Interview with Jen Blackert - Marketing Coach

Jen Blackert spent 13 years in corporate America holding executive marketing and internet marketing positions at large corporations, such as DELL Computers, Emerson Process Management and SIEMENS Medical, in the areas of marketing, advertising, branding, program management and web development.

After leaving the corporate grind she launched a successful online-on-the-phone coaching business. She now focuses her efforts on working with small business owners and providing them with step-by-step tools and marketing automation systems that helps them attract clients - and grow their businesses to extraordinary levels.

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

Jen Blackert: The simple answer is... making business connections and relationships. Making connections is so important because we only buy from people or companies we trust.

Think about where you made your last purchase. Now, whether it was dog food from the local grocery store or a sushi dinner from a fine restaurant, you wouldn't have bought these items from a place your didn't trust. Right?

Position your brand as a trusted brand. It's that easy.

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

Jen Blackert: Stop leading with the question, "So, what do you do?". Start asking other questions about who they are and make relationships instead of annoying people by trying to 'sell' to them.

Josh: How do you encourage referrals from your network?

Jen Blackert: I encourage referrals 3 ways:

1) I ask for them.

2) I offer affiliate relationships. These relationships actually get some sort of compensation for each referral.

3) I personally only recommend the best referrals to my business connections. I know my referral will deliver elite products and services. I believe you have to give to receive in abundance.

-You can visit Jen Blackert at www.jenblackert.com.

Tom Kane interview - Principal of Kane Consulting, Inc.

Tom Kane, a former practicing attorney, is the principal of Kane Consulting, Inc., a legal marketing consulting firm.

Prior to re-establishing a consulting practice in 2003, Tom served for over 17 years as an in-house marketer for several firms and as a consultant to the legal industry. His last in-house position was as chief marketing officer for a 450-lawyer firm based in Philadelphia, where he had a staff of 12 and was responsible for the firm's marketing efforts in its 12 offices.

It is my sincere pleasure to bring you Mr. Tom Kane...

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

Tom Kane: Networking can be defined simply as meeting as many people as you can who can introduce you to as many people as they can. Professional marketing is about building relationships, and relationships come about, to borrow from the real estate industry, through contact, contact, contact.

It is important to build and enhance one's client base in order to survive in the long run. Networking is just one of the tools to accomplish that.

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

Tom Kane: Yes, listen more than you talk. When meeting someone, you should listen at least 50% of the time, better still 80%. Particularly at your first meeting, make that encounter more about the other person than about yourself.

First, they are more likely to remember you, because you listened to them. Psychologists tell us that the person who talks the most is the one that is more likely to consider the meeting a success. So, if you want the person to remember you, and hopefully refer others to your business, learn as much as possible about them by asking intelligent questions that keep them talking.

Secondly, you already know everything there is to know about yourself. So, why waste time talking about you. Since you probably know nothing about the person you just met, or their universe - which may just be chock full of potential names and opportunities for your business - spend the time advancing your horizons by listening to them.

Josh: How do you follow up with the people you meet? Do you have any particular system in place for keeping up with and managing the relationships in your business network?

Tom Kane: I don't have any set process for following up with people I meet. It all depends on the conversation that took place, and whether I think a follow-up is likely to grow my network and/or my business. Then, I follow in any number of ways depending again on circumstances.

Some of the obvious ways include: sending follow-up note after your meeting; arranging follow-up meetings, whether over breakfast, lunch or not; maintaining telephone and e-mail contact; inviting them to civic, cultural, sporting events; sending information (newspaper clipping, journal article, etc.) of likely interest to that person; inviting to firm events (parties, seminars, etc.), and the list goes on. As a reminder, the main factor is contact, contact... you get the point.

-You can visit Tom Kane at LegalMarketingBlog.com.

