International Networking Week® 2012–New Videostring(52) "International Networking Week® 2012–New Video"

December 8, 2011
, , , , BNI, Building Relationships, Business, Global Business, Networking, Video Blog, Word of Mouth 3

 

 

The new video for International Networking Week 2012 has just been released!

This short, 9-minute video, sponsored by Referral Institute (www.ReferralInstitute.com) and Entrepreneur Press (www.Entrepreneur.com), explains how the week of February 6th-10th, 2012 will bring about great opportunities for businesspeople around the world and increase worldwide awareness about the powerful benefits of business networking.

2012 will mark the 6th annual celebration of International Networking Week which is now recognized by many countries across the globe, with thousands of events being held during the celebratory Week.  One of the main goals of the Week is to help businesspeople everywhere build their networking skills and expand the opportunities within their reach and, in the video, my Business Networking and Sex co-authors and I offer some very valuable pointers on where to focus your efforts in order to make the most of International Networking Week.

Don’t wait until the last minute to join in the celebration and start the year off as a better networker–watch the video now, find an event in your area, and come back and let me know what you’ll be doing to recognize International Networking Week.

For additional Information, please visit www.International Networking Week.com.

If You Don’t Have One, People Could Be Avoiding You . . .string(63) "If You Don’t Have One, People Could Be Avoiding You . . ."

November 10, 2011
, , , , , BNI, Building Relationships, Introducing Yourself, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Video Blog 10

Have you ever been to a networking event and purposely avoided someone you really wanted to talk to because you were embarrassed you couldn’t remember their name?  Well, if you’re not wearing a name badge at networking events, other people could be avoiding you for this very reason!

In this short video, my friend Kevin Barber and I explain why name badges are an extremely important tool for effective networking and why you should always be sure to wear a name badge at networking events.

Do you have an exemplary story that demonstrates how name badges have come in handy for you, or how the lack of a name badge (whether yours or someone else’s) affected your networking?  If so, I’d love to hear it so please share it in the comments section . . .

 

 

Can Cultural Differences be Affecting Your Networking Success?string(62) "Can Cultural Differences be Affecting Your Networking Success?"

October 27, 2011
, , , , , BNI, Faux Pas, Global Business, Introducing Yourself, Ivan Misner, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Travel, Video Blog 1

 

A few weeks ago, I spoke at an event in Israel and while I was there, I got to talking to my good friend Sam Schwartz about the very different networking styles and tendencies which occur from country to country.

It is very important to consider and respect cultural differences when networking and doing business in different countries across the globe and, in this short video, Sam and I discuss why it is important and how you can prepare yourself in order to achieve great networking results no matter where in the world you may be.

After watching the video, please share your own stories in the comments section about the differences in business and networking styles and tendencies you’ve observed when networking in various countries around the world.  Also, be sure to visit the following website which is a fantastic educational resource in regard to cultural differences: www.ExecutivePlanet.com.

My Daddy Is Ambassador and I’m a Browniestring(46) "My Daddy Is Ambassador and I’m a Brownie"

October 24, 2011
, , , , , , BNI, Building Relationships, Connections, Emotional Intelligence, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics 20

When Martha Taft was a young girl in elementary school, she was asked to introduce herself to a group of people. “My name is Martha Bowers Taft,” said the child. “My great-grandfather was President of the United States. My grandfather was a United States Senator. My daddy is Ambassador to Ireland. And I am a Brownie.”

 I thought of that quote when I recently heard the following story from Nanette Polito from Cincinatti:

In this day of technology, our younger generation understands all the social media and how to communicate through texting, email, instant messaging, and Facebook. We, the slightly older generation, need them to help us wade through it.

But does the younger generation really understand the importance of creating face-to-face personal relationships?

 

As a member of BNI for the last 14 years and an area director for Greater Cincinnati and Northern KY for the last eight years, my son and daughter both grew up on BNI. What I never realized was they were watching from afar and taking it all in.

During the summer months, the kids sometimes would tag along with me to my chapter visits. Because they were business meetings, I would have them sit off to the side. One particular morning my daughter, then 12, sat in a different part of the restaurant. The group did not want her sitting alone and insisted she sit with us. So, I let her.

The meeting proceeded, and it came time for the 60-second commercials; Alexandra was sitting on my right and the commercials were going clockwise. As the gentleman on my daughter’s right stood to give his commercial, I prepared to give mine. But, before I could stand, Alexandra jumped up and said, “Hi, my name is Alexandra Polito. I am 12 years old and a Red Cross Certified babysitter. A good referral for me would be your children, if you need a qualified sitter.”

I was proud—and shocked—and so were my fellow members! Of course, we all commended her on a job well done. Proof? She received two referrals!

Who knew that those years of watching taught both of my children how to network. To this day they both have used those skills. Recently, I was talking to Alexandra about this memory and asked her if her fellow college mates really knew how to network; she stated they really didn’t.

