opportunities | Dr. Ivan Misner®

4Feb2013

Welcome to International Networking Week!string(41) "Welcome to International Networking Week!"

This week marks the 7^th annual celebration of International Networking Week which is recognized each year by thousands of people around the world.

International Networking Week is about celebrating the key role that networking plays in the development and success of business around the world. It is about creating an awareness relating to the process of networking. Not just any kind of networking, but what I call “relationship networking”–an approach to doing business based on building long-term, successful, genuine relationships with people strategically through the networking process.

International Networking Week has been acknowledged by many governmental organizations (including a joint resolution of the California State Assembly and Senate) and is celebrated in many countries across the globe through . Start the new year out with more business by using this week to build your networking skills and expand the opportunities within your reach. If you belong to any networking groups, be sure to tell them that this is International Networking Week (Feb. 4-8).

CLICK HERE to view a short video about International Networking Week 2013. Please feel free to share the video with others and show it at your networking meetings this week.

For more information and a list of worldwide events, please visit www.InternationalNetworkingWeek.com.

So what will you be doing to recognize International Networking Week? Please share your plans in the comment forum below.

17Jan2013

Are You Taking Advantage of the Communication Opportunities at Your Fingertips?string(79) "Are You Taking Advantage of the Communication Opportunities at Your Fingertips?"

January 17, 2013

Ivan Misner

Communication, Communication Hierarchy, opportunities, technology Uncategorized 4

In this extremely brief video, I talk to Roger Green of Applied Transformation, Inc. about the amazing opportunities we have at our fingertips when it comes to communicating through technology.

Not too long ago, it was almost unheard of to be able to connect directly with executives of companies if you didn’t already know them but today, thanks to technology, the communication hierarchy has been virtually flattened and the opportunities this presents are huge. Are you taking advantage of the capabilities to connect which technology and social media have made a reality?

I highly encourage you to challenge yourself to use technology to reach out to someone you’ve been hoping to connect with yet weren’t quite sure how to gain an introduction to. I’d love for you to leave your thoughts on what you plan on doing (and whom you plan on connecting with) in the comments section–as I say in the video, I always read the comments on my blog and, also, writing about your plans/goals is a great way to hold yourself accountable. 😉

13Dec2012

International Networking Week Video 2013string(40) "International Networking Week Video 2013"

The new video for International Networking Week® 2013 has just been released!

This short, 11-minute video, sponsored by the Referral Institute, explains how the week of February 4th-8th, 2013 will bring about great opportunities for businesspeople around the world and increase worldwide awareness about the powerful benefits of business networking.

2013 will mark the 7th annual celebration of International Networking Week which is now recognized by many countries across the globe, with thousands of events being held during the 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. In the video, my “Room Full of Referrals” co-authors (Tony Alessandra and Dawn Lyons) offer some very valuable pointers on understanding behavioral profiles in a networking context and where to focus your efforts in order to make the most of International Networking Week.

Take a few minutes to watch the video and share with us here on the blog what you learned.

3Sep2012

Mega Partnering VI Eventstring(24) "Mega Partnering VI Event"

I am excited to announce that I will be presenting at the Mega Partnering VI conference (www.MegaPartnering6.com) this year which is taking place in Los Angeles, CA from November 29-December 2.

The event is run by the J.T. Foxx Organization (www.JTFoxx.com) and J.T., whom I’ve gotten to know over the past couple of years, has invited me to give a presentation on how to achieve success through networking.

J.T. (pictured with me below) has a very interesting story as he started investing with nothing more than a rusted-out Ford pick-up truck, $974.00, and one cheap suit. Now, six years later, he is a serial entrepreneur who has started several multi-million dollar companies internationally and he has become one of the world’s top wealth coaches and a sought after motivational speaker–all this he has done through mastering the art of partnering, branding, networking, and marketing.

