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Answer Upon - Sowing and Growing Your Network
In the old days, workers were likely to stay with one company their whole lives, and “career development” typically meant promotion up a single ladder.Today, things have changed. Jobs change rapidly — many of the jobs people hold today did not exist 20 years ago — and we tend to change jobs numerous times throughout our career — sometimes jumping from ladder to ladder and sometimes starting up a new ladder. These changes make it imperative that today’s workers be highly flexible and open to different options and opportunities. Just as jobs evolve, we have to evolve to keep our skills current.Although you should take control of your own career progression, you’re probably not alone in the effort. Your current manager, for one, should be helpful in giving you information, feedback, and support you need to grow and build your marketable skills. If, by chance, your manager is not very supportive in developing your job skills and professional growth, you can always find a mentor in or out of the organizat
Even if you don't have your new cards yet, you can easily produce a temporary supply on your computer. When you give them to people you can mention that they are temporary and offer to send them your new one when you have it. That, of course, is a built-in reason to contact people again! A business card is an essential networking tool—make sure you have a supply with you at all times.
For many people, the most difficult aspect of a conference is speaking to people they don't know, and walking into a room full of strangers can certainly be intimidating. We've all stood inside the door looking at hundreds of people busily engaged in conversation, feeling as if everyone knows everyone else—except us! Here’s a secret: the only difference b
Often when executive management teams look at downsizing they see big numbers of costs in some departments, with no profit to offset them. Often the marketing department responsible for all sales is like this; it shows up as costs, while the sales department shows up as sales minus costs. Many times marketing is in charge of branding, which is so hard to place a real number on, as it is all Blue Sky and Corporate Goodwill.Downsizing the marketing department first is kind of funny thing that happens sometimes in Corporate America and yet it is unfortunately a problem too. Yes, well leave it to the linear thinking Chain Saw Al's of the world. Come in there and cut costs, anywhere you see them. Of course we all know that ripping the guts out of a company can cause all sorts of chaos and losses in organizational capital, which is something else that is often hard to read on a Corporate Balance Sheet too.You know it is funny how easy it is to run circles around them MBA marketeers or some times when their
But networking is like so many other activities in life—it's easy when you know how. I call the process "Sowing and Growing Your Network" because it has two distinct, but equally important, parts.
Sowing Your Network
Over the years, people have often told me they don't "do" networking any more because it doesn't work. When I hear this, I know that person has committed at least one, and perhaps all three, of what I call the three cardinal sins of networking.
1. The first cardinal sin of networking is selling. Oh dear, is that what you thought it was all about? Well, although networking can be an integral part of the selling process, the two are distinctly different. Have you ever been circulating happily at a networking event (even at one of your own conferences or tradeshows), when suddenly someone has you backed into a corner trying to sell you mutual funds? That's the cardinal sin!
If you meet someone who seems to be a good prospect for your services, tell the person you have some information they might find useful and would like to meet or speak on the phone later to discuss it. If the person seems open to this, be sure to get their business card and make the call as arranged. That's the time to go into selling mode.
2. The second cardinal sin of networking is asking for or offering someone a job. Certainly, job hunting is another reason for active networking, but once again it's only part of the process. If you meet someone who seems a good candidate for a position you need to fill, follow the same process I've described above. If you begin discussing the job opportunity in detail, neither you nor the other person will have an opportunity to mix and meet others, which is the reason you are there.
If your new acquaintance seems to be in a position to offer you a job, this is definitely not the time to begin an in-depth job interview! Again, express your interest in talking later, get the card and make the call.
3. The third cardinal sin of networking is spending time speaking to the wrong people, which generally means the people you came with, or the people you see every day at work. Of course it's a lot easier to chat with friends than make conversation with strangers—but it's not networking. I've seen too many people spend the valuable networking time at conferences with their friends, and then sitting with the same people at the education sessions and again at mealtimes. What a waste of opportunity!
If you are there to develop business contacts and you spend all the time with your friends, don't complain later that networking doesn't work!
Business cards
There is no excuse at all for attending a networking event without business cards, and yet people do it all the time. Excuses range from forgetfulness to new jobs and having left them in the car in the parking lot. If you tell people you forgot your cards, many will assume you are as lax in your business habits and you might lose opportunities.
Even if you don't have your new cards yet, you can easily produce a temporary supply on your computer. When you give them to people you can mention that they are temporary and offer to send them your new one when you have it. That, of course, is a built-in reason to contact people again! A business card is an essential networking tool—make sure you have a supply with you at all times.
For many people, the most difficult aspect of a conference is speaking to people they don't know, and walking into a room full of strangers can certainly be intimidating. We've all stood inside the door looking at hundreds of people busily engaged in conversation, feeling as if everyone knows everyone else—except us! Here’s a secret: the only difference b
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas.There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Whilst there is no sure fire route to commercial success, these processes improve the probability that good ideas will be generated and selected and that investment in developing and commercialising those ideas will not be wasted.Goal SettingOne of the important debates in the field of creativity and innovation is the topic of goal setting. Is it positive or negative?Under extreme time pressure, it is not unusual to find that people become ingeniously creative.
