Networking Tips - Introduce Your Customers to Each Other for Their Benefit By Josh Hinds

We hear the term "do business with those who do business with us" all the time. I think that's a statement worth considering.

You see, as it relates to networking look at the commonly accepted definition of networking which states: networking is simply developing mutually beneficial relationships with others -- be they personally, professionally, or a combination of both.

The idea makes sense if you really give it some thought...

If you believe in one of your vendors or service providers enough to use them, doesn't it also make sense that you should naturally be on the lookout to help them grow their respective businesses by referring them to other folks you know (i.e. those in your network, even among your own clients and customers) as the opportunity to do so arises? Sure it does.

Doesn't it also stand to reason that the vendors you use should want to make a point of doing the same for you? After all, doesn't your accountant, family physician, lawyer, or for that matter just about anyone you choose to honor by being their customer have a vested interest in your business also growing and becoming prosperous? I think so -- yet I'm constantly amazed by how many lost opportunities to do so go by the wayside because neither party has made a solid commitment to keeping the best interest in mind of the people they themselves do business with.

Allow me to share an example which should further illustrate the importance of what we're talking about...

Recently I was speaking to a friend who happens to run a local business in my area. He mentioned that he had a piece of commercial property, an office space that he was looking to rent.

He mentioned that up to this point the advertisement he placed for it in the local newspaper had resulted in a big fat goose egg in the number of leads (for those unfamiliar with the term it means it had produced none, as in zero results).

I really wasn't surprised that going that route hadn't yielded satisfactory results. However, I was surprised that he hadn't thought to tap his network (friends, colleagues, and associates he'd already forged some type of win, win relationship with) for help though.

We came up with a solution based on an idea which I'd heard about that had been used effectively, which I believed would yield similar results for my friend.

The solution we came up with was based on an example I'd heard about where a local attorney would always make a point of asking how he could help his clients (beyond the obvious things related to the service he offered).

He would go as far as playing the part of match maker between his clients for their own genuine benefit. He made a point of matching the needs of his clients -- by tapping the products and services which his existing clients had to offer.

While it is true that the intent in helping his clients was not for his direct benefit -- indirectly he was being rewarded by putting their needs first.

Here are several examples of how putting his clients first yielded positive returns:

1. he was viewed more favorably in the marketplace for having matched two of his clients together who needed what each had to offer, but likely wouldn't have connected on without the introduction from the clever attorney.

2. by placing a focus on improving the revenue of his clients he in turn increases the likelihood that both clients will grow and prosper, and in turn be around longer so that they can remain as his clients.

3. By becoming known as a person who helps his clients actually grow their businesses he develops a bond which if continually cultivated and taken care of will be virtually impossible for a competing attorney to take those clients away from him.

I could go on and on listing benefits and reasons for doing what I mentioned above, but I won't waist your time with that. Instead I'll assume that you get the point :-)

The point being that it's well worth developing the habit of positioning yourself as a person who truly has your clients best interest in mind. Yes, even to the point of matching your own clients with each other when it's truly to each parties genuine benefit for having done so. When you are the match maker, you're in the perfect position to connect your clients, as both parties obviously know like and trust you, otherwise they wouldn't do business with you in the first place.

Now back to the story of my friend, and what we decided would be the best plan of action in his situation...

I suggested he think about his vendors -- in particular those who would be the most likely to have clients which might have a need for what my friend was offering (in this case it was to rent an office space).

The answer came quickly in the form of his accountant, as well as the separate company he uses for book keeping services.

I suggested he ask both of his respective vendors (his accountant and bookkeeper) to ask their clients if they have a need for what he had to offer (after all, he was their client -- so wouldn't it be in their best interest to lookout for him? Of course it would. Not to mention his clients who wanted this need filled would be appreciative to him as well. HINT: That's what we call a win, win).

Needless to say I'm confident that if his vendors (i.e. book keeper or accountant) understand the value in "networking" the win, win way (i.e. going beyond their own self interests) there are going to be some exciting results which go way beyond the obvious one being that the property is rented. Here's what I mean...

My friend's happy because he is able to fill his need. The person who had the need which is filled is happy. And of course the accountant or bookkeeper (whichever happens to be the matchmaker in the deal) builds a tremendous amount of goodwill and "value" in the eyes of not only his own clients, but all the people who happen to hear the story about how their accountant or bookkeeper really has their best interest in mind to the point that they even help them increase revenues and fill needs beyond their core services.

Of course the really exciting results kick in if the particular vendor or service provider decides to go beyond simply doing this as a one time deal -- and instead adopts this as an ongoing way of doing business!

If you're not putting the ideas shared above into practice in your own life (personally or professionally) give some serious thought to starting now. The sooner you do the sooner you will begin to find yourself in a truly enviable place in the marketplace... at a point where it will be all but impossible for the competition to separate you from your current customers.

