Masterful Networking Part 9

November 12, 2019 By Barry

Networking as Part of a Solid Business Plan

Truly masterful networking is only possible when you are confident and comfortable with yourself and the value of your services. The Book Good to Great by Jim Collins explains that you need to:

Be brilliant at what you do
Be passionate and enthusiastic
Be distinct… or become extinct

Have a plan for your networking activities. Think things through, decide on a goal, and work out what actions and behaviors will get you there.
Target specific industries or professions. You’re shooting a .22 rifle, not a shotgun. Establish a niche for yourself: this could be geographical (a particular city or state) or could involve the types of people with whom you work.
Have a well-practiced 15-or-30 second commercial. For example: I coach high integrity business leaders to achieve sustainable breakthrough results in their professional and personal lives. You can vary the language in different situations, saying “work with” rather than “coach.”
Have specific goals for your networking activities. For instance, “I will add five new connections to my LinkedIn profile on a weekly basis,” or “Have a one-on-one conversation with a new contact.”
Network when you’re busy and don’t need the business. If you find yourself out of work and then start networking, you networks will be brand new and it will be hard for you to get quick results. Continuously establish and build relationships.
Have a personal advisory panel of peers who can help you build your business. Try to include individuals who work with similar clients or customers to you.
Keep a list of centers of influence and strategic referral partners. More on this in a future blog.
Have a large quality network of resources to share with others. Become very well read in your area of expertise and in business in general.

Exercise

List some people you know well, in different categories, who are part of your network and with whom you can share other members of your network. Aim for 8-10 people with different areas of expertise, ideally people who are of a different generation. Consider how you could establish a regular meeting with these people.

They should be people you know, like and trust, with extraordinary capabilities in their area. You can help one another, be sounding boards for each other’s business, and be “raving fans” for one another.

You can also help each other’s clients, where appropriate. One of my clients, for instance, may need a lawyer or financial planner.

Masterful Networking Part 8

October 21, 2019 By Barry

Building Powerful Networking Habits

It is important to be consistent in your networking activities. That means forming good habits by being methodical and tenacious. Work to develop your existing skills, and to learn new ones. Make sure you apply what you’ve learned.

Network everywhere. Wherever there are people, there’s an opportunity for you to contribute, to to be contributed to. The gym, your church, and your kid’s school all count. You might not engage in business networking in these locations, buy you can gain valuable personal information (such as restaurant recommendations!).
Network with your suppliers and vendors. The people with whom you spend your money. Do they know and understand what you do?
Use non-vocational interests as opportunities to network. You can gain clients during your everyday activities, perhaps by striking up a conversation at your health club or on the golf course.
Be consistent in attending networking meetings. Out of sight means out of mind! As Woody Allen put it, “Ninety percent of life is just showing up.”
Use breakfast and lunch times as opportunities to network. We all have to eat – and eating is a modest form of intimacy which can easily be combined with networking. Breakfast and lunch are great times to exchange some social graces and get to know people.
Have a scoreboard to track your networking activities and effectiveness. You could measure: Number of events attended, business cards received, number of opportunities, referrals given, referrals received, follow-up activity.
Network with everyone. When we network with people, we’re not only networking with them, we’re networking with all their relationships. You never know who your neighbor may know! Don’t focus only on super-connectors and centers of influence.

EXERCISE Look at all your current and former clients. How did they become your clients? Did you meet them directly, or were they referred to you? Who introduced you to them? If someone engaged your services, the mechanism by which they became a client might allow you to get more clients in a similar way. If a super-connector introduced you to several past clients, are you maintaining that relationship?

Masterful Networking Part 7

October 8, 2019 By Barry

Relationships and Communication

Relationships are at the heart of networking. To build good relationships, you need strong communication skills.