Mega Partnering is an independent international organization J.T. Foxx created after watching a 60 Minutes episode about Davos, applying, and getting turned down when he tried to start his own business. Not willing to accept rejection, J.T. decided to create his own opportunities for small businesses and he called it “MegaPartnering.”

The conference has since grown to include small entrepreneurs from all over the world and it raises money for charitable initiatives, keeping with the philosophy, “Learn, Earn, Return.” Mega Partnering attendees have included Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Stedman Graham, and more.

There will be several accomplished entrepreneurs at this year’s event–many of them giving presentations– including Michael Eisner, Kathy Ireland, Eric Trump, John Assaraf, Raymond Aaron, and Mark Victor Hansen, among others.

If you are interested in registering to attend the event or learning more about it or about J.T., please CLICK HERE to visit the Mega Partnering website. I hope to see you at the event in November!

5Apr2012

Tim Houston on Why You Don’t Want to be a ‘9 to 5 Networker’string(78) "Tim Houston on Why You Don’t Want to be a ‘9 to 5 Networker’"

April 5, 2012

Ivan Misner

"The World's Worst Networker", business acquisition, business transaction, friends and family, New York, opportunities, The 9 to 5 Networker, Tim Houston Author, Book, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Recommendation, Referrals, Video Blog, Word of Mouth 7

About a month ago I was in New York, home state of my good friend Tim Houston who is the author of a book I highly recommend called The World’s Worst Networker. I had the opportunity to record this brief video with Tim to get his thoughts on a really interesting topic: ‘The 9 to 5 Networker.’

In the video, Tim explains what a 9 to 5 Networker is, why you definitely do not want to be one, and how to avoid becoming one/stop being one. Says Tim, “The 9 to 5 Networker is one of the world’s worst networkers . . .” These types of networkers are overlooking a very, very prominent network which is at their very fingertips and they confuse business acquisition with business transaction.

I agree with everything Tim says here and if you want to ensure you aren’t missing out on the huge opportunities that 9 to 5 Networkers are missing on a daily basis, I really encourage you to take the two minutes out of your day that it will take to watch this video. After you’ve watched it, I’d love for you to leave your thoughts in the comments section . . . have you been guilty of 9 to 5 networking? If so, after hearing Tim’s points, do you think you’ll rethink your 9 to 5 networking strategy?

13Feb2012

The Profit Puzzle of Businessstring(29) "The Profit Puzzle of Business"

February 13, 2012

Ivan Misner

business model, business plan, checklist, costs, Don Osborne, effectiveness, finance, franchise, goals, Management, operations, opportunities, personnel, production, Profit Puzzle, resources, skills Business, Educational Resources, Guest Blog, Management, Profitability, Recommendation, Success 2

I recently had several business associates ask me about finding a good model for a business plan that they can use for their franchise.

Being able to market your business is, to a large extent, based on understanding your business. Understanding your business begins by creating a plan. One of the best models I’ve seen is one that I have used and recommended for years. It’s called the “Profit Puzzle.” It was developed by a good friend of mine – Don Osborne.

Below are the key categories (or puzzle pieces) that Don uses in his system. If you need, or want, to produce a business plan for your business. I recommend you check out www.ProfitPuzzle.com. Just remember – once you have a structure for your plan – it requires that you commit a fair amount of time and effort to actually complete the plan (the plan doesn’t complete itself!). You have to do the hard work to think about what goes into each part of the puzzle.

Check out Don’s categories below. They are very thorough.