Interview with Sue Pelletier of Association Meetings magazine

Sue Pelletier is editor of Association Meetings magazine, and has worked on several other of The Meetings Group magazines and Web sites since she joined Prism Business Media in 1998. Sue previously wrote for and edited several national and international trade magazines and newsletters for the environmental industry. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder, she also helped to plan a technical trade conference and exposition and several smaller meetings for the environmental industry before deciding to stick with what she does best.

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

Sue Pelletier: No offense intended, but I really dislike the word "networking" as applied to humans. Let's leave the networking to computers and build some relationships instead. Too much of what we think of as business networking really is just prospecting and, while prospecting has its place, it doesn't develop a level of trust and human connection that I believe is becoming more and more essential to doing business in this Web 2.0 world.

So to me, it's all about finding people who have a need you can fulfill. Whether or not it will ever pay off for you personally, you do what you can for that person. By meeting that need without a "what's in it for me" mindset, you create a relationship with that person, and, by extension, with the people s/he knows.

Maybe I'm just naïve, but when you do something good for another person, it does get paid forward and, eventually, come back around to you, often in a totally unexpected yet truly meaningful way.

So, I guess I'd define it kind of sideways to how we usually think of networking: as trying to find ways to benefit others we meet, rather than than meeting others with the thought that they can benefit us in some way.

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

Sue Pelletier: Use the online tools that are available these days, including LinkedIn, MySpace, and the gazillion interactive Web sites and blogs out there where you can share your expertise.

Does your industry have any listservs? Join up and answer questions in your area of interest. I have made so many connections in so many unlikely places--all I can say is get out there and share what you know in a thoughtful, respectful, non-commercial way.

Josh: How do you follow up with the people you meet? Do you have any particular system in place for keeping up with and managing the relationships in your business network?

Sue Pelletier: I try to follow up immediately, and give them something useful along the lines of whatever it is we talked about. Or at least bring another thread into the conversation, or mention someone who they might want to get in touch with.

The only semi-organized thing I do is to write down whatever we talked about on their business card, so I remember to follow up. My system is mainly serendipity, but you'd be surprised at just how well it works!

-You can visit Sue at Association Meetings magazine.

Rajesh Setty interview - Entrepreneur, Author and Teacher

Rajesh Setty currently serves as the president of Foresight Plus, LLC., Foresight Plus partners with businesses and individuals to provide them an unfair and sustainable competitive advantage.

As an entrepreneur, he is involved in several businesses in some combination of investor, board member and/or an operating executive. The companies that he is involved include but not limited to Suggestica, iPolipo, Compassites and CIGNEX.

As an author, he has written and published several books, his latest book "Beyond Code" (foreword by Tom Peters) was published in late 2005. He is a sought after speaker in conferences and within companies on topics that include but not limited to Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Distinguishing Yourself and Open Source.

Note: While there are a number of excellent ideas shared in the following interview, pay special attention to the point Rajesh makes about building long-term relationships. In my humble opinion that one piece of advice is priceless.

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

Rajesh Setty: It seems like Business Networking refers to connecting with other people to create mutual business benefits. While there is nothing wrong with that, personally for me, it's all about building long-term relationships.

A long-term relationship is one of the biggest competitive advantages you can get just because of the sheer fact that long-term relationships take a long time to build.

Most people focus on who should they connect to so that they can get some short-term benefits. That might work but it will work for a short time only. There is hardly any leverage in that approach.

Building long-term relationships is hard work but the rewards associated with it make it all worth it.

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

Rajesh Setty: Of course, I would be happy to. Here are few things to consider:

1. Building a strong identity: Most people think about strategies and tactics to get close to people that are powerful while conveniently forgetting that by continuously investing in themselves (to build a strong identity in the marketplace) they can "become" that someone that others crave to get close to.

2. Stop making requests and start creating opportunities: One of the other mistakes people do is that they think - once they get to know other people, they can make some requests off of them. It may be true. But you should always remember that if you make an unreasonable number of requests or you stretch this in any other way, you become a liability to that person. You never want to be a liability for anyone.