Happy Networking, Josh Hinds :-)


* Josh is available to speak on topics related to professional networking and becoming a person others look to do business with. Get details on having him speak to your group at www.GetMotivation.com/speaker/

(c) All rights reserved.

Henry Pellerin interview - sales training expert

Henry Pellerin is the co-author of the Strategic Selling Process and President of VantaEDGE(TM), inc. a company that specializes in developing custom sales training programs for companies and is also in the process of releasing a new program that provides training on demand and just in time training. Henry also offers a free report entitled: The Red Flag Report, which details the top 12 mistakes that lose sales.

I'm pleased to bring you Henry Pellerin...

Josh: How do you define Business Networking and why do you feel it's important?

Henry Pellerin: Business Networking is one of the first steps to building relationships.

Unfortunately most people I see at business networking functions, and even online, are trying to skip over the first few steps of relationship building and go directly into trying to sell their product or service.

So if we can agree that Business Networking is one of the first steps to building relationships, I would more specifically define it as meeting people to determine if there is a fit, common interest, or something that makes sense to go to the next step of the relationship building process.

What is interesting is you pretty much approach prospects the same way. Meaning, we don't just go up to a random person and ask for an order... right?

We first build some rapport, establish trust, then move onto uncovering needs, etc. before we even ask for an order.

The other aspect I will mention about Business Networking is at the end it is not who you know, it is who knows you.

Here is a great tip, when you leave a networking function ask yourself these two questions:

1. Did I establish some quality (quantity is not the key) contacts?

2. If they were asked who they met at the function,

a. would they remember me?
b. would they have reason to say something positive about me?

If you can answer yes (honestly) to those questions, that should give you an indication you are on the right track.

Josh: Can you share a few ideas that someone could put into practice that would help them to improve their business networking skills?

Henry Pellerin: I think first and foremost is to have the right attitude before attending. Having the right attitude is NOT:

1. Focusing on how many business cards you can collect.

2. How many "elevator" pitches you can give - fyi - most Business Networking functions are not held in an elevator.

3. You get the point.

The right attitude is planning to focus on how many quality conversations you can have? And focusing on the people you meet and not the person wearing your shoes. If you have the right attitude you will attract people, which is a lot more fun (and easier) than trying to chase people away.

If you follow these simple rules, people will ask you what you do and want to learn more about your business.

I guess it all boils down to focusing in on helping others. There is an old Zig Ziglar Quote, "if you help enough other people in life, you will be rewarded in return". That might not be the exact quote, but it was something like that.

This is so true, I just like to leave off the last part, about being rewarded or getting what you want in return - that whole reciprocity concept. The reason I like to leave that last part off is so many people have that as an expectation and get upset if they help someone out and that person does not do anything for them. Which is not the point of the concept, too many people are trying to keep score. So I really think it is best to focus on the front part, focusing on how many people you can help.

Josh: How important has networking been in your own professional life. Can you share a few examples where it has made a difference?

Henry Pellerin: Business networking is the life blood of my company. To this point 100% of our business has been through word of mouth. I read a statistic last week that 84% of all sales began through word of mouth. So Business Networking is essential.

Also, before starting my own company, the majority of my sales came from strategic alliances. I have two specific examples I would be happy to share. The first is with traditional Business Networking. The second is an example with social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.). I wanted to include this one because it took me a little while to grasp the concept and see the value.

Two years ago I donated my time to provide some free sales training for the members of our local Chamber of Commerce. I conducted these programs with a friend of mine once a month for an entire year. We did not charge for these programs, we did not have a goal that these would be lead generation programs, and we did not offer any products or services for sale during these programs. They were 100% focused on the members and jammed packed with valuable content.

Some might say that is really volunteering and not really a business networking function. I really disagree, something does not have to be labeled "a Networking Function" to be a networking function. In fact, for those that are looking to start networking I would recommend avoiding the status quo and look outside the box. There are lot of other places to network and quite frankly, they are typically a lot more productive and effective.

In any event, during this time (and still to this day) we would have sales managers call to thank us and then ask if we could customize a program for their teams, other organizations heard about the value we were providing and asked if they could hire us.

Besides creating a lot of business opportunity for me, it also really added to the credibility of my company, which has allowed us to do some pretty unique things. For example, we have had panels with purchasing managers from several large corporations and since these companies respect us and find us credible it makes it really easy to get people to participate.

In fact now people actually contact us. And honestly, we did not expect any of that because we were focused on putting together high quality programs for sales people and business owners.

When I was first invited to participate in social networking four years ago I avoided it, in fact truth be told I have only been networking online for about four months. Actually Josh, that is how we met, through a mutual friend that I met in a social media environment. That is a great example, but there is another I want to share.

