Facebook – The New Face of Business

By Chris Kauza
Technology Editor

According to Forrester Research, Facebook is the closest and fastest growing competitor to MySpace, with more than 60 Million active users (January, 2008). Earlier this year, Forrester predicted it will have the same number of users as MySpace by early 2009. OOPS! Somebody forgot to update the memo...

Who are Facebook users?

• more than half of them are past college, with their average age being 25 years old or older
• Facebook is the 6^th. most visited site in the U.S., with more than 65 Billion page views a month
• half of all active users return to it daily, spending an average of 20 minutes or more on the site.

Impressive, but can Facebook really help you be a more effective networker? It depends on your purpose...

I see Facebook and LinkedIn as two social networking platforms that should be integral to all of your professional networking. They help establish your credibility as a networker, and also serve as a platform to help others get to know you better – whether before or after an in-person meeting. It's fairly quick and easy to set up your profile, and you can be as active or passive with these as you like, and still receive lasting benefit.

I have also found the Facebook groups to be more active, interesting and diverse – yet focused at the same time; think of it as an example of “Long-Tail Economics”. You can be focused on your niche and simultaneously exposed to a global community. Granted, there is still the issue of what is and is not relevant information to you, but Facebook's platform seems to be more effective at helping users sort this out than MySpace.

As with LinkedIn, I have used Facebook to reach out to people and build new networking relationships. I have not only expanded my circle of influence online in these communities, but I have also been able to expand my knowledge and expertise as well; some examples:

• I have added an application that will help me learn Chinese
• joined groups that give me travel tips on various cities I have (or will) visit
• reconnected with old friends (reconnected with two high school friends in the last two weeks)
• I am able to “see what my friends are up to” with the real-time status updates & integrated online chat functions

I can be as professional as (and simultaneously a little more personal than) I am on LinkedIn. For example, I originally started out on Facebook as I did on LinkedIn page – open only to people I knew really well. But after joining a few groups and starting to expand my network, I started meeting new peopleand seeing a more powerful web application emerge.

One example of how I am using Facbook to promote a business organization and relationship creation, is through my work with a new non-profit that uses Facebook as a cornerstone in our Marketing plans. If you look at the Board Members page, you will notice that each of us has tiny little buttons under our pictures, leading you to our profiles on other social networking sites. This makes it easier for people to find out more about us, and thus promote better connections. Think of it as the electronic equivalent of being in a meeting room, wearing a name badge, extending your hand to someone nearby and introducing yourself. In most cases, the person will reciprocate and an interesting relationship can be created.

I think the Groups function on Facebook is one of its strongest networking features, and we will discuss that further in a future issue. For now, establish your profile on Facebook and take a look at who else you know is already on there (you may be surprised!). You can find me there – feel free to “add me as a friend” (Mention The National Networker in the invite). The National Networker fan page is there - you can become a fan by clicking here. Check out some of the other groups available for you to join. Don't find one that suits you? Create your own and tell me about it – we may profile you in an upcoming issue!

In the meantime, if you have questions about these or other technologies, feel free to email me at ckauza@soltusgroup.com or to connect with me on LinkedIn.

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Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free RSS feed, go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com.
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Facebook – The New Face of Business

The Coach

By Candy Webb

Network Marketing Editor

When do you become “the coach”? When is it that you are qualified to take on the responsibility of helping others in our networking industry plan and execute their organizational structure and goal framework?” Well, the interesting answer is that you are “the coach” almost immediately in network marketing – in fact as soon as you sponsor someone into your organization. And the awful truth of that is it is very unlikely that you are at all qualified to be the coach. You are thrust in that role most frequently before being prepared – and that’s just the way things are!

From your first entry into the company, people are watching you. The upline are watching you to see if you have the “right stuff”. The people you brought in are watching you to determine whether or not you know what you are talking about. Because of this scrutiny, it is very important that you begin to take on the affect of the coach, again, before you have all the answers. But, I will warn you, if you do have access to a good, qualified coach – hang on! And leverage off that person’s experience with all the new people you introduce. Don’t be caught in the trap of trying to do it all yourself or reinvent the wheel – Use the expert!

I think the purpose of a coach in our industry, at least the objectives I have in coaching are to do three main things: First, of course INSTRUCTION. No matter how savvy a business person the new networker is, if they have not done network marketing before, they are a novice and need direction. Even if they have previous experience, I find quite frequently they may have learned some bad habits and need redirections, or the differences in the companies may be so strong that they need a lot of additional instruction. Instruction on the product line, the compensation plan, the tools available, the specific approaches that work – all of these are vital.

