1

No matter what we call it, we all pursue success.  We all have desires and strive to achieve them.  Our desires may be different from anyone else’s, and we may not consider achieving them to be “success.”  We look around and see people whose success we envy.  What is Jake doing with his supply of hours in any given day that puts him so far ahead of me in money, friends, and influence?  Why is he successful, and why am I not?  Why is he flying his own Learjet while I’m rattling around in ...

 0

Engagement involves a promise and an action.  In order to achieve success in your group of networking relationships, you and your relationships must promise to support one another and then take the actions necessary to fulfill that promise. There are many ways that you can become engaged.  Have you taken the time to regularly meet with the people in your network?  Have you taken the time to educate them regularly on the key features of your business so that your products or services will be top of mind in the even...

 1

Since business referrals are the principal tools and the valued currency of networking, you should make sure that yours are both timely and appropriate.  Here are five important points to consider in giving a good referral: 1. Listen for needs from the people you meet.  When you meet someone who expresses a need, tell her you know a person whose business can provide the product or service she’s looking for.  Tell her about your business experience, if any, with that person.  Give her the business card of th...

 1

I learned an important lesson about the fundamentals of success while playing football many years ago.  We had a fairly good team my junior year of high school and most of the players on the team were juniors.  The following year the team had mostly seniors, and we had some pretty high expectations for the season.  A situation like this can make one over-confident, and that’s exactly how we were at the beginning of my senior year. When the season started, we experienced that brutal rite of passage for all fo...

 28

When it comes to business, having fun is something that’s almost never talked about–it’s almost like people think fun and business are two completely unrelated, and mutually exclusive things.  However, I don’t share that opinion at all.  I definitely think it’s important to have fun in business; in fact, over time I’ve learned that having fun is something businesses and networking groups alike need to do in order to truly enjoy lasting success. In this video, I talk about how imp...

 1

Are you using coin-operated networking? In this short video, I discuss coin-operated networking vs. Givers Gain networking and I explain why the transactional process (I will give you this, now you have to give me that) doesn’t work because there is always a scorecard. The value of the referrals may also be the different — think of the monetary value for two referrals to a florist vs. two referrals to a realtor. If you try to use coin-operated networking, it will absolutely, categorically fail.  To get m...

 3

Many people have surface-level referral relationships.  They know just enough about a referral source’s business to get by.  They don’t actually know a lot about the person themselves.  They tend to say vague things like: “They are really nice,” “You’ll like them, they are a good person,” or “Well, if you just meet with them, I am sure you’ll like them.” So, what are the key points to having a deep referral relationship?  If you know the following points...

 3

For those of you who think the referral process is the safest form of doing business, here’s some information that may surprise you . . . the referral process is, in reality, the least safe form of doing business yet it is well worth the risk if you do it right and it can significantly enhance your reputation and contribute to the growth of your business. In this brief video, I talk about how referral marketing can not only enhance your reputation but can also result in a “win-win-win” situation for...

 2

This week marks the 7th annual celebration of International Networking Week which is recognized each year by thousands of people around the world. International Networking Week is about celebrating the key role that networking plays in the development and success of business around the world.  It is about creating an awareness relating to the process of networking.  Not just any kind of networking, but what I call “relationship networking”–an approach to doing business based on building long-term, success...

 0

Professionals in business are truly professionals because they’re great at their chosen career, but they often don’t look forward to getting out of the workplace and networking.  In this brief video, I talk to Sarah Owen, referral marketing expert and Master Franchisee for the Referral Institute in the UK, and she offers some real-life, highly effective, and simple-to-implement tips on making the move from the office into networking events. Do you have any tips or suggestions to add to what Sarah talks a...

 1

If you’re having a hard time building your network because you’re concerned people can’t seem to understand or relate to your business, it’s helpful to remember that before you can begin to network effectively, you need to find a way to explain your business in a way that people will easily understand.  We ALL need to heed this rule of thumb and be able to clearly and simply communicate what it is that we do by pinpointing key aspects of our business for our potential referral sources. My advice ...

 1

Last October, I posted a video I did with referral marketing expert Eddie Esposito on emotionally-charged connections (CLICK HERE to view that video).  On a recent vacation in Bali, I had the opportunity to do this new, five-minute video with movie producer Barnet Bain (producer of the Academy Award winning film “What Dreams May Come”) which is a perfect follow-up video to the one I did previously with Eddie. Here, Barnet shares his two-step process for unlocking the key to being able to connect emotiona...

 2

When you tell a story, is it compelling? In this short video, I’m joined by Deanna Tucci-Schmitt, a successful business owner and master networker, who shares the reason why storytelling is such an integral part of business.  She reminds us that stories are much easier to remember than statistics and facts.  When you tell your business’ facts in story form, your “story” is retained, retold, and often referred. After watching the video, please share how telling some of the key stories about y...

 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 ...

 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...

 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...

 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...