Viewing all posts under Introducing Yourself
Have you ever been to a networking event and purposely avoided someone you really wanted to talk to because you were embarrassed you couldn’t remember their name? Well, if you’re not wearing a name badge at networking events, other people could be avoiding you for this very reason! In this short video, my friend Kevin Barber and I explain why name badges are an extremely important tool for effective networking and why you should always be sure to wear a name badge at networking events. Do you have an ex...
A few weeks ago, I spoke at an event in Israel and while I was there, I got to talking to my good friend Sam Schwartz about the very different networking styles and tendencies which occur from country to country. It is very important to consider and respect cultural differences when networking and doing business in different countries across the globe and, in this short video, Sam and I discuss why it is important and how you can prepare yourself in order to achieve great networking results no matter where in ...
Have you ever wondered about what the best way to pass your business card to someone might be? Watch this under-two-minute video where Phil Berg from BNI UK offers a very valuable tip on how (and how not to) to pass your business card to ensure that it will be valued and well received. At the end of a video, Phil and I ask a question that we’d love for you to answer in the comments section below so, please, don’t be shy and chime in with your comments . . . thanks!
The simple fact is, if you want to get good at networking you need to get good at remembering people’s names. However, we all know that’s much easier said than done . . . Niiraj Shah, one of the world’s leading experts on business networking started off years ago going to networking events and struggling to remember any given person’s name minutes after he’d met them. He knew he needed to so something to change this if he wanted to become a successful networker so after giving it a s...
Last month, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Frederick Marcoux, one of Australia’s foremost experts on building business through referral marketing. I have known Frederick for years and one of the things I’ve always admired about him is that he has always exuded a remarkably positive attitude, regardless of any given circumstance or challenging situation that may arise. I was mentioning this to Frederick and he smiled (of course–what else would you expect from an endlessly positive pe...
Great Opening Question03/21/11
A good networker has two ears and one mouth and should use them both proportionately. When you meet someone in a networking environment you should ‘listen’ more than you ‘talk’ (especially if it is the first time you’ve met). Consequently, in books like The 29% Solution and Networking Like a Pro, I’ve written a lot about the kinds of questions you should ask when you meet someone for the first time. Recently, I was at a networking event and, at the end of the conversation, someone asked me a question that...
Scott Ginsberg is celebrating his tenth anniversary. He’s been wearing a nametag for 10 years in a row. He has never taken it off. That’s right, 10 years = three thousand, six hundred and fifty days = 87,600 hours = 5 million two hundred fifty six thousand minutes = 31 million 531 thousand seconds and counting. He’s the world record holder. He has even tattooed his nametag on his chest and is the only person in the world who has made a career out of wearing a nametag. Scott developed the nametag professio...
Stand and Deliver10/18/10
Whether you’re introducing yourself to an individual or to a group, you have a choice of how you deliver your message. The primary vehicle for your introduction is your verbal presentation. Does your introduction work? People will judge not only the message, but the messenger as well. How you look, carry yourself, listen, and leave the conversation will affect what others do with the message you’ve delivered. The important thing to remember is to speak as if you’re addressing a single person, a ...
When someone asks you what you do, what are the first words out of your mouth? If the words aren’t ready to roll off your tongue, then read on . . . When someone asks you what you do, make sure you’re ready with a response that is succinct but memorable. The attention span of the average adult is only 20 seconds; a long, drawn-out answer to the question isn’t going to work. Focus on creating a unique selling proposition (USP)–a mini commercial that you can readily use while networking. I t...
Networking is about building relationships and one of the main ways to build relationships with people is to have effective, productive conversations. However, that can seem like a daunting task for some people who are at a total loss when it comes to the art of conversing. If you shy away from going to networking events because you’re consumed by the fear of not knowing what to say, pay attention to these four conversation tips from my good friend Susan RoAne (a.k.a.: The Mingling Maven®): A...
How many times have you heard the phrase “It’s not what you know, but who you know” when it comes to determining success?? I’m willing to bet that over the course of your life to this point, you’ve heard it a lot. Do you think it’s true? Well, it’s not–it’s false. It’s not what you know, or who you know–it’s how well you know them that really counts. Here’s the difference. How many people do you know? Open up your e-mail address...
Make the Connection05/20/10
One of my employees told me this week that she passed some advice from one of my books on to her cousin; it was about making connections at networking functions. She told me that her cousin, Greg, recently joined a chamber of commerce to promote the new business he started after being laid off from the company he had worked in for a number of years and he felt clueless as to how to form connections with the strangers he came in contact with at mixers. My employee remembered reading an article by Alice Os...
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 ...
Premature Solicitation02/15/10
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...
A good friend of mine, Patti Salvucci, runs dozens of networking groups in the Boston area. A while back, Patti was visiting one of the groups she oversees, and she made an unlikely and very remarkable connection. This is one powerful story . . . A true master networker, Patti arrived early for the networking meeting in the private meeting room at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. She noticed an older gentleman setting up coffee mugs for the meeting and when she struck up a conversation with him, she was...
