Educational Resources Archives

25Jan2016

Never Stop Educating Yourselfstring(29) "Never Stop Educating Yourself"

January 25, 2016

continued, education, growth, Learning, Networking Education, Educational Resources, Growth, Motivation 8

I’m a huge believer in the value of continued education. No one is ever at a point where they can stop educating themselves, and if you do stop, you’ll surely fall behind in your field.

We can’t always be enrolled in a higher education course, though, so what is the most logical way to continue educating yourself well into your professional life? While the best way to learn indefinitely depends on your lifestyle, your specific field, and your learning style, here are my three favorite ways to keep on top of new (and old!) developments in business.

Read articles and books. Thought leaders are always writing articles and books about their fields, sharing their perspectives on the ins and outs of their specialties. While these pieces will always have some degree of opinion in them, and you won’t always agree with everything you read, well written articles and books will get you thinking, get you interested, and leave you wanting to do your own follow up research.

Attend conferences. When you attend a conference and you listen to the keynote speaker, if those in charge of organizing the event did their job, the speaker not only taught you a little something, but got you fired up to go out and learn more. Not only is the keynote speaker a great source of continued education at conferences, smaller sessions and even other attendees can help get your gears turning, and teach you something you didn’t know before.

Practice practice practice. You probably haven’t reached the point where you can do anything perfectly every time, and even if you have, going without practice can cause you to lose your skill. How can you get better at something if you don’t do it? What’s more, talk to colleagues, people you respect in your field, or consult the internet for new techniques as you’re practicing. If you keep practicing something the wrong way, you’ll get really good at doing it wrong. If you practice something in new and different ways, you’ll be more likely to round out that skill level.

How do you continue your education? Let me know in the comments below!

22Jun2015

What Networking Is Notstring(22) "What Networking Is Not"

June 22, 2015

Ivan Misner

NetworkingNow.com, Notable Networker Education, Educational Resources, Networking, Networking Prep, NetworkingNow.com 2

Photo courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Misconceptions about networking abound. I saw a newspaper editorial which implied that networkers were mercinaries who attacked a crowded room until no one was left untouched. According to the editorial, people who networked cared only about themselves and not those to whom they were speaking. The writer was basing her comments on several meetings where she had witnessed these so-called networkers in action.

There is a big difference, however, between good networking and bad networking, and what she undoubtedly saw were vivid examples of bad networking. It sounded to me as if some of the people she described had had a charisma bypass and that their major contribution to the event was to leave it. These people apparently were hawks who surrounded their quarry.

Implying that such people were typical of all networkers is a little like saying all salespeople are like Herb Tarlek, the obnoxious salesman on the TV series “WKRP in Cincinnati.” Networking is as good or bad as the person who happens to be doing it at that moment. The problem is that good networking is an acquired skill and one that not all people have acquired.

Most people have been left on their own to develop their networking abilities. They have drawn upon management, sales, and social skills, and then applied them to a loosely defined notion of networking. This is why I devote so much of my time to writing books, articles, and blog posts about networking. People can achieve great things through networking, but first it’s necessary to gain an thorough understanding of the skills and techniques required for becoming an effective or Notable Networker.

Whether you’re a networking newbie or a seasoned networker, I highly encourage you to visit NetworkingNow.com to learn everything you can about how to continually improve your networking skills and get the highest return from your networking efforts. There are literally hundreds of business and networking downloads available in the site’s online library and you can access all of them for FREE for six months by entering the free subscription code given below.

The free subscription is a gift from IvanMisner.com and all you have to do is enter the code (“freesixmonths”) on NetworkingNow.com to gain access to the entire library of content! Please note that you will be required to enter a credit card number on the site but you will not be billed for the free six month membership. You will need to end your subscription if you don’t wish to be billed for the second six months.

Once you visit NetworkingNow.com, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please come back and share your thoughts in the comment forum below and, also, please let me know what type of downloadable content you most prefer to access on sites like NetworkingNow.com:

Video?
Audio?
PDF Articles?
Digital Books?
Something Else? If so, what specifically?

14May2015

James Barber–“The Networking Guru”string(52) "James Barber–“The Networking Guru”"

Just last week at the BNI® U.S. National Conference in Savannah, Georgia, I had the opportunity to have a brief chat with James Barber, author of The Networking Guru. In this video, I ask James to offer a suggestion or two on how networkers can stand out during weekly presentations in their networking group in order to increase their effectiveness at consistently obtaining referrals from their networking partners.