What could you do instead? For one, you can start creating opportunities for everyone in your relationships. If you say that's hard work, I will agree without any hesitation :-) However, once you start thinking in this fashion, there is no looking back for you. Think about this for a second. Imagine, in your own life if there was someone who was always looking at creating opportunities for you, wouldn't want to get close to them? Or, better yet - wouldn't you want to do something good back to them?

3. Connect people and disengage: No relationship is exclusive. If you know that amongst your relationships, two people should meet so that they can benefit mutually, take the initiative and connect both of them and disengage.

Remember, that you are not brokering the deal but merely connecting and disengaging. How will this benefit you? Well, for one, the more people you connect, the more connections will flow your way which is a good thing in itself.

Josh: How do you follow up with the people you meet? Do you have any particular system in place for keeping up and managing the relationships in your business network?

Rajesh Setty: It all starts with attitude. In simple terms, if you want to build a relationship with another person, you have to care for what the other person cares deeply about. Not pretending but genuinely caring. Any tactics that minus the caring will not be very effective. In fact, powerful people can and will see through any of your tactics.

Frequency of contact is important but what's more important is the relevance. If you are just connecting for the sake of keeping in touch with them, you are being a liability for the other person. Everyone is busy and if you are not relevant to them, they will quickly demonstrate an attention deficit disorder and waste your time as well.

I don't have a well-defined system or software for this purpose. However, I can share a practice that has served me well. Whenever someone is speaking, I observe and watch out for three things - what are they very good at (their expertise), what do they care about and what projects they are working on. Once I know this, I am looking to see if I can connect them with some other person in my network for mutual benefit. In most cases, I WILL make some connections and watch how that relationship blossoms. If both parties benefit from that connection, I have done my job. If not, I try to learn what went wrong and refine the process a bit further to get better at it.

-You can visit Rajesh Setty at http://blog.lifebeyondcode.com.

Interview with Peter T. Brown - Entrepreneur and Software Engineer

Peter T. Brown is a software engineer and an entrepreneur. His latest project is 'RealityAllStarz', a site where you can challenge yourself and your friends to do interesting and unique things. You can write your own challenges or check out what other people are doing. You upload photos or video "proving" you’ve completed a particular challenge and your friends as well as the entire community can review your work and rate how well you’ve done.

If you'd like to learn more about Peter's other projects you can do so here .

Now, without further ado, here's Peter...

Josh: Peter, how do you define Business Networking and why do you feel it is important?

Peter T. Brown: I define business networking as investing in relationships now, and nurturing those investments -- so that in the future they can pay big dividends!

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

Peter T. Brown: I'd say don't freak out when you meet someone you assume is really important. There is nothing more off-putting than people who try too hard to impress.

At the same time, you need to always be providing value to others. A strategy that's worked well for me is to follow up on conversations with meaningful thoughts and especially links to things online that I've found useful and relevant to what we may have been talking about.

Josh: Can you share some of the ways you use the Internet for business networking?

Peter T. Brown: When I meet someone that interests me, I'll try to learn more about them online -- and this can feed back into my previous suggestion.

Going the other way, I've found that I get better responses from folks when I have taken care to showcase myself online. I have a blog with links to pages that talk about many of the projects I've done (like RealityAllStarz), how I did them and why. My resume is there and of course a few posts a month about what I'm doing, reading and interested in.

When you're personal site is clever, clean, well designed -- when you have a solid brand for yourself -- people think more highly of you, even if they've only met you once!

-You can visit Peter T. Brown at blogsicle.net.

*brought to you by BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com.

Interview with Danielle Rodgers - Entrepreneur and Communications Consultant

Danielle is a fledgling entrepreneur who is sharing her journey as a contributor on the blog SmallBusinessBranding.com. Her business venture, launched in June 2006, offers a new concept in dating by helping single men and women to connect through conversation, humour and playful banter using her board game. Prior to this adventure she was self-employed as a consultant helping companies to communicate more effectively with their staff.

