As a busy entrepreneur, the time, money, and energy you put into your business is a precious investment. As a result, it’s important that you get a payoff from your business commensurate with your investment. As a strategic business coach, one area that I’ve noticed most entrepreneurs fail to strategically plan for is networking. Consequently, […]

How you deal with the initial 10 minutes of the workday largely can determine how effective and productive you will be the remainder of the day. How you deal with the initial 10 minutes of the workday largely can determine how effective and productive you will be the remainder of the day. Below is a […]

Here are three reasons why referrals are so valuable: Customers who refer are more likely to stay with you and as a result, spend more, adding to their lifetime value Referrals are more likely to become customers. Why? Because they have been recommended to you by someone they trust and who in turn, trusts you. […]

Referral introductions are at the core of building relationships. But there’s a few major problems with asking for such an introduction – Many people feel like they’ve been put in an awkward position. Most people don’t want to allocate their already precious time on writing an introduction email. Some people don’t want to risk the value of their relationship […]

Every business owner faces the constant challenge of keeping the company profitable. Marketing campaigns, lead generation, and the like are tactics designed to attract new prospects to fill your client roster. But getting the right introductions from trusted third-party sources is a much more powerful and sustainable way to land sales than savvy marketing techniques […]

by Ginny Hogan Networking events are the watering holes of the professional world.  They’re where connections are made, opportunities are discovered, careers are shaped, and free snacks are had.  However, just like any social gathering, there are unspoken rules-faux pas that can turn a potential career elevator into a free-fall.  To avoid stepping on it, […]

by Francesca Gino, Maryam Kouchaki, and Tiziana Casciaro “I hate networking.” We hear this all the time from executives, other professionals, and MBA students. They tell us that networking makes them feel uncomfortable and phony—even dirty. Although some people have a natural passion for it—namely, the extroverts who love and thrive on social interaction—many understandably […]

It Helps Find Opportunities Find out about the people you are with and see how you can help them. You never know where it might lead. It’s Expected Today, everyone is expected to meet new people and understand the market.  It’s expected that you will network as a part of your role. It Benefits Your […]

Don’t ask for referrals or push offers on people you just met.   They don’t know you well enough to make a deal, share referrals, buy your services, or join whatever opportunity you are pitching. Build relationships and provide value, and get to know people first. No one wants to be sales pitched by a stranger.

Make EYE CONTACT FACE the speaker IGNORE distractions NOD your head FOCUS on what is being said WAIT for the speaker to stop before speaking TELL THE SPEAKER if you do or don’t understand REPEAT BACK what you heard ASK questions