When I first opened a Facebook account I made a connection with this person and noticed he had a membership site. Since I was planning to start a membership site I checked his out. He really has a great membership site. So I sent him an email to compliment him on his site and told him I was just beginning the process.

He replied back and said thanks for complimenting his site (and actually taking the time to really look at it in detail) and offered to help out or share his trials and tribulations with me. So we then talked on the phone. Well, long story short, that person was John Morgan, President and CEO of the internetfuse.com.

Since then we have become good friends. I am really excited for him because John and his wife Brooke are expecting their first child in October. In addition to having a great new friend, John offered to be my first affiliate. But, this did not all start out with any expectations, I did not contact John to try to be sneaking and "pretend" to care about him (I really was interested, and I really do like his site, etc.) and I did not beg him to be an affiliate, he offered.

The point being is this relationship began with me focusing on him and having a legitimate interest in him and his business.

Josh, I know we are nearing the end of this interview, but I did want to thank you for taking the time to put together such a great resource for everyone to learn from - great job and I am sure people visiting this site will change Business Networking as we know it today!


-Join the Conversation: Care to share your thoughts? Did you find anything particularly helpful or insightful? Let your voice be heard in the comments section below... Happy Networking, Josh Hinds :-)

*brought to you by BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com

Gail Sussman Miller interview - networking expert and coach

Gail Sussman Miller is a marketing obstacle buster for women solopreneurs. She coaches women to move past obstacles and get in action by shifting their mindset and leveraging their strengths rather than improve their weaknesses. She teaches women to operate from inspired choice rather than from obligation in business and in life.

Gail offers a free worksheet to enhance your networking. Get this tool to help you develop your 1-line, 3-line and longer "elevator speech" by focusing you on your WHO and WHAT at www.HowToLoveNetworking.com.

Josh: How do you define Business Networking and why do you feel it is important?

Gail Sussman Miller: For me business networking stems from simple human interaction for the sake of business. In a workshop I teach to small companies, associations and entrepreneurial groups, called How to Love Networking, I define networking as simply connecting with like-minded people for the greater good.

It is critical in business to build relationships, build a network or community, and have support for your goals. Especially for the solopreneurs I work with, it is so important to have resources to help avoid isolation, make connections, brainstorm ideas, and get the joy of helping others.

Being generous, genuinely compassionate, and helping others generates energy and creativity to fuel our own work and dreams.

Josh: Can you share one idea that someone could put into practice that would help them to improve their business networking skills?

Gail Sussman Miller: Whoa, just one? (smile) Let me share the nugget of a powerful reframing process I teach as a way to help those who don’t like networking. Typically there is discomfort that comes from not knowing how to start conversations, worrying that you are not interesting enough or good enough, the feeling that you are imposing or have to be pushy and extroverted to succeed. Sound familiar?

Ok, BNA readers. Try this out. For a moment, focus on something you love to do, like buying a new book to read. You start shopping with a little research based on your desired outcomes from this book. Then you decide the best store to shop in, walk over to the right section, and cock your head to the side and start skimming titles.

When a book catches your interest, you might skim the jacket and table of contents. All the while, you are filtering how this book makes you feel, how it fits your needs, and decide if you want to read more. Ultimately, you make some leap of faith that you are ready to make a purchase. This is a relatively simple, self-directed process that you’ve done many times with little or no fear, pressure or self-judgment.

NOW I want you to see how you can network the way you shop for a book! At times, you have many reasons for networking; getting new clients, speaking opportunities, a new job. Just as with the book, decide what need you want to focus on.

If you are looking for places to speak, for example, you’ll need to know who your target market is and what you do for them to fuel your topic. With that goal in mind, you choose the best networking environment in which to go "shopping" for speaking opportunities and people who can help you find them.

Now, let’s use our book shopping metaphor. Imagine walking into a room of people and skimming their titles, literally labeled on their name tags. You say "Hello" and skim their table of contents by finding out what you have in common.

As you talk, you learn the theme of their story. See how easy this can be! And it works. You get a feel for whether this is a person who fits your interests and your goals or if you can be of service to them.

As you talk to them and build rapport, you may ask if they belong to an organization that is looking for speakers. You may discover they can support another need in your life. You ask for their business card to "bookmark" to save your place to come back to this book and learn more later.

It can be that easy and free from worry and fear. Networking is all about browsing connections that feel right and building relationships for short- and long-term mutual benefit. I wrote an article on this reframing process for TCW that will take this idea deeper.

Josh: Can you share a personal "networking" success story with us?

