I Am Grateful for Network Marketing, MLM, Multi-Level Marketing

Some of you may or may not know what network marketing is. It is also known as MLM and mutli-level marketing. Sometimes it gets a bad wrap but most often that is simply because people don't understand but I am here today to tell you how grateful I am for this opportunity to build a business from home/phone/internet.Top 3 Reasons I am Grateful#1 - It Forces Me to GrowBefore I got involved with network marketing and had an understanding of the business model, I thought I was always growing and changing. Maybe I was doing a lot of learning and growing but nothing compared to what has been required to reach the next level in this business model.When I start experiencing challenges in my business, I know it is time for me to look in the mirror and see what I can do to make things better. Of course there is always the temptation to blame it on someone else or something else going on in life if things are going the way I would like but then I remember that I am NOT a victim. The good news is that neither are you.#2 - There is Unlimited PotentialI've always been interested to find a business that allows for a truly unlimited opportunity. I had found the wonderful world of affiliate marketing but even then I only had so much time to write articles, write copy, build new wordpress sites and the like. With network marketing and building a MLM business you can leverage the time and talent of other people in your team and truly have an unlimited potential in this business!


#3 - I Am Able to Help People GrowEver since I have been a little kid I have always said that I wanted to be a counselor or therapist or at least an advice columnist. With multi-level marketing it seems like I end up being all of those rolled up into one and I love it. I love people and I love helping in whatever way that I am able. It is the best feeling in the world to see someone that I have been working with say thank you for a contribution I have been able to sow into them.ConclusionThese are very simple and easy to understand very much like the model of network marketing but oftentimes we over complicate things. The simpler we keep our lives the less stress that we have building up in our bodies and the more time we have available to just be still and be grateful.

Tips for Vendor Success at Pet Shows

For those in the pet business, being a vendor at a pet show is a great way to build and strengthen your business. Here are some tips for making your pet show as successful as possible.Before the pet show:Great places to set up booths are dog shows, cat shows, dog walks, home shows, flea markets, street fairs, and even boat shows. If it's a home or boat show, you might not have any pet product competition, and you'll meet many people who have dogs and cats!Focus on shows that cost little or nothing for you as a vendor or exhibitor. Until you find out whether shows work well for you, look for events with no vendor fee or a low fee (say $25 or less). There are plenty of events, like pet expos, where you can spend hundreds of dollars for a booth.Find out ahead of time whether you're to supply your own tables and chairs. Also, if you want electric power, find out ahead of time if it's available. (Great for laptops so that the battery doesn't die.) There may be an extra charge if you want the event to provide booth furniture or electric power. Bring an outdoor extension cord and duct tape in case you need to tape the cord across a floor.Consider writing a press release and submit it to your local newspaper and local publications. If you have connections to people who work at any of these places, that can be your "in" to getting the press release published. It will be a great opportunity to get a story published about your business and promote the Pet Expo at the same time.Make sure you have enough brochures and business cards. Those odd sized business cards are great as they will stand out from all of the regular sized cards people will accumulate. Make sure that everything you hand out has your identification on it so people will know how to get to your website or call you on the phone.Be sure to bring a blank notepad. It can be a lifesaver.Invest in a great booth sign. A very large eye-catching sign is worth its weight in gold.Wear some kind of a badge or sign. That way whenever you leave your booth, you are a walking advertisement.Consider a theme for your booth. You could make it more cozy & inviting by having stuffed animals and pictures of your own animals on your table.EDUCATE: Print out literature that people can read. Then have the articles available for people to scan. Highlight in yellow the main points.***Run a contest or raffle. People love this, and you can have a contest form where you will gather names, email addresses and phone numbers to follow up with. I triple starred this because it is such a great way to get contact info.


Take your laptop or tablet if possible. This way you can sign people up as members right on the spot.Have two chairs inside your booth. Someone may come in, and now you've made it inviting and cozy.Have a large bowl of water for thirsty dogs (and for cats for people who may bring their cat)! People love this & appreciate it. You may also want to have a treat for pets or drink for humans there, too! You could offer people a bottle of water if it's a hot day! They'll appreciate the thought.Always have someone with you when you do a show. You'll need the help if you're busy talking to someone or if you need to use the bathroom. Someone should always be running your booth, even if they know nothing about your business.
Have literature on hand about the opportunity. You'll meet many people at these shows and will want to be prepared for the pet professionals you speak with.DURING THE EVENT:• Stand as much as you can. If you have to sit, try and sit off to the side, not behind your table.• Stay fully present to what is going on. This means no reading, doing crafts or having long conversations with your friends. This also means no eating, chewing gum or talking on your cell phone.• Listen more than you talk. Don't give a lot of information until you know what they know. Find out where they are in their knowledge of your product or service. Then have a discussion.• Be generous. Be willing to help the other exhibitors have a successful show. Get to know the other exhibitors and what they are offering so you can be a resource to the attendees.• Make sure your booth is staffed at all times.• Be familiar with the layout of the Expo and the Speaker Schedule so you can act as a resource for the attendees.• Do not start to break your booth down even 5 minutes early. There will be attendees there until the very end. It is not fair to them or to the exhibitors around you if you start packing up early. Also, packing up early will insure that you will not be asked back to the Expo next year.• Collect contact information from everyone-at least name, phone number, and email address. Be sure to note anything you learned about their pets.• Walk around the show and meet people who haven't visited your booth. Meet other vendors. Be very friendly. They may be interested in adding our disc to what they have. If so, you've picked up another member!AFTER THE EVENT:Promptly follow-up with every person whose contact information you collected.

7 Steps to Building Long Lasting Relationships

In this era of Social media most of us are not truly building relationships we are just communicating or pushing what we want to say on to others that may not necessarily want to hear it. So we decide that marketing our Business or platform is to communicate or add, friend, follow, others in these mediums and then say nothing to them. Have you ever experienced that before? Someone adds you on a social platform and then says nothing to you. So why did you add me again?How are you building relationships with others in your niche? Are you just seeking them out on social media and adding as many people as you can or do you actually try to get to know that person in one medium and then bring them in closer to your world by connecting and building on a more personal level. How are you connecting via your blog, Facebook, twitter, Google +, and more?I know there are many tools out there that can teach you or show you how to get Thousands of followers in social media so that you can pad the number of users or followers that you have but what purpose is that serving if you are not engaging your followers. Building relationships are so important to me that I would truly like to get to know people when they add me or I add them on social media. Here is how I start to build relationships online and eventually take them offline.

Start with the Introduction - Introducing yourself and finding something in common with the other person always helps in starting a new relationship.

Find out what they truly love, their passion - Most times you can tell what someone is passionate about because they will always be posting about it. It could be a Job, Business, God, family or more, try to figure that out.

Ask them questions - I love asking questions via my blog so that we can create a conversation or dialog between people or a community.

Genuinely get to know them - Most people in the online world just want to pad their stats or use you for something in their hidden agenda. Drop the agenda and just honestly engage people who you meet as friends.

Share their message with other people - This is a must in building relationships because if you are truly interested in the other person sharing their content should be a must. You want what's best for them and you want to see them succeed. So help them with what's passionate to them.

Always be positive - You must always be positive and never negative or say negative things.

Push them up - I always love to push up other people. One of the main laws of friendship is to push up people and do it from the bottom of our heart.



Building long-lasting relationships does not have to be hard, but it requires constant commitment. Some days you will not feel the best or 100%, but you have to know that regardless someone is probably going through something even worse.Question: What else can you add to the list? How do you build Relationships? My Vision Statement : To help others market themselves online, build GOD focused Organizations by creating a tribe of passionate Entrepreneurs that love the Lord, their families, and others. Is Network Leadership for you?

How To: Make an E-Introduction

While at a recent conference, I had the opportunity to meet some great folks, get to know them, what makes them tick and what they are doing for business these days. I'm always amazed at how much some folks (yes, I'm looking at you.. you know who you are) just love to talk about themselves. After all, that is part of the game, right?Upon arriving back in Vermont, I realized that a couple of folks that I met at "Conference A" could use a solid introduction to do awesome work with a few people from "Conference B." So let's make an introduction!Is it Cool to... ?First, always make sure that both parties are fine with an introduction. If you are overbooked week after week, the last thing you really want is an introduction to another potential client, or worse, someone who "wants to pick your brain." Here's a general email that I send out to make sure that they really are OK with an e-introduction (and keep in mind that I tend be on the casual side of communication):Subject: Can I Introduce You to...
Body:Hi -I just wanted to drop you a line to re-connect after the . I had a great time chatting and thanks for...One of my contacts, is looking for an introduction, as she is looking for sage advice regarding . Since time is money, and both are in short supply these days, I wanted to make sure that it's cool with you to make an introduction via email. No hard feelings if you're not interested!Have a great day!!DeniseScreen Them!If someone is asking you for an introduction, and you don't know them well, they seem questionable at best, or if they are looking to talk to your superstar client, be wary. You don't need to say "Yes!" and feel free to employ the "Power of No!" that I've written about a time or two. While it's great to think everyone is honest, sometimes in business, that is not the case.


