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

Interview with Josh Hinds on The Bigg Success Show

I just wanted to mention that I was a guest recently on The Bigg Success Show with Mary-Lynn Foster and George Krueger.

The topic was 3 Keys to Effective Networking -- I won't give away the "keys" I shared here, but I will tell you that one of them was ... drum roll please...

"Build your network before you need to your network"...

If you'd like to hear the show I appeared on (as well as learn the other two "keys to effective networking") you can do so here. While you're there be sure to have a listen to some of the other shows they've done. You're sure to find lots of great advice in each episode.

Btw. While the interview is audio, they do have a transcript of it as well, in case you find yourself where you're unable to listen right now. Enjoy!

Happy Networking!
-- Josh Hinds