Gail Sussman Miller: That’s a great question and even keeps us in our book shopping metaphor! All of life is a story. Well, networking is the primary marketing method that brings me speaking and training opportunities, introductions to prospects, and media placements. In my success story, one contact over the last 3-4 years has led to all of the above!

I was active on a Chicago women’s networking list serve and a woman emailed me offline based on my tagline about teaching women solopreneurs how to love and overcome marketing obstacles. She approached me to make me aware that her business might be a resource for my clients if they wanted to start a business by buying a franchise. I added her email to my distribution list.

The very next time I announced a "How to Love Networking" workshop, she called to say her company was looking to do a training session on networking skills at just that time. This led to my delivering a customized session for her business in 2004.

Over the next 3 years or so, this one relationship continued to bear fruit. This led to my being interviewed on a radio show co-hosted by my contact. Recently, after she appeared in a local newspaper article, I asked for an introduction to the reporter and now only a month later, he is doing a feature article on my "How to Love Speaking" spinoff workshop.

This relationship is nurtured by an occasional lunch or phone call or when a need arises for either of us. We do not have any forced follow-up schedule or obligations or "shoulds."

That is networking at its best. I operate using my natural style and personality, it’s based on making an authentic connection, is motivated by genuine compassion, and breathing room to allow outcomes that flow organically.

*Brought to you BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com.

**Josh Hinds, your host here at BusinessNetworkingAdvice speaks on topics including Business Networking -- get details on having him speak to your group.

Mari Smith interview - Relationship Marketing Expert

Mari Smith is a relationship marketing expert, trainer, and author of several e-books and e-courses.

Josh: How do you define Business Networking and why do you feel it is important?

Mari Smith: Businesspeople have been networking since the dawn of commerce. Business networking is quite simply the art of relationship-building. We reach out to connect with new people, seek commonalities to build rapport, and strive to nurture the relationship for mutual benefit.

What we're seeing now is a huge upsurge in online social networking platforms. And, we must keep in mind these platforms are designed to be social, first and foremost. So, where we might attend an in-person business networking function and expect to come away with strategic business contacts, with social networks we need to focus on building relationships first, and engaging in business second.

Both business networking and social networking are vital to the solo professional, small business owner, and entrepreneur. It all comes down to the saying, "It's not what you know, but who you know." And I like to add, "... more importantly, who knows you."

Josh: Can you share a few ideas that someone could put into practice that would help them to improve their business networking skills?

Mari Smith: Sure. I believe it's important to have a strategy before beginning to build out your business community through networking. You need to be clear on what it is you have to offer, what problem your products and services are the solution to.

Then, everywhere you go - whether online or offline - be yourself. Be genuine, seek to be interested vs. interesting as Stephen Covey says in his Seven Habits book. Look for ways to join an existing conversation and add value. Ask good questions. Read your friends' Facebook profiles. Follow them on Twitter. Get to know them. Reach out and connect and see how, just by being your authentic self, you can uplift people's spirits.

Also, there's a fine line between our personal and professional worlds, especially for solo-entrepreneurs. The more transparent you're willing to be, the more people will want to get to know, like and trust you -- which is one of the cornerstones of a successful business. On this topic, I recommend the book, Radically Transparent by Andy Beal.

Josh: Upon meeting someone new, inevitably the question of "what do you do?" comes up. What is the best way to go about communicating what one does, and how can they leave a positive impression when they explain what they do to others they've just met?

Mari Smith: To effectively answer the "What do you do?" question, it's important to have a clearly defined "tag line" or "30-second elevator speech." You might want to work with a coach or colleague to help you fine-tune your soundbite.

I recommend focusing on the result you help your clients create. E.g. instead of saying "I'm an Internet Marketing Consultant," you might say something like, "I help my clients implement online systems to increase their profits while freeing up more time."

Studies show we make up our minds about people within the first 3-5 seconds of meeting them. This applies whether we're connecting face-to-face or looking at someone's website, blog, Facebook profile, or other online presence. So, you definitely want to keep a close eye on these areas to maintain a quality professional presence.

Regarding leaving a positive impression, I typically look for ways to contribute to someone I want to connect with. Social networking sites like Facebook make this very easy to do. By first reading through their profile, you can find something of interest to comment on, a resource to recommend, a helpful tip, etc.

Josh: Based on your experiences, which places and activities (online or off-line) have you found best for meeting new people and expanding your business network?

Mari Smith: Facebook is my top pick. Twitter is a close second. I also have a presence on LinkedIn, Plaxo, a couple of Ning groups, and a slew of other similar sites -- but I spend the bulk of my networking time on Facebook and Twitter.

As for activities, I recommend being active consistently with valuable and relevant posts. There are so many possible touch points to reach our marketplace, as well as entrance points into our businesses; the key is to find the right mediums for your business and be visible in many places.

