Saying “Goodbye for Now” to the Networking Freelancer

An old Pennsylvania Dutch saying goes, “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get!”

That’s my life in a nutshell these days. This poor blog has been neglected as I’ve been spending time preparing for the a new roll-out that will begin on August 6.

At that time I will begin a blog and podcast connected to a new and emerging media association. Information will be posted here as well as at other places.

Tweeting on the run

In the world of social media Twitter has become the atmosphere we breathe. In order to participate correctly, however, you have to tweet on the run. If you don’t tweet from your phone, you’re too late.

Recently I sent a tweet about trying out new Twitter programs for my Windows Mobile Phone. Several replied that I was using ancient technology. I admit that I haven’t moved into the iPhone world – although I probably will at some point – but I have been a Windows Mobile user since the PDA was a mere a glint in Bill Gates’ eye.

My PDA days began with the HP90 and HP100. I then moved into the brave and brand new world of HPC’s and Pocket PC’s. I not only used every pda update that came along but ended up as writing for Pocket PC Magazine.

I have been surprised and a little disappointed that little has happened to upgrade the Windows Mobile world for social media. Granted, the platform is not as resilient as iPhone, but there has been a signficant lack of interest and software. Yet, a large number of mobile phones still utilize Windows Mobile and Smartphone operating system. HTC, for example, has continued to develop some very powerful WM phones.

So I’ve been trying ceTwit, Tiny Twitter, Twikini, and Twobile. I’ll let you know which one I feel works best. If you have any suggestions, let me know!

Rainy Day Networking

It’s raining… it’s been raining and, according to the National Weather Service, it is going to continue raining for the most of this week.

Rain is a good motivator for my work as a writer. There are fewer distractions. Just let me snuggle into my well-worn old recliner with a laptop and the sound of the rain on the nearby window pane. The pitter-pat becomes a soothing cadence for keyboard calisthenics.

Rainy days are great times for online networking as well. Make time to re-visit Linked In and look around. Are there questions to answer or updates you need to make. I find that these dreary days provide us with opportunities to spend time on our least exciting online pursuits as well as exploring new opportunities.

Stay dry and let the online networking world know you are there.

Twitter – the World of Glyph-bites

I’ve been twittering more lately. 140 characters… not a lot of space for waxing eloquent. But wait! No one waxes eloquent in the world of social media. This is the world of glyph-bites! Each character, let alone word, carries a major weight.

Twitter is good practice for all forms of social media writing. The more you do it, the more you get your Web 2.0 voice.

Taking your networking higher – literally

I recently read of an individual who spends his networking budget buying airplane tickets. He flies in order to network with other business travelers.

David Topus is a marketing and communications consultant from Atlanta, Georgia. The New York Times profiled his practice of traveling for the purpose of networking, both nationally and internationally. He plans all his business travel for maximum networking opportunities and often travels just to connect with others.

Frequent travel not only allows more contact but the possibility of upgrades as a frequent flier. Getting into First Class is the “golden ticket” for his approach.

The NYT described a few of his trips. One time he flew from Atlanta to South Africa only to turn around and fly home again, ending up with some solid business opportunities. Another trip had him flying from Atlanta to Seattle with connections through Los Angeles and New York. Again, he returned with potential business.

Obviously, Topus’ approach allows for no control regarding seat assignments for the other person. However, by sitting in the premium area of economy class or moving to first, chances are that you will be seated near someone with whom you might be able to network.

This got me thinking. I used to travel 25 to 50 thousand air miles a year. It was not unusual to remain silent with your seatmate for an entire trip. Air networking would take a lot of finesse and a great sense of timing. Most business travelers have no interest in chatting the entire time. Many have work that must get done while they are in the air.

Most of us will not spend our funds buying tickets to nowhere in order to network on planes, but traveling can be a networking heaven. When business people are traveling they are in “business mode.” We can have a lot of great networking opportunities occur as we travel. Here are some practical things we need to remember.

1. Dress for success – always travel in business casual or better, depending on people you want to meet.
2. Travel with plenty of business cards. If you have a brochure or resume, be sure you have some copies of these as well.
3. Keep your networking conversations low key, being sensitive to the desire on the part of your seatmate to enter into any discussion.
4. Take the initiative to start a conversation. Many travelers assume the people with whom they are flying don’t want to talk.

Here are some good conversation starters:
- “Do you live here or are you heading home?”
- “I guess we’re flying together today. I’m ___________. It’s nice to meet you.”

I also found a website called Air Introductions begun in 2005. They coordinate travelers who register with them and assist in seating potential networkers together. The site is no longer active, so it seemed that this was a good idea that never made it.

Mea Maxima Culpa

The title for this post comes from the Latin Mass where one confesses sin “though my own most grevious fault.”

How often I’ve said to clients and associates, as well as in my talks, that the one cardinal rule of blogging is never let a blog grow old. Well, I did and now comes the hard work of resuscitation – the providing enough inspiration, breathing life back into a blog that may appear DOA.