Second, a coach needs to provide INSPIRATION. This is different from motivation. Motivation has to come from within the new person – they must have their own driving goals, their own sense of “why they want to be successful and what they want to achieve. But as a coach, you can absolutely provide the inspiration to keep them going on the right path. Inspiration comes from seeing and this is where the old mantra “lead by example” really comes into play. They must see you exhibiting the same activities, and traits that you are teaching them and they must see you succeeding. Nothing else is more important.

The third major activity of the coach is to provide an ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER. Even the most motivated, most inspired new distributor will have down times. They will have times that they doubt they can be successful and it is key that the coach step in and “notice” when they are not making the grade. Results need to be monitored, and so agreed-upon activities must be established with some measurable milestones. And the coach needs to gently hold the new persons feet to the fire – TO ACHIEVE THEIR OWN GOALS. Remember, no one will join you because you want them to, they will only join you if it provides value for them. They must have a goal of value and you can help them be accountable to that goal. Challenging them to live up to their own dreams can be done without rebuking them and it is essential.

John Wooden, the great winning basketball coach of UCLA talked about “preparation and discipline” when asked about how he had winning season after winning season. Preparation and discipline – think about it – setting the standard (the goal) and then the discipline to follow through (the accountability). The same pattern needs to be established to have network marketing success. Coach Wooden also talked about focusing on only what he could control – what a great concept. Too many people focus on all the exterior factors that they cannot control and don’t do the things they can control in our industry like making the agreed-upon amount of phone calls, introducing the target number of new people to the company through the meetings they hold. Monitor and perform the activities that are within your control and success is just around the corner!

It is important for all of us to understand that there is very little “luck” in network marketing. There is preparation, conditioning, discipline and persistence. Luck is for the lottery. I personally have made my millions the sure way and the only reliable way – Preparation, conditioning, discipline and persistence. These four traits will not fail you! Add to that practice, practice, practice and you’ve got the formula.

The essence of leadership is example. When you are leading by example, doing all the right things, the effect you will produce is like the coals in a hibachi where every coal touching you feeds off your fire and ignites. Think of that picture, it is exactly what happens. That leadership by example is the mark of a true coach.

As you mature in your network marketing business, remember I am always there to answer any questions that pop up for you – after twenty years at the top I have probably been through any situation you are experiencing; let me help. As always, I am your willing

Network Marketing Coach,

Candy Webb

916 408-3637

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

One Successful Butler

By Peter Biadasz
Southern Plains Bureau Chief
(Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico)

The greatest benefit of this job is interviewing the “movers and shakers” within the networking industry. I am honored to introduce someone to you whom I have had not only the honor of watching since 2001 grow into a master networker, but also have enjoyed observing him teach networking to others, who have carried on the tradition by also teaching others the art/science of networkering. And by teaching I do not just mean talking the talk, but also by example; walking the walk.

Let me introduce to you Michael D. Butler – networker, business owner, marathon runner and father. I guess he sleeps occasionally too, as time permits. You can find him in meetings of varying sizes, on YouTube; and onstage as a master presenter as well as in the audience. Michael is very active.

I recently visited with him to learn his networking and business philosophies. His analogy to business and networking is that “networking is like a big mall. Your network is under one roof; easily assessable and growing all the time. You may have to park and walk on occasion, but convenience is the key. As we need to access the businesses in the mall to meet the needs of others or our own, they are right at our fingertips”. I think we all like going to the mall. Now we know we all have our own mall.

Michael has over 1000 people under him in 5 nations within his Xango Business. As a Gold Star Networking Group Director he has about 150 networkers he is responsible for maturing into master networkers. “Gold Star has helped me to greatly sharpen my networking skills. I firmly believe that as people’s networking skills are sharpened they will make more money”.

According to Michael, key attributes of a networker include that others know, like and trust you. In addition, he finds a fulfillment in introducing others to make those vital business and personal connections. He is a team player who believes strongly in personal branding.

Michael knows that as networkers we all are evolving and spends much time as a mentor and coach to aid others in the evolution process. He recently relayed a story to me of a networker who went from having much trouble in delivering their 60 second commercial in their networking group to making a full and fulfilling 10 minute presentation to the same group. Watching others grow and mature like this gives Michael great joy.

As a result of networking Michael has been asked to be a part of an online Viral Marketing Experiment which can be seen at www.180DaysToGreatness.com. Additional information about Michael can be obtained on his blog at www.MichaelDButler.wordpress.com. His other networking related references include www.GoldStarClubs.com and www.NetworkingForGold.com. And then there is the Online Reality show at www.YouTube.com/GlimpseRealitydotcom. Enjoy and learn much from this one very successful Butler!
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Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free RSS feed, go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com.
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One Successful Butler