Sure!If someone does agree to the e-Introduction, keep it simple, straight forward and honest. Again, here is generally something I will send out to connect both parties (and again, keep in mind my informal tendencies).Subject: Sally Meet Harry, Harry Meet SallyBody:Hi Sally and Harry-As promised, I wanted to introduce you to each other, so without further adieu...
Harry, meet Sally from XYZ Corp.. Sally, meet Harry from SJK Corp.Sally, I've known Harry for years and he's great because . Harry, you'll like Sally's passion for getting things done and she's looking to connect with your because of her interest in .Don't abuse each other and connect and learn from each other.Have a great day!!DeniseWhile it's entirely up to you whether you follow up to see if the relationship progresses beyond the introduction, I have the tendency to do so. It keeps me connected with both people and it helps identify who is looking for connections versus those who are looking for name droppers. If you're really looking to connect, then there needs to be dialog.. not a one email interaction.Remember, especially all of my introverted leaders out there, having a diverse quality network is important for you and your business. By helping someone else connect the dots, you are paying it forward.. and at the end of the day, it's all good.

Ten Easy Ways to Become a Great Networker

When was the last time you were at a networking event? How many people did you approach? How many contacts did you make? Anybody can learn how to network, but real networking involves so much more than just "turning up".Internet and email is making face-to-face-encounters a thing of the past. Nowadays it is much easier to pick up the phone or shoot over a quick email. Reduced human interaction makes most people feel uncomfortable about networking. This is because it pushes them out of their comfort zone and means they have to talk to people they don't know. However, just one contact at a networking event may prove immensely valuable to your business in the future.Our businesses depend on our effective communication skills, but it is so easy for these skills to become rusty if they are not used regularly. Here are some tips that will instantly enhance your networking experiences:

Be prepared
Being prepared will help you to feel relaxed when you begin to network. The more you know about the event and the people there, the easier it will be to approach people and talk to them. Have a few business cards ready in your pocket for making those all-important contacts.

Dress well
This may not seem like an important point, but it is. Looking smart and well-dressed will boost your own confidence, and other people will notice that you are dressed well. It also helps to create a positive and professional image.

Don't try to talk to everyone
You'll never be able to speak to everyone at a networking event, simply because there just isn't the time. Instead, try to focus on networking with a small handful of people. The number of people that you can network with will depend on how much time you have.

Pay attention
With so many people and so much going on, it's easy to get distracted. Pick a few people and pay real attention when you are speaking to them. Really listen and be genuinely interested in what they are talking about. Make them feel like the most important person in the conversation. This will help to lay the foundations for a strong relationship in the future. People quickly notice if you are not paying attention when they speak.

Listen more than you speak
The truth is that everyone has self-interest at the core of their priorities. However, if you're speaking too much about yourself, people will quickly lose interest; making the relationship very unlikely to develop further. Instead, listen more than you speak. Ask insightful questions and establish a rapport.




Speak to people you don't know
We like to stick to what we know, which can make networking difficult. If you go to an event with a colleague or meet someone there that you know, it is best to split up. This way you won't miss out on one-off opportunities to network with people you may never meet again.

Make regular eye contact
Eye contact is a good sign of confidence, and will make people more likely to remember you. You will find it easier to connect with a person if you make regular eye contact.

Have an elevator pitch
A good elevator pitch should be about 30 seconds long. Remember, you are not trying to sell to someone at this point, rather to hook their interest. A good elevator pitch will turn a sixty second conversation into a five minute conversation, because it will hook the other person's interest. It should be well-practised but not come across as rehearsed. You should know exactly what you do and how you bring value.

Have an exit strategy
An exit strategy means that you don't have to speak to one person for too long. It will allow you to "work the room" and network with more than one person. An example of an exit strategy is introducing someone else into the conversation then leaving the conversation to network with someone else.

Follow-up
Networking is about far more than just collecting business cards; it's about forming real relationships that may be of great benefit to your business in the future. Always email or call your new connections soon after the event, as this will make it much more likely that they remember you. Great relationships are not built in five minutes. They can take months. The value of your networking will only be seen in the success of the follow-up.These tips are simple and easy to implement, yet will allow you to become one of the most effective and confident networkers in your organisation. Remember, one contact may be all that you need to take your business to the next level. Let confidence and professionalism ooze out the next time you network!

How To Negate Bogus Likes On Social Networks By Users Wanting to Get Reciprocal Likes?

Leave it to humans to try to manipulate everything in their lives from finances to relationships. Speaking of relationship manipulation consider the miss-use of social online networks if you will. Indeed, I've witnessed folks going out of their way to induce me to join their social networks even when we've never met, even blind solicitations via emails. I've also watched people post onto their social networking pages links which they believe will make them look good, not because they care, but to put on the proverbial masquerade. Let's talk shall we?There is a very interesting paper titled; "Exploiting Burstiness in Reviews for Review Spammer Detection," by Geli Fei, Arjun Mukherjee, Bing Liu, Meichun Hsu, Malu Castellanos, and Riddhiman Ghosh which looks at review spam on Amazon and uses algorithms to spot "burstiness" of certain types of reviews by users which did not buy the product.Now then, if we know the average time it takes someone to read "x-amount" of text, or the time of a video presentation on YouTube, then we can tell if someone actually read the blog post, news article, research paper, online eBook, or watch the video long enough to actually have formed an opinion of the piece other than reading the title. Not long ago, I noted that one individual who was let's say a "detractor" of those who were skeptical of global warming had "liked" several 100 pieces of information in a very short proximity of time.


Indeed, I suspected that this individual did not read all that content, and I got my first clue that I was correct about that when I read the third article he'd "liked" that day, although the title had fit his ambitious slandering of the opposing view, the actual data and article was completely counter to his ascertain, meaning he couldn't have liked it at all, and it was the opposite of what all the other articles and his own viewpoints were about. Was he just "liking everything" in his domain of so-called expertise?I checked that out too, the answer is NO, there were several articles in the same publications he "liked" that day, that also ran counter to his opinion in the matter. Therefore, it should be easy to use the "time" between "likes" to help in the grading of the relevant information being "re-tweeted" or attempting through manipulation of those social networks to go viral because of a single or small group of users, or even PR agents in a given domain or topic. Please consider all this and think on it.

Introduction to a MasterMind Group

In his book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill describes MasterMind groups as one of the main catalysts to growing rich. Some of you may have already heard of these helpful groups, but for those who haven't, here is what you are missing.A MasterMind group is essentially a meeting between a group of individuals who work in the same field, during this meeting, what these people do is discuss, brainstorm, and solve any existing or potential problems that any member of the group might be facing. So to put is simply, a MasterMind group is a sort of advisory board for every member of the group.This notion of a MasterMind group isn't a new concept, it has existed throughout the ages, King Arthur had one called the "Knights of the Round Table", Franklin Roosevelt had his "Brain Trust", and Benjamin Franklin even had the "Junto". All these groups helped those we know (Arthur, Franklin, and Ben) become successful in their corporate life.These groups aren't exclusive groups for the extremely smart or rich. Anyone with a strong vision or goals can create successful MasterMind groups. You just have to be able to find people working around you that want to succeed to and start meeting with them and setting up solutions to your problems.


What qualifications are useful in a MasterMind group? Above all, you need to be able to participle and insert your own opinion and thoughts on any subject, since the MM group works on a give and take basis, you need to be able to give advice and input before taking some for your own needs. At least one person in the group should be able to organize and direct the meetings so that they are performed in an orderly and beneficial way. Other than that, the only thing that would greatly help the group is if everyone in the group is in the same sector of work.Why should you join such a group? First of all, you won't feel like you are working alone, but you'll be part of a community who are there to help advise you. Second your social network will extend greatly through the new members of your group. This extension can give your business further opportunities. Finally, it will help you learn from others to understand new concepts and, most importantly, to think bigger.So MasterMind groups are simple and can be started by virtually everyone who wants to succeed in their corporate life. All you need to do is to be motivated enough to band together at least 4 people with a similar vision to yours.

How to Earn While You Learn

Live events can be a great way to boost your business... if you work them correctly!I learned this valuable lesson in a mighty way when I attended my first large event in 2006. I was a new business owner and didn't know what to expect. I was also REALLY intimidated by the price tag... $1,500 for a 3-day online marketing workshop. But I stepped up because I needed to learn the skills that were being taught there and I knew investing in myself was the best investment I could make.The 3 days I spent in LA and the $1,500 I charged to my credit card completely transformed my business. I raised my prices by 67%, walked away with 2 new clients, and gained a highly sought after skill set that had us double our revenue and cross the six-figure mark in only our 2nd year of operation.Ever since then, I make it a point to attend 2-3 large events each year and I always, ALWAYS walk away with new clients and a boost in revenue. Want to replicate these results in your business? Here is the formula I follow each and every time.1. Choose your events wisely - You should be looking for a sweet spot of pragmatic training and high quality networking. The training should offer you up to date information and tangible takeaways you can implement immediately. The event should cater to a specific audience of individuals you want to connect with to help you meet your current business goals. (Which means you need to have S.M.A.R.T. goals already well established.) These individuals could be prospective clients or referral partners. They could be industry leaders you want to include in your circle of influence.2. Set an intention for each event - You've booked your registration, bought your plane ticket and reserved a hotel room. Now what? Make a decision about what you want to get out of the event. What exactly do you want to learn? Who do you want to meet? What opportunities do you want to walk away with? Set a specific intention and keep meditating on it in the days leading up to the event.


