Effortless Networking

“[My biggest networking challenge is] starting conversations with all levels of people, from Ministers, Chief Executives down.”

I recently had a conversation with someone about exactly this topic!

She said she felt intimidated talking with people more knowledgeable than her.

But in social situations, she didn’t have a problem starting conversations with people.

“What’s the difference?” I asked.

It turns out that in social contexts, this person starts talking with people about topics that are of interest to her.

In this case, it doesn’t matter if the other person is more knowledgeable about it or not. In fact, more knowledgeable is probably better, since she is curious about the topic and wants to know more!

In business contexts, she assumes that the topic of conversation must be business related.

And often, she is among people who are specialists or experts in their field. Given her assumption that she must talk about work-related stuff, she feels tongue-tied.

After all, what could she possibly say to a lawyer about law that won’t make her look and feel inadequate?

So I asked her, “How did you come up with this assumption that you should only talk about business related stuff in business contexts? And is it valid?”

She looked at me for a while. Then she sat back, looking relieved!

If starting conversations with people is a challenge for you, what assumptions are you making about such conversations?

More on this topic is covered in module 2 of the Effortless Networking home-study program. To find out how to get a complimentary copy of this program, click here.

Many people use business networking as a tool to market their business. And yet, a common challenge seems to be a general discomfort with participating in “networking” activities or events. For instance, here is a recent comment I got from a reader:

Am shy with new people and hate the thoughts of attending anything that may have a networking element to it.With the focus now clearly on the new buzz word of “networking” in todays business arena I feel that my shyness is starting to impact on my performance.

So I asked Bonnie Ross-Parker, CEO and Founder of the Joy of Connecting® to describe their approach to business networking and marketing. Because I think they’ve taken commonly used networking concepts and put them to use in a fresh and engaging way. Read on and tell me what you think — post your comments below.

The Joy of Connecting®: Marketing with Joy
by Bonnie Ross-Parker, CEO and Founder of the Joy of Connecting®

Bonnie Ross-Parker

At a time when the world feels competitive and impersonal and building a business can seem overwhelming and lonely, Bonnie Ross-Parker, Founder & CEO, and Dawn Billings, President of The Joy of Connecting®, together with their licensees, provide opportunities for women to meet, share and encourage one another.

Women are natural net-workers. They love to inspire and encourage each other. And the Joy of Connecting® monthly gatherings are designed as a tool to aid women in connecting to resources, building relationships and growing their businesses.

Women participate in an arena that is welcoming, nurturing, supportive and respectful of one another in all areas of their personal and professional lives.

The evening begins as a social where over dinner women have time to settle in, get to know one another and relax. Eventually we convene for the more formal part of the evening. After a brief introduction and overview, we begin our circle of sharing…We close out with testimonials and announcements. Once our get together is formally over, most women stay to continue dialoguing, make appoints and “connect” with women who attended. Everyone receives a roster so that connections can continue beyond the evening.

The Joy of Connecting® gatherings are designed to meet the needs of female entrepreneurs, business owners and professional women. And this approach is fast becoming a role model for the best way women can network collaboratively and comfortably.

Taking place in intimate settings, participants feel accepted, listened to and encouraged as they share with each other their passions, dreams and desires for their future.

Women take turns having 3 minutes to tell about themselves, talk about their business and ask for what they need. For some women, they are looking for an opportunity. We have participants who have just moved into the area and eager to meet other like minded women. Collectively we are business owners, entrepreneurs and professional women who recognize the strength of open sharing.

As we move around the circle and stories unfold, each participant is drawn to the person sharing, to their story and to their needs.

When The Joy of Connecting® was originally launched it existed as the only location in suburban Atlanta. Since its beginning, participants have requested that the concept be expanded so other women in other communities could experience the same value. In January, 2006 there existed 15 Greater Atlanta, Georgia locations when Dawn and Bonnie began the process of creating The Joy of Connecting® as a national licensed program. Currently there are 48 licensees in 9 states who each month bring together like minded women eager to build their business while helping others expand theirs.

Licenses are available wherever one doesn’t currently exist.

The best way to find out about this unique marketing tool is to visit on line at: www.TheJOYofConnecting.com. There are articles, written and audio testimonials and licensee stories/profiles to enjoy.

If you’re interested in information about becoming a Joy of Connecting Licensee, simply click here to fill out an online application. List EffortlessNetworking.com as the referral.

If you have questions, Bonnie can be reached in Atlanta at: 1-877-411-6611.

Women have choices when networking. They can participate at an existing networking event or be a player at their own. The Joy of Connecting offers both!

I’m in Argentina currently — perhaps dancing Tango as you read this! So while I take a break, here’s a guest article from Kim Castle about how to make the most of each step you take (when you’re building your business, not dancing!).

