November 2008
Art of NetworkingBe sure to set your printer to "landscape" mode before printing.
Art of Networking
FACE to FACE in Sticky Situations
Solutions for dealing with difficult encounters.
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Agree to Disagree
Not everyone we work with, play bridge with, or watch our children's soccer games with is going to hold the same opinions as we do. It can be uncomfortable if we're in a face-to-face conversation and have polar opposite views about war, political candidates, health care or even a favorite actor, team, restaurant or model of car.
When it's apparent that no one is changing his or her mind, simply agree to disagree and find another shared topic of interest. Say something like, "It looks like we have different and strong views and neither of us is going to change, so … How 'bout dem Bears?" Said with humor, that comment pokes fun at fallback talking points, and a segue has been made.
The One-Uppers and the Put-Downers
One sticky situation made it clear to me that I ought to solicit others' ideas, strategies and opinions. It's how to handle the person who is the putdown artist or the critic who manages to make the barbed comment—in front of others.
One effective way I learned to respond to hurtful and/or pointed comments is to simply look at the person and quietly say, "Ouch!" It's a word that unmistakably implies a transgression and it's an unmistakable "I" message.
Too often we let people get away with demeaning comments, rather than deal with them immediately, face to face. To the one-upper, my friend Jeff Munks, Deputy Executive Learning Officer for the Navy, will respond, "Wow, that's fascinating," and then politely move on. The put-downer is told, "Gee, I'm sorry you feel that way," and then Jeff exits.
Brad Oberwager, CEO of Sundia Corporation, and a successful entrepreneur, offers a different viewpoint. According to Brad, it's a matter of uneven power/socioeconomic situations. "If I'm in the stronger position and someone says something negative, I call them on it right away by saying, 'That was an unpleasant comment,' or 'Was it your intention to hurt me?' The direct approach is wickedly effective."
What if Brad is not in the stronger position? "I smile, look them in the eyes and say, 'Fortunately my confidence is high enough that I don't need to respond to your comment.' The implication is that they have a lack of confidence and that they need to put me down.
"When an offensive comment is made in a situation where we're equals, I'm very direct, 'That sounded like a nasty comment; maybe I didn't understand what you meant.' Often I turn my back on the person and walk away."
Having a response in mind for these situations prevents us from being caught off guard and rendered speechless. If you're around someone who consistently one ups or puts down, not being around them is a good option.
Silent Approval
The dilemma: Are we silent or do we address the offending remarks? If we're silent, do we give tacit approval to the offender? Yes.
When we call people on their stuff, we set boundaries. That's another lesson to be learned from teachers. When you have standards of acceptable behavior—the rules—the students know the parameters. During my last year of teaching I whittled my rules down to one rule: The Golden Rule.
It may have taken a month or so, but my five different classes of students knew HOW they had to behave and what would happen if they didn't. Frankly, it isn't as easy to rein in adults. We can't send them to the principal's office, although there have been times I wished I could do just that. But, kids and adults who push boundaries try to get away with as much as we will let them.
The Tease
In our personal lives, we want to handle the teasers differently. There's a point at which teasing or kidding around becomes tormenting or bullying. According to Dr. Hara Estroff Marano (Psychology Today, March/April 2006, p. 51), we need to "determine if the kidding taps a reservoir of nastiness and if the perpetrator teases in other contexts."
If so, banter right along, but when the propitious moment presents itself, mention your reaction to the comments and how the remarks make you feel.
1. "I am really uncomfortable."
2. "I find zingers to be … "
3. "I would prefer if … " or
4. "What was that about?"
Dr. Geraldine Alpert, a Marin County, California, psychologist, advises NOT to smile as we make our statements. The smile sends a mixed message to the person who already has demonstrated a lack of awareness or indifference. Not smiling makes your message crystal clear.
Hot Top Tip: Don't be caught off guard. Have a prepared response, comment or look, in the event someone makes an offensive statement or putdown.
Have a few stock comments in place so you aren't caught off guard and you're prepared with something to say. Remember: Today's sticky situation and annoyance is tomorrow's great story to share. As the ancient Talmud saying goes, "Humor is tragedy plus time." In time, the punch line appears and we get a story to add to our collection and our conversations.