Networking is not something taught in school, and our younger generation doesn’t understand that real importance of that face-to-face meeting and becoming visible, which leads to credibility.

So, yes, we are our children’s most important teachers, they are watching us! Make sure they see you networking and help them to understand what it is you are doing and why it is important.

 

What are we teaching our children about networking?  I’d love to hear a story from you about this.

The Proper Way to Give Your Business Cardstring(41) "The Proper Way to Give Your Business Card"

October 20, 2011
, , BNI, Connections, Conversation, Credibility, Introducing Yourself, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Video Blog 12

Have you ever wondered about what the best way to pass your business card to someone might be?

Watch this under-two-minute video where Phil Berg from BNI UK offers a very valuable tip on how (and how not to) to pass your business card to ensure that it will be valued and well received.

At the end of a video, Phil and I ask a question that we’d love for you to answer in the comments section below so, please, don’t be shy and chime in with your comments . . . thanks!

Perception is Everythingstring(24) "Perception is Everything"

October 10, 2011
, Blogs, BNI, Conversation, Emotional Intelligence 5

I saw a presentation at a BNI Conference a couple years ago by Chick Gallagher, my Executive Director in Delaware and part of Pennsylvania.

In his presentation he talked about “perception” being relative and how small things can substantially alter one’s perception.  On one of his Power Point slides he had the words:

A woman without her man is nothing.

As you might suspect, it got loud boos from the audience.  Then, he added two commas to the wording.  It still fell in disfavor with the audience (especially the women):

A woman, without her man, is nothing.

Finally, without changing any words he simply changed the first comma to a colon and moved the second comma to a different place in order to make this sentence:

A woman: without her, man is nothing.

As you might suspect – this sentence got loud applause from the audience (especially the women).  His point was that small changes in communication can completely alter the meaning of what is being communicated.

Punctuation is like people’s perception. A minor change can make a big difference in how the message is received and understood.

Have you run into this during your lifetime?  If so, share it here. 

ps. Before I posted this blog, I showed it to my wife.  She told me about a FaceBook page called: Let’s Eat Grandma OR Let’s Eat, Grandma.  The site says – see, punctuation saves lives!

 

Want Terrific Networking Results?–Get Specific!string(53) "Want Terrific Networking Results?–Get Specific!"

October 6, 2011
, , , , BNI, Business, Connections, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Video Blog 6

In this video, Michael Mayer, an esteemed worldwide business networking expert from Austria, gives an excellent example that teaches why it is so important to  be specific when introducing your business to others at networking meetings and events.

Watch the video and find out what to say and what not to say when introducing your business in order to get great results from your networking efforts.

On a side note, you’ll also be surprised at what a powerful tool the image of pink socks can be  in helping you to remember that specificity is key . . . I’ve never given much thought to pink socks–in fact, I’ve never really thought about them at all–but  now I think about them absolutely every time I think about being specific!

What do you think about the point Michael makes in this video?  Does it help you think of ways you can improve the way you introduce your own business to other people?  Come back and leave a comment . . .

Never Struggle to Remember a Name Again!string(40) "Never Struggle to Remember a Name Again!"

September 15, 2011
, , , , , , BNI, Introducing Yourself, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Video Blog 10

The simple fact is, if you want to get good at networking you need to get good at remembering people’s names.  However, we all know that’s much easier said than done . . .

Niiraj Shah, one of the world’s leading experts on business networking started off years ago going to networking events and struggling to remember any given person’s name minutes after he’d met them.  He knew he needed to so something to change this if he wanted to become a successful networker so after giving it a significant amount of thought, he came up with an extremely effective 3-step process that has forever solved the problem he had with remembering names.

Watch this video where Niiraj shares his simple, 3-step secret to remembering people’s names.  Then, try it out and come back and leave a comment to let us know what kind of results you ended up with . . . my guess is you’ll be extremely impressed with how well this works!

Using the G.A.I.N.S. Exchange to Connect More Effectivelystring(57) "Using the G.A.I.N.S. Exchange to Connect More Effectively"

September 1, 2011
, , , , , , , , , BNI, Building Relationships, Connections, Conversation, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Video Blog 2

Sometimes one of the most difficult parts of networking is getting the conversation started and really engaging people so they are genuinely interested in talking and networking with you.

In this short video, Penny Georgevich explains how to effectively connect with people by using the G.A.I.N.S. (Goals, Accomplishments, Interests, Networks, Skills) Exchange (also referred to as the G.A.I.N.S. Profile)–particularly when it comes to the are of “Interests.”

If you’ve used the G.A.I.N.S. Exchange as a tactic when networking, please share your experience with it in the comments section–how effective did you find it to be?

You Are What You Attract–Attitude and Networkingstring(54) "You Are What You Attract–Attitude and Networking"

August 25, 2011
, , , BNI, Connections, Introducing Yourself, Networking, Networking Prep, Self Development, Video Blog 8

Last month, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Frederick Marcoux, one of Australia’s foremost experts on building business through referral marketing.

