Business Networking is More Than “Contact Management”

Business or Career Networking is Based on Relationships Trust and Influence My definition of networking is:  “leveraging trust and influence.” It takes a long time to make an old friend! Trust and influence are cultivated over time and are based on experience with the friend’s past performance. Sometimes difficult challenges help you find out who your real friends are! […]

Influence Marketing and Social Media ROI

“Social influence” and “social media ROI”. Businesses can no longer ignore social media. Social networking is the “800 pound gorilla” in the room, but there is much debate about whether investment in social media actually brings a profitable return.

The foundation of influence marketing is building relationships with individuals who are in a position to help your brand increase awareness, build reputation, connect with an audience, and make sales. The basis for all of these goals is the development of a relationship with an influencer.

Video Conferencing Tips for Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Video Conferencing is the Solution for Communication — Both Verbal and Nonverbal Communication technology has come a long way since the Pony Express and the Telegraph (Western Union : no offense). Telephones and Mobile Phones have added the vocal component and now “Video Conferencing” includes the visual component, which is perhaps the most important part […]

Social Capital, Trust and Influence

You have heard people say, “It’s who you know, not what you know, that counts.” Of course, what you know does count, too. But I think that what counts the most is how the people you know feel about you! Knowing them is not enough. Do they LIKE you? Do they TRUST you? Do they RESPECT you?

When you need a friend, “social capital” beats all other investments. There is nothing so valuable as a true friend who “has your back” and is there for you in time of need. This level of trust is a sense of confidence that someone will consistently behave in ways that will support our well-being. Good intentions by themselves are insufficient.

Important vs. Urgent

What is Really Important? “First Things First” One of the most valuable books I have ever read is Stephen Covey’s First Things First.  I try to remember and remind myself frequently of the profound concepts in that book, which is a follow-up to Covey’s famous game changer, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Important vs. […]

“Good Samaritan” to the Rescue!

Modern Day “Good Samaritan” My faith in human kindness and compassion was renewed when Hank Zimmerman, Manager of Gates Auto Body in Middleton, volunteered to help a stranded motorist and went the extra mile and then some!   Based on his altruism and generosity, I believe he would go way beyond the call of duty […]

Are You Getting Older and Wiser?

When you were a teenager, you may have thought you knew everything. Now that you are older, you probably realize that you didn’t know what you didn’t know then. Now you are older and, hopefully, wiser. We live and learn. I wonder what I still don’t know that I don’t know.

Although technology is central to doing things in the 21st century, the most important things in life are more about being than doing. Who you are and how you feel about that, as well as who you know and how they feel about you, are timeless issues. Although the channels may be different, communication and relationships are still important. Family and networking still provide synergy and leverage. Happiness is still related to values and virtues. “Faith, hope, and Love endure.” Truthfully, I believe I am getting older and wiser.

How to Get in Circles on Google Plus

Personal Branding and Google + Circles Personal branding may be even more important on the internet than it is offline.  Circles on Google Plus (or Google+), along with SEO and social media profiles, are replacing the old school Rolodex in the internet age.  It was always true that people did business with those they knew, […]

Leadership by Cheer Leading

Leadership is about Leverage and Synergy. The leader has a vision and a mission, and he or she leverages the talents, the energy, and the resources of the followers to accomplish that mission. Leading from Behind Leadership involves synergy, i.e., the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. One of the fundamental roles of […]

Is it What You Know, or Who You Know that Counts?

It’s How People Feel About You (a Kind of Branding) Actually, I believe that what counts most is how people feel about you. Knowing is not enough. Being known is not enough. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. It is not just a matter of who you […]

Video vs. Text on Social Media

“Everyone” says that video is “the future” on the internet.  More and more websites and blogs use video.  Video email is now a big thing.   It seems that most tutorials are in video format. Video conferencing is “in.”           Credit for the images above goes to the VideoConferencings blog, which states […]

Networking for Collaboration and Synergy

Business Networking Whatever you need and don’t have, somebody else does have, whether it be knowledge, resources, ideas, skills, or contacts. Synergy is the main reason for networking. Of course, relationships, which are precious per se, are a very nice by-product of networking and collaboration. In an article on BrightHub.com entitled, “The Benefits and Challenges of Team Collaboration,” […]

Social Relationships are Based on Emotion

Emotional Decisions Relationships are always between human beings, and humans have always been emotional creatures. We make decisions emotionally and then justify them rationally. Whatever the media or communication channels, we, the people, are attracted to those we know, like and trust. Online or offline, we don’t care how much you know — until we […]

Leads or Leaders? Your Choice!

Sales and network marketing are related but different professions. Of course there are various hybrids and blends.  But for this discussion let’s distinguish between these fields based on their fundamentals. Either profession can be practiced online or offline. I love the internet and the technological leverage. It reminds me of the leverage of networking, which […]

Attraction, Branding, Networking; Confused?

  Leveraging Trust and Influence Business networking is about leveraging trust and influence and multiplying your sphere of influence by the influence of others. Attraction is a kind of influence. “Personal Branding,” perhaps synonymous with reputation,  may help with attraction and personal direct sales. Sales and marketing have their place in free enterprise, but network marketing […]

We Are All Branding, All The Time!

Branding is usually associated with commercial brands for products or services. But personal branding, whether online or offline, is a matter of reputation. As you interact with others, they may come to know, like, and trust you. They are open to buying what you have to offer. They may even believe in the value you […]

3 Reasons NOT to Brand Yourself

To “brand,” or not to brand; that is the question. With internet branding comes extra burdens and risks which may be unnecessary to achieve your goals. In fact, making yourself “the issue” may even be counter-productive. I know, I know; branding is “in.” Internet marketers, in this decade, love the idea of becoming famous in […]

Build Relationships by Being a Connector

Building relationships with social media is very similar to the way relationships have always been built. Humans haven’t changed very much in two decades of internet (or even in thousands of years). I suspect that that the “secret” exposed below would have applied equally well to cave dwellers or stone age tribes.  Although we have […]

It’s Who You Know AND … That Counts

Conversations about networking and business relationships often evoke the aphorism, “It’s not what you know that counts; it’s who you know.” I believe that both factors are obviously important, but the often overlooked fact is that what is even more important is how they feel about you.! The factors that really count include: what you know, […]

Relationship Empowerment

Relationships with leaders who are “centers of influence,” can empower us to take social networking to a higher level. It’s wise to reach out to our heroes and ask to become their friend. Let’s not be shy when we have the opportunity to connect with those who have blazed the trail we want to follow. […]

Relationship Leverage

Leverage is the key to major success in any endeavor. There are many kinds of leverage. Leveraging “social capital” is my favorite! When you leverage relationships, we call it  “networking.” You are actually leveraging trust and influence, as well as knowledge, resources, and contacts. It is similar to leveraging financial capital — like you do […]