RoAne's Reminders
• Have several generic remarks in your conversational quiver so that you aren't caught off guard.
• Use "I" messages. "I'm surprised/disappointed/perplexed that you … "
• For the consistent one-upper, bring his/her behavior to his/her attention. "I had no idea our vacations (cars, computers, bonuses, sales purchases) were a contest."
• Set boundaries and let people know they've transgressed by not smiling when delivering your comment.
• Saying nothing is only silent approval when also nothing is done.
• "Old school" doesn't permit bad words about good people.
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A Culture of Learning
The importance of investing in ongoing education.
Most business people pay lip service to education.
Maybe not you—you're actually taking time to read an article on business development. I'm talking about the average business professional.
Ask a group of business people if they'd be willing to attend a seminar on networking, and ¾ of the people in the room say yes. Give them a specific date and time, and only a handful will actually sign up!
It used to surprise me when I heard that 50% of all businesses fail in their first three years. Now that I've been in business for several decades and have seen many entrepreneurs come and go, I'm somewhat surprised that 50% actually make it past three years!
Maybe I'm being a little harsh—but not much. One thing I've learned is that most successful business professionals embrace a "culture of learning." This is especially true during difficult financial times.
Personal and professional self-development is a journey—not a destination. It is something that is always a work-in-progress. Often, business people get so caught up working "in" their business that they forget to spend time working "on" their business. Part of working "on" a business is devoting time to professional development.
Benjamin Franklin once said, "If a man empties his purse into his head, no one can take it from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the highest return."
With that in mind, here's an action item for this week. Look at your financials (e.g. check book, credit card statements) for the last year. Have you spent anything on some type of on-going business education?
If you aren't "emptying some of your purse into your head," take a few minutes to think about what you want to learn to help you build your business—and sign up for something this week! Don't put it off any longer.
If you want to earn more, you need to learn more! Oh, and reading these articles from time to time won't hurt either.
Called the father of modern networking by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author. He is the founder and chairman of BNI, the world's largest business networking organization. His latest New York Times best selling book, The 29% Solution, can be viewed at 29PercentSolution.com. Dr. Misner is also the Sr. Partner for the Referral Institute, an international referral training company. He can be reached at misner@bni.com.
BNI in the News
Six Degrees of Separation
Dr. Ivan Misner debunks the urban legend that we are connected by six degrees of separation. He covers many of the concepts of his new book The 29% Solution in this 11-minute podcast. You'll discover the upside of the research and how you can use this information to increase your sales results. Learn the VCP process of networking and how Visibility, Credibility and Profitability must be chronological to be effective.
Click here to listen to the podcast.
The Six Degrees of Separation of Networking
We've all heard the story, about how each of us is removed by just six degrees of separation from every other person on the planet. Few of us have spent any time trying to figure that out. We tend, rather, to forget about it unless someone makes the startling discovery that a person they know has managed to meet a guy who's friends with a guy who knows George Clooney.
What we don't realize is that there are no six degrees of separation.
It's an urban myth, say Ivan Misner and Michelle Donovan. And they should know.
Click here to read the article.
Deconstructing Networking
Making real connections will help your business grow.
Advocates of networking often refer to the old adage, "it's not what you know, it's whom you know." But in an age when acquaintances (or MySpace friends, or LinkedIn connections, AIM buddies or MSN contacts) are often just a click away, it's starting to look like it's not really what you know or whom you know but how well you know them. This, at least, is the opinion of Ivan Misner, author, networking guru, and founder and chairman of BNI, an international networking organization.
Click here to read the article.
Success Starts with Win-Win
Ivan Misner, known as the Father of Modern Networking, recently sat down with Success from Home to share his thoughts about how entrepreneurs can benefit from the Givers Gain Philosophy which says when you contribute to the success of others they, in turn, will contribute to yours.
Click here to read the article.
Businesses Give to Gain
What do a florist from Hartlepool, a publicist from Sedgefield and a massage therapist from South Dakota have in common?
The answer is they are all members of the world's largest business networking organisation.
