In my first post, I said that networking is not selfishness. And today I found this great article by Ivan Misner on entrepreneur.com that I wanted to share with you on how to recognize the right people with whom to network. In this article, he discusses tips for knowing when the person you have in your network has a "what's in it for me?" attitude.
“What’s In It For Me?” Networking
I recently received an e-mail from someone who read an article I wrote about collaboration and working together. He said, “The type of networking you talk about describes the way things should work, but in the real world most people seem to have an attitude of what’s in it for me.” He asked, “How can I prevent wasting my time and efforts on people, only to find that they have this kind of attitude?”
The short answer to his question is this—stop hanging out with the wrong kind of people and start actively seeking out the right kind of people. Trust me, I’ve been there and done that when it comes to getting stuck with the wrong people and in order to move beyond that and build the kind of network that wants to help YOU (knowing that you also want to help them) is a journey—not a destination.
I have two suggestions to make finding the right networking partners easier. First, look for some of the signs relating to people who fit the profile of good networkers. They include:
People who ask how they can help you or what they can offer you (and mean it), before they ask anything from you.
Individuals who show that they are willing to work on creating a professional relationship over a period of time because they understand that they must develop credibility with you before asking for your business or your referrals.
Those who make the time to go beyond the normal business interactions with those from whom they want to be able to ask for support.
Professionals who understand that networking is more about farming than hunting and show it in their actions by making the effort to get to know you outside of the business environment whenever possible, knowing that the more of a friendship there is between you, the more expectations you can both have from each other’s networking efforts.
People who do what they can to bring business and contacts to you and their other networking partners, who share pertinent information with you, and invite you to business meetings that’ll position you favorably with others you need to get to know.
Individuals who give of their time and knowledge in order to help their referral sources succeed.
Second, immerse yourself in the process of relationship building. A network that is a mile wide and an inch deep is not a strong network.
Create a personal network that is both wide and deep. Meeting with people regularly is the key to making this happen. Participate in networking groups where you are going to see the same people on a regular basis. This will help you develop relationships and screen out the what’s in it for me networkers.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Network Anyway!
Network is just that: work! So work at networking.
And you may HATE meeting new people. You may hate making small talk. Hate paying money to go to networking events. Hate to travel. Hate the high price of gas that it will take you to drive to a bunch of networking events.
You may be tired of going to event after event. You may be disappointed that you keep meeting the same old people. You may hate getting dressed up to go to networking events. You may hate being given the runaround after you meet someone important and busy. Hate that your phone calls and emails aren't being returned at all or as fast as you would like. Hate that you aren't being taken seriously. You may hate a lot of things about networking but the bottom line is this: you must network and build relationships! So network anyway! How do you network anyway when you don't feel like it:
1. When you hear yourself ask, "When is my big break going to come?" Just tell your mind, "Some things happen when we least expect them to." Tell yourself, "when it comes, it's going to be great!"
2. When you feel like quitting, tell yourself, "action is rewarded." Tell yourself, "keep it moving!" Tell yourself that you've come too far to quit now. Tell yourself that if you quit now, then all the work you've done will be in vain. Tell yourself that quitting is not an option!
3. When money becomes an issue, tell yourself, you really can't afford to not network. Tell yourself, "I am investing in myself. I am investing in my career. I'm investing in my dream."
4. When you hear yourself say you hate to network, tell yourself that you love what you do, regardless of its ups and downs, its advantages and disadvantages, its rights and its wrongs!
5. When you get tired of meeting new people, tell yourself that your big break may be just one person away.
6. When you feel like you are tired of traveling to network, tell yourself that you are making a name for yourself in different parts of the country. Tell yourself that at the very least you are seeing places you've never seen before.
You may get tired of the grind sometimes. But keep on grinding, mashing, pushing forward, seeking, expecting, anticipating, and loving what you do. Don't give up now! So network, network, network!