I have known Frederick for years and one of the things I’ve always admired about him is that he has always exuded a remarkably positive attitude, regardless of any given circumstance or challenging situation that may arise.  I was mentioning this to Frederick and he smiled (of course–what else would you expect from an endlessly positive person?) and explained his belief in the concept that “you are what you attract.”

In this video, Frederick and I discuss how your attitude, whether it be positive or negative, can have a very real impact on the results you get from your networking efforts.

After watching this short video, please leave a comment–what have you experienced in regard to the impact attitude has on networking? 

BNI Business Index 2nd Quarter Findings–Leaner and Meaner!string(64) "BNI Business Index 2nd Quarter Findings–Leaner and Meaner!"

July 18, 2011
, , , Announcement, BNI, BNIBusinessIndex.com, Business, Economy, Educational Resources, Entrepreneurial Enterprise, Global Business, Survey 3

The BNI Business Index is a website that was created to consistently gauge the ever-changing economic state of business based on quarterly global survey results of retailers, service companies, and manufacturing companies all around the world.


The statistics gathered from the survey results are intended to keep small business owners, entrepreneurs, and companies, as well as the media and the general public, educated and informed as to the changing state of the global business economy and the current business trends that become apparent over time.

The findings for the 2011 2nd Quarter BNI Business Index are in and they continue to look promising. Over 1,700 people responded to this survey and for the third quarter in a row, we see a rise in the index relating to how business is doing today compared to a year ago. According to the survey, 70.4% of the respondents believe that business is growing (58.1%) or growing substantially (12.3%) compared to this time last year. Only 5.4% felt that business was declining (4.6%) or declining substantially (.8%) compared to this time last year.

This quarter there were four themes that seemed prevalent:

– Being Leaner & Meaner
– Networking
– Having a New Focus
– Government Regulations

One survey respondent best summed up the “leaner and meaner” theme by stating that his business was  becoming “leaner, keener, and meaner!”  Another person stated that they had “adapted to the business environment and things have ‘stabilized’ as a result.”

Get the full 2011 2nd Quarter BNIBusinessIndex.com Survey Report by CLICKING HERE.

TAKE THE CURRENT BNIBusinessIndex.com Survey by CLICKING HERE NOW and GET A FREE 6 MONTH SUBSCRIPTION TO NetworkingNow.com!!

The Power of a Rolodex–What’s Your Story?string(53) "The Power of a Rolodex–What’s Your Story?"

June 27, 2011
Author, BNI, Business, Connections, Faux Pas, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Referral Institute, Referrals, Word of Mouth 8

Hazel Walker (pictured below) is not only one of my Business Networking and Sex co-authors and one of my business partners in both BNI and the Referral Institute, she is also the author of the great article below about the importance of remembering that you never know who might be in someone’s Rolodex. As Hazel explains, assuming for any reason that somebody couldn’t possibly know anyone that might be able to help you in your business is wrong and it does you a great disservice.

I’ve heard some amazing stories about hugely valuable, highly legitimate referrals that came from people whom others had initially discounted as unlikely to know anyone that could help them.  I absolutely love hearing these stories because they’re amazing testaments to the power of networking.  What’s YOUR story??  If you have one, by all means, share it in the comments section after reading Hazel’s article below! 🙂

“Power of a Rolodex” by Hazel Walker

One of  the biggest challenges I have with business people is they underestimate the power of other people’s Rolodex.  It’s close-minded.  I hear this especially from the Business-to-Business people who walk into a networking group, look around and think, “I’m B2B (business to business) and high dollar and there’s nobody here who can help me!”  And they walk out.  What they have just done is discount everyone’s Rolodex.

They don’t know who I’m sitting with at PTA, or playing golf with.  They don’t know who my brother-in-law, my mother-in-law, or my friends are.  I see that happen more than anything when people discount who other people know.  It’s the same when they only get to know one side of the relationship.  They get to know the husband and everything about him, but have they asked where the wife works and who’s in her network?

There’s a tendency to just look at the person, a Mary Kay lady for example, and say “Yeah, she sells Mary Kay, she can’t help me.”  I had a banker in one of my networking chapters, a good member of the chapter who’s been in the group for a long time.  I sent a Mary Kay person to his chapter.  He called me up and was not happy.  He said, “I don’t know why you would send a Mary Kay person, we are doing business-to-business, Mary Kay is just not going to help us, blah, blah, blah . . .”  So I asked that he just give her a shot, you never know who she knows, and that he let her be in the chapter.

They let her in.  Shortly afterward, the banker sent me flowers thanking me for sending the Mary Kay associate who, in her first three months there, referred over $400,000 (USD) in business to him!  This was after he had discounted her based on the company she works for.  I think that is the biggest mistake business  people make: not getting to know people well enough to find out who they know.



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