Archive for January, 2008

You don’t have to have a gregarious personality to be an effective networker. In fact, people who are on the shy side often are very good at the kind of networking that matters. Although they might have some trouble breaking the ice, they are frequently the better listeners and therefore are better at forming lasting […]

Most of our referrals come from people who know us the best, right? Wrong. Our friends and family can be a great source of business referrals and word of mouth advertising, but how often do you really think Uncle Joe is sending business your way? It is possible that your loved ones might not be […]

As you work on building your global network, you will develop an appreciation for the value of good referrals. The key to good referrals, however, is in the quality, not the quantity. Of course you do want to acquire as many referrals as you can handle, but it is important to be discriminating about them. […]

The word ‘networking’ means different things to different people. For some, it conjures up fearsome scenarios of bad food, fluorescent lighting and nametags is a basement somewhere. For others, it means collecting business cards until the rolodex is bursting at the seams. But the truth is that networking really means creating a supportive system, made […]

One of the benefits to belonging to a Who’s Who organization is that you can search for members based on very specific criteria. If your business is in a niche area, such as non profit organization, you may especially benefit from membership. You can connect with other businesses and organizations with the same values, for […]

Can people really develop trusted business relationships over the internet? Are networking websites actually helpful in identifying and building those relationships? Many experts will say absolutely. Chances are you are already utilizing technology such as webcasts, videoconferences, and of course email to cut down on face to face meetings. Using business networking sites will help […]

In the late 1960s American sociologist Stanley Milgram was studying how ideas and information travel through the population and, in the process, inspired what has become known as the six degrees of separation. This concept is now widely known and cited often in both the business and cultural realms.

To demonstrate his theory, Milgram gave random […]

Being network savvy can mean the difference between being a manager and being a leader, asserts Herminia Ibarra, INSEAD professor of organizational behavior. Chances are that if you are in management, you have peers who have comparable skill sets, intelligence, and credentials. Ibarra insists that effective global networking is essential to be a business leader […]

Word of mouth referrals are clearly an important source of contacts for your business. However many people don’t have a strategy to increase the quantity and quality of those referrals, thinking that if they have satisfied customers, then the good word of mouth will “just happen”. But having a plan to ensure positive referrals is […]

In order to generate referrals for yourself, you have to start generating them for others. Once you have developed a good database of business contacts through events, word of mouth and utilizing your peer to peer networks, you can start the process of creating business for others.  
One strategy that you might use is a […]