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

Danielle Rodgers: In essence Business Networking is about going out on to the dance floor as opposed to hugging the walls hoping someone will approach you. I would define it as taking a proactive approach to engaging with the wider business community. It's important because in business anonymity is your enemy.

Networking is akin to building a reservoir as opposed to relying on intermittent rainfall. It also broadens your playing field in the way that traveling broadens your mind.

Business Networking is more than a tool to grow your business, it's an essential part of the framework. Without it your chances of survival are slim to say the least. And if it's done haphazardly it will seriously inhibit your growth.

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

Danielle Rodgers: Networking is all about connecting with people. Which is a bit like saying business is about making money. The difficulty is always in the "how". Here's a few ideas on how to make memorable connections:

* Use wit. They say that a laugh is the shortest distance between two people. And people like people who make them laugh. So remember to lighten up and throw in a funny remark every now and then. Besides, "fun" turns the brain on... you'll both enjoy it more and they'll remember you.

Note: In a business setting if someone is continually cracking jokes it can mean that you're boring them. (Or they're practicing to be a standup comedian.) If this happens, just stop talking, laugh with them and then give them the floor for a while. The ability to be entertaining is probably one of the most valuable skills you can have in your repertoire. Unfortunately, it's also one of the most difficult.

* Improve your communication and conversational skills:

Many competent business professionals feel uncomfortable in a networking environment. Perhaps because it can feel "forced" or "fake". It certainly can be daunting and requires good social skills. Some people try to compensate with an aggressive presence which is really not appealing.

For those who feel a bit uncomfortable, or are lacking in confidence, I recommend joining a group designed to help you become a better and more confident communicator, such as Toastmasters. Or any other group where you can learn and practice your communication skills in a supportive environment.

Read a variety of books on how to become a better communicator. Practice what you've read. Go out of your way to create conversations with people - anyone and everyone - and use the techniques that you've read about.

* Be friendly and be interested.

They say that any subject becomes more interesting to you when you know something about it. This extends to people, so ask questions. Open with the more obvious "ice breaker" questions then move away from them and into the more "left field" type questions. Left field questions say, "I'm interested in you", and are the ones that will bear the most fruit. Be curious without being nosy; you'll be surprised at what you uncover. Asking questions that show you're interested in learning more about who they are is where connections begin. For you and for them.

* Be yourself. Do you.

Josh: How do you follow up with the people you meet? Do you have any particular system in place for keeping up with and managing the relationships in your business network?

Danielle Rodgers: I'm not a gung-ho networker, so I follow up with people only if I feel that we connected in some way. That's really my main criteria. And when I follow up I continue the "conversation" in order to start building a relationship with them. That can be anything from a tidbit of information that may interest them to a seminar/blog/event (insert whatever's relevant) that may be of interest. It may also be of a personal nature. As in, here's the name of that shop I was telling you about... I prefer to reach out to them as a person (which is what I like people to do with me) than to use the "sales approach" i.e., Hi, We met the other day at such and such (WHAM)... here's the info for my next session (BAM)... book now and bring your friends! (THANK YOU MAM)
A friendly "hello, I was thinking of you" has far more impact.

I usually only stay in touch when I think it's genuinely relevant (such as if I've come across something I think may interest them), or if I have something specific I want to approach them about. And also at appropriate times such as Christmas.

I enter the people I've met into my database and usually categorise them as "primary" or secondary. This denotes my "connection" with them, not what they do. My secondary contacts are people who just spray business cards at you. In the business scheme of things, my secondary contacts are 'acquaintances'. Primary contacts are 'friends'.

-You can visit Danielle Rodgers at www.closeconnexion.com.au.

Interview with Valeria Maltoni of ConversationAgent.com

Valeria Maltoni is the author of business blog ConversationAgent.com, where she connects ideas and people on marketing, communications, execution, and trends. She believes that the new marketplace is the conversation. By day, she is a communications and marketing expert and manages global communications and marketing in corporate America, where she has built corporate brand equity in 5 industries; launched new products/services and rescued old brands; managed image and reputation; and designed business conversations that produce results.