From a business networking perspective, here are 2 points to note as you read this article:

• First, the trusted “power team” that Kim refers to is your core network. And, you can use networking as a means to build this “power team”.
• Second, if you know where you’re headed, both networking and business development becomes easier. If your business objectives are clear, you’re also clear about whom you want to meet, why you want to meet them, and what to say to people when you meet them.

Enjoy!

How to Make the Most of Each Step You Take for Your Business
by Kim Castle, BrandU®

My first call with a new branding client, Janie, a down-to-earth realtor from Atlanta, GA, began like hundreds before, with Janie saying, “After spending 18 months and $12,300 on designing my logo, collateral, and website, I’m not any where close to communicating my business the way I want to. I’m afraid all my decisions to this point have been wrong and I’m afraid to make anymore.”

After several minutes of listening to her get her disappointments off her chest, both of the people she’s hired and in herself for the way she handled them, I told her what I always tell my clients, “There are no wrong steps, only better ones.”

The ability to see the power in where you are currently at in your business lies in how you look at the steps that got you to this point and your vision of the future.

It’s an attitude adjustment of the now and is vital to insuring your success moving forward— especially as you’re developing a brand.

Skipping the rah rah and the woo woo of positive thinking, which is still underrated, here are four ways to make the most of each and every step you take in your business.

1. Every Step Got You Here — It’s easy to see the mistakes and the mishaps that you’ve made as bad when you want to be in a different position. Every person you’ve met, every decision you’ve made, and every wall that you’ve hit has been crucial in establishing your base of knowledge. It is precisely this foundation of know-how that enables you to make your next decision. I’ve learned more from a “D” on a test than an “A”. It’s a fact, you learn more from mistakes than from successes.

   The paradigm shift: Success is how you experience each step and not the step itself.

2. Create a Trusted Power Team — Despite the good intentions of multiple hats wearing entrepreneurs around the world, a successful business is NEVER created alone. By establishing a team of people whose intention, vision, and approach match yours, you will be confident that you have people that you can bounce ideas off of and run decisions by. As you strengthen this confidence, your ability to take bigger risks and faster steps will surprise you and will pay off big time.

   The paradigm shift: Assembling a trusted team to help you gain more confidence in yourself.

3. Know Where You Are Heading — 80% my clients who were fearful of making a wrong step, didn’t have a clear idea of where they wanted their business to be— beyond “I just want to make mo*ney, or “I just want to be famous.” 15% didn’t know that they could choose it ahead of time, and the remaining 5% just didn’t care. This is by far the issue that I find takes down most small businesses today— no vision. Without a clear understanding of why your business exists, your path to get “there” is long, unclear, and plagued with ‘mistakes.’ By having a big vision, you don’t even need to know the step right in front of you.

   The paradigm shift: The small steps in front of you only mean something to the big picture head.

   This is why branding is so important in business. Done right, branding sets the path right in front of you by establishing the big picture. Define your brand right from the beginning.

4. Enjoy the Journey —When it comes to moving forward in your business or personal life, this has never been so true. There are times in my business that I get overwhelmed, frustrated, and even scared— especially when I extend myself outside the bounds of my own closely held comfort zones. But each and every time, I eventually realize how hard I made it on myself needlessly.

   The paradigm shift, “every step of the journey IS the journey. If you can’t enjoy that, then what are you here for.”

By combining the wisdom you gained from the past, with your vision of the future, and the confidence of yourself in the now, you simply cannot make a mistake. There is no such thing.

No go out there and take steps, and remember, “there are no wrong steps, only better ones.”

© Castle Montone, Limited

Brand Visioneer and BrandU co-founder, Kim Castle teaches entrepreneurs and small business owners how to turn their business ideas into a moneymaking marketable brand. If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank™, get your FREE branding tips now at www.whybrandu.com.

Do you feel like you’re “interrupting” or “intruding” when you network?

A client of mine felt this way. And of course, it affected her ability to network effectively.

Interestingly, she had no problem networking with people as long as it was in person. When she met people she hadn’t seen in a while, she didn’t hesitate to go up and say hi, ask how they were, find out what new project they’re working on.

However, she could not network — contact people or even keep in touch with them — by phone or email.

“Why?” I asked her. “What’s the difference?”

“Well, if I call someone on the phone, they may be annoyed with me for interrupting them. If I contacted them by email, they may think I was too intrusive.”

As we explored how she came to these conclusions, we discovered two things:

1. Since she preferred in-person conversations, she assumed that other people did too.
2. Since she couldn’t see the other person’s expressions when talking on the phone or connecting by email, she assumed the worst – that her calls or emails were being perceived as intrusions and interruptions.

Although these people often seemed happy to hear from her when she called or emailed, she discounted this fact by saying they were just being polite — because in her mind, her assumptions had become “facts”.

So if you feel like you’re interrupting or intruding when you talk to people, check out your assumptions.

• Are they valid?
• How do you know?

FYI, more details on this topic can be found in module 2 of the Effortless Networking home-study program.