Josh: Mari, you're an expert on helping folks to get the most out of Facebook.com -- can you share some specific ideas that would be beneficial to people who want to use Facebook as a source for growing and expanding the quality of their professional network?

Mari Smith: Yes. First, I recommend already having a defined business plan, strategy, website, blog, etc. But, if someone is just starting out in business, they can always set up a Facebook profile and reach out to find the support they need via Facebook.

Then, register for a Facebook account at facebook.com. Set up your personal Profile. And, also create a Facebook Page for your business. It's important to note Facebook disallows duplicate accounts or accounts in any name other than your own personal one. So, you'll also want a Facebook Page. You can gather up to 5,000 friends on your personal Profile, but on your business Page you can have unlimited "Fans."

Next, populate your Profile and Page with instructive information about you and your business.

Now, you're ready to:

* Join Groups.
* Update your Status regularly.
* Use Posted Items to share useful links.
* Add brief comments to your friends' Walls, Notes, Posted Items, Photos and Videos.
* Write informational Notes and tag key Facebook friends.
* Write a blog and import your feed using Notes and/or one of the third party blog applications.

Josh: Do you see any common mistakes people tend to make when it comes to attempting to make business connections? If so, what are they and what corrections could they make in your opinion which would help them to be more effective in their approach towards networking?

Mari Smith: Absolutely. I see heavy-hitter internet marketers using pushy and aggressive tactics on the likes of Facebook and, in my opinion, it is actually counter-productive. These tactics include: adding your signature file on every wall post, uploading irrelevant content to groups you belong to for the purposes of pushing into your friends' News Feed, posting spammy comments, and just generally being "all about the numbers" as I put it.

I believe there are two types of marketers: numbers-based and heart-based. The numbers folks have tunnel vision for the dollars, list-size, group-size, conversion rates, etc. The heart-centered folks genuinely care about their marketplace and see their prospects as real people with real needs, wants and challenges. In fact, just by reading someone's Facebook profile, you can tell which marketing camp they belong to.

The good news is, we have the ability to "unfriend" someone on Facebook. It's essentially a spam-free zone, unlike our regular email systems where spam can be tough to control.

And, because Facebook hyperlinks to your personal Profile *anytime* you take any action anywhere on Facebook -- whether writing on walls, posting items, comments, etc. -- whenever someone likes your vibe and likes what you're saying, with one click, they can read all about you on your profile. I like to think of Facebook profiles as a business card, brochure, website, blog, photo album, storefront and more -- all rolled into one page.

Josh: Can you share a personal "networking" success story with us?

Mari Smith: It's hard for me to pick just one! I've set up two new blogs since I joined Facebook in July '07 and 90% of the traffic and subscribers comes from my activities on Facebook and Twitter alone.

I teach a free introductory Facebook course on Podclass.com and currently have over 800 students and I just launched a paid course, Facebook for Professionals, with well over 100 students.

I've increased my hourly consulting rate by 50% and I predict my income will at least triple this year as a direct result of the relationships I've built using social networking tools. All this while living a completely mobile lifestyle, traveling the US in a big motorhome with my husband!

*brought to you by BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com

Colleen Wainwright interview - writer- designer-consultant, the communicatrix

Colleen Wainwright is a writer-designer-consultant who started calling herself "the communicatrix" when she hit three hyphens. After spending almost two decades acquiring ninja skillz in some dubious fields of communication, she now uses her powers for good and not evil by sharing her knowledge wherever she can, including her free, monthly newsletter, "communicatrix | focuses," which she hopes you'll consider signing up for!

Josh: How do you define Business Networking and why do you feel it is important?

Colleen Wainwright: Gaaaah! Those words! So scary and off-putting, especially when capitalized!

At some point in the past couple of years, I remember stumbling across the definition of "networking" that finally de-toxified it for me: Networking is meeting people. That's it.

Given that as a basis, I'd say "business networking" is just "meeting people in a business setting" and/or "meeting people for business purposes." Neither of which is wrong or bad. But I think the most effective kind of meeting people is just to meet them with a strong sense of who you are and what you have to offer the world, and when you do meet them, to not see them dressed up as big, tasty, potential clients, but as people.

Basically, when you meet people, you are a walking ad or promotion for you. As wine guru/explosive social networking presence Gary Vaynerchuk pointed out recently in a terrific video, there's no separating the Business You from the Personal You anymore. You can't be a shark at work, a good guy in meatspace and a sh*t to your dog; the transparency of the Internet has removed places to hide.

As to why networking of any kind is important, no man is an island. We all need each other at some point: for work, for help, for companionship... you name it.

Josh: Can you share an idea or two that someone could put into practice that would help them to improve their business networking skills?