30Sep2010

Becoming a Notable Networker–Tips and Insightsstring(52) "Becoming a Notable Networker–Tips and Insights"

If you really want to succeed at networking, take a look at the following tips and insights:

Notable Networkers are people who are skilled at networking and committed to the idea that givers gain. By helping other businesses get new clients or customers, they get new business sent their way.
The key to building a word-of-mouth-based business is mutual support, not necessarily friendship.
Organizations that network effectively provide opportunities to develop and exchange quality business referrals. Being a member of a well-organized network is like having dozens of salespeople working for you, each referring prospective clients your way.
A Notable Networker must have a positive and supportive attitude. Good networking involves providing a positive and supportive environment for other businesspeople.
A Notable Networker must have and use the right tools to network skillfully, including an informative name badge, business cards and a business card carrying case to hold others’ cards.
Networking is an acquired skill; it requires listening to CDs, reading books and articles, talking to people who network well, and practicing what you’ve learned.
Effective networking requires practice, practice, practice–and then more practice.

Is there a bullet point in this list you would like me to expand on? If so, leave a comment and let me know; I’m more than happy to oblige. 🙂

16Aug2010

Entrepreneur Magazine’s Winning Strategies for Business Conferencestring(72) "Entrepreneur Magazine’s Winning Strategies for Business Conference"

Entrepreneur magazine’s Winning Strategies for Business Conference is being held in Long Beach, Calif., on Oct. 5. If it’s possible for you to attend, I highly recommend that you go. This event offers serious educational value, plenty of opportunities to network and, best of all, registration is FREE!

I’ll be giving the keynote presentation, “Networking Like a Pro,” during the morning session and I’ll be talking about how to create, maintain and serve a wide network and enjoy great business and personal rewards as a result.

If you can make it out to the conference, I’d love to have the opportunity to meet you, so please take a moment to introduce yourself during one of the networking sessions or after my presentation.

The focus of the Winning Strategies for Business Conference is to show you everything you need to know about how to go further and achieve more by teaching you proven tactics that will impact virtually every aspect of your business. Bruce Kimbrell of Disney Institute will be giving the afternoon keynote presentation, “Disney’s Approach to People Management,” and there will be a handful of other dynamic speakers presenting on topics such as SEO, social networking and PR, fundraising, launching a new business, brand building, driving sales and more.

There will also be a one-of-a-kind opportunity for you to pitch your business to Entrepreneur‘s editors for a chance to have your business featured in either Entrepreneur magazine or on Entrepreneur.com

(Now that is a great opportunity!)

Hope to see you at the event! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE or to get more information on Winning Strategies for Business.

2Aug2010

The First Phase of the VCP Process–Visibilitystring(51) "The First Phase of the VCP Process–Visibility"

Last week I wrote a blog explaining the VCP Process, which is a huge part of the foundation of networking. Because this process is so crucial to effective networking, I promised to write a blog entry for each of the three phases (visibility, credibility and profitability), and today I’m going to talk about why it all starts with visibility.

The first phase of growing a relationship is visibility: You and another individual become aware of each other. In business terms, a potential source of referrals or a potential customer becomes aware of the nature of your business–perhaps because of your public relations and advertising efforts, because of your social media presence or perhaps through someone you both know. This person may observe you in the act of conducting business or relating with the people around you. The two of you begin to communicate and establish links–perhaps a question or two over the phone or via e-mail messages about product availability. You may become personally acquainted and work on a first-name basis, but you know little about each other. A combination of many such relationships forms a casual-contact network, a sort of de facto association based on one or more shared interests.

The visibility phase is important because it creates recognition and awareness. The greater your visibility, the more widely known you will be, the more information you will obtain about others, the more opportunities you will be exposed to, and the greater will be your chances of being accepted by other individuals or groups as someone to whom they can or should refer business. Visibility must be actively maintained and developed; without it, you cannot move on to the next level, credibility.

I’ll talk more about credibility next week, but it’s important to understand that visibility brings the opportunity to build credibility, and credibility is what will get you to profitability, where you’ll actually benefit from your efforts. So many times people try to jump straight from visibility to profitability, and that’s not real networking; it’s just an obvious ploy to get something from your new contacts. That’s nothing more than a bad attempt at direct selling and a big waste of time.

So, how do you go about creating more visibility for your business? What are some strategies that have really worked out well for you? I’d love to hear your comments.