Click here to read the article.
Japanese Origami Bank Has Just Folded!
Ok, not the funniest joke in the world but it made me laugh this morning.
There doesn't seem to be a lot to laugh about just now and many people are falling into the trap of letting all the talk of credit crunch and recession get them down.
I still "refuse to participate in a recession" and tend to filter out all the negativity from my daily meetings and discussions. My business both in BNI and Coaching has still been growing steadily.
I was at a BNI meeting recently when David Bone, an Independent Financial Adviser with Simple Financial, did a ten minute presentation. It was absolutely the best I had seen in a very long time, with all the elements that help his fellow members refer him, and go toward maximizing the business he can expect from BNI.
Click here to read the article.
Mission Unstoppable
Join the Unstoppable Frankie Picasso when she meets with Dr. Ivan Misner, the founder of BNI and the author of The 29% Solution. Dr. Misner has been called the "Father of Modern Networking" by CNN and the "Networking Guru" by Entrepreneur magazine.
Dr. Misner is considered to be one of the world's leading experts on business networking and has been a keynote speaker for major corporations and associations throughout the world. You won't want to miss this show.
Click here to read the article.
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Transforming Information to Knowledge on Fire
Dig into your resources to become sharp in your field.
It's hard to keep up with information these days.
I remember when there were only three TV stations, and families ritually listened to Paul Harvey share "the rest of the story" on the radio waves. You received both the morning and evening edition of the newspaper from young entrepreneurs on bicycles.
Gone are those days …
Mothers were often the greatest sources of information and some of the best networked people on the planet. They could send a message from front porch to front porch and have you home in time for dinner.
Most folks ended the day by curling up with a great book. Information was directed and delivered to us at a much slower pace—and was "shut off" at some point each evening.
Gone are those days …
If you wanted or needed information you had to be very proactive about it. You could crack open your family's outdated set of encyclopedias or visit a public or business library for references. Current events were usually clipped out of newspapers and magazines. Microfiche was considered hi-tech.
Gone are those days …
Now we're inundated with information. Televisions funnel infomercials to us on several hundred channels at one time. Split screen features allow us to watch two programs at a time! Talk radio shows seem to be overtaking continuous music time slots. Electronic billboards flash multiple messages. Even coffee mugs and ink pens, adorned with logos and slogans, are pumping us up with information.
These are the days …
Computer technology ensures you know what you need to know before you need to know it. You don't have to surf the net. Pop ups come to you. You can get up-to-the-second news online. Moms don't holler for you to come home; they text. And these days a phone isn't just a phone; they are all-in-one smart machines that promise TV, radio, internet, phone, text and GPS capabilities that fit in the palm of your hand.
Applying Information
It's amazing that with all of these instant resources more people aren't becoming multi-billionaires and leading their industries. There is absolutely no excuse for not succeeding in life and in business with the information we have immediately available to us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
You know what the problem is?
It's too much! We are overwhelmed to the point of inaction. We simply don't know what to do with it all.
I read an article several weeks ago that reminded me of how important it is to apply the most fundamental and essential information that we already have. We go to workshops, watch DVD's, listen to CD's, download podcasts, take in-depth notes from mountains of books—and then we put the list of things we were inspired to do in a file and place the books back on a shelf.
All of that valuable data, along with all of our good intentions to actually do something, gets filed away or re-shelved.
One of my mentors, Dr. Ivan Misner, wrote the article that inspired me to go back to some very powerful information and ideas that were literally gathering dust. He says, "Ignorance on fire is better than knowledge on ice, but there's nothing more powerful than KNOWLEDGE ON FIRE!"
Which specific idea from a recent book, article, workshop, CD, DVD, or podcast can you dust off to make an extraordinary difference for you? It's up to you to take action and ignite the spark that will set your knowledge on fire.
Paula Frazier is a referral marketing trainer, coach, consultant and keynote speaker. She is an Executive Director for BNI and part of a select team of Master Trainers for Referral Institute. Paula's business networking articles have been published nationally. She is also acknowledged in the New York Times best seller, Truth or Delusion—Busting Networking's Biggest