I have committed the ulitimate blogging sin forgetting to feed the Networking Freelancer. What a cruel way to go, being ignored as if no longer important.

This may be more than a “mea culpa” experience, but an actual experiment in rejuvenation – seeing if life can be brought back to into a dead blog. We’ll see…

Happy International Networking Week!

Happy International Networking Week, everyone! Just think we have our own week to focus on the importance of what we do in networking as our business development model.

Are you wondering about the quality of your networking? I would recommend you read a very good yet brief article from the “Dean” of Networking, Dr. Ivan Misner. You can find this article on Success Net. <Click here>

When Networking is Not-working

Every so often each of us must take inventory on what is working and what is not when it comes to our networking initiatives. I’m going through this myself right now, so I’m writing for my own benefit than perhaps for others.

Let’s start with the bottom line: the ultimate goal of networking is to grow our businesses. We need to be brutally honest about that. We can talk about the importance of relationships – and they are – and the need to infuse confidence in our constituents regarding what we do. At the end of the day (to use a well-worn cliche) if our business doesnt’ grow and we’re not making money, then why network? There are a lot more exciting clubs we could join.

So, if we are serious about networking we must see results. If results aren’t coming and we wonder whether we should keep our current strategy, here are some questions you should ask.

1. Have I really given my strategy enough time?
Networking experts indicate that it normally takes twelve to eighteen months to see the fruit of networking in most groups. We must be cautious on impatience. People DO need to get to know us; we DO need to build good relationships; and we DO have to give people confidence in our capabilities.

2. Have I accurately communicated what I really do?
The other day I was with a friend who asked me, “So, Randy, what do you say to people when they ask what you do?” After I answered him, I thought to myself, “Sly, that sounded so lame!”

Good networking communication must be built carefully and creatively. Enlist others to evaluate and help us hone our message. Take time to evaluate your elevator speeches and conversations.

3. Am I networking in the right places?
While most networking venues can provide referrals and good relationships, there are only so many hours available to develop your contacts and you need to be sure you are focusing in the right places.

Recently I attended a networking event that was a tremendous experience. The location was wonderful, the food and drink was superb, and the conversation with those present was fascinating. However, I knew right away that the people in that room lived in a different world from the one I needed to touch.

We all must be cautious about letting the venue and the menu dictate our networking strategy!

4. Have I become a networking cynic?
I’m amazed how quickly one can become a jaded networker. As a writer, I’m always on the lookout for graphic designers, marketing/PR specialists, etc. At a Chamber event awhile ago I said to myself, “If I talk to one more banker, insurance agent, or realtor I’m going to explode!”

To build our businesses through networking, we must keep a certain perspective, remembering that every person we meet wants to do the same thing. They want to find those who will help strengthen their place in the market. If we can’t give them a referral, we can give them the gift of our interest in who they are and what they do.

One of my favorite movies is “What About Bob.” Bill Murray plays the patient every psychiatrist prays he will never encounter. At one point, he just looks at his “shrink” (played by Richard Dreyfuss) and shouts, “I need! I need! I need!”

Engaging in networking with a “What About Bob” perspective will sink our business opportunities and keep us out of sync with those who may, in the long term, be able to help. When we approach networking with the desire to help others succeed, we will grow as well.

We may also experience some great surprises when those we have “written off” end up sending us a great referral or our “golden goose.”

Networking is, in many ways, serendipity!

Words to live by…

Tonight I’ve been preparing my portion of an Image and Marketing Power Team presentation we will give tomorrow morning at my local BNI chapter. So, I “googled” some writing quotations. I have to post them here… they are just too good! You may be familiar with some, hopefully there are a few new ones to ponder.

Granted, commercial writing isn’t always that glamorous – but it is writing that demands a unique kind of creativity. Besides, I still would like to author the great American novel someday!

Do not put statements in the negative form.
And don’t start sentences with a conjunction.
If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a
great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all.
De-accession euphemisms.
If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.
~William Safire, “Great Rules of Writing”

Proofread carefully to see if you any words out. ~Author Unknown (one of my favorites!)

There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein. ~Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith

Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. ~Gene Fowler

What no wife of a writer can ever understand is that a writer is working when he’s staring out of the window. ~Burton Rascoe

The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say. ~Anaïs Nin

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath

I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of hunger for life that gnaws in us all. ~Richard Wright, American Hunger, 1977

I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter. ~James Michener

The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible. ~Vladimir Nabakov

Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~Anton Chekhov

What does it take to make a new networking group successful?

Are you a part of a new networking group that is trying to grow? Have you visited a group that is struggling to grow and wondered why they don’t seem to make a bigger impact? I think the following discussion may be helpful to identify why some groups grow and others don’t.