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

Valeria Maltoni: I view networking as an outcome of all the different activities we humans engage in as social creatures to construct our reality, evolve and satisfy our curiosity.

The business component is how we express our skills and talents, a demonstration of which is our work. It's about relationships, the net we weave between the people we meet and connect with and ourselves, where we're not necessarily at the center.

This is very important to understand, as many will tell you that networking is about the give and take of relationships but will never specify that the point is the connection, not you. Of course, everything we do, especially in business, we do from self-interest. That is a given.

More than ever, technology has enabled the connection -- we are responsible for the connectedness part. Remaining in touch, taking care of the people individually, learning what they need, filtering information and sharing your resources without keeping score are some of the ways.

The other responsibility you have is to yourself: to be true to yourself and your values (some people call this authentic), to know what you need and be able to articulate that clearly in the marketplace so that others can in turn help you reach your goals.

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

Valeria Maltoni: Be action oriented. Take the initiative to help others. That is also the best way to stay in charge of your business results and let others see you at work.

Remember to separate yourself, the relationship part, from your needs and goals of the moment, the thing you are trying to achieve. That will make it easier to stay positive and energetic during your activities, stay soft on the relationships and hard on the issues, when needed. You'll be pleasantly surprised how this attitude will lead to success. And remember to stay in charge of the follow through - most people don't and this will be another way to set yourself apart.

Listen more than you talk. When you engage in a conversation, quiet the little voice in your head that wants to get to the 'what's in it for me' part or tries to think of a clever come back. Remember that people like the 'me, me, me' part, just like you do. You will be surprised by the amount of business intelligence you can gather when you join the conversation in real time and provide space for the other person to talk.

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

Valeria Maltoni: My first advice as you participate in all activities and groups is to find the connectors within those groups. These are the people Malcolm Gladwell talks about in The Tipping Point. They not only know many people, they also know what these people are passionate about. Learn from them. Connectors are the gurus of business networking. Sometimes you are lucky and a connector becomes your mentor. Treasure that relationship; it will take you places.

Your alumni association and volunteer organizations both attract people who wish to remain active in the community and who are generous with their time, which is what you'd be asking them to set aside to talk with you.

Some other forums that come to mind are professional association events, chambers of commerce, advisory boards for the arts, business schools and charities. Your current place of work is another great place, and right in front of you - I am amazed at how many discount this, your colleagues should be part of your network!

Fast Company magazine readers' network is an excellent source since the professionals who are members learned about it mainly through word of mouth. A grassroots network is already embedded in the group. This global network is active in many of the major US cities. The Philadelphia chapter, which I've been developing and leading for over 6 years, counts more than 450 diverse business professionals.

Members are people who work in corporate America, entrepreneurs, consultants, and free agents from any line of business you can think of. Our monthly events provide a platform to meet like-minded people by offering timely and topical business content in a problem-solving format. You may learn more about it at www.fastcompany.com/cof. We recently launched two subgroups: one for people in career transition in partnership with ASTD (American Society for training and Development), and one for taking new ideas to market.

Other hidden gems are Toastmasters.org and eVite.com. For the geeks among us, in addition to LinkedIn and Ryze, there are many online tools to complement your networking experience: Orkut.com, Knowmentum.com, Entremate.com, which connects entrepreneurs, Hi5.com, Friesdster.com, Tribe.net and Zerodegrees.com. You can also create and join a community of sharing at Yahoo Groups, Google Groups, and Meetup.

Remember that these resources complement your other activities; they do not replace them.

-- You can visit Valeria Maltoni at ConversationAgent.com.