Establish and maintain excellent relationships with the officers, leaders, and organizers of your networking venues. Make requests for introductions to people who these leaders believe are a good fit for you.
Show interest in others and develop masterful listening skills. Try using open ended questions (such as who, what, when, and how) and “layering” the person’s response into your next question.
Be specific when making requests for assistance. Be clear and crisp in your communications, and ensure that you’ve secured agreement where appropriate.
Take a proactive approach to connecting with others. Nothing happens inside your head. Don’t rely solely on social media – give people a real-world experience of you. Most people will be happy that you took the initiative.
Give many referrals to others. You may not be the best person for those who you’re networking with, but if you have a reservoir of resources, you can refer them to someone else.
Network with people with outstanding reputations. Look for people of high character and integrity, who live out their values and fundamental beliefs. These people help give you credibility, and through them, you can make a bigger difference in the world.
Avoid trying to sell people in your network. Be situation-specific and only explore the possibility of engagement when there’s true openness, receptiveness, and desire.
Don’t hesitate to ask for help from others. When you make a sincere and genuine request, people will have a natural desire to assist you.

EXERCISE

Authenticity is essential in our relationships. When you interact with people, you transmit the unique expression of yourself, which is your values. When we authentically share ourselves, and accept and appreciate that in others, we have the basis of a relationship. Next time you have a networking opportunity, be fully present and ask yourself these questions:

How well do I know this person?
How can I know them better?
How likeable is this person?
What are the factors that make me like them?
What is my level of trust?
What factors support this level of trust?

Masterful Networking: Part 1

July 9, 2019 By Barry

What is Networking?

Many people think networking is the development of a system of personal and professional contacts that can be used to gain information and assistance only when needed.

In reality, it is much more!

Networking is a lifelong process that can enrich us professionally and personally in ways we never imagined.

Networking expands our view of the world, helps us take risks and reach new levels of accomplishment, promotes win/win situations, and encourages bringing people together in ways that make one plus one equal more than two.

Networking provides the structure, support, skills, and strategies needed to bridge the gap between ideas and actions. It can turn strangers into friends and build a world full of people who will take our calls, give us their time, and answer our questions. Networking can be useful in helping us reach our chosen destinations, whether they be making a job change, working more effectively with customers and colleagues, or building our own business.

“We human beings are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others’ actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others’ activities. For this reason, it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others.” (His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama)

EXERCISE:

Spend a few minutes answering this question: What is networking to you?

Stay tuned for Part 2: Prior to Events & On Arrival

Barry Demp on OC Talk Radio – Live Today!

August 16, 2012 By Barry

Later today, I’ll be interviewed by Doug Gfeller of OC Talk Radio about The Quotable Coach. You can listen in here at OC Talk Radio, 7pm Eastern / 4pm Pacific.

If you haven’t heard about my project The Quotable Coach before, you may want to take a look at the website and join the mailing list. Make sure you listen live today, to hear all about it too.

If you’re a coach yourself, you’ll definitely want to listen in. I’ll also be talking with Doug about my business practices: how I customize my coaching programs for a variety of client groups, and why I give away so much material (including the quotes, and my workbooks).

Here’s the link again, so that you can listen in today at 7pm Eastern / 4pm Pacific:

OC Talk Radio

Announcing My Newest Book: Masterful Relationships

March 13, 2012 By Barry

Masterful Relationships eBook ->

I am very pleased to announce that my newest workbook, Masterful Relationships, is now available in ebook form (as a .pdf file).

Just put your email address in the box in the sidebar to the right and you’ll receive a link to download your copy of Masterful Relationships, along with my previous two workbooks, Masterful Networking and Time Management Strategies and Tactics.

Masterful Relationships has seven short chapters, each with an exercise to help you put what you read into practice in your own life and work. The workbook focuses on professional relationships, but you can also use what you learn in your personal life.

Here’s a taste of what you’ll get inside

Chapter 1: Listening Actively – how to be fully present in your conversations and show your interest in others
Chapter 2: Serving Others – how to make a great impression and build on an initial connection
Chapter 3: Demonstrating Loyalty and Integrity – how to live out your values in your relationships
Chapter 4: Coaching, Leading and Managing – how to get the most from your employees and team members
Chapter 5: Building Social Capital – how to create high-quality relationships and repair damaged ones
Chapter 6: Networking Effectively – how to put in consistent effort for great results
Chapter 7: Gaining Trust – how to help colleagues, clients and friends trust you

To get access to your copy of Masterful Relationships, just enter your email address in the sidebar.