James reveals his top tip for helping your fellow networkers (i.e., your sales team) to focus and really narrow in on how they can refer you, and he tells a powerful story about a North Carolina business woman who used his top tactic and was so successful that he still finds it amazing when he thinks about the results she got.

Watch the video now to learn how you can stand out and be remembered in order to make it easier for those with whom you network to refer you. I guarantee that if you incorporate James’ advice into your networking presentations and interactions, you will start to see a significant improvment in your referral marketing results and a noticeable increase in the amount of referrals you’re able to generate.

After watching the video, please share your thoughts. And, if you’ve had previous experience using the tactic we discuss for generating more referrals, I’d love to hear how it worked out for you–please share your story in the comment forum below. Thanks!

16Apr2015

Don’t Be a Networking Nuisancestring(36) "Don’t Be a Networking Nuisance"

April 16, 2015

Ivan Misner

Career HMO, Guest Blog, J.T. O'Donnell Educational Resources, Giving, Guest Blog, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Social Capital, Video Blog

Today, I’m excited to share with you a fantastic guest post from my colleague, Founder and CEO of CareerHMO, J.T. O’Donnell. J.T. is dedicated to helping job seekers from all walks of life to land their dream job and an important aspect of what she coaches them on is networking.

In this video, J.T. explains how not to become a networking nuisance and the number one tip she offers is relevant to all networkers in every part of the world–not just those who are networking for the purpose of finding a job.

So, take a few minutes to watch the video and if you or anyone you know is looking for a job, I highly encourage you to check out the CareerHMO website and all of the free videos on their YouTube page–the educational content they offer for job seekers is some of the best I’ve ever seen.

By J.T. O’Donnell, Founder and CEO of CareerHMO

I was speaking to a group of job seekers recently about the “new rules” of networking and the following question came up:

“I’ve connected with a lot of people and they’ve all been very helpful in giving me advice and answering my questions. Some even agreed to meet with me for informational interviews. But now, I just don’t know what to do next. I can’t ask them for more help, and I don’t know how to keep the networking going. What can I do to keep them engaged without them feeling like I’m nagging them for help in finding a job?”

This is a common problem job seekers experience. Nobody wants to be seen as a “networking nuisance.” Especially people looking for work, since networking is the number one method for getting a job these days.

What’s the answer? It lies in the scales of justice.

12Mar2015

Success through Profitability & Abundancestring(46) "Success through Profitability & Abundance"

March 12, 2015

Ivan Misner

Abundance, Raymond Aaron, Success, THE SUCCESS PRINCIPLES, Transformational Leadership Council Author, Book, Educational Resources, Goals, Profitability, Self Development, Strategy, Success, VCP Process, Video Blog 1

In this brief video filmed at a recent TLC (Transformational Leadership Council) conference, I talk to my good friend Raymond Aaron about our respective contributions to the newly revised version of Jack Canfield’s book THE SUCCESS PRINCIPLES.

I am beyond honored to have been asked to contribute to the book and, because of that, I wanted my portion of the book to focus on the most valuable, useful, beneficial information I could possibly offer within my field of expertise. That information is the concept of the VCP Process®–how to build visibility and credibility to ultimately achieve longlasting success through profitability.

Raymond, a world renowned success coach, offers eye-opening information about what blocks us from enjoying success through abundance and how to overcome those road blocks.

Have you read THE SUCCESS PRINCIPLES? If so, I’m eager to hear your thoughts on the book in general or on a specific section or sections which resonated with you the most. Please share your thoughts in the comment forum below. Thanks!

For more information on THE SUCCESS PRINCIPLES, please visit: www.TheSuccessPrinciplesBook.com.

26Feb2015

Top Etiquette Tips on Doing Business & Networking Globallystring(63) "Top Etiquette Tips on Doing Business & Networking Globally"

February 26, 2015

Ivan Misner

global business, Networking with Different Cultures Business, Community, Connections, Conversation, Culture, Educational Resources, Global Business, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Referral Institute 1

We’re constantly becoming more of a global community and we’re receiving more and more opportunities to network worldwide right alongside cultures which are very different from our own. This makes it very important to know what to do and what to say when it comes to respecting cultural norms, boundaries, and traditions–more importantly, we need to know what not to say and what not to do (trust me, by the personal stories you’ll hear in this video, you’ll realize that I learned this lesson the hard way).

At a recent 2015 Referral Institute® conference, I had the pleasure of speaking to my friend, referral marketing trainer Tiffanie Kellog, about cultural etiquette and why it’s so important to be aware of it. I offer my top tips on doing business and networking globally and also reveal one of my favorite online educational resources which deals with this topic.