Colleen Wainwright: Numbers 1, 2 & 3 on my list are probably "loosen up." Nothing turns me off faster than someone getting all car-salesman on me. Yes, it's good to have a 10-second statement and elevator speech and business cards, etc. But the main thing is to relax, take in and enjoy. Remember, you're meeting people, not selling to them.

Also, king of all networkers Chris Brogan has great tips on this. (You'll have to dig around on his site to find them, though, since by his own admission he's not the best at tagging and organizing his vast store of info.)

Josh: One of the catch 22's in a typical networking environment is that people don't want to focus only on themselves and what they do, but at the same time, they do want to communicate what they do to the other person. With that being the case, in your opinion how can someone go about getting across what they do in the most effective manner?

Colleen Wainwright: Well, first off, I'd say "avoid typical networking environments." :-)

But if you can't, here are good things to remember (I'm constantly reminding myself, so I know whereof I speak).

1. Don't worry about turning the focus on you.

Chris Brogan (my hero) has never talked about himself with anyone I've seen him meet. The first time we met in person, we talked for an hour, and while I'm pretty sure he asked me about me, I'm positive he didn't talk about himself. Instead, he engaged me in lively, wonderful conversation. As a result, I did the legwork of finding out all about him. Now that is some high-level network-fu!

2. You don't have to meet everyone.

Part of why it gets so nuts is people are racing to collect the biggest stack of business cards possible. Why? So they can spend hours entering them into a database and never call them again?

Focus on one or two (or more, depending on time and your energy/abilities) quality conversations. I'm still doing business with the people I did that with. And it's fun business!

3. Be your business.

No matter what you're selling, what you're really selling is (a), yourself and (b) how you will serve me in whatever it is you do. If you are polite, attentive, interesting, charming, etc., I'm probably going to look for ways to find out what you do, and how to either work with you or help you.

My friend, writer Dave Greten, has a great story about how this attitude basically changed his life and started him out on the career path he's still on today.

Josh: How do you generally engage a person in conversation upon first meeting them? I realize this is a bit of an open ended question, so let's assume it's someone you've just met in a semi-professional setting such as at an event, or local Chamber of Commerce type of meeting.

Colleen Wainwright: As you say, there's no one way. But I try to be in the moment, and work off something that's actually happening. Sometimes, the person will be wearing a suit or shoes or something that's really cool I can comment on. Sometimes you can talk about the food (a great thing is meeting people in the food line) or the speaker or even the traffic (lame, but this is L.A. and it's a legitimate topic here.)

The greatest thing to do is some research before so you're not meeting them cold. Then you can say, "Oh, are you the so-and-so who..." or "I was checking out your website before the event and..." or whatever. Don't be creepy or stalker-y, though. If you can't toss that off naturally, then stick to the basics: "Hi, I'm/and you are?", etc.

Josh: How important has networking been in your own professional life. Can you share a few examples where it has made a difference?

Colleen Wainwright: Before I started designing full-time, I did it as a hobby for years. When I wanted to make the transition, I knew I'd have to have "real" clients: working for "fonts money" wasn't going to cut it.

So with the help of my mentor, Ilise Benun, I targeted certain places to begin meeting people (see me avoiding the "networking" word?) and also began practicing ways of introducing myself.

The results were extraordinary almost from the outset. I'm still doing subcontracting work for one presentation specialist I met during my first round of networking, and that first year, I picked up four or five clients just from attending events-clients I'm still either actively working for or in good touch with.

Possibly even more important is how much visibility my meeting people, both online and off, has given me. My web presence has grown astronomically since I went online and started blogging, contributing to the conversation on people's websites, Twittering, etc. Since my long-term goal is to write and speak for a living, raising my visibility and gathering a critical mass of fans is really, really important.

Sometimes, meeting people is a long game.

Josh: What is your favorite (preferred) business or social networking site? In your opinion what are the key features which are most valuable to you? What makes the resources you use most appealing to you, as opposed to the other online networking resources and sites that are available?

Colleen Wainwright: While I'm on most of the pure business networking sites so people can find me, I find I like the social networking sites the best. I'm over the moon about Twitter. While it takes a while to get used to, it's a great way to stay in touch, to discover new things and to improve your short game, writing-wise. It was indispensable at SXSW this year, where I was running around from here to there and so was everyone I wanted to meet up with. The "public IM" functionality of Twitter is unparalleled right now, I think.

Of the rest, I'd say I like StumbleUpon, Google Reader (shared items), Clipmarks, FriendFeed and yes, even del.icio.us, although it's been somewhat less useful since the advent of these other sites.

I am not a huge fan of MySpace, because it's so hideous and clunky, or Facebook, because it's a closed system. But I appreciate that many people are on them, and it's not a huge effort to throw up a page there (emphasis on "throw up"), so I did.