3. Prepare well - Carefully review the agenda and decide which sessions you want to attend based on your intention. Find out in advance who's going to be there. Many event organizers will share this info, perhaps through an attendee app. At the very least, check out the Facebook page or Twitter hashtag for the event and see who's talking about it. Have a new batch of marketing materials designed or printed that will support the goals you've set for the event.4. Use your time wisely - Each day of the event offers opportunities for networking during breakfast, lunch, dinner and breaks. Don't waste that time checking email! Schedule quick 15-min appointments with people during the event to create a rapport and open the door for a longer conversation. Don't be shy about approaching speakers and other "leaders" who are there. Always be kind, friendly and gracious, and proactive. These folks are there to network like everyone else.5. Plan in advance to follow-up - This is where most people drop the ball. Don't be one of them! If you make a great connection with someone and the two of you know you want to continue the conversation post event, save yourself the hassle of a lot of back and forth. Schedule an appointment right there on the spot! Write any emails you commit to and send them the same evening. Write your thank you cards on the plane ride home and mail them as soon as you land. At the very least, pre-schedule some time to follow up the day after you return home before you dive back into your regular routine. Remember, your fortune is in the follow-up!You can connect with a slew of pre-qualified leads, increase visibility for your business and significantly increase your revenue in just a few days by attending the right events. When done correctly, it's one of the most effective, lucrative and fun marketing strategies you can implement!

The Networking Outlier

Do you dance to the beat of a different drum? Do you follow the least traveled path? Do you have unique connecting characteristics? If so, you may fall into a networking profile which makes you stand out... in a good way!List below are tips for making the most of your eccentric communication styles.Actions Speak LouderYou may also be in that small percentage of networkers who actually, "practices what they preach". In essence, your actions line up with your words and you deliver high quality and excellence. Use this highly coveted virtue to build your brand loyalty and trust with others. Showing good faith increases your credibility and likeability. It also separates you from shallow networkers.On a MissionPerhaps you have a solid, outlined networking plan with a goal for obtaining networking success. You have joined professional groups and linked up with like-minded individuals. It is clear that you are at an advantage and can leverage your positioning for more success. The main keys are to be consistent, make others in your network aware of your goals and keep in line with your core values.


The Final SayYou hold the power and make the decisions. You are in charge of your networking and relationship building and set the tone. This means you can point out and decide who you want to business with and how that interaction(s) should occur for mutual and/or long term benefits. You do not have to compromise your beliefs or ethics.Hopefully, these tips can steer you in the right direction for accomplishing your networking goals. Your strong and unique communication and connecting styles will reward you greatly.

How to Tell If LinkedIn Is Right for You

LinkedIn is undoubtedly one of the best ways for businesses to generate leads and for business people to give and gain more opportunities.However, before you join any social media site, ask yourself a question if it's the right one for you and your business; and for defining whether it's the right one or not, make sure you're aware of the below-mentioned tips.

What's your goal

What are your expectations

Who's your target
If you have clear answers to the above-mentioned questions, let's analyze if the particular site can work for you.How to tell if LinkedIn is right for you?Job Hunters: If you're job hunting, LinkedIn is definitely the best place for you. This is the largest professional network with 225 million+ members. On LinkedIn you can manage your professional identity, build and engage with your professional network as well as access knowledge, insights and opportunities. Join LinkedIn groups, search for jobs, and apply.B2B Marketers: If you want to launch a product or announce some service offerings to other businesses, use LinkedIn. Create and join relevant groups to share the information. Take a challenge and be very active to reach your goals.Entrepreneurs: LinkedIn is the right site for entrepreneurs. By researching other entrepreneurs, they can build awareness of their new company and come up with a number of strategies. For example: "How to improve their sales funnel" Besides, it's always good to know what your competitors do better than you; and the more you know, the better for you.


Consultants: LinkedIn is used by consultants to connect with successful clients, let them know about their services/experience/knowledge. It's undoubtedly a good way for improving the visibility of business and not only.Sales People: Sales people use LinkedIn for research purposes so that they can connect with the right people and generate leads.Small Businesses: Small businesses need to improve their visibility and reach out new opportunities and prospects to survive the competition. Creating a LinkedIn group and actively using LinkedIn is a good way to position their company in the marketplace.Large Businesses: For the large businesses with many customers, it's an opportunity to announce products, job and service offerings and get the desired traffic and leads.As you see, everyone on LinkedIn has a very unique role. Hope the above-mentioned tips were helpful and now you know what exactly you can do on this website.Stay tuned!

Is Tokenless 2 Factor Authentication Necessary for Business?

The rapid advancement of internet technology has witnessed more and more people gaining access to the internet. The World Wide Web is no longer the domain of young people and business establishments. Today, a large number of elderly people are part of social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, etc. They also contribute significantly to online community activities. However, the internet is not just restricted only to adults. In fact studies have shown that almost half of children below the age of twelve are using social media sites like Facebook. What this shows is that the reach of internet has spread far and wide. As the user base expands, so does the online security concerns. One way of minimizing the concerns is through multi factor.Need for 2 Factor AuthenticationIt is very important to the personal information of users safe. Realizing this, most internet and social media websites use powerful passwords. This is done through a combination of a static and login password. Though this is considered as being safe, the rapid changes in technology and the growth of the hacking community has brought in new security challenges for online companies. This is where tokenless authentication comes into the picture. It not only protects the interests of the users but also enhances the online security of your business.


Role in IT SecurityToday, the IT industry is witnessing security threats with increased frequency. This is precisely why Tokenless 2 factor authentication has a very significant role to play when it comes to IT security. Customers, employees, shareholders and others look up to you to protect sensitive data stored in your servers. Even industry regulations like HIPAA, PCI DSS, Sarbanes-Oxley, etc have a need for this kind of online security. There are some authentication systems that have proven to be cumbersome and inconvenient for users. However, tokenless two factor authentication makes it easy and convenient for companies to provide foolproof online security solutions at affordable costs.How does it work?Well, it is comparatively inexpensive and quite easy to incorporate in any internet login session. It is an effective process that is based on two or more factors to authenticate the identity of an individual online. The first factor refers to something that the user knows whereas the second factor refers to what you have while the third factor refers to something that you are. A combination of all these factors can lead to a very cost effective form of tokenless 2 factor authentication.

The Networking Scout

Similar to professional sports, scouts are agents who scope out new talent. They travel near and far to find the best talent for their teams or leagues. Scouts spend a lot of their time researching, prospecting and seeking out the next superstars. In regards to networking, savvy individuals can be "scouts" and look for talent to build their networking circles. They can do their research and create a plan with criteria for expanding their networking circles.Listed below are tips and strategies for finding the best individuals to grow your networks.Star RookieMany times networkers reach out to the top or seasoned professionals to induct into their networks. Although there is an advantage to linking up with professionals who are well established, there are benefits to linking up with networking newbies. People who are new in networking can offer many useful benefits for your growing networks. Besides being a mentor and colleague, you can also reach out to them for new ways of connecting and building relationships. New networkers can still provide quality leads and referrals. It is also another way to diversify your networks.


Game StatsBesides doing your research, another good tip is to find out the accomplishments and achievements of these individuals. The most basic way is to do a Google search to view their online presence and brand. Another way is to link up with them through professional social media sites. You can also visit their company or business website to view their role or online bio. Understanding their contributions to their industry can determine if they are a good fit for your network and better position them in your circle.First DraftOnce you have rounded up a good number of individuals, set up meetings, strategy sessions or one-on-ones to select the best choices. Use these formal or informal meetings to gauge their personality traits, interpersonal skills. Explore overlapping networks of mutual colleagues and friends, organizations, companies or shared business and personal interests. Use these processes to either weed out or add to your existing networks for true success.

Your Mornings Will 'Sizzle' Now - Bring More Sunshine to Your Business

"If people like you they'll listen to you, but if they trust you they'll do business with you." - Zig ZiglarThings can't get much simpler than this! The above statement of Zig Ziglar reminds us that business is for the people, by the people and based on trust. Maybe you are just too preoccupied with your day-to-day hectic business schedule, and in the process got a little disconnected from the local community. Before getting extensive visibility -- nationally/internationally, your business first needs to be more visible within the local community. If you feel that you can pep up those lazy mornings a little, then attending breakfast network gathering events could be a bright idea. These events/meetings are organized by the local Chambers of Commerce.Now, you might be thinking why you would miss out on your morning sleep when you already have a busy day ahead. That's a perfectly logical question. First, you need to have enough reasons to join a Chamber of Commerce, and then comes the next question, what exactly will drive you to attend a breakfast meeting? As you know, it depends on what you need and what you wish to achieve through your business. Nobody makes you do things, only you do it of your own free will, with your passion, and most importantly for the vision you have. Successful business owners connect their businesses to relevant people. You are already a successful entrepreneur since you have already set up your own business. Now, it's time for you to get your 'brainchild' some spotlight so that your local business communities get to know about your outstanding work.So, what kind of benefits will your business reap by participating in breakfast networking events? Let us see some of them:1. Your Business Looks ReliableWhen you are a part of a business community and attend such events, it increases positive perception among the other business owners. Your regular communication with the fellow members transforms familiarity into reliability. A reliable business gets more business.