*brought to you by BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com

Interview with Dwayne Melancon of GenuineCuriosity.com

Dwayne Melancon is the author of Genuine Curiosity, where he shares his thoughts on business, technology, travel, self improvement, and personal productivity topics. By day, he is an IT process expert and VP of Corporate Development at Tripwire, Inc. where he builds productive and successful relationships between his company and others.

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

Dwayne Melancon: Business Networking to me means two things. First, it's about using the resources available to you to find people who can help you achieve your business goals, and advance your cause. Second, it's about becoming a better resource to others.

You can think about it like a power grid - once you're plugged into the grid, sometimes you consume more than you make and other times you have more than you need so you give some back to others. That balance is important - if all you do is "take" from the network, you'll significantly limit your own success, and devalue the network.

Business Networking is important because the landscape of business is becoming more fluid, and our use of technology has made the "connectedness" of business a strategic lever.

Business is really about people and relationships, so it makes sense that business can be a huge beneficiary. It's easier than ever in human history to connect to huge communities of people.

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

Dwayne Melancon: My "one idea" is really a bundle of tips about how to approach people for the first time.

First, don't be shy about reaching out to others and asking them for help. This was a hard thing for me to learn because I didn't want to bother other people, and didn't want to feel the rejection if they said no. I've found that, if you share your goals and motives with other people, they often *want* to help and don't see it as a bother at all.

Do some research on the other person before you contact them so you can figure out what they might care about. This will help you create more of a win/win interaction because you can suggest areas where you might be able to help them.

If you get a "no", don't take it personally - this is where framing things in terms of your goals makes it easier. In that context, a "no" means they aren't in a position to help with your goal - not that they don't like you personally.

Finally, try to close the conversation in a way that allows future engagement. Ask if there is anything you can do to help with *their* goals, ask if they could direct you to anyone who might be able to help, etc.

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

Dwayne Melancon: Some obvious places to start are local professional groups that focus on your area of business or interest. Online networking communities like LinkedIn can help, but its highest value (to me, at least) is to find out who can introduce you to people you want to get to, or provide me with background information before I reach out to someone new.

You can also find good connections (and help people at the same time) through church and community service organizations - remember, just about everyone in these organizations has a day job, and many of them can help you find people in their own network that might help you.

Another resource is the plethora of blogs on the net. If you can find a community of blogs that share some of the same interests, business domains, etc. that you care about this can be a great place to get new ideas and meet new people.

-You can visit Dwayne Melancon at GenuineCuriosity.com.

Interview with Allison C. Shields of Legal Ease Consulting

Allison C. Shields, Esq., is President of Legal Ease Consulting, Inc., she provides leadership, management and practice development services for successful law firms.

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

Allison C. Shields: Business Networking is about building relationships. Although there can certainly be relationships between businesses, at their core, all relationships are about people. So business networking is about connecting with people.

There seems to be a misconception out there that networking is about just meeting or making contact with as many people as possible. But real connections and solid business relationships are formed over time, once people have gotten to know and trust one another; once they’ve developed a bond or a feeling of kinship.

With all of the activity on the internet, some networking can be done virtually, and this kind of ‘virtual networking’ can be very effective. Emails, participation in internet groups, websites, forums and especially blogs, are virtual networks that are built upon every day. They can help you establish your credibility.

But more importantly, the more information that’s disseminated about you, the more information you give away, the more that people hear or read what you have to say, the better they know you. Speaking and writing articles offline can also increase your networking effectiveness.

The best way to make those all-important connections is to be yourself, and to be true to your own beliefs and business aspirations. Often, the best networking opportunities come when you’re not thinking about ‘networking,’ per se, but when you’re doing what you love doing, what you’re passionate about, or when you’re using your unique gifts and talents to help others.

The best connections are made when you’re fully engaged with those around you. Regardless of what business you’re in, you’ll make better, more authentic connections by participating in activities or groups that you genuinely care about. Usually when you’re involved in something you care about, you’re naturally at your best, your enthusiasm shows, and the shared sense of purpose increases the bond.

