The Savvy Networker

Did you come here to buy? Networking myths of the uninformed.

Wouldn't it be grand if at the next networking event you attended the leader or speaker asked the audience this question ... "How many of you came here today to BUY something?  If that describes you, please raise your hand and keep it really high so that the folks that came here today to SELL something can easily find you."

Pretty funny to think about, yes? 

And yet, many people who come to Networking events are expecting this very thing to happen because ... they came to SELL.

And, they are usually quite disappointed because networking is not about selling. 

Networking is about building relationships that are mutually beneficial over time.  I'm going to say that again as it bears repeating ... Bob Burg, author of Endless Referals says that Networking is about building mutually beneficial relationships over time and I whole heartedly agree.

Those who focus on turning their contacts into contracts in the early stages of the relationship building process are the very same people who 2 or 3 months after joining any networking group will be heard to complain that "networking does not work for me" ... and they are right.  Networking that way does not work for anybody.

So the next time you are heading out to a Networking event, I hope you will focus on helping others learn about your company, your products, or your services from an educational standpoint and not a transactional one.

You can be a savvy connector for others and yourself.  Or, you can be a pushy and aggressive self centered promotion fool. 

Either way, you are teaching people how you operate in the world. 

I choose to be a connector.  How about you?

And, in the meantime, let me know if you enjoy being sold to the first time you meet someone.  I'd love to hear about your experiences here.

The Way I Work: Paul English of Kayak, Page 2

When I am hiring, I try to get people to accept the job before I tell them about salary or title. I promise to make that person dramatically more productive, and that working for Kayak will be the most fun job he's ever had. I need two things in return: a promise to strive to be the absolute best you can be. And that you will be an energy amplifier -- someone people are excited to work with.

via inc.com

I was reading the February issue of Inc. magazine on the plane today and this excerpt really struck me ... especially the phrase, "And that you will be an energy amplifier - someone people are excited to work with." I love that term - energy amplifier! I can think of at least a dozen people in my life who are energy amplifiers and that is certainly the way I want to serve the world.

We have all had our share of energy vampires - the people who drain us of our own energy when they leak their negative energy all over us and suck the life right out of us. How refreshing to have a new term to focus on.

Please go out into the world this week with your energy amplified and let me know what kind of results you gain from the experience.

Posted via web from zitagustin's posterous