The most important thing to me, at this point, is signal-to-noise ratio: how much valuable info am I getting relative to crap, and how much can I control it. For me, Twitter has the tools, rudimentary as they are, for keeping things manageable. I just hope the spammers and gross self-promoters can be kept at bay, at least until someone comes up with an even better tool!

*brought you to by BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com

Sponsor: Josh Hinds -- your "host" of Business Networking Advice is an entrepreneur, speaker and author. Get details on having him appear at your next event, seminar, or company meeting.

Steve Harper interview - entrepreneur, speaker, author and business strategist

Steve Harper, often referred to as "Mr. Ripple" is a serial entrepreneur, professional speaker, business strategist and author of The Ripple Effect: Maximizing the Power of Relationships for Your Life and Business. You can Steve at www.ripplecentral.com.

Josh: How do you define Business Networking and why do you feel it is important?

Steve Harper: In my opinion a lot of people have the wrong idea about business networking. They think it all begins and ends with a snazzy business card and a creative "elevator pitch" about what they do and why the complete stranger they are just now meeting for the first time should give a rats you know what about it.

My definition of networking is different. I define it as connecting. Meeting people based on who they are and what they are about not what product or service they sell, represent of simply work for.

Though I agree networking is important, I believe people need to do it better and that means setting aside their professional agendas first to really connect with people as people first. In my opinion, if you do that, huge Ripples and often business will come back to you.

Josh: Can you share a few ideas that someone could put into practice that would help them to improve their business networking skills?

Steve Harper: Put away your business cards (at least at first). Ditch your snappy elevator spiel (forever). Come armed with some engaging questions that give you some insight into who the new people are you are meeting; don't default to the 'so what do you do?' kind of mind-numbing questions.

Allow people to see you for who you are as a person first and then it's easier for others to let their guard down and be more real with you... that's when the really good stuff starts to happen! Put on your HEARING ears and really hear what people tell you. Notice I didn't say listen. There is a difference!

Connect with the individual first before you try and attempt to learn about their business and whether or not they are a possible prospect. Remember, never judge a book by its cover. Although someone doesn't look like an ideal fit for what you have to offer, people always know people and this world is way smaller than most people think. So never burn a bridge.

Josh: For some people knowing where to go to network in the first place is a problem. Can you share some specific resources, events, or places that you have found helpful for meeting new people and growing your business network?

Steve Harper: Networking can happen anywhere and everywhere. Let's eliminate that word networking for a minute and replace it with my more preferred Ripple oriented word connecting. My best business connections have come from getting to know people in environments outside of what most people would define as "networking opportunities."

Whether it be connecting with other parents from your kid's sports teams, to people you meet out walking the mall to complete strangers who sit down next to you at Starbucks. It is my long-held belief that people are specifically put in our paths for a reason.

The problem is we are so myopic that we often miss those whom we are intended to meet. Pull your head out of that laptop or away from your Blackberry and look around. Make eye contact... smile. Start a conversation with someone, anyone. Start connecting with others and you will surprise yourself how easy it will become and just how many amazing connections you will make along the way.

Josh: Steve, you're the author of 'The Ripple Effect: Maximizing the Power of Relationships for Your Life and Business' -- can you give a brief overview of what it's about, and perhaps share an idea or two from it?

Steve Harper: My book is all about the power of understanding and appreciating the power of connection. Whether you are looking to build a better personal or professional network, you have to be willing to recognize and take action in order for something positive to take place.

People have lost their innate ability to connect (hence why we all go to networking events and network badly) and so if you are willing to take chance and set yourself apart from the rest of the herd, you can discover some amazing connections that will rise up to meet you. And the Ripples that come to your personal and professional life as a result of it will astound you.

Josh: Can you share a personal "networking" success story with us?

Steve Harper: A personal networking story? Hmmm there are so many that I would have a hard time coming up with just one. Not knowing how much space you have, let me just say that running my life with the Ripple Philosophy has brought more people into my life that I never would have had a chance to meet had I not taken a chance.

When I think back to how many different opportunities I have had that have blossomed into something amazing that so easily could have gone no where had I not taken a chance and said "Hello, I'm Steve, what's your name?" I never would have had the chance to start my first company at age 23.

I never would have landed one of the biggest accounts our company ever landed. I never would have sold my company for more money than I could have ever imagined. I never would have written a book... much less published it. I never would have had the opportunity to speak to tens of thousands of people a year. I never would have found what I was destined to do. I never would have become the Ripple Guy, Mr. Ripple or the Ripple Dude (amazing how many descriptions people have come up to describe me). The list goes on and on.

Is networking important? Sure it is. But connecting... really connecting is so much more important. When two people come together to connect as individuals first, anything, and I do mean, anything can happen!