Thedy B
And you may HATE meeting new people. You may hate making small talk. Hate paying money to go to networking events. Hate to travel. Hate the high price of gas that it will take you to drive to a bunch of networking events.
You may be tired of going to event after event. You may be disappointed that you keep meeting the same old people. You may hate getting dressed up to go to networking events. You may hate being given the runaround after you meet someone important and busy. Hate that your phone calls and emails aren't being returned at all or as fast as you would like. Hate that you aren't being taken seriously. You may hate a lot of things about networking but the bottom line is this: you must network and build relationships! So network anyway! How do you network anyway when you don't feel like it:
1. When you hear yourself ask, "When is my big break going to come?" Just tell your mind, "Some things happen when we least expect them to." Tell yourself, "when it comes, it's going to be great!"
2. When you feel like quitting, tell yourself, "action is rewarded." Tell yourself, "keep it moving!" Tell yourself that you've come too far to quit now. Tell yourself that if you quit now, then all the work you've done will be in vain. Tell yourself that quitting is not an option!
3. When money becomes an issue, tell yourself, you really can't afford to not network. Tell yourself, "I am investing in myself. I am investing in my career. I'm investing in my dream."
4. When you hear yourself say you hate to network, tell yourself that you love what you do, regardless of its ups and downs, its advantages and disadvantages, its rights and its wrongs!
5. When you get tired of meeting new people, tell yourself that your big break may be just one person away.
6. When you feel like you are tired of traveling to network, tell yourself that you are making a name for yourself in different parts of the country. Tell yourself that at the very least you are seeing places you've never seen before.
You may get tired of the grind sometimes. But keep on grinding, mashing, pushing forward, seeking, expecting, anticipating, and loving what you do. Don't give up now! So network, network, network!
Thedy B
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The do's and don'ts of networking in forums
1. Do not post your ad on a social networking site more than twice. You will most likely be flagged or banned for spamming. Most sites have a limit on the number of times you can post your advertisement so if you want to stay on the site and want your ads to stay up on the site, don't overdo the posting of ads.
2. Don't simply go into forums just to post your blog. Actually meet people. Become part of their discussion. Ask questions. Be sociable!
3. Do start your own forum topic. Then invite others to discuss that topic with you. Before you start your own topic though, I do suggest doing a search in the forum section of a site to see if someone else has started a forum on your topic. People hate duplicate forum topics. Some sites will even delete your topic if someone else just posted a similar topic.
4. Do put your website and/or contact information in your signature line. Doing this is another small step in helping people find you and find out about your product and services.
5. Don't abandon your forum. If you post in a forum or start your own forum, remember to go back to it. Check and see if someone has responded. Follow up on comments and questions.
6. Do go into relevant forums. This is related to tip #3. Find forum websites that cater to your particular product or service.
7. Google forums and find new ones to join. A simple google search will likely turn up hundreds, if not thousands, of forums to choose one.
8. Don't post in unrelated forums. Please don't go into unrelated forums just to talk about your product or service. Your product or service has a specifically targeted niche. Find your niche and stick to it.
9. Do invite the people in the forum to contact you. If you are posting on the right website and posting on the right topic, invite the people in that forum to contact you directly. If, as in tip #4, your website and contact information is in your signature, they can easily contact you.
10. Do post. That should be self-explanatory but many times people "lurk" on forum topics and never post. Perhaps you simply don't have anything to say but perhaps you do. The people that go to forums like to talk, discuss, meet and network so don't be afraid to post.
11. Do try to keep what you say positive. While controversy is sometimes good, you want to attract the right people so keep your conversation positive if at all possible. That is, if you are going on a forum to network.
12. Do find out what others need and offer your services or products. If the site allows you to post your website or advertise, then by all means do it!
13. Do read the terms of service for the forum. You'd be surprise what actions some sites will deem as offensive or objectionable and will ban you. Some sites won't even let you put certain things on their sites to advertise. Your only choice then is to not join that site, leave the site, and find another site that is less restrictive.
