People often ask me how to move a relationship with someone they just met to the point where the new contact feels comfortable passing them a referral. I always say that the best way to get to this next referral-passing stage depends in part on how you came into contact with a person in the first place. Let’s say you met while giving a brief presentation to a group of people who are in your target market. Assuming you did a good job, then you absolutely have the possibility of receiving a referral, even tho...
read moreWhen it comes to networking, we’ve all unfortunately encountered people who believe that the simple act of meeting another person entitles them to ask that other person to share their contacts with them in order to try to drum up more referrals. In this video, Susan RoAne, my good friend and an international networking expert who consistently puts out some of the most outstanding content on networking around, explains why anybody who believes that networking is an “entitlement program” (i.e., the ty...
read moreIn this video, I’m talking with my good friend JT Foxx about his ideas on making connections with the wealthy and how to effectively get them to take notice of your business. JT has some great advice when it comes to the art of networking with extremely successful people who can often be very difficult to network and connect with, and I can say from my own observations of JT’s networking tactics that he certainly walks the walk and has proven time and again how effective his approach really is. If you lik...
read moreOne thing most businesspeople and entrepreneurs have in common is that they’re usually very busy and tend to have little time to spare. Their busy schedules often create challenges when it comes to making time to educate themselves on building valuable business skills such as networking. This is why Entrepreneur.com has created the Coaches Corner, a highly convenient educational resource offering extremely brief educational videos on topics like networking, social media, marketing, starting out, managing employees...
read moreDr. Ivan Misner, Founder and Chairman of BNI (Business Network International, the world’s largest business networking organization) speaks about the 5th Annual International Networking Week, which is February 7-11, 2011. It is a week which is centered around helping businesses in every part of the world achieve growth and success through effective networking.
read moreInternational Networking Week 2011 02/09/11
Welcome to International Networking Week, 2011! Take a few minutes to check out the video for International Networking Week® 2011, on YouTube! The short, eight-minute video discusses the history and significance of this event which will be recognized across the globe February 7-11, 2011. It also explains a concept many networkers fail to recognize but which all networkers need to be aware of–the ‘networking disconnect’. This is the fifth year for International Networking Week® and it is now recognized by many...
read moreThe End is Near! 01/20/11
No, not the end of the world, silly . . . I’m talking about the end of the recession. Recently, I wrote about “Business Looking up in 2011″ which was based on a survey of over 5,000 businesspeople and entrepreneurs at www.BNIBusinessIndex.com. The survey was a global survey that was taken by people from every populated continent in the world. The survey found that almost 68% of the respondents say that business is growing or growing dramatically compared to this time a year ago. What the survey...
read moreScott 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...
read moreThe Networking Disconnect 09/16/10
I was at a big networking event with more than 500 people in the UK this summer, and the person who spoke before me asked the audience: “How many of you came here hoping to do some business–maybe make a sale?” More than half the people in the audience raised their hands. He then asked, “How many of you are here hoping to buy something?” No one raised a hand–not one single person! This is the networking disconnect. If you are going to networking events hoping to sell somethi...
read more'Mastering the World of Selling' 08/30/10
When one of your business relationships passes you a referral, don’t assume that the prospect is ready to hear a presentation on your product or service. When an associate passes you a referral, say thanks . . . then start digging for more information. You will want to determine whether what you offer is a fit for what the prospect needs. Taking the time to do this upfront saves a lot of time and energy–for both you and the prospect. Exactly what does the prospect do? What products or services does ...
read moreOne of the friendliest and most natural ways to make contact with a referral source is to buy her products or services, whether in large or small dollar amounts. It’s important to note that the purchase doesn’t necessarily have to be from her primary line of business–perhaps a ticket to a fundraiser, a used car, a computer, even a box of Girl Scout cookies from her daughter. By purchasing something from your network member/referral source, you become one of her customers. As a customer, you are...
read moreHow 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...
read moreMake the Connection 05/20/10
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...
read moreGuardian at the Gate 04/22/10
When I started my first business, I knew I wanted referrals to play a key part in my overall growth strategy, and I began to realize I wasn’t the only one trying to get more sales through referrals. A lot of other business professionals were trying to do the same thing. So I thought, “What if I became the hub?” If all the other people out there were trying to do the same thing as I was, why couldn’t I position myself as the gatekeeper of sorts between other people’s networks? Then, i...
read moreThree Essential Questions 04/12/10
How can a time-strapped businessperson figure out which networking events she should attend and which she should let go by the wayside? The answer: Develop a networking strategy. Here are three easy–but definitely essential–questions you need to answer in order to create a plan that will work for you. Who Are My Best Prospects? It’s important to know that each target market will have a strategy that requires you to network in different places. If you’re not sure who your target market is...
read more