1. The first cardinal sin of networking is selling. Oh dear, is that what you thought it was all about? Well, although networking can be an integral part of the selling process, the two are distinctly different. Have you ever been circulating happily at a networking event (even at one of your own conferences or tradeshows), when suddenly someone has you backed into a corner trying to sell you mutual funds? That's the cardinal sin!
If you meet someone who seems to be a good prospect for your services, tell the person you have some information they might find useful and would like to meet or speak on the phone later to discuss it. If the person seems open to this, be sure to get their business card and make the call as arranged. That's the time to go into selling mode.
2. The second cardinal sin of networking is asking for or offering someone a job. Certainly, job hunting is another reason for active networking, but once again it's only part of the process. If you meet someone who seems a good candidate for a position you need to fill, follow the same process I've described above. If you begin discussing the job opportunity in detail, neither you nor the other person will have an opportunity to mix and meet others, which is the reason you are there.
If your new acquaintance seems to be in a position to offer you a job, this is definitely not the time to begin an in-depth job interview! Again, express your interest in talking later, get the card and make the call.
3. The third cardinal sin of networking is spending time speaking to the wrong people, which generally means the people you came with, or the people you see every day at work. Of course it's a lot easier to chat with friends than make conversation with strangers—but it's not networking. I've seen too many people spend the valuable networking time at conferences with their friends, and then sitting with the same people at the education sessions and again at mealtimes. What a waste of opportunity!
If you are there to develop business contacts and you spend all the time with your friends, don't complain later that networking doesn't work!
Business cards
There is no excuse at all for attending a networking event without business cards, and yet people do it all the time. Excuses range from forgetfulness to new jobs and having left them in the car in the parking lot. If you tell people you forgot your cards, many will assume you are as lax in your business habits and you might lose opportunities.
Even if you don't have your new cards yet, you can easily produce a temporary supply on your computer. When you give them to people you can mention that they are temporary and offer to send them your new one when you have it. That, of course, is a built-in reason to contact people again! A business card is an essential networking tool—make sure you have a supply with you at all times.
For many people, the most difficult aspect of a conference is speaking to people they don't know, and walking into a room full of strangers can certainly be intimidating. We've all stood inside the door looking at hundreds of people busily engaged in conversation, feeling as if everyone knows everyone else—except us! Here’s a secret: the only difference b
The born leaders belonging to personality types INTJ and ENTJ are the most likely people to be selected to become Master Black Belts. This can be by design or can be pure coincidence. But what one can not disregard is the truth that they are in their positions because of their enviable character that separates them from the crowd. Characteristically, INTJs and ENTJs are strong in intuitive and judgmental abilities which make them stand up for all the right things and know when to act because of their impeccable sense of timing.Who Are Master Black Belts?Master Black Belts are experienced trained professionals bestowed with the responsibility of strategic implementation of projects. Their responsibilities encompass the whole gamut of Six Sigma implementation, which includes training the other belts and strategizing on projects within an organization. This unambiguously means that a Mater Black Belt also acts as a watchdog of deployment processes by keeping tabs on integrity issues such as measurement
2. The second cardinal sin of networking is asking for or offering someone a job. Certainly, job hunting is another reason for active networking, but once again it's only part of the process. If you meet someone who seems a good candidate for a position you need to fill, follow the same process I've described above. If you begin discussing the job opportunity in detail, neither you nor the other person will have an opportunity to mix and meet others, which is the reason you are there.
If your new acquaintance seems to be in a position to offer you a job, this is definitely not the time to begin an in-depth job interview! Again, express your interest in talking later, get the card and make the call.
3. The third cardinal sin of networking is spending time speaking to the wrong people, which generally means the people you came with, or the people you see every day at work. Of course it's a lot easier to chat with friends than make conversation with strangers—but it's not networking. I've seen too many people spend the valuable networking time at conferences with their friends, and then sitting with the same people at the education sessions and again at mealtimes. What a waste of opportunity!
If you are there to develop business contacts and you spend all the time with your friends, don't complain later that networking doesn't work!
Business cards
There is no excuse at all for attending a networking event without business cards, and yet people do it all the time. Excuses range from forgetfulness to new jobs and having left them in the car in the parking lot. If you tell people you forgot your cards, many will assume you are as lax in your business habits and you might lose opportunities.
Even if you don't have your new cards yet, you can easily produce a temporary supply on your computer. When you give them to people you can mention that they are temporary and offer to send them your new one when you have it. That, of course, is a built-in reason to contact people again! A business card is an essential networking tool—make sure you have a supply with you at all times.
