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In this video, Cheryl Hansen, a Trainer and Franchisee with the Referral Institute, explains that most people tend to focus only on existing clients as their main source for business referrals and they neglect the seven other referral sources which they could be developing simultaneously to generate unlimited opportunity for new referred business! Cheryl highlights community service organizations and casual contacts as just a couple of commonly untapped referral sources and urges businesspeople to start developing al...

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Referral partnerships are a powerful element in an effective networking group.  This informative and equally entertaining video by Lawrence Conyers of UK based Anson Corporate Media (you may remember the video of his I posted back in December about how to conduct effective one-to-one meetings) is all about building a Power Team of referral partners and, though it is geared toward members of BNI groups, the information works for all networking groups. Lawrence , who is not only an experienced networker but also a gi...

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Many of you know that I was on the Today show a couple of weeks ago to talk with Kathie Lee and Hoda about my new book, Business Networking and Sex (not what you think).  Some of you might like to hear the “real” dirt on what Hoda and Kathie Lee are like off camera. Ready for it??  It’s really juicy!  Here it comes . . . they are fun and professional.  OK . . . maybe that’s not juicy but it’s the truth. Both women were very friendly and welcoming to me before the interview started. ...

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I recently received an unsolicited e-mail message from a man named Chris.  The message stated: I watched the “video for International Networking Week and… I found it personally offensive and amateurish.  I just thought you would like some feedback.  Consider that when you make your presentation on the Today Show [next week].” OK, so I should begin by saying – I don’t know Chris.  I’ve never met him and have never talked to him.  Why he would feel compelled to send me such a ‘pleasant’ communicati...

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What are you doing for International Networking Week? 2012 marks the 6th annual celebration of International Networking Week which is now recognized by many countries across the globe, with thousands of events being held during the celebratory Week. One of the main goals of the Week is to help businesspeople everywhere build their networking skills and expand the opportunities within their reach and, in the video, my Business Networking and Sex co-authors and I offer some very valuable pointers on where to focus your...

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I start this blog with a riddle: When does going faster, make things slower?  Well the answer is: when you are rushing a relationship. A few years ago a close friend of mine, Dr. Emory Cowan, contributed an article for my book Masters of Networking.  I’m sharing his contribution in my blog today because I think it is a great concept to think about as we start the new year. Building a word-of-mouth marketing plan requires developing a trusted network of partners — which means cultivating relationships. B...

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Business Networking and Sex (not what you think) is officially released this week in bookstores.  This book was more fun to work on than any book I’ve ever written.  My co-authors: Frank De Raffele and Hazel Walker were fantastic to work with. You may be wondering what sex has to do with networking.  You may also be excited to learn how to use your sexual prowess to influence business deals.  Well, get your mind out of the gutter!  Sorry to burst your bubble, but this book is really more about gender than...

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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. 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 you have for your business and life over the next year. It’s hard to hit a target you’re not aiming at. The new year is a great time to think about some of your plans and goals for the next 12 mo...

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In this video, my Business Networking and Sex co-authors and I explain the very different ways in which men and women shop for any given item and, aside from learning a thing or two from this one, I guarantee you won’t be able to keep from laughing at Frank and Hazel’s antics! After watching the video, come back and leave a comment . . . do you think the observations we talk about in this video ring true in your experience?

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Just last month, I had the honor of being given the Citrus College Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award, along with another fellow alumni recipient, Daniel Parks. In this video of my acceptance speech, I talk about a concept that means a lot to me . . . where you come from does not determine where you go; what you do determines where you go. I am living proof of that this concept is true. Do you have a personal story of triumph which demonstrates that success can be attained regardless of one’s starting point?  I...

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Frank De Raffele, Hazel Walker and I are working on our new book about gender and networking.  It discusses the difference between men and women in regard to how they network. We have a REALLY short (two question) survey that we need as many people as possible to take. The purpose of the survey is to gauge how comfortable people are when networking with the opposite sex. If you have 30 seconds to spare, PLEASE take this survey (if you don’t have 30 seconds to spare, good luck with getting everything done–...