Book Summary: Effective Networking For Personal Success

We are all "self-employed" now.

Today there is absolutely no job security. We are living in an age of corporate downsizing, and freelance consultants, or self-employed workers are growing by the day. Networking is one skill you need to practice to get ahead and survive these uncertain times.

Wisdom in a Nutshell:

1. Networking is essential for both new jobs and business contracts.

2. Effective networking is 12 times more effective than answering advertisements.

3. Advertising is becoming ineffective except on a large scale.

4. Networking helps you find hidden opportunities and can set you apart from the competition.

5. An indirect approach is better than a direct one. Use someone you know to introduce you to your target contact. Never go straight to your target without a go-between who will put in a good word for you.

6. You can overcome your natural shyness, your fear of using people, and your fear of rejection.

The 3 key networking techniques are:

1. Build a network of partners to keep an open eye and ear for new opportunities for You.

2. Reach targeted individuals in two ways: directly or indirectly.

3. Build visibility by raising your profile. Go to every social gathering you possibly can.

Building your network is an ongoing process. You need to increase your range of contacts constantly.

Planning your campaign:

1. Define your objective.

2. Select the right technique.

3. Understand that "deal flow" or your number of prospects must be great in order to bag one new business contract.

4. Identify your target.

5. Work out your positioning. This is a short statement of what you are about, what you can offer.

6. Think about what you can do for your network partners in exchange for information and contacts.

Building Network partners:

1. Talk to everyone you know about opportunities.

2. Clarify what network partners can and will do for you.

3. Know which contacts to build into network partners.

4. Find those friendly network spiders, those types of people who just seem to know everyone.

5. Use the telephone.

How to grow and refresh your network:

1. Go out of your way to be where people are.

2. Get into the habit of being talkative.

3. Get the contact details of people you meet. Not just exchanging business cards but stapling information like birthdays, anniversaries, hobby clubs, and key information onto their cards.

4. Choose the right method for the right person.

5. Warm up long-cold contacts.

How to find targeted individuals:

1. Focus on what you want to achieve and how people can help you.

2. Use your network partners to find suitable companies.

3. Gather key information on these companies.

4. Figure out who is the one with the power to hire you.

5. Find people connections and common areas of interest.

Reaching targets through network partners:

1. Find and persuade the best partner for your targeted individual.

2. Engineer an introduction.

3. Build word-of-mouth exchanges about yourself.

Reaching targets directly:

1. Decide if you should write a letter or not.

2. Be able to demonstrate your achievements.

3. Have a line ready to get you past the secretary.

4. Act as though you expect to be put through.

5. Be ready to leave a short, persuasive message for the decision-maker.

Your opening line:

1. Be cheerful, confident and straightforward.

2. Exploit connections and recommendations.

3. Mention common interests.

4. Report news of interest to the target.

5. Wait for a response. Know when to shut up.

6. Write down your opening lines before picking up the phone.

How to be visible without really trying:

1. Ask a question at a conference.

2. Make a point in a meeting.

3. Write letters to your industry magazine.

4. Introduce yourself to lots of people at an industry show or ball.

5. Buy people a drink at the bar at a lecture.

6. Discuss a book with an industry leader.

7. Wear bright ties.

8. Make people laugh.

9. Have an opinion on everything. (But keep an open mind)

10. Hand out an unusual business card.

11. Recast your CV to be a little different.

12. Take up an unusual hobby. (But not too unusual)

13. Don't overlook using the email and Internet to communicate your cause.

By: Regine P. Azurin and Yvette Pantilla http://www.bizsum.com A Lot Of Great Books....Too Little Time To Read" Free Book Summaries Of Latest Bestsellers and More mailto:freenewsletter@bizsum.com

BusinessSummaries is a BusinessSummaries.com service.

(c) Copyright 2001-2005, BusinessSummaries.com

Regine Azurin is the President of BusinessSummaries.com, a company that provides business book summaries of the latest bestsellers for busy executives and entrepreneurs.

---

What Color Is Your Parachute? - A Book Summary

The best-selling job-hunter's bible for decades, this indispensable resource is... Read More

FISH! Tales - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review

FISH! Tales: Real-Life Stories to Help You Transform Your Workplace... Read More

Dark Autumn - Book Review

"Now this could definitely be a movie! Dark Autumn is... Read More

Atlantis Rises Book

Chapter one: Baby on the doorstep.It was one of those... Read More

Workshop-In-A-Book® for Dating Again, A Must-Read EBOOK

The Joy Of Dating Again is designed to be a... Read More

Giving Feedback or Writing Reviews of Bad Stuff

Some book reviewers say that when they don't like a... Read More

The Laid Daughter

There has been a lot of publicity lately centered on... Read More

The Oz Principle - A Book Summary

In The Oz Principle, Connors, Smith, and Hickman brilliantly use... Read More

Cancer Can be Defeated: Hope, Courage, and a Strong Willpower

Tony F. Powell is the author of a new book... Read More

Book Review: Seth Godin - All Marketers Are Liars

Let me start with a small disclaimer: I am a... Read More

Screenwriter and Novelist Marguerite Ashton Receives Rave Reviews for Mafia Novel

When asked what gave her the idea for the story,... Read More

The Birth of I Confess

I dreamed since I was fourteen years old to spend... Read More

A Ghost in Cornwall

This land is my memories. For two thousand years this... Read More

IZEE Growing Up In A Logging Camp: Chapter One

Chapter OneI was ready to start the fourth grade, the... Read More

Primal Leadership - A Book Summary

Primal leadership takes center stage in this book. This concept... Read More

Review for Broken Angel, by SW Vaughn

Broken Angel, by SW Vaughn, breathes with an insistent life... Read More

The Power of 2 - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review

The Power of 2: Win Big with People in Your... Read More

Fun Works - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review

Fun Works: Creating Places Where People Love to Work by... Read More

72 Hour Hold

Bebe Moore Campbell weaves a tale of unrelenting love and... Read More

Enron Debacle: Review Of Kurt Eichenwalds Conspiracy Of Fools A True Story

Title: Conspiracy Of Fools: A True Story Author: Kurt Eichenwald... Read More

What is the Emperor Wearing - A Book Summary

What is the Emperor Wearing?Once upon a time, an emperor... Read More

Book Summary: The E-Myth Revisited

Ever wonder why most small businesses-- no matter how huge... Read More

Shattered Memories, Scattered Emotion - Review

Betty Woodrum released her first book of poetry entitled Shattered... Read More

Jesus and the Gnostic Cathars

These are some of the highlights of a connected story... Read More

Kmarts Ten Deadly Sins - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review

Kmart's Ten Deadly Sins: How Incompetence Tainted an American Icon... Read More

Hug Your Customers - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review

Don't panic. Jack Mitchell, the author of Hug Your Customers:... Read More

Why The Dems Can?t Stand Tom Delay & Tim LaHaye

THE MORAL OF THE STORYLou Dubose and Jan Reid's new... Read More

Business Plans

Way back in business school we had to churn out... Read More

Review: Profit From The Author Inside You

I've reviewed a number of eBooks recently, and none of... Read More

Gilleland Poetry ? Storoems and Poems - Review

"Retired professor of Microbiology, Harry Gilleland certainly has a variety... Read More

King Bartholomew and the Jesters Riddle - Review

King Bartholomew and the Jester's Riddle by Pina Mastromonaco is... Read More

The Leadership Challenge - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review

The Leadership Challenge: The Most Trusted Source on Becoming a... Read More

Who Moved My Cheese? For Teens - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review

Who Moved My Cheese? For Teens by: Spencer Johnson, M.D.Spencer... Read More