Mike McAllen interview - co-founder of Grass Shack Events & Media

Mike McAllen is one of the cofounders of Grass Shack Events & Media worldwide boutique production company based in the San Francisco Bay Area with offices in Honolulu and New York City.

Mike spent several years running the production department of the largest corporate production company in California before starting Grass Shack Events & Media.

Grass Shack concentrates on communicating clients messages through corporate events & meetings, videos, and new media. Grass Shack has been involved with Social Media initiatives for several clients via podcasting, setting up blogs and other technology based communication tools to further the communications of their clients.

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

Mike McAllen: The landscape of interactions has changed dramatically in the last few years. With the addition of technology based sites for networking it has only enhanced the face to face meet up opportunities for all businesses.

I feel business networking is the foundation of good sales and marketing. Most all sales are relationship driven so always expanding your network is essential.

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

Mike McAllen: I think picking an online business network and a face to face network and concentrating on getting the most out of them is the best practice. For example join LinkedIn and a couple of industry groups in Linkedin and really get involved. Same with a face to face group such as the American Marketing Association or what ever industry association that correlate to your business. And get involved! Volunteer to help.

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?

Mike McAllen: I built a blog/podcast called MeetingsPodcast.com which targets my companies industry this past year and have been joined by two industry friends. This site has been a great way for me to get involved with my community. We as a team have weekly roundtable podcasts and also weekly interviews with industry folks.

We also branch off and use Linkedin, Facebook, and twitter to enhance and find like minded people in our space. The Key features are to build relationships and help others in our business and to make friends. The most appealing thing about the networking sites we use is we are comfortable with them and they are the most popular sites.

I get a constant stream of new networking sites daily and you have to draw the line somewhere. But find the one or two you enjoy and stick to them.

Josh: Do you see any common mistakes that 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 with others?

Mike McAllen: I think going to a networking site and blurting out what your company does in every message you send or write has a negative effect and falls on deaf ears.

I read somewhere that you should treat social networking sites like a cocktail party. Would you walk up to a group of people and blurt out what you do for a living? Or would you say hello, listen for a bit and then comment and join the conversation? This is how I try and network.

Josh: How important has networking been in your own professional life. Can you share an example of how it has made a difference?

Mike McAllen: I have so many examples or finding a resource in some city I am visiting but just putting out on LinkedIn or twitter that I need some help. Just recently I was in Dallas for an event and needed a production assistant I had four great leads in an hour. But of course I try and spend time helping the community also.

Doing a little research to help someone when you see someone looking for help pays dividends. First it feels good to help someone and second you just made another connection which as you know could lead to more business. Plus that person is now part of your community.

- Happy Networking! Josh Hinds
(Follow me on: twitter)

*brought to you by BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com

Stuart Tan interview - NLP Trainer and Corporate Consultant

Stuart Tan is one of Singapore’s foremost NLP trainers and peak performance specialists. He is a highly sought-after motivational speaker and corporate consultant in training and development. You can reach him at www.StuartTan.com

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

Stuart Tan: Business networking is about looking out for and acting in the interests of other people, while holding on tightly to the people who are looking out for you by building a deeper understanding of them and reciprocating.

Our environment controls us to an extent that we are not aware of. You behave in constant reaction to your surroundings. So, it's essential for you to create an environment that is suitable for you.

We are influenced heavily by the people around us. More importantly, their ideas can become thought viruses. Do you want to hang out with people who have a negative outlook of life? Or would you rather hang out with high achievers?

Since people affect us, we might as well find people who affect us in a powerful way.

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

Stuart Tan: The first thing is to never network more than you can respond. It's literally a sin. By building deep and intimate understanding with a few people, it helps you create a high quality in the relationship. I've seen people spend 10 seconds with people and make their business decisions just based on that. I mean, what kind of a moron does that?

A lot of people take business networking like some kind of commodity to be traded. If we simply started to treat people as people, be sensitive to their needs and empathize with them, it would be easier to find that networking isn't as mercenary as some people put it out to be.

Josh: We hear a lot about the importance of creating value for the people who we want to develop strong networking connections with. Can you share some ways people can go about creating value in the eyes of those they want to cultivate stronger working relationships with?

Stuart Tan: That's a simple question. By paying attention to what they have ahead of them, and helping to make the way easier for them.

Don't just say you'll support them, surprise them with action. If someone wanted to launch a product, do a pre-launch to help them with the buzz. You can take initiative and still benefit from it by simply feeling good that you've done a good thing.

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

Stuart Tan: Twitter is a great platform to use. Social networks like Facebook and MySpace are also great. I usually seek out interesting people to interview, just like what you're doing, Josh. This not only helps me to learn a thing or two, it also gives me a bit of time to really connect with my interviewees.