2. The Local Business Community will See and Find Your BusinessAttending a breakfast event will make you memorable in the eyes of other business owners. More such events will boost your business' visibility that will yield benefits in the coming days.3. Developing Network for Long-term BenefitsYou need not mingle with other members only over the topic of business. Talk to them the same way as when you make new friends. As we know, friendship has its own benefits that keep coming through a long period of time. The more friends you make, the bigger the network you have and the more benefits will come along the way.4. Promotion and PublicityBeing a chamber member, you can make your business reach potential clients through marketing. Members get exclusive opportunities for business-to-business (B2B) advertising and publicity.5. Update about Events and ProgramsLocal Chambers organize various events and programs for their members to expand their network by interacting more, listening to the successful business leaders, participating in discussions and volunteering for social causes. Prior to these events, discussions on planning, organizing and sponsorships are discussed. Thus, you can prepare yourself well in advance for these events.Keep in mind that by being a member of the chamber you can get great benefit out of a breakfast meeting by putting some time and effort into the event. Get involved in the Chamber's activities, and the benefits will follow.

Are You A Business Owner? Top 2 Reasons For You To Network

For a business to be successful, you cannot do it alone. You need staff to handle different departments and take care of the business when you are away. However, you also need external partners and business people who you can consult or collaborate with to achieve a particular goal or close a deal. That is just how business is. In fact, the more people you get to know, the easier it becomes for you to work since you will have the necessary connections. Talking of connections, the best place to get them is through networking. Whether you are having a networking event or meeting a few business people in a bar; it always has positive results business wise. Below are some reasons why you should network more as a business owner.
Development
Your business needs to grow in terms of finances and the best way to do this is by learning the secrets and tricks behind your target market. Through networking, you have the opportunity to talk to experienced business owners in your field, which means you will get a few pointers or ideas from them. If the ideas could pose challenges such as lack of resources, you can therefore hire new suppliers from your list of networks. It is even cheaper this way and you can easily negotiate the terms unlike dealing with a total stranger. Similarly, you can offer your goods or services to a company and in exchange, they can supply what your business needs. Most networking events are actually in form of discussions and you might just be lucky enough to meet a potential worthy business partner.



Improve your business profile
During networking occasions, you meet many people with different needs, but all have a mutual goal, which is to grow their businesses. Take advantage of this, carry your marketing tools such as business cards, and use them to market your business to them, as they are still potential customers who whose needs have to be met. Your business card should have only relevant information about what you do and how to contact you (emails, phone lines, fax numbers, physical address etc.). Remember that presentation is everything! How you present your business can either build a good image or destroy it. Do not be too professional in terms of speech since it is a social event and try to make a summary when presenting; everyone wants to maximize on the little time available to meet as many people as they can.

Networking Is A Lot Like PR - Here's Why

I don't know about you, but networking is not something that comes naturally to me. Being thrust into a room of strangers all trying to sell to each other is not the way I prefer to spend my time, but it is a necessary evil of being a business owner.Have you noticed that networkers fall into different categories? There's the wall flower (me) who stands in the corner nervously smiling wishing they were somewhere else.Then there's the seasoned networker who's been there, done that, got the t-shirt and happy to let everyone know about it. They know everything about your business (even though they have no idea what you do) and have an opinion on everything.Finally, there's the uber-salesman. Before they've even said hello they've thrust their business card into your hand and launched into their well-rehearsed sales pitch whether you want to hear it or not. They don't ask you any questions about what you do because they're not interested - they just want a sale.These different attitudes will all have an effect on how you're perceived by others and it's that perception that ties networking with PR.Image - how you look and act - reflects on your business. If you look a mess or are rude, it will reflect badly (bad PR), but if you're presentable and friendly it will have the opposite effect (good PR).Let's look at that in more detail.Be interestedGoing back to our uber-salesman, incessant talking and showing no interest in the person you're talking to, will go down like a lead balloon.The idea behind networking isn't to see how many business cards you can get rid of, it's about chatting, showing interest and connecting people.A good networker drives the conversation, asks open questions and develops a relationship with someone. There's no selling (that can come later), just building trust and being seen as someone they might like to do business with in the future.


Look at meOne thing that really bugs me is when the person I'm speaking to scans the room looking for someone else to talk to while we're mid conversation.Maintaining eye contact shows the person you're talking to that you're interested in what they have to say. Again, this will build trust and develop a good relationship.Looking goodThere's a difference between looking smart and looking as though you've just stepped off a catwalk. If you want people to take you seriously you must look the part.Again, how you look will have an effect on your PR.It's all about youA big no no is to meet someone and launch into how great you are. I had a meeting a while back with a guy that wanted me to do some copywriting for him. It lasted about an hour and for the first fifty minutes he talked about how great he was, what he'd achieved bla, bla, bla. Needless to say I realised very quickly that this wasn't a guy I could work with.Introduce yourself, but then ask about the other person - what they do, family, hobbies, anything that will get an easy flowing conversation going. Feel free to refer them to people who may be able to help them achieve their goals - show yourself as a useful contact and they will stay in touch.As you can see, networking and PR are very closely related. You are your business, so how you conduct yourself will have a big impact on your reputation.Sally Ormond, Briar Copywriting Ltd

Business and Analytical Considerations for Deriving Business Intelligence From Social Media Networks

In our previous article, entitled 'The Provocative Possibilities of Combining Business Intelligence and Social Media', we talked in generalities about the opportunities of combining BI with Social Media to better leverage the potential of social media networks and internet marketing and to accurately measure the success of these programs and plan for the future.Social media is a critical component of market success in today's interactive culture and economy. With an ever increasing user base and ever expanding social media platforms, the focus on marketing, advertising and product and market analysis must include internet marketing, pay-per-click, search engine optimization, and social network marketing. Customer and prospects are focused on various personal, consumers, community and business topics and they find, share and express this focus using social media.If your business is not actively involved in this community, it will lose market share to competitors. In addition, it will lose the opportunity to analyze the mountains of free information provided by consumers, groups and individuals and may miss a critical shift in a buying trend or market opinion. In social networking, consumers freely express views and opinions, and there is no doubt that meaningful analytics of these conversations, connections and posts can indicate very clear and very subtle trends that will help your business establish successful strategies.In this article, we will delve deeper into this topic and focus on the factors a business must when building an analytical environment in which to measure the various aspects of social media marketing, market trends and buying behavior.In order to better understand the success of social marketing and the trends and patterns in customer buying behavior, a business can use activity analysis. With this approach, you interpret the activity feeds from various social media networks, and analyze visits, clicks, likes, shares, tags, timings and also, the underlying demographics and geographies of the discussion participants. This will help you to understand the popularity of a topic or product, and the demographics and geographies of the potential audience. Most of this data is structured, and can be analyzed by exporting social media analytics and reports and using BI tools with slice and dice, filtering and other data mining and visual mining tools.


The challenge is more significant when one thinks of the variety and number of sources and social networking feeds, generating gargantuan volumes of data, all in varying formats. Much of this data is in text and image form, which is not structured. To conquer this challenge, a business must apply thoughtful, intelligent and proven semantic and syntactical analysis in order to derive quantifiable and confident decisions from this data.When one considers the petabytes of data generated every day through social media, it is easy to see that the organization and analysis of this data presents a significant business challenge. The business must carefully examine the various objectives of analysis and research and focus on what is most important to the business in building and managing business success. Business and IT managers must also consider that the very nature of social networking will push the focus of topics from one to another, in a live, real time feed that reflects what is happening in the world and in the lives of your audience, your target market, and your followers.If an enterprise carefully considers its business intelligence requirements and its approach to social media analysis, and selects the right business intelligence tools to satisfy its analytical needs, it can provide a powerful source of data and information and meaningful reports, forecasts and analysis with which to manage its business and better leverage the real potential of social media networks.

