuned month after month after month. That’s what this column will be all about!

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Lillian D. Bjorseth is the President of Duoforce Enterprises, Inc., speaker, and author of several books including her latest: Breakthrough Networking. She is also the co-founder of the Greater Chicago Networking Extravaganza which is now entering its eighth year.
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Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newsletter, go to http://www.thenationalnetworker.com/. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free, continuous RSS feed (available either by traditional RSS or by direct email), go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com/. You are also invited to click our buttons:


Forward/Share This Article With Colleagues And Social Media:

BREAKTHROUGH NETWORKING: Build a New Kind of Wealth