Networking groups, like other small group relationships, have certain components and a certain chemistry that can assure successful growth and development. Over the past 30 years I spent a great deal of time and energy developing small groups in a number of venues. This has brought about a lot of successes and a large number of failures. The latter is probably the greatest teacher when it comes to providing the proper dynamics for a successful group.

“There is nothing new under the sun,” according to an ancient sage. How true that is! We often forget that networking, like other areas of life, is an interpersonal exchange. When we put several people in a room, there is a chemistry and dynamic that exists at that moment that can’t be recreated, involving personalities, temperaments, and circumstances.

So let’s take a look at a few of these important aspects of group growth.

1. Networking groups cannot ignore standard small group dynamics.

When I visit a networking group, the leader normally says the same thing, “The reason we are all here is to make money.” While this is a true statement, those present will only return on a regular basis or aggressively participate if other dynamics are also present. For example, they will want to be affirmed not belittled, welcomed not ignored, and invited to be actively involved.

I’m sure we all have horror stories of networking events gone bad. Most of us have also experienced the impact certain networking birds can have on a group.

Book upon book has been written on small group dynamics and the human condition. As one philosopher states (the owner of the diner in the film, “Muppets Take Manhattan”) “peoples is peoples.”

When setting up a networking venue, many issues need to be addressed, such as: environment, room set-up, ergonomics (let’s just say – are the chairs comfortable…), acoustics, opportunities for feedback, signage and flow from the point of entry to room. Organizers should be careful to look at their meeting or event from the standpoint of a first-time visitor and address any areas that would cause them distress.

2. Location… Location… Location.

Location can be overcome by a dynamic group – I know. I’m a part of a fantastic group that has a frustrating meeting place.

If, however, we were a brand new group trying to establish a strong and vital climate for networking, I wouldn’t give us much hope in this venue. Crashing trays, loud customers and the lack of a private room are just a few of our drawbacks. We overcome this by the energy of our group.

New groups must take their location and facility into account when beginning.

* Pick a location that is convenient. The place must be easy to find and have plenty of parking.
* Price is critical. Most networkers have a limited budget and can’t afford a five-star meal to get referrals.
* Atmosphere is vitally important. Look for a meeting room that can offer privacy and the ability to communicate clearly without a lot of distractions.

3. Successful groups are established by trailblazers, built by pioneers and maintained by homesteaders.

Basically, everyone in the networking world falls into one of these three categories when it comes to group building: traiblazers, pioneers, and homesteaders.

Trailblazers are those who see the future and are not afraid of hardship, small numbers or inferior facilities. They see standing room only in a place filled with empty chairs. They are more interested in long-term results than immediate returns and are willing to put the time and energy into development of a group. Trailblazers are a rare breed but are critical to the initial success of a group. They possess a wide variety of skills that are needed. Normally, they are good up-front people in leading the group. They are also outgoing, welcoming and very approachable. They also are extremely self-motivated and can expend a lot of energy on a daily basis to assure the success of the group.

It doesn’t take more than one or two trailblazers, but they need to be at the core. Their job is not just to find group members but pioneer members – and that’s a big difference.

Pioneers are the people you need to build your initial core of members. Trailblazers have cleared the land, now the pioneers are ready to put up the homes and build a community. Like the trailblazers, they are not intimidated by numbers and are willing to work toward a future reward. They are motivated by potential. The pioneers, however, need a trailblazer to keep them motivated and directed in the beginning.

Pioneers are little different than trailblazers in that they are normally a little more specialized. You will find up-front pioneers as well as behind-the-scenes pioneers, serving pioneers plus leadership pioneers, etc. When they are allowed to exercise the areas of their strength, the group can really take off.

Thankfully the networking world, since it is populated by a large number of entrepreneurs, has a lot of trailblazers and pioneers available. More than the normal small-group environment.

As the group begins to solidify, you will notice that most of those who will begin to come are the homesteaders. Once the community is built, these faithful and regular members will find their places of service and help the group maintain momentum and grow in numbers. Homesteaders are vital to the maintenance and development of groups, as they will stay around a long time. Often, trailblazers especially may leave somewhere after the group has stabilized, unless they are given new ways to blaze by helping to develop other groups.

You can spot homesteaders if they show up too early in the process. Normally, they will not stick around. They want to come to a group where the floors have been poured, the walls have been built and there’s a roof over their head. This is not a negative description, it is just the truth.

May I suggest that, while a lot of networking groups begin with three key seats – a mortgage broker, a real estate agent, and an insurance agent, groups will have a better chance for success when they are started on the basis of type (trailblazer, pioneer, homesteader) than their seat.

4. Successful groups follow a carefully prepared agenda and follow it.

Even from the very beginning, successful groups will start on-time, follow a planned agenda, and end on-time as well. When this is established as a characteristic of a group, it gives potential members a great deal of confidence. They know they are a part of a group that knows where it is going. Nothing will scare visitors (potential members) more than the thought that they could become involved in a group that is out of control.

There is a lot more that can be said on this subject, stay tuned.