Do you have a story about an experience doing business and/or networking globally which stands out in your mind? Please share it in the comment forum below. Thanks!

19Feb2015

‘More Money Mondays’–FREE Referral Tips to Shorten Your Work Weekstring(83) "‘More Money Mondays’–FREE Referral Tips to Shorten Your Work Week"

At a recent Referral Institute® Conference, I had the opportunity to talk with my good friend (and partner in the Referral Institute), Mike Macedonio, about a fantastic new (and completely FREE) service which is available to businesspeople and networkers across the globe. It’s called ‘More Money Mondays’ and by signing up for the service you get weekly referral marketing tips delivered to you via e-mail each Monday which will help you learn how to simultaneously build your business and make your work week shorter and more enjoyable.

Watch the video now to get all the details on this exciting new service and CLICK HERE or go to www.MoreMoneyMondays.com to sign up for your FREE weekly referral marketing tips. If you’re already utilizing ‘More Money Mondays,’ I’d love to hear what you think of the service it provides–please leave your thoughts and feedback in the comment forum below. Thanks!

9Oct2014

Are Your Coaching Skills Lacking?string(33) "Are Your Coaching Skills Lacking?"

October 9, 2014

Ivan Misner

Coaching Skills, Coachville, Dave Buck, employees, Entrepreneurial Enterprise, entrepreneurship, Feedback, Success, training Business, Educational Resources, Employees, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Enterprise, Leadership, Management, Success, Video Blog 1

In this video, I talk to Dave Buck, the owner of Coachville, about the importance of coaching skills for entrepreneurs.

Any successful entrepreneur can tell you that success depends on the quality of the results produced by the people on your team; and the best way to get better results from the people on your team is to coach them.

Watch the video now to find out what Dave thinks is one of the key skills for entrepreneurs to have when coaching their team and, also, how you can participate in an entire program to become a really powerful and effective coach.

Do you have any coaching tactics or strategies that you’ve found to be particularly effective in coaching your team/employees? If so, I’d really love to hear them. Please share your thoughts in the comment forum below. Thanks so much!

To find out more about Dave and Coachville, please visit: www.Coachville.com.

24Apr2014

Free Monthly ‘Networking Cafe’ Webinar–You’re Invited!string(78) "Free Monthly ‘Networking Cafe’ Webinar–You’re Invited!"

In this video, filmed at a recent networking conference in Nashville, TN, I talk to my good friend and partner in the Referral Institute®, Eddie Esposito, about the monthly Networking Cafe webinars we offer to the public. These FREE monthly webinars offer invaluable information about how to grow business through networking and referral marketing and we often have guests on the webinar who are experts at helping people achieve business success. Past guests include Jack Canfield, Michael Gerber, and Susan RoAne, among others.

These “Networking Cafe” webinars take place on the last Friday of each month and all you need to do to find out how to participate (we welcome you to ask questions during the webinar) for free is to visit the following link: http://referralinstitute.com/index.php/en-us/networking-cafe.

Thanks so much for watching this video and I really hope to interact with you on one of the upcoming webinars in the near future. Also, if you have any suggestions for topics which you would love to have addressed on a future webinar, by all means, please leave your topic suggestions in the comment forum below–I’m more than happy to address all valuable and relevant topics. Thanks!

24Feb2014

What Good Is Knowledge If You Aren’t Applying It?string(55) "What Good Is Knowledge If You Aren’t Applying It?"

February 24, 2014

Ivan Misner

Application, commitment, easy, Ignorance, knowledge, Networking, simple, Success Educational Resources, Growth, Networking, Networking Prep, Self Development, Success, Uncategorized 3

Networking is simple; it’s just not easy. If it were easy, everyone would do it and do it well… and people don’t! This is not a blog piece about the step-by-step process you need to employ to network effectively. No, this is more meant to get you to stop and think about all the articles, books, blogs, podcasts and audios that you have read or listened to yet aren’t following through on in regard to what you learned. This is a post aimed at helping you to discover what you should be doing rather than focusing on what you know (or should know).

I do presentations around the world talking about how to apply networking to your everyday life. Sometimes I have someone come up to me and say, “I’ve heard people talk about some of those things before.” Hearing it for a year versus doing it for a year are completely different things. Success is about the “doing,” not just the “knowing.” In fact, I believe that ignorance on fire is better than knowledge on ice! The only thing more powerful is knowledge on fire.