14. Start your own forum website!!!! Bring people to you! That way you can make your own rules. You know people are interested in what your site has to offer. You can post as many ads as you want.
15. Do have good, accurate information. When you provide good, relevant content (as I heard JaWar say all the time, content is king), people will naturally gravitate towards you and the information you provide. So make sure what you say is good and accurate. Adding to the conversation and not taking away from it.
16. Do keep your post short. If you keep your post short, people are likely to read it.
17. Do allow others a chance to post their comments. If you over-comment, you will be perceived as argumentative or abrasive.
18. Do spell check. Do use proper grammar and proper punctuation.
2. Don't simply go into forums just to post your blog. Actually meet people. Become part of their discussion. Ask questions. Be sociable!
3. Do start your own forum topic. Then invite others to discuss that topic with you. Before you start your own topic though, I do suggest doing a search in the forum section of a site to see if someone else has started a forum on your topic. People hate duplicate forum topics. Some sites will even delete your topic if someone else just posted a similar topic.
4. Do put your website and/or contact information in your signature line. Doing this is another small step in helping people find you and find out about your product and services.
5. Don't abandon your forum. If you post in a forum or start your own forum, remember to go back to it. Check and see if someone has responded. Follow up on comments and questions.
6. Do go into relevant forums. This is related to tip #3. Find forum websites that cater to your particular product or service.
7. Google forums and find new ones to join. A simple google search will likely turn up hundreds, if not thousands, of forums to choose one.
8. Don't post in unrelated forums. Please don't go into unrelated forums just to talk about your product or service. Your product or service has a specifically targeted niche. Find your niche and stick to it.
9. Do invite the people in the forum to contact you. If you are posting on the right website and posting on the right topic, invite the people in that forum to contact you directly. If, as in tip #4, your website and contact information is in your signature, they can easily contact you.
10. Do post. That should be self-explanatory but many times people "lurk" on forum topics and never post. Perhaps you simply don't have anything to say but perhaps you do. The people that go to forums like to talk, discuss, meet and network so don't be afraid to post.
11. Do try to keep what you say positive. While controversy is sometimes good, you want to attract the right people so keep your conversation positive if at all possible. That is, if you are going on a forum to network.
12. Do find out what others need and offer your services or products. If the site allows you to post your website or advertise, then by all means do it!
13. Do read the terms of service for the forum. You'd be surprise what actions some sites will deem as offensive or objectionable and will ban you. Some sites won't even let you put certain things on their sites to advertise. Your only choice then is to not join that site, leave the site, and find another site that is less restrictive.
14. Start your own forum website!!!! Bring people to you! That way you can make your own rules. You know people are interested in what your site has to offer. You can post as many ads as you want.
15. Do have good, accurate information. When you provide good, relevant content (as I heard JaWar say all the time, content is king), people will naturally gravitate towards you and the information you provide. So make sure what you say is good and accurate. Adding to the conversation and not taking away from it.
16. Do keep your post short. If you keep your post short, people are likely to read it.
17. Do allow others a chance to post their comments. If you over-comment, you will be perceived as argumentative or abrasive.
18. Do spell check. Do use proper grammar and proper punctuation.
Networking is not selfishness!
"The successful networkers I know, the ones receiving tons of referrals and feeling truly happy about themselves, continually put the other person's needs ahead of their own." Bob Burg
Do you just have you on your mind when you meet people? Do you only think about what they can do for you? When you first meet people in an attempt to network, do you speak only of yourself, your products, and your success? The best technique for networking is not promoting yourself: the best technique is seeing what someone else needs and meeting that need. Find out about the other person first. Be genuinely interested in the other person. Be genuinely interested in what the other person does. Find a way to find something that you mutually like. Then casually mentioned what you do and how you can then benefit the other person. People are more receptive to you when you first show that you care. They are more likely to refer you to others when they like you. They will like you when you show you like them and what they do. So know that networking is not about what someone can do for you but what you can do for them.
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