4

With all due respect to the Mayans, it appears that we need to give some thought to our plans for 2013. Each year, a few days before New Year’s Eve, I head off to my mountain retreat in Big Bear Lake, California, to recharge my batteries.  Getting away to the mountains is something I’ve done for almost two decades.  It’s a great opportunity to spend time with the family and prepare for the onslaught of the coming year. It’s also a good time to give some thought to the vision I have have for my business ...

 37

As many of you know who follow my blog (regarding my health), I have been diligently working to regain my health for the past 9 months.  I would like to give you another update, the best one yet!  Recently my urologist requested PCA3 Assay test to determine the likelihood that I would once again have a positive biopsy.  This is a new test just approved by the FDA.  My doctor was intrigued with the “fading” quality of the lesion as seen the in color Doppler ultrasound scans once I started the GC-18000 protocol...

 1

The holiday party is a great time to meet people but . . . you should have a plan! Everybody goes to parties, and the holiday season is full of them. It’s also a business slowdown season for many of us who are not in retail. The holiday parties are NOT just a place for free food and drinks. Holiday parties and other social mixers bring new opportunities to network, even more than the rest of the year.   The holidays are times when we are more likely to see people in a social setting, and this setting definitely l...

 1

In this short video, filmed at the 2012 International Conference for BNI, the networking organization I founded back in 1985, I talk with my good friend and BNI Executive Director Mark Carmody about systems and business. Mark tells how one of the stories in Michael Gerber’s book The E-Myth caused him to have an epiphany about the value in systems and how systems can make it substantially easier to run an efficient business.  To sum things up, the more systems you incorporate into your business, the more succes...

 4

Stewart Emery (Success Built to Last) was over my house a few months ago.  At breakfast one morning he told me about an interview he did with a well-known billionaire in the computer industry.  The billionaire shared an intriguing story with Stewart about an experience he’d had when the senior executives of a company interested in purchasing his company visited his office to discuss the possible purchase.   At lunch, the billionaire told the senior executives of the company he was negotiating with that h...

 1

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 hel...

 2

Back in October, I posted a brief video in which Dawn Lyons, Mike Macedonio and I discuss the new definition of networking (Click on the graphic below to view the video.).  Today, I’d like to provide much more detail and further clarification regarding this new definition. Twenty years ago, I wrote a book called The World’s Best Known Marketing Secret. In it, I discussed several terms new to the business community, specifically about how they could help grow a business.  One term that seemed to have multip...

 3

How specific are you when asking for referrals?  Do you say you want business from “somebody”. . . or “anybody”. . . or do you give the name of the specific person you want to meet? Joining me in this brief video is Andrew Hall, a master networker based in China. Watch as Andrew tells an engaging story about the importance of being specific, or as he calls it, “Referral Magic.” After watching the video, please leave your thoughts, comments, and/or feedback in the comment forum bel...

 2

The Third Law of Notable Networking: Networking Is an Acquired Skill (Click Here to read about the First Law of Notable Networking and Click Here to read about the Second Law) Most people are not born networkers; they develop the skills through education, training, the right attitude, and long practice.  Any technique of value requires a commitment to learning how to use it effectively.  The next generation of business professionals will operate under a different model of management, in which networking will be an ...

 3

In this brief video, filmed at the 2012 BNI® International Directors’ Conference in early November, I talk with Terry Hamill, a respected business networking expert based in Europe.  Terry explains two important keys for maximum effectiveness and success in business referral generation–preparation and follow up. Terry advises that the true gold is in the follow up and that the most successful networkers use the strongest follow-up methods; he also offers a few important tips for preparation prior to att...

 30

TR Garland (pictured with me in the photo below) is a friend of mine and co-author of one of my most recent #1 best-selling books called “Building The Ultimate Network.”  He’s also considered a top trainer for the Referral Institute.  For some time now, we’ve both observed a need to drill down on one of the most important and foundational concepts to networking – The VCP Process®.  Ten months ago, we started a much-anticipated 12-part monthly series of blog posts which addresses this and contains some v...

 1

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to speak with my good friend Andy Hart, a networking expert from Ireland, at the BNI International Conference in Long Beach, CA.  Andy is a true master of networking and in this short video, he explains the Levels of a Relationship and how having a huge network of contacts doesn’t necessarily mean you have a huge pool of contacts from which you’ll actually gain business. Andy discusses five main relationship levels in regard to business networking and the possibi...

 0

I am pleased to announce that I am now a columnist for FoxBusiness.com.   Go here to see my current articles:  

 3

The Second Law of Notable Networking: Learn How to Use Networking Tools Effectively (Click Here to read about the First Law of Notable Networking) A Notable Networker must have and use the right tools to network skillfully.  All professionals need the tools of their trade to conduct business.  A painter needs a brush, a teacher needs a blackboard, and an administrative professional needs a computer.  To achieve success, networkers need their own tools as well.   Good networkers’ tools include: name tags to...

 2

  In this brief video, Roger Green and I talk about online networking versus in-person networking and also what I discovered when doing research for the book Business Networking and Sex in regard to how much time is necessary to invest in networking in order to get results. When it comes to networking, there’s online networking and there’s face to face networking.  The simple fact is–it’s not “either/or” . . . it’s “both/and.”  Online networking doesn’...

 6

The First Law of Notable Networking: Have a Positive and Supportive Attitude Good networking involves providing a positive and supportive environment to other business people.  Remember this: Notable Networkingis predicated upon the concept that Givers Gain®.  If you freely give business to others, they will give business to you.  This concept is based on the age-old notion that “what goes around, comes around.”  If I give business to you, you’ll give business to me, and we will both do better ...

 0

In this brief video, Roger Green and I talk about the two styles of engagement (Relational vs.Transactional) and The VCP Process®. Throughout the course of my research, I’ve found that, on the average, when it comes to networking, men’s behavior typically goes in one specific direction, and women’s behavior goes in a very different direction. It’s very important to understand this but what’s even more imperative to understand is the VCP Process®–if you don’t get VCP, nothi...