How many times have you seen an entrepreneur (maybe even yourself) go to a networking event, meet a bunch of good people, then leave and never talk to them again? Too often, right? And it’s not because he doesn’t like them or that he never wants to see them again; it’s because he’s a busy, busy person with so much going on that he can’t even remember what he had for breakfast, let alone reconnect with individuals he just met. It really is a shame, because such new contacts are where future ...

Last week I wrote a blog called “Premature Solicitation,” which was about a situation where someone whom I had never met and didn’t know asked me to introduce him and his product to a very important connection of mine. I shared this blog in a couple of venues, including one of my favorite online social networks.  A great dialog ensued with most people sharing their horror stories and frustrations about people who pounce on them at networking meetings asking for business even though they’ve ...

Below are the top five common mistakes that businesses make when it comes to social media networking–avoid all of these. Spending too much time on sites you enjoy and not fully evaluating whether that particular site is the most effective one for your efforts. Going onto a site for “work” and then running down rabbit holes getting distracted by friends who may have posted something interesting or something that requires a response. Not being able to properly define when it is more cost-effective to ...

Have you ever been solicited for a referral or for business by someone you didn’t even know?  Michelle Villalobos, a BNI member in Miami, calls this “Premature Solicitation.” [Say that fast three times and you might get in trouble!] I agree completely with Michelle, and I’ve been a victim of “premature solicitation” many times.  I was recently speaking at a business networking event and, before my presentation, someone literally came up to me and said, “Hi, it is a real p...

In late January I posted a blog calling for question submissions for AskIvanMisner.com.  I got a fantastic number of responses, and I’d like to say a big thank you to all of you who wrote in and asked a question. I’ve selected several great networking questions from those that were submitted on AskIvanMisner.com. I’ll be addressing them on the next Ask Ivan Misner free teleseminar at 10 a.m. (Pacific) next Tuesday, Feb. 16.  Everyone is invited to participate in this upcoming free call, which i...

Networking involves constant interaction with people from all walks of life and, if you keep your ears open, you can learn a heck of a lot. And, guess what?  Knowing a heck of a lot makes you smarter.  Guess what’s even better?  Being able to communicate what you know and using it to help people get what they need makes you a valuable contact and a master networker.  It makes you an information exchange. Start by listening to everything. Train yourself to listen to conversations you might ordinarily tune ou...

I just finished a survey of more than 12,000 businesspeople from all around the world on the subject of networking. One of the questions we asked the respondents was “Which of the following is most important to you when referring business to others?” The choices were: Knowing a person’s character. Knowing a person’s level of competency. Using the person’s product or service myself. Knowing a person’s success. Not surprisingly, “knowing a person’s character” rank...

Welcome to the fourth annual International Networking Week (Feb 1 to 5)! There is no better time than now to focus on what we can do to promote our own business growth, and International Networking Week presents the perfect opportunity to make powerful connections and learn new ways to grow your business through networking! International Networking Week is about celebrating the key role that networking plays in the development and success of business around the world. It’s about creating an awareness of the pr...