Making connections with others is the foundation of good business and of providing a great client experience. Without a connection, clients are less likely to be loyal, and others will be less likely to refer business to you. People stay with and recommend people with whom they’ve developed a connection and had a good experience. If there’s no connection, there’s nothing to keep people with you.

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

Allison C. Shields: A good way to improve your business networking skills is to place your focus on the external, rather than the internal. In other words, focus on the other person, rather than focusing on yourself. Many people put unnecessary pressure on themselves when they’re ‘networking,’ worrying about the ‘right’ things to say and focusing on trying to get business.

But placing the focus on the other person, asking questions and being genuinely curious is bound to create a better connection. Not only will you learn more concrete information about the other person which will potentially allow you to help that person, but that person is more likely to begin to trust you. And since everyone likes to talk about themselves, you’ll look like a great conversationalist when you ask questions and genuinely listen to the answers. Giving is the best, most effective and most rewarding networking strategy of all, and it takes many forms, but it begins with listening and focusing on others.

Remember that networking is about quality, not quantity - it’s the quality of the connections you make, not the number of people you meet, that will create success. Keep your contacts diverse - instead of focusing on the same groups or types of people, network with a diverse group of contacts.

If your goal is to extend your reach, networking with the same group of people all of the time is counter-productive. In addition to broadening your horizons, diversifying your contacts will expose you to lots of different ideas and points of view. Borrowing ideas and insights from other industries is a very effective means of innovating, creating a fantastic business experience for your clients and creating a successful business.

One of the cardinal rules of good networking is follow up. Don’t wait for the other person to contact you - send a brief email, or even better, a short hand-written note. Clip an article they might find of interest. Contact them outside of the business or networking event circuit and meet them for coffee or come to their office to learn more about their business, and to find out how you can help them make connections.

Networking isn’t just about making new connections and forging new relationships. It’s also about maintaining your existing relationships and creating a better and better experience for your clients. That means you’ve got to keep networking, keep giving, keep helping, and keep focusing on your existing contacts, not just focusing on new contacts or prospects.

Josh: How do you keep track of your networking contacts? Do you have any particular system in place for managing your business networking relationships?

Allison C. Shields: I keep track of my networking contacts by entering them immediately after an event into my contact database. There are lots of different systems you can use, whether paper-based or computer based, but you’ve got to have a system. And that system should include not only the business contact information that appears on the other person’s business card, but should also include other tidbits of information - whether personal or professional - that you pick up along the way. Keep track of where and when you meet someone, along with a brief note about what you discussed. This will also make it easier to remember them later. Don’t wait until the business cards pile up or you’ll quickly realize that you’ve already forgotten some of those people whose cards you’ve collected.

-You can visit Allison C. Shields at LawyerMeltdown.com or her blog at LegalEaseConsulting.com.

Archives of All Business Networking Interviews added

Just a quick note to say that I've added a section to the site which includes all the past business networking interviews I've done. You can view it here if you'd like. In case you don't see it off hand on the site it's the link right above the search feature at the top of the page which reads "Business networking interviews" right next to the one that says "Networking Resources" and "Contact".

By the way there are well over 50 interviews listed there now, so if you're new to our community here you might enjoy having a look to see what you've missed.

--All the best & Happy Holidays, Josh Hinds :-)

Business Networking Interviews - November 2006

Here's our list of Business Networking Advice interviews from November 2006 ...

* Chris Warwick - Hoover's VP of Acquisition Marketing
* Dean Lindsay of The Progress Agents
* Heidi Miller - Corporate Presenter, Trade Show Narrator, and Presentation Specialist
* Thom Singer - Speaker and author
* Ron Sukenick - Consultant, Speaker, and Author
* Jeffery Anderson of FSB Associates
* Christine Clifford Beckwith - Keynote Speaker and Author
* Mike Murray - speaker, writer, and internet security professional
* Alexander Kjerulf - Speaker and Consultant

--To your networking success, Josh Hinds :-)