There are so many things in life that look simple but are, in fact, not easy. Cooking is one of those for me. It always looks so simple. My wife can go into the kitchen and put a gourmet meal together in 30 to 40 minutes. Then I get into the kitchen and burn water.

Small repairs around the house–these things look so simple. Then I pick up a hammer and, well, it’s just not pretty. That’s when I’m reminded that I’m missing the “handyman gene.” It skips a generation in my family. My dad can fix anything. He’s incredibly capable with a toolbox. I’m not. When I was 17 he brought me into the garage and solemnly said to me, “Son, you’d better go to college, because you’re never going to make a living with your hands!” Good advice, Dad—thanks.

Golf. Looks simple, right? I’m not talking about professional competition, I mean just going out and smacking the ball around some grass. Looks simple. I’ve learned however, that it’s not easy.

There are so many things in our lives that look simple but are not easy. Networking is one of them. It’s a skill; a skill that takes commitment and effort to learn and apply consistently.

So I’m giving you an assignment (sorry, my inner professor is coming out). Your assignment after reading this blog today is to think of one idea in a book, article, recording–anything–that you’ve read or heard over the past year or so that you wanted to apply to your life but never got around to doing. Your assignment is to find that article, locate that “something” you wanted to do and do it within the next seven days. If it’s something you do on an ongoing basis, then find a way to incorporate it into your life and/or your business. All excuses are equal – just do it. Also, please feel free to share the knowledge source (e.g., book, article, etc.) you chose to focus on in the comment forum below. The only thing better than applying knowledge is sharing it.

Success is the uncommon application of common knowledge. You have the knowledge. Now apply it with uncommon commitment. It won’t be easy. But I assure you it’s simple.

20Feb2014

Jim Blasingame: ‘The Age of the Customer’string(53) "Jim Blasingame: ‘The Age of the Customer’"

I have been good friends with small business expert Jim Blasingame for over ten years and I can fully attest to the fact that his knowledge of what it takes to achieve success in small business is unparalleled (but don’t take my word for it, check out his bio below*). I am excited to announce that just a few weeks ago, he released a revolutionary new book that will change the way the we think about buying and selling.

This short video offers a quick overview of the premise of Jim’s newly released book, The Age of the Customer, which focuses on the momentous marketplace shift currently taking place that is affecting the way we all do business. Watch the video now to get a glimpse of what this significant marketplace shift means and to gain an awareness of the greatest danger it presents to business owners across the globe.

Knowledge is power and preparation is one of the greatest keys to success in business; The Age of the Customer arms you with the knowledge you need to prepare your business for lasting success. CLICK HERE FOR A FREE SAMPLE OF THE BOOK.

After watching the video, reading through the free book sample, or reading the entire book, I’d love to hear your thoughts on Jim’s ‘Age of the Customer’ concept–please leave your feedback in the comment forum below. Thanks!

* Jim Blasingame is one of the world’s foremost experts on small business and entrepreneurship, and was ranked as the #1 small business expert in the world by Google. President and founder of Small Business Network, Inc., Jim is the creator and award-winning host of The Small Business Advocate^® Show, nationally syndicated since 1997. As a high-energy keynote speaker, Jim talks to small business audiences about how to compete in the 21st century global marketplace, and he talks with large companies about how to speak small business as a second language. A syndicated columnist and the author of three books, including Small Business Is Like a Bunch of Bananas and Three Minutes to Success, which have sold almost 100,000 copies combined; his third book, The Age of the Customer^TM launched on January 27, 2014.

13Feb2014

Wealth Dynamics with Roger Hamiltonstring(35) "Wealth Dynamics with Roger Hamilton"

At a recent TLC Conference in Cancun, Mexico, I had the opportunity to talk with wealth expert Roger Hamilton to discuss the Wealth Dynamics system which Roger created to help entrepreneurs achieve ultimate success. I took the Wealth Dynamics profile test myself and found out my wealth profile is that of a “Supporter,” which I found quite surprising yet very informative, helpful, and enlightening.

In this video, Roger explains how the Wealth Dynamics program can specifically help people who want to build their business through a referral-based marketing program. Watch the video now to learn about how everyone is different in the way they form connections and how the Wealth Dynamics program can teach you to identify your best way of connecting with others through understanding your individual connection style, and also through pinpointing and understanding how other individuals would like to connect with you.

For more information on Wealth Dynamics, please visit www.WDProfileTest.com where you’ll find a complete explanation of the eight different Wealth Dynamics profiles and more. If you take the test, I’d love for you to come back and share your results and what you learned from them in the comment forum below. Thanks!

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