*brought to you by BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com

Sponsor Message: Looking for a speaker to present at your next event, company meeting, or seminar? Learn more about Josh Hinds (your host here at Business Networking Advice).

Rex Hammock interview - founder & CEO of Hammock Inc.

I'm pleased to bring you the following interview with Rex Hammock, founder and CEO of the custom media firm, Hammock Inc. -- Rex blogs at rexblog.com. You may also recognize him from SmallBusiness.com.

Josh: How do you define Business Networking and why do you feel it is important?

Rex Hammock: First, thanks for asking me to participate in this Josh. How long have we known each other "online"? Almost ten years -- hard to believe.

Business networking is a little more focused and deliberate than the kinds of networking one does in other aspects of life. In other words, as I believe people should have well-rounded and balanced lives, I hope their "networking" is not just about building business relationships.

That said, business networking is all about creating work-related connections -- and understanding how those connections touch one-another. These connections provide us with the ability to better do our jobs by helping us find new clients or vendors, identify best practices or market intelligence, keeping us abreast of developments in our marketplaces, find new employees or partners, etc.

Before technology enabled visual representations of those networks of connections, it was hard for some people to understand the geometry of connections -- they would simply say, "He or she has a thick Rolodex." Now, with services like LinkedIn, one can see that "networks of connections" are not necessarily about the "thickness" of a rolodex, but the way in which we are probably closer to others than we knew we were. We all know lots of people who know lots of people. We just never knew who the intermediary was.

Josh: Can you share one or two ideas that someone could put into practice that would help them to improve their business networking skills?

Rex Hammock: As with any relationship, building a business network starts with "getting involved" and "giving back."

When I look back over three decades of business, I can tell you that my most valuable connections came from serving on trade association or civic-related committees or boards. I was fortunate (it seems odd to say) to start out knowing no-one in the city or industry I found myself in right out of college. As I knew no one, I joined a local business-oriented civic group and volunteered for a few committees.

The same is true for the trade association related to my industry. I was young and didn't know I could say "no" when someone asked me to serve on a committee. Looking back, any investment of my time in those extra-work activities have had a dramatic return-on-investment in terms of the people I met and got to work with.

That's sort of a broad statement, so here are a couple of specific ideas: Comment on people's blogs with helpful or insightful information. Help someone find a job. Write a recommendation on a contact's LinkedIn page. Call the person who will serve as next year's president of your trade association and volunteer for a specific committee.

Josh: What events, places, or resources (online or offline) have you found to be especially good for networking? And based on your experience what makes them stand out?

Rex Hammock: People often tell you about opportunities that have come from left-field -- meeting someone on a plane, for example. (That would never work for me as I fly with my head buried in an ebook.) However, I think those serendipitous encounters are exceptions.

I think the obvious networking strategies are obvious for a reason: they are tried and true and are, to use a sports analogy, lay-ups rather than half-court shots. Local Chamber of Commerce functions, trade-associations, civic-groups are what I've found to work best overtime.

Getting involved in community, school and church activities are things I greatly encourage for lots of reasons, but I discourage people from doing so for "business" reasons. That said, when you are involved in such activities, there are countless conversations that begin with the question, "So what do you do for a living?"

Online, I'm probably not a good role-model because I have some "professional" reasons for studying and participating in networking services. I would never encourage people to register on everything I'm registered as I'm registered everywhere.

Right now, I think LinkedIn, Plaxo and the identity-management related features of FaceBook are worth spending time with -- I keep up with them. However, there are other professions that have specialized networks and forums that would be required if I worked in those areas.

The geometry of online networks are fascinating, however there's a common sense foundation to them that most business people understand: You want to be where your customers are. If you like Plaxo but all your customers are using LinkedIn, well, use LinkedIn.

My "identity" online, however, is not with any one service. My professional identity online is my business-oriented website, Rexblog.com, and my company's website, Hammock.com. Even though I "host" SmallBusiness.com and you can probably find a lot about me there, I don't consider my userpage there my "identity." However, it will lead you to me.

All of the online activities related to business that I may participate in online (be they commenting on blogs, participating in forums, editing a wiki, posting something on Flickr or YouTube) are anchored back to those two anchors of my identity online.

Josh: Can you share a personal "networking" success story with us?

Rex Hammock: I can say that pretty much any success I've had professionally has come as a result of networking. There is a story that accompanies every client I have that begins with, "I met a person several years ago when we were on a panel together and she later ran into someone who explained that she needed a company to provide such-and-such a service -- did they know someone who did that?"

It's hard for even me to believe, but my company has a rather significant portion of its revenue that can be attributed to contacts I have made from blogging about my industry. I find it hard to believe because I rarely blog about my company.

*brought to you by BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com