For many people, the most difficult aspect of a conference is speaking to people they don't know, and walking into a room full of strangers can certainly be intimidating. We've all stood inside the door looking at hundreds of people busily engaged in conversation, feeling as if everyone knows everyone else—except us! Here’s a secret: the only difference b
We all have dreams, well at least some of us do. Young and old we all dream about the future. One of my dreams a few years ago was just like many of internet users, to start my own business. So, I decided to come up with a plan and a strategy to achieve the goal. My first business was in the booming real estate investment.Like many who wanted to start their own business, I was faced with the harsh reality that I had no clue on where or how to start my journey. My plans however, lead me to buying every book I could find on how to start my own business and read them in a short time frame. I spent hours and hours reading all kinds of books. However, most of them were vague and unrealistic.I even came across some of so called “Gurus” but who had nothing to prove their success with. But I kept on searching for motivation and guidance in how I could make money even just a tiny bit of it. My desire was to be able to find someone who knew about what I wanted to do, tell me all about it and from there on I wo
If you are there to develop business contacts and you spend all the time with your friends, don't complain later that networking doesn't work!
Business cards
There is no excuse at all for attending a networking event without business cards, and yet people do it all the time. Excuses range from forgetfulness to new jobs and having left them in the car in the parking lot. If you tell people you forgot your cards, many will assume you are as lax in your business habits and you might lose opportunities.
Even if you don't have your new cards yet, you can easily produce a temporary supply on your computer. When you give them to people you can mention that they are temporary and offer to send them your new one when you have it. That, of course, is a built-in reason to contact people again! A business card is an essential networking tool—make sure you have a supply with you at all times.
For many people, the most difficult aspect of a conference is speaking to people they don't know, and walking into a room full of strangers can certainly be intimidating. We've all stood inside the door looking at hundreds of people busily engaged in conversation, feeling as if everyone knows everyone else—except us! Here’s a secret: the only difference b
We all know that one of the most important parts of advertising is getting your name out to prospective customers – but why use product promotions for that purpose instead of a different method?Product promotions offer a different way to get your name and company's product or service out to those people that are the most receptive to your marketing. Instead of aiming your advertising at a very large group – for instance, with a billboard or other printed material, you can choose to use a product for your promotion that will get into the hands of those who are your potential clients. This can include, but is not limited to, getting products created that are used by only one industry – such as tape measures for carpentry, as an example.It is obvious that product promotions are popular. Everyday, you can go through a city or town and see these promotional items being used as essentially free advertising. Why use product promotions? Just for that reason. While you may have to spend some money on the purc
Even if you don't have your new cards yet, you can easily produce a temporary supply on your computer. When you give them to people you can mention that they are temporary and offer to send them your new one when you have it. That, of course, is a built-in reason to contact people again! A business card is an essential networking tool—make sure you have a supply with you at all times.
For many people, the most difficult aspect of a conference is speaking to people they don't know, and walking into a room full of strangers can certainly be intimidating. We've all stood inside the door looking at hundreds of people busily engaged in conversation, feeling as if everyone knows everyone else—except us! Here’s a secret: the only difference between you and all those others is that they arrived five minutes ahead of you and they have found one person to speak to! So how can you break into that buzz?
The refreshment line
No matter what time of day, there will be refreshments in some form. Most of us look around, find the food table and make a beeline for it while making sure we don't look around and meet anyone's eye on our way. Then we silently join the line, keeping our eyes trained strictly on the food and drink, while those on either side do the same thing. How ridiculous! This is your first opportunity to connect!
It doesn't take much imagination to begin a conversation. You might mention the state of your appetite, the scrumptious smell of the breakfast muffins or the fact that you really shouldn't ignore your diet but you will just for today. Whatever you say, the person you speak to will respond, giving you an opportunity to exchange names and keep chatting as you move along. By the time you reach the end of the table, you can move off into the crowd together. Guess what—you've just joined the buzz!
Breaking into conversation groups
One of the questions I'm most often asked during my networking workshops is about how to break into groups and join conversations in progress. To deal with this situation, you must master the fine art of "hovering". First, choose a group you'd like to join. Now, move towards the group, but stop a yard or so from the edge—just close enough for someone to see you there—and look interested in the conversation. Nod and smile as everyone else does, and before long someone will see you and invite you into the group.
What you do next is important. If someone is speaking, you don't want to be the cause of disruption. Simply say, "Don't stop your story, Stan—I'd like to hear the rest of it too." Then, when Stan is finished speaking, you can introduce yourself—and now you are part of the group! Wasn't that simple?
Moving on
I've seen people twist themselves into knots looking for an excuse to end a conversation and move on. They'll suddenly notice someone they've been frantically searching for, or they'll remember they absolutely must make a phone call—they'll even wave over the other person's shoulder to an imaginary acquaintance! Well here's a flash for you: you don't need an excuse to move on because that's the whole purpose of networking!
Say something like, "Well Janice, I've enjoyed meeting you and we should probably both move on and do some more mingling. I hope you enjoy the conference, and perhaps we'll meet up again later on." That's it. By giving her an opportunity to meet others too, you've removed any suggestion that you are abandoning her.
After the event—growing your network
It's vital that you make contact as soon as possible with everyone whose card you have. (Incidentally, that's why it's more important to get other people's cards than to give out yours.) I suggest you divide these cards into two groups: those you specifically want to contact for a purpose, and those you simply met.
For the second group, I recommend a quick note, possibly on a postcard, saying how pleased you were to meet them at the conference and you hope you will meet each other again one day. Mail these as soon as possible after the event, and then enter the inform
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