Networking Checklist

Networking is such a dirty word. I prefer to use the term "making relationships".. because at the end of the day, that's really what it is all about, especially if you are an introvert.As the resident uber-planner, I have made a quick networking event checklist to ensure that I don't forget something when I attend an event. If you come ill-prepared, potential clients and referrals will be less than likely to refer an assistant who is disorganized. Maybe this will help you out too!Business CardsEven though we are a paperless company, business cards are still an essential marketing tool and branding piece. Make sure you include the following elements on your card:
Name & Title
Business Name (and logo)
Address (even though you are virtual, many folks like to know if you're "local")
Phone
Email
Web address
Tagline
A "connect with me link" (more on this below)
Optional extra: Your headshot! Sometimes a face is easier for others to remember you and your conversation.
Tip: Use both sides of your business card!Since the ultimate goal of networking, is to connect with other people and businesses, make it easy for them to connect with you. Set up a page on your website for connecting. Although we as virtual assistants have the tendency to be on every social media platform, not everyone you meet is on your preferred social media platform (you know, the one you really use most often). You connection page could be located on your 'Contact Us' page, but I prefer to have a separate page for each of us here and it includes:
Headshot
Phone
Email
Skype
About.Me URL
Links to all the social media profiles
Image of the front and back of my business card
Elevator SpeechYou are the face of your brand! If you cannot convey what you do to others quickly, then you may be perceived as unorganized (that's the kiss of death for a VA), shy, introverted, unsure of yourself and what you do. Make sure your elevator speech is short, evokes emotion, asks a question and be enthusiastic when you talk.Name BadgeWhile this might scare some folks, getting a name badge that looks like a corporate security badge is a smart thing. First, it has your name, photo, what your title is and where you work. Second, you can design your badge to look like your brand! OfficeMax allows you to make your own ID badge in their services center.


PenEven if you are paperless, you may need to write notes about a connection right away, so be sure to bring a pen. Write on the back of their card (or any white space you can find). If you need more room, excuse yourself, scan their card and add notes electronically on your phone.ClothingNot optional. Wear clothing that is professional but is you. I recently exhibited at an expo as a SCORE mentor, all dressed up and in conservative clothing. Most of my fellow mentors did not recognize me. When it came time to walk the show as the owner of a local small business, out came my polo shirt and capris. Heels? Sure.. if you're comfortable standing in them for hours and can walk like a lady in them. I've seem so many 4+" heel wearers out there that do not know how to walk properly in their heels. If you walk like a robot, choose different footwear. This is networking meet & greet, not a fashion show.CashSeriously! I've been to countless events where there is a cash bar, or drinks that you need to pay for, and most don't take credit cards. Be smarter than the average bear. When it does come to alcohol, know your limits or refrain. No one wants to be referred to as the "drunken wacko from the last meet & greet."Social MediaWhile you cannot pop the internet in your purse (well.. technically you can tuck your tablet or smartphone in there), it's important to keep your social media updated. If you're going to an event, mention it! No networking event is too small to mention. Big statewide business expo? Yep! Rotary meeting? Yep!Speaking of social media, LinkedIn is still an important platform to keep current and updated. It's also a great place to meet and find clients. If you're not on there, get there. If you're business isn't there, make a company page and a showcase page.SmileFinally, smile! Let your enthusiasm show. Let the passion for your industry and your business shine.

Why It Is Important To Get The Best Unlimited Email Hosting

One of the many aspects of running a business is communication. The circuits of communication are what allow you to keep in touch with customers, investors, and other members of your company. For this reason, having an email hosting service is an extremely important consideration. However, this consideration does not just stop at having an email hosting company; you are going need the best unlimited service around! Here a few reasons why it is important to get the best unlimited email hosting.Archived Mail FoldersIf email is one of the primary methods of communication in your business, you will likely end up with a lot of important mail that needs to be saved. Some services put a cap on the amount of data that can be archived. However, if you get the best unlimited email hosting, you can keep these important messages indefinitely and save as many as you need too. These emails may also come with attachments that take up large quantities of data. On a standard service, this would eat through your available space very quickly. Having unlimited email means that all of this information is saved and available for when you need it most.Interbusiness CommunicationMany businesses use email for memos and weekly status updates. This means a lot of back and forth with all branches of your company, which leads to a lot of emails. Some services that put a cap on the number of emails sent or received can leave your company in the dark for important information. By choosing to get the best unlimited email hosting, you can send all the emails you need to customers, employees, and investors without having to worry about the number sent. Communication within a business makes all aspects smoother and can help you secure the bottom line.


Email AccountsEvery business hopes to grow and hire new employees that will need access to the company's email services. This means that the number of accounts your service allows is very important. Getting the best unlimited email hosting means you will never run out of spaces for future growth. Some companies put a cap on the number of accounts allowed on their service. This can be a hassle if your business opens a new division or hires a lot of new people. Choosing a reputable company will allow you to grow without having to worry about the logistics of email accounts.SecurityIn today's world, the security of your company's email information is very important. Some services do not take this into consideration and leave loopholes where your company can become compromised. If you get the best unlimited email hosting, you can rest assured that all of this sensitive information is in protected hands. Be sure when you are looking for your email hosting services that you choose a quality company and don't forget to ask about what security measures the company provides.

How To Create A Successful Business Network

Networking: What Is It?In his famous book "Think and Grow Rich", Napoleon Hill explains at length the benefits of the Master Mind. OK, so just what is a Master Mind? As Napoleon puts it, the Master Mind is the "Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose".The great American industrialists of the early 20th Century had Master Mind groups. Andrew Carnegie was said to have had a group of over 50 men who came together with the definite purpose of manufacturing steel. Henry Ford gathered experts with the sole purpose of building cars.Today, Master Mind groups exist all over the planet... not just in the Corporate world, but also amongst small business owners as well. In many cases they exist as Business Networks. Every day of the week, you can find these formal networks of business people meeting over breakfast, lunch or dinner. From all walks of life, you will find florists, retailers, artists, internet marketers and handymen mixing with accountants, lawyers, electricians, finance consultants and personal trainers.So, what can a beauty consultant and a plumber have in common? Probably not much to begin with, but as they get to know each other they begin to realise that they can make some great contacts by networking. For instance, plumbers have wives and they know other women. The beauty consultant sometimes needs her hot water system replaced. What about a florist and a handyman? The handyman needs flowers for special occasions like Mothers Day, birthdays and Valentines Day. The florist needs odd jobs done around her home and shop. Each of them know other businesspeople and they have customers. Business owners will refer business if they know that you do a good job. It makes sense because they are adding value to their customer's lives at no additional cost.


Creating Your NetworkThere are 5 easy steps to creating a successful business network.Step 1: Do a Google search for business networks in your area.Step 2: Visit 3 or 4 of these events. Make a couple of strong contacts at each event by asking then about themselves and their business and then arrange to meet with them for coffee over the next few days.Step 3: Resist the temptation to "push" your product or service onto them. They will ask you in good time.Step 4: When you meet with your new contacts, ask more questions about them and their business. Don't forget to throw in a few questions about their preferred network event. You can get lots of information here that will help you decide which one to join. Once again, curb the excitement you have for your business. Your goal is to learn all you can about your new friend.Step 5: Make a decision to join at least one business network as soon as you feel comfortable.Networking is all about building rapport, trust and welcoming new friends and important colleagues into your life. If you are friendly and you show genuine interest in your new friends, you will have no trouble creating your own little business network. From this group can eventually spring the Master Mind that Napoleon Hill speaks about in his book. The ideas that a group like this can come up with are startling. It's incredible what happens when like-minded people get together. If you haven't tried networking yet, why not? Do it now.

Make Your Business Networking More Effective

First, let me clarify one point. Networking is NOT going to every event in town and handing out your business card to 100 people whose name you won't remember 10 minutes from now. Nor is it joining every online networking site and blasting all of your friends with SPAM. Networking is all about building relationships. Anyone who can understand that concept can network their way to more business.To get started, you have to create a network. Start by making a list of all the people you know. You'll be surprised at how many there are! This is your immediate circle of influence. If you maintain regular contact with some of the people on your list, great! Keep it up! For those you haven't had much contact with in a while, it's time to renew that connection. Send an email or give them a call. Invite them for coffee or lunch or just to chat. The idea here is to re-establish the connection between you, so do not spend your first get-together listing all that you have been doing and how they can help you. You want to find out what's been going on in their life. Let them do the talking. You'll make a much better impression that way.Once you have rebuilt your network, be sure to check in with these people regularly. Whether it's a quick email or phone call, a note to say thanks for some small favor, - even a gift - make sure you keep in touch. If you find yourself in need - your network will already be in place.Now that you have your initial network established you want to continue to expand it. There are many ways to do that. Get involved - in your church, your children's school, with community groups. Join any professional associations related to your field. When you go to parties, mingle and chat.


You can also network online. The internet has spawned a wide variety of social networking sites, each one offering access to literally millions of people. You can also network online. The internet has spawned a wide variety of social networking sites, each one offering access to literally millions of people. My personal favorites are Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Each is a little different but all three offer easy and fun ways to connect and share with others. There are tons of other sites as well - Facebook, MySpace, GooglePlus+, and CafeMom are just a few. Each one is a little different but all give you the chance to expose yourself and your business to more people.Now how do you use your network once you have it established? Simple. Keep in touch. Do favors for your contacts whenever possible. (Now they owe you one). Be genuinely grateful for any assistance they provide and be sure to acknowledge it with a card, a call, or even a gift. Make sure they all know what you do for a living - and make sure you understand their businesses. Otherwise, how will you send each other referrals? Participate - whether in person or by posting on the online networks. As I said when I started this post, it's all about building trust and relationships. Do that and the rest will fall into place. So I hope to see you on some of the networks. And for those of you living in NWA, contact me. I'll give you a list of local networking events. Hope to see you there!

