Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Are you networking with the right people?
13:54
genuis
In 'The circles (no more strangers)' Seth Godin writes "It's so tempting to seek out more strangers." He makes the point that trying to reach strangers is expensive and you may very well upset your true fans. He uses an excellent graphic (shown to the right here) to illustrate his point that delighting and overwhelming your true fans is a better strategy than chasing after strangers.Many business people and professionals give in to this temptation and concentrate their marketing efforts on strangers. Building word of mouth from the people they already know can be neglected and their behaviour in networking can be similar. Their networking is all about finding and connecting directly with the people they don't know.
What is the right approach in business networking?
13:53
genuis
It can be tempting to only 'network' with others who do completely different things to you. People who provide different services or products and those from different professions. In fact some groups only allow for one member from each.
In reality it is often those that are more complementary to you that lead to more and quicker opportunities. The similarities mean you get to establish relationships more quickly and it is much easier to find referrals for each other without going out of your way. Even those groups that exclude members in the same line of business recommend joining other more open groups as part of your overall networking strategy.
In the UK a couple of days ago the new Government took their places in Parliament. For the first time in 70 years in the UK there is a coalition government. Whether it will be a success remains to be seen, but it would be refreshing to see a new politics. One that sees politicians working together for the good of the country rather than constantly doing each other down. If the two parties had looked to their differences it is very likely that we would be in a different situation now. By focusing on similarities they have made progress and have the potential to really change the way things work.
The lesson for us in networking is the many more possibilities that open up with an open and collaborative approach.
Are you looking for the common ground with your network?
In reality it is often those that are more complementary to you that lead to more and quicker opportunities. The similarities mean you get to establish relationships more quickly and it is much easier to find referrals for each other without going out of your way. Even those groups that exclude members in the same line of business recommend joining other more open groups as part of your overall networking strategy.
In the UK a couple of days ago the new Government took their places in Parliament. For the first time in 70 years in the UK there is a coalition government. Whether it will be a success remains to be seen, but it would be refreshing to see a new politics. One that sees politicians working together for the good of the country rather than constantly doing each other down. If the two parties had looked to their differences it is very likely that we would be in a different situation now. By focusing on similarities they have made progress and have the potential to really change the way things work.
The lesson for us in networking is the many more possibilities that open up with an open and collaborative approach.
Are you looking for the common ground with your network?
How business networking really works
13:52
genuis
There are some people you meet who seem to 'get' networking instinctively. People seem to gravitate to them with a regular stream of opportunities for them and their business. They don't engage in the face to face equivalent of cold calling They spend most of their time with a regular close group of associates and advocates and a lesser amount of time making new contacts. They are active as participants, leaders and advocates of their networking groups
Do business networks collaborate or compete?
13:51
genuis
"Avoid the competition" was a comment from Courtney Sperlazza in response to my post entitled What is the right approach in business networking? She went on to explain
Who else is needed when you do business?
13:49
genuis
Last week I was with a group of Professionals and Small Business Owners in Birmingham learning more about Referral Marketing at the Referral Institute's UK & Ireland Conference. The theme of the day was about how you can dramatically increase your referred revenue. One topic covered by Trey McAlister was about understanding 'Contact Sphere Professionals'. These people are in a position to regularly refer each other
Social capital - recruitment and retention
13:47
genuis
In my Knowledge Infusion webinar, I talked about the increasing importance of social capital. In Kennedy's webinar, I talked about some activities HR can take to develop it.
For example, in recruitment, HR can
Three Main Rules of Successful Business
13:39
genuis
No matter what you sell, what business you are doing. No matter how you sell, through the internet, in a shop or on the phone. Always follow the essence of a successful business - learn to sell myself. People do not buy your product just because they like it. They buy your product because they like you and your company. If people do not like you, or your company, they will never purchase your product.
Business Tip: Create Luxury Things
13:37
genuis
Did you watch a last movie a last movie about James Bond? An excellent movie! Do you like James Bond’s car – Aston Martin. Would you like this car? I would like to :-) By the way, this car costs more than $200.000. Do you really think, that the cost of one car production is $200.000 ? Not, of course. The major part of the price is advertising and profit.
Getting An Idea For The Perfect Business
13:35
genuis
So you have an idea for a new business, but you are not sure it will work? How do you go about finding out if this business will be a success? Just about everybody has a business idea of some kind, but not everyone has the know how to make that business idea take off. When you want to start your own business, you need to look for something that people want - whether it is a product or a service. Then you have to research the demand for the product as well as scout out the amount of competition that exists in this area.
Getting Started With A Home Based Business Idea
13:35
genuis
There are literally thousands of ideas available for home based businesses. Most people have a difficult time deciding what is right for them and also evaluating which one of the many thousands of opportunities that are available will be the right one for them. We will cover a few of the methods that many entrepreneurs use to help them decide which opportunity they will pursue.
Google Hiring Over 2,000 Globally
13:17
genuis
Google Inc plans to hire more than 2,000 people around the globe, bumping up its workforce as it expands into new markets and battles for talent with faster-growing rivals.
Wikileaks' Visa Payments Suspended
13:10
genuis
Visa is the latest company to cut its links with Wikileaks, following online payment firm PayPal. It cut off the account used to collect donations, saying the website is engaged in illegal activity.