More importantly, I've learnt about the importance of conversations and what this does to us. It's no longer putting up a blog post, or a newsletter. It's about the "back and forth" interaction. We need that. As humans, I think we crave that.

Once I get to know people, I don't jump in and ask for a business contact. Okay, that may be stupid to some people, but I really need to know enough about someone to actually do something with them. That way, I can anticipate what to expect.

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

Stuart Tan: I have a few funny stories to tell about people I networked with in the men's room. Won't mention names, but as a newbie, it was great to have a captive expert in the urinal next to me and I just had lots of questions answered.

In 2006, I had the chance to meet Alex Mandossian because the person who was his event organizer had spoken to me and my partner about doing something together. I later volunteered information that helped to increase back of room conversions. Alex later offered to speak if I could organize a group of people (he was practicing), so I had 118 people registered in 4 days of promotions due to the "partnership".

This paved the way to more things to come. It was July 2007 when Jay Conrad Levinson was in Malaysia delivering a training program. I volunteered to emcee the event (something I learnt from Alex) and ended up making friends with the Father of Guerilla Marketing, and had the great fortune to spend some time being educated in the ways of guerilla marketing staying at his place in Florida just this year in June. He's an awesome guy to learn about life - not just marketing - from.

Josh: Stuart, thank you again for doing the interview. If there are any other ideas on this topic which you think are worth including please go ahead and include them.

Stuart Tan: Yeah you're welcome. I just wanted to add that some people might think that networking is not "them". That's just sad. If you didn't network, you'd be a social outcast.

Maybe that's just your comfort zone, and I guarantee that your quality of life is just not going to improve. Anthony Robbins once said the quality of your life is the quality of your communication. I'll add on to say the quality of your life is determined by the quality of your connection and connectedness.

I used to be introverted, and thought I was a social outcast in school. Just because you think you are introverted does not give you the excuse to not network. Introverts network in warmer and deeper ways, and allow you to forge stronger and deeper relationships.

Wherever you are, whatever you do, network for networking's sake. Expand your thinking by meeting people who think in different ways than you. You'll be wiser for it, and you'll be grateful for it someday when you connect the dots looking back.

-- Happy Networking! Josh Hinds

*brought to you by BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com

Dan Schawbel interview - Personal Branding Expert

Dan Schawbel is a leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He is the author of "Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success". Fast Company calls Dan a "personal branding force of nature."

His Personal Branding Blog is consistently ranked in the top 100 marketing blogs in the world by AdAge, and has achieved syndication from Forbes, Reuters and Hoovers. Dan publishes Personal Branding Magazine, is the head judge for the Personal Brand Awards and directs Personal Branding TV. He is a social media specialist for EMC, as well as a speaker and adviser on branding.

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

Dan Schawbel: Networking shouldn't be limited to straight business. In general, I tell people to make their lives one big networking event. Having that mentality will get you really far because your family, friends, teachers, career advisers and coworkers are all part of your network already.

You should focus on networking more outside of your company than within because there is no job security anymore. Business networking is forming relationships based on mutual interest and it's important because social equity weighs more than capital equity.

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

Dan Schawbel: I think participating in social media can help you become more proficient in writing, reading, presenting and, of course, marketing. When it comes to business networking, the key is to become a great communicator and to be likable. If you have both of those working for you and are extroverted, then all you need to do if find the right people.

I would recommend networking with people who are more successful than yourself because they are the ones that can open up opportunities for you and make you smarter at the same time.

The more you network, the easier it will become. There is a snowball event with networking, such that, when your network gets larger, it becomes easier to be introduced to new people.

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?

Dan Schawbel: I would use your friends referrals, your teachers and social networking sites such as upcoming and Facebook, in order to discover networking events that match your interests.

Finding events that are related to your industry is extremely important because it's a whole lot easier to meet people you have something in common with. If you are a known entity, people will typically invite you to events, either as a speaker, panelist or as press.

The more people you can meet online or in face-to-face situations, the easier it will be to find out where the next event is because they might already go 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?

Dan Schawbel: I think everyone in the world should have a business card, regardless of age or career stage. This includes college students, who don't work for companies.

Aside from passing out your "creative" business card, you have 24 hours to send that person a message. It's typically better to beat them to the punch, when it comes to the follow-up because it shows you care and value the relationship.

I use Microsoft Excel to manage relationships, but it gets harder as your network grows. I know there are online services that offer this service, such as LinkedIn and JibberJobber, but you can always keep tabs on it on your desktop if you want.

Happy Networking! Josh Hinds

*brought to you by BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com