The Networking Bypass

We all know the importance of "getting out there" and networking. As we are looking for a new opportunity, in transition, growing a business or being more professional, it is essential to market ourselves. But in the mist of all these events, conversations and connections, sometimes there are certain things which are still not in place. Of course, we can not wait until circumstances are perfect to launch our academics, careers, business etc. So what do professionals, students, entrepreneurs do or say when our objectives are not crystal clear? In these cases, do not avoid networking functions or skirt around the topics/encounters.Listed below are helpful tips for making the most of your business and social engagements.Online PresencePerhaps you have started a business or re-branding and do not have a functional website up and running. In your industry or business, you get a percentage of your customers and referrals from online resources etc. At your next event, offer your potential customer or client to connect with you via email. Send an email with a flier, list of services or any relevant information in regards to you or your business. Offer to connect on additional social media outlets to extend your business and following. Make sure to send a personal message with your website link, once the site is published to the public.


Professional ExperienceIf you are new in your organization, industry or business it can be difficult establishing credibility with little experience. In this case, focus on other aspects of your professional or academic career which can build your brand and marketability. For example, if you are a lawyer and recently started a private practice, mention the school you attended. Engage your potential clients in any of your specialties. Mention top clients or awards which you received.Products / ServicesIf you are an entrepreneur and have a new business, this is an excellent opportunity to find new clients. Talk about how you are different from your competition and how you would service specific needs and offer solutions and advice. Offer knowledge about incentives offers and promotions. If you are a consultant, share the different methods of how you coach and advise your clients.Hopefully, these tips and practical suggestions can enhance your credibility and networking skills. Use these to capitalize on opportunities to connect with others and grow in your endeavors.

How to Successfully Market Your Network Marketing Company

97% of all network marketers fail to get even 1 sign-up.Of all the hundreds of millions who join network marketing companies about 97% struggle to get even one sign-up into their company.Why is it such a struggle?Especially when most MLM companies have:awesome products
good compensation plans
inspiring stories from successful leadersThere are valid reasons why network marketers fail to build a downline.Leads/Traffic - finding people who are like-minded - who are looking to build a home business is not as easy as it seems, the excitement of joining soon wears off because it is difficult to find others who see the potential that you see.Real System - the systems that many MLM companies provide are archaic. - you need a real business solution that is easy to duplicate, makes sense and is applied in bite size chunks. Making a list of friends and family, cold calling and home parties do not create a business plan.Value - you do not have anything of value to give away. You need something fresh and useful to give awayMentor - having little to no support also makes building your business more challenging - having a personable, knowledgeable coach gives you the opportunity to build a sustainable business based on sound business principles.Posting and hoping - in the online market place -network marketers are hanging out in Facebook, twitter and other social sites - 97% of them are posting links and hoping someone will click and sign-up.The post and hope method does not work. Just as stopping people in Walmart to tell them about your business - does not work.


People want to do business with people they know, like and trust. Building relationships is the key to building a business - and with fantastic free tools like Skype you can find like-minded people all over the world.Today's market place rewards those who stand out from the crowd.How can you stand out? You have to have true value to offer...Do you remember your school days when you wrote a report? If you wrote enough words and made the whole report look organized - you could get a decent mark?As a former teacher I called these reports - "snow jobs" - they just covered a lot of ground, but really had nothing of value to offer. Well in the market place free reports and ebooks that regurgitate the same old stuff are useless and boring. People see through the "blah, blah, blah" right away.So what do I offer you that stands out?4 strategies when correctly applied that will bring you tons of new sign-ups.1. Traffic strategies - both paid and free that work - that bring people to you.2. Free access to a training site - List Driven Profits that costs $97.00 per month to join and will give you a ton of ways to build your prospective client list.3. Free access to a marketing funnel that you can personalize for your business4. Free one-on-one coaching to show you in bite size chunks how to put it all together.I will show you step by step how to do each of these things.Act now and you will reach the leader board in your company.

Can Developing Your Public Speaking Skills Help You at Networking Functions?

To progress in your career, it's important to have a network of contacts. Nowadays, professional networking sites such as LinkedIn are a good starting point to connect with potential contacts or even future employers. Online 'networking' has its positives.However that doesn't mean that we should not consider attending networking functions whether they are local business chamber events or professional forum events to name a few.Networking functionsAfter attending many networking functions I have observed some people thrive and others who look absolutely terrified at the thought of speaking with another person. Yet that is the main purpose of attending a networking function - to speak with and make connections with other professionals.Speaking in front of a group can have the same effect as attending a networking function for some people. Here are some tips that you can use from developing your public speaking skills.BreatheDeep breathing is a vitally important public speaking skill. It allows a presenter to speak at a good pace and have a conversational tone. This can be just as effectively used when you need to build a relationship with a stranger for business purposes.Practising breathing exercises helps to:· Relax your muscles which tend to become tense when feeling stressed· Develop a strong speaking voicePreparation is keyPreparation is an important component of being a proficient speaker. So it's important that you know your topic well. The same is true for networking events.


Prepare yourself by having an answer to the question: 'What do you do?'This is a simple question yet many people have a problem answering this question. Think about what you do and how you help others. Prepare your mini speech and be ready to include it in your conversation. Tell your story and make it relevant to the person with whom you're speaking.Make a connectionWhat is your body language saying about you?If you have closed body language then you will come across as someone who is not confident about what they do. If you have a strong stance with a firm handshake then you will automatically come across as a competent person. A simple change in stance can make the world of difference.Eye contact is important too. When speaking with a person make sure that you look at them, not past them looking at other potential people with whom to network. Give the person that you're speaking with your undivided attention.Your voiceSpeak clearly with an appropriate pace. Consider practising voice exercises prior to attending the networking function. This will help with all of your vocal qualities. Using your voice well assists in making a positive connection with the people that you meet at a networking event.By using techniques used in public speaking, attending a networking event can become a positive experience, which may lead to new business or a new job.

Locating Quality Contacts In Networking Events

You are probably familiar with the following situation: networking event, lots of people, business cards, smiles, "Hi I'm XYZ", laughter, buffet, drinks, speakers, "Nice to meet you", more business cards, etc.After the event you look at your new collection of business cards, some are extremely polished and well designed - and sometimes, you are simply confused.Events are full of new people and happenings, but since you came there for a reason - it is your responsibility to "organize the chaos".In such events many interesting, high potential people surround you. These events are actually a "playground" where you have to locate relevant people, "connect the dots" and eventually focus on the very few people that are right for you and your purpose.1. Know your networking purposesMany people simply don't know whom they want to be introduced to, get to know to, and sometimes actually go to events that are completely invaluable and wrong for them.Before you start going to these types of events, it is recommended you prepare yourself and define the purpose of "your networking". These are the profiles of key people who might help you achieve your startup goals (the goals of your networking are usually a derivative of your business goals and objectives).Once you have a clear view of the people you are targeting and their profiles, you can aim and focus to meet them in different events. Focusing will help you network and create connections much more effectively.For example, if one of your startup purposes is to identify customers in the academic space, than your networking purposes should be to meet and connect with key people from the academic institutions faculties or management departments. This goes also towards university or College Board members, service providers who work with the institutions and decision makers who work within those facilities. Next time you will be present in one of their events, you have already located the right people and so it would be easier to approach them.2. More is less and less is more?Sometimes in order to locate and network with the right people you will need to "filter" people you meet along the way and focus on those who are the most interesting to you.Start conversations with people who are at the event, try to understand as fast as possible whether you are interested to continue or not. If yes, deepen your participation in the conversation and share more. "Small talks" on similar and diverse topics you might share and are passionate about, will contribute to building a good basis for future relationship that might develop after the event.


By the way, it is perfectly okay and normal to quickly end a conversation with someone who is not adding any value to your networking objectives, as long as it is carried out with polite, dignity and a smile.3. Ask for referencesYou should feel perfectly comfortable asking for references to the right people. Ask those you already know, as they probably know you and your characteristics by now, which makes it easier for them to reference you. Clearly define what are the profiles of people you would like to target and let them make the connections during or after the event.4. Check in advance who is attending the eventWe live in amazing times. Technology forever changed the way we find connections and we all benefit from that. It is possible to look for and find upfront who will attend an event, or even to find out real-time who is present and to connect with them instantaneously. Apps like Bizzabo allows you to do it easily and effectively from your smartphone, and websites such as meet up shows you all the interesting and relevant events in any place of you choice. You can also use Facebook for that.5. Be open and leave room for "fate"Always leave a door open for opportunities: allow new people to approach you and do not hesitate to initiate conversations with people who seem interesting, even if they are not necessarily what you are searching for. After all, not all is "objectives", "goals" and "needs"; networking and making connections in its basis should be a fun activity where you get to know many different, funny, interesting people, mostly in a relaxed, non-formal environment.Sometimes, just the simple fact that someone strange made you smile, will make an event memorable. You never know how a new connection might evolve or what effect could it bring into your life. Sometimes, the greatest opportunities come from unexpected situations.6. It always works when it's "real"Making new connections is a delightful activity and is really an R&D experience. Keep an open and tolerant approach, and be positive and open to others. Connect with people you genuinely "click" with or feel an initial bonding. After all, we all feel when its "fake", and such a connection will not last for long, turning into a valuable one. So remember - it's working when it's for real.

Wasting Time With Networking?

Blah, blah, blah. Blah, blah, blah. That sums up the effectiveness of so many of the business networking groups. What promises to provide leads for new business is often a time-wasting event that results in little more than a pocketful of business cards you don't want.Some meet weekly, some meet monthly. The national and international groups require an annual fee, oftentimes a monthly fee and the cost of the meeting's meal. The organizers are cheerleaders for their brand and enforce rules that keep the group's momentum going but they are often so stringent the business owner must attend or have the threat of being canceled. Yes, you can get canceled from a networking group.Yet, there are some groups that have the energy and momentum everyone craves. These groups bring out the t in team, where everyone is truly interested in helping other members. They are there for the give and get, not just the "get".In today's world of social media, referrals and reviews, there isn't one of us that couldn't benefit from a little networking. Knowing what to look for before joining can make all the difference in the world. Our tips will help you divide and conquer with as little or as much time as you care to invest.5 Tips for Successful Networking

Determine your goals: What do you want to get out of networking? New business, new connections, new directions? Be quantitative as well as qualitative. Are you looking for a mentor? Sales leads? Or becoming known for being an expert in your field?
Time commitment: How much time do you have or are realistically willing to commit? Daily, weekly, monthly? If you have a lot of time, you might be interested in the in-person, weekly meetings that are held by organizations such as BNI or CEO Space. If your time is tight and it's difficult to commit scheduled time, consider joining the networking groups on Linked In. Many of the Linked In groups are national. The networking is done through conversation threads and introductions. Many hold larger (200 + people) in-person gatherings which might hit your geographic area every 3-4 months, depending on your metro area.
Give and get: The reality is that most participants' motives are to 'get something' through networking. Makes sense, right?. It might be a job, or sales, or referrals - any way you cut it, there are more people out there who are looking to 'get' more than 'give'. A smart networker is armed to do both. Before you get involved, think about what you can offer the group. What does your company or expertise bring to the party?
Effort equals results: Like anything in life, the level of effort you put in generally equals the outcome. That doesn't mean that a huge time commitment equals success. It does suggest that for every hour of time used in this way, make it concentrated and powerful. Bring your ideas and strategies to the group. Think of ways the group can help one another. Joint promotions? Giveaways? Custom-made group offers, like Groupons. Make sure you are doing more than gathering business cards and staying on the surface level of the tool. Get in there and make it work
How to find networking groups: There are several ways to find a plethora of networking groups. The 3 easiest ways to find that which will match your company goals are below. Always remember to check out the current members, reviews (if available), past meetings and goals. The beauty of online networking groups is you can join and cancel without feeling like a traitor.





Linked In: Look for the networking groups or groups with who you would like to do business.
Meetup.com: Depending on your geographic area, there are quite a few options. Search networking groups and read the descriptions carefully.
Associations for networking: Google that exact phrase and similar and it will open doors to yet another group of networking opportunities.

That's the long and the short of it. Networking can help advance your goals if planned properly and if the right groups are selected. The icing on the cake is that you will meet wonderful people who have similar interests and goals.NOTE: Social media, although a form of networking, is in a category of its own and will be covered in future blogs.

Why LinkedIn?

As businesspeople, there is a lot of potential in the ability to network with other businesspeople, in a bid to build relationships so that we can benefit from each other's services. This communication is known as networking.The biggest networking site is LinkedIn. It has around 400 million users around the world. All of these people are looking for people who can help them in their businesses and make their lives a lot easier to manage. But, why LinkedIn? Why don't we just talk in a chat facility or on the phone? What is so great about LinkedIn?Well, there are several things about LinkedIn that can help you in your business. These include
Your LinkedIn profile. These tell other people about what your abilities, background, achievements and skills are. They are also highly popular on Google. To ensure that your profile is at the top of LinkedIn, you need to include the right keywords and phrases. Having more connections on LinkedIn helps too, as these are backlinks and, as most people know, Google loves backlinks.
You have the ability to network with anyone around the world. You can do this by searching for a name ie, "Richard Branson" or "Bill Gates" and searching for their profiles on LinkedIn. If you do search for these guys, you should be warned - there will be a lot of competition.
When you send a request to connect with people and they reciprocate, you will need to follow up with them. This starts the relationship ball rolling. You should be professional and friendly. This will help to build your reputation as a trusted expert in your industry. Therefore, if people need advice or an opinion on something, they will come to you first. This gives you the opportunity to help and persuade them to make a sensible buying decision - maybe even of what you and your company have to sell. It's always nice when people can put a name and a face to a company, especially if they can also class you as a friend.
You need to include all your contact information in your profile. This should include telephone numbers (landline and cell/mobile), email address and most importantly the address of your business website. This is where people can find out more about you and your company.



There are other networking sites, but as LinkedIn is the biggest and most well known, it has to be the best - particularly when you take into consideration the fact that there are 400 million users to do business with. I have found a lot of work for my business through LinkedIn and therefore, so can you.

10 X Tips for Profitable Business Networking: My Favorite Small Business Marketing Strategy!

Small Business Marketing is one massive area with easily hundreds of strategies available to everyone. I recall finding the many choices overwhelming at the start!When I started out, my biggest challenge was really knowing where to start in my business. Do I knock on doors? Do I build a website? What on earth do I call myself? When do I jump on Social Media?To help me get started, I was lucky to meet Grant & Karen Dempsey who were starting 4Networking in Australia (Sydney to be exact). I was very lucky to get in with them as a volunteer and over time I now help manage the thriving business network across Sydney.More or less forged from fire, mistakes and of course lots of awesome wins - I get many people giving me money to teach them how to get the most out of business networking. But as you are of course reading my article, I am going to give you my own Top 10 X tips on the house. There are more of course and I hope these stimulate great thought and insight to help your own business networking experience:1) Work out your approach: What kind of business are you in? What do you do? Great to know this as much as you can before you hit the groups.2) Find a great group: If you Google "business networking" and your capital city, plenty of great options are bound to come up.3) Go and visit a few: Starting to visit a few groups is a really good move to find out where you fit in and where you don't. I visited quite a few who thought I sucked and some who loved me.


4) Realistic Expectations: We have done quite a bit of research to establish how long it takes for people to get business out of networking. This depends on a massive array of factors, however 80% of respondents (of 60+ responses) gave 3 - 6 months.5) Give First: You don't like being sold too and neither does anyone else. So give first through amazing advice and help.6) A tight pitch: Make sure you can summarize what you do in a strict 20 seconds so it makes perfect sense. No one likes being bored with your whole story!7) A great quality product: Make sure your product or service totally rocks and its top quality. People like that and it will help you get great word of mouth!8) Give Referrals: Succeeding in business is about helping people first - sure giving free tips and advice is great, but what about massive referrals? People love that.9) Meet, Like, Know and Trust: No one likes Buying or Selling to someone they don't like - so make friends first and business is the outcome.10) Go all the time and meet people for coffee! Going several times a week and booking plenty of meetings each time is one great amazing strategy to pull this off. It's exactly what we recommend!I trust this fine guide and helped you and if you need a hand, you are welcome to contact me anytime and thank you awesome friends!

The 6 Essential Steps For A Productive Coffee Meeting

If you've been in the business world for any time at all, you've probably heard that you must network to build your business or career.Since you're eager to put sound advice into practice, you find out when the next event is held, grab a stack of business cards, and you arrive ready to make those all important connections.After a couple of hours, you've shaken hands and briefly spoken to 15 - 50 people. When you get back to your office, you have your stack of newly acquired cards in front of you. You can now do one of three things -

Put the cards away so that they can gather dust over the next year or two

Do some "busy work" by entering the contact information into your database of choice and wait for the incoming phone calls and e-mails you're sure to get

Do the real work of not only adding your contacts into your database (and any applicable notes that you took during your initial contact), but also meeting with your new contacts to see how you can start to build a long term business relationship.
Surprisingly, you're among the minority if you chose the option of doing the "real" work of building relationships. That puts you at the head of the class. One of the best ways to start this process is by having a one-on-one coffee meeting.As with any business meeting, there are steps you must take to avoid the trap of wasting your time (and $2.00 - $5.00, depending on your tastes) on "fluff"... talking about all kinds of stuff that have little, if anything, to do with your achieving your business or career goals.Here are six essential steps you must take to ensure that your meeting produces the results that you want; the building of a solid relationship -1. Sort your contacts by potential goal similaritiesThough everyone you meet could potentially lead to your next big sale, or to your ideal job, there's not enough time for you to meet each person individually in a reasonable amount of time. To make the best use of your time, you should concentrate on setting your initial meetings with those that cater to the same customer base that you're targeting, or for the job seeker, those that can put you in touch with a hiring manager in the company for which you'd like to work. This should be done after each networking event you attend.That doesn't mean that you should neglect your other contacts. You should stay in touch with them when they have special occasions in their life, such as anniversaries and birthdays. If you read an article of interest, or know of an event that they may want to attend, pass the information on to them.How would you get this information if you don't meet with them in person? Connect with them on the social media sites.2. Prepare your agenda Your agenda should allow for you to find common ground. You'll want to find out what their goals are for their business. Find out what special skills they have, and what they're especially proud of business-wise and personally. What organizations do they belong to that may be a good fit for your goals?You'll find that it should take approximately 30 minutes to go through this. You'll also find out that you will have discovered much more about your colleague than you know about most of your other contacts.Note - You may find that you're getting along famously with your partner. This is where most people lose control of the business part of the coffee meeting. To keep a great meeting from turning into a coffee klatch, I recommend timing your meeting. This will serve three purposes. First, it respects the schedule of the other person. Second, when a meeting goes well, it gives you a great reason to get together again to fill in details and see how you can either help grow their business, or help them solve their business' pain. Third, it allows you to have another in-person touch point. When it comes to networking and people's memories, it's much better to see someone multiple times than it is to see them for one long meeting.3. Invite your "A" list contacts to meet with you one-on-one


Once you have your contacts sorted, it's time for you take the initiative to set a meeting time. Along with finding a date and time to meet, be sure that your meeting partner gets a confirmation e-mail with the details, the planned duration of your meeting, and a copy of your agenda. This will help them to prepare their information for you so that you can get down to business.4. Have some coffee (or tea, or smoothie) This is where the fun continues. I've found that a quiet coffee shop or restaurant between the breakfast and lunch rushes works best. Since you're there to talk about your business or career ideas and goals, your location choice should be relatively quiet. The location you choose should be easy to locate for both of you. You'll also want to have tables that provide enough room for your beverages, as well as having space for note taking.5. Sort/refine your contacts againAs you go through this process, you'll find that your goals and interests match better with some people more than others. That means your meetings are producing the results you're looking for.For those that have similar goals and interests, you'll schedule times in the future to continue to build on what you've learned. For those that may not closely match your goals, move them to your list of contacts with whom you'll stay in touch. When they have special events in their lives and businesses, send them well wishes. Give them occasional updates about your progress on the projects you've discussed during your meeting.6. Stay in touchThere is no bigger failing for your networking activities than to let those that you've met fall by the wayside. This is especially true for those that took the time to meet with you one-on-one. Never forget that while they may not be an ideal match for you now, their businesses and lives will have changes that you may be able to complement. They'll also meet others that may be a better fit for you and since you've stayed in touch with them, they'll remember you when someone looks for your services and products.You'll notice that during this time, you're not to sell your product or service to your coffee mate. Few things are a bigger turn off than being sold something you don't want. Remember, the number one purpose of your meeting is to find common ground that you will build on over time.You may be asking yourself "Isn't this too rigid? Won't this turn people off?" The answer is that if you're meeting with the right people, those that understand what effective networking really involves, you will have new friends that will appreciate the structure. They'll see that you value their time. They'll see that you take your business or career seriously because of your preparation. They'll be impressed by how much information you've exchanged, and how you may be able to help each other to reach your respective goals.If you're like me, you have many contacts in other states, or other countries. You'll be happy to know that you can have a productive coffee meeting with those contacts, too, by using technology. All you need is a VoIP program like Skype, and an optional webcam and you're ready to build your network without geographical constraints. This is especially beneficial if you have long distance clients, or if you'd like to expand your business or career search to a distant area. It's also a great way to interview those you may want to collaborate with on a future product offering. For those looking for a new job or career, you can use this format to hold an information interview by modifying your script.Building business relationships are essential for those wishing to have success in our chosen careers. One of the best ways to get to know your contacts is by having an effective coffee meeting. With the right preparation, and working your plan, you'll be able to accelerate the business building process, and develop the relationships you'll need for long term success in any business pursuit.

Changing Economic Perspectives

When we live in the present we don't recognise change as it happens but when we look back years later we see a clear change has occurred. When I think of the music I listened to when I was in my teens and I compare that to the music we listen to now there is an obvious change that goes beyond evolutionary principles.Often it seems people get mixed up with what is meant by change (current) and evolution (historical). Change is something that happens to us and we see it happen. All be it not until we look back after months, years or decades and see the change that was made. Evolution is something that happens over what can be several thousand, million or indeed Billion years. The fact that we walk upright and our arms are no longer a second set of legs is a good example of evolution. Driving a vehicle to work instead of a horse is an example of change.Several decades ago the idea of a "Supermarket" wasn't even thought of let alone considered a possibility. People would simply go to the corner store and purchase their goods. If it wasn't in stock it would be ordered. Anything from farm machinery to a bag of sugar.Using the same example as above, change can again be seen happening now as more and more people are opting to order their groceries and household items online and have it delivered to their door. While Supermarkets still exist and will do for some time, the path to online ordering has begun. In fact it is well in to its tenth year in the mainstream. In Australia this can be seen with the leading players in the Supermarket duopoly Coles and Woolworths each offering home delivery services with online ordering.


Not surprisingly this concept of buying supermarket items and having them delivered to your door began with the Network Marketing Industry with companies like Amway laying the path for the future of home delivered household consumables.When economic crisis hits, industries begin to fail, people who had been employed in the same industry for many years all of a sudden find themselves out of work and often unemployable. One of the biggest reasons for this is failing to follow trends when they present themselves.Network Marketing has moved through several changes since it began in the early 1900's. It was initially simply a business model for distribution, then the Nutrition Industry started attracting attention and Network Marketing became the ideal distribution model. It was a consumable product, light weight for cheap postage, it attracted the Baby boomer demographic which was the largest single target market group of the Network Marketing Opportunity. And now the Network Marketing Industry is beginning to focus on the Home Shopping sector with renewed focus on health, organics and home based business.Suffice to say it is important to recognise new industry trends - preferably chasing them from the nose rather than the tail, be prepared to accept change and move on to new ways of doing things and don't be afraid to let goof the old in favour of the new.Network Marketing as a business system is still here while many other businesses and distribution models have collapsed and it is going to be here for many years to come.Its time to jump on board.

How Business Networking Can Help Launch Your Small Business From the Ground Up

What is key in any business success story is an adequate networking plan--a plan that can help launch your small business from the ground up.Generally, it is hard for a new business to become noticed, and even harder to gain your first few clients without any success stories to back up your claims. Your formal marketing plan should therefore project the right networking mix. The right networking mix is about being proactive-in a sense that you leverage your business and personal connections to bring you regular supply of new customers. The whole idea about business networking involves relationship building-and it must be strategic and focused on networking for business growth.Professional Network ServicesWith business networking, you step up to the challenge to find avenues of opportunity that you may have otherwise never discovered. You really do not want to start your business to fail due to the decisions that you the owner makes. In other words, for your enterprise to grow, you have to be prepared to work hard, make decisions, and spend money where it matters. For instance, you may consider using a few prominent networking organizations who have successfully created models of business networking activity. A few notable examples of professional network services include LinkedIn, Viadeo, XING, and WiseStep. Using these professional network services can, in fact, be most effective in terms of generating business opportunities than advertising or public relations efforts.Online business networking can also be a cost effective method of launching your small business. Businesses are today increasingly using social networks as a means of growing their circle of contacts and promoting themselves and their business online. And with the global expansion of businesses, social networks make it easier to keep in touch with other business contacts around the world.Small Business AwardsFurther, face-to-face networking through referral business clubs also have the potential for higher quality business relationships. There are also a vast majority of awards given to businesses locally, countrywide, and globally. The different type of these awards, such as, but not limited to, small business awards, innovation awards, new business awards, local and entrepreneurial awards, are a great way to project your business accomplishments to a wide range of community of prospects. For instance, for more than 50 years, National Small Business Week has recognized the outstanding achievements of America's small businesses for their contribution in their local communities and to the nation's economy. The range of National Small Business Week award categories include:


· Small Business Person of the Year Award· Small Business Exports of the Year Award· Small Business Development Centre Excellence and Innovation Award· Veterans Business Outreach Center Excellence in Service Award· Women's Business Center of Excellence AwardThe US Chamber of Commerce also hosts the Dream Big Small Business of the Year Awards Program sponsored by Sam's Club. The other National Small Business Awards you can win cash for, gain national recognition and valuable networking opportunities include:· The SCORE Awards· The American Business Awards· Inc. 500/5000 Awards· Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Women Awards· Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award· The Better Business Bureau Torch Awards for Marketplace Trust· The SVN Innovation AwardsApplying for some of these awards is crucial when it comes to recognition. Research is vital when trying to find awards you fit into. Researching far ahead of time and making a list is probably the best way to enter into as many awards as possible. Even though some awards have fees, enter any way, because the reward for your business would be huge. And when you get any awards, you get to put the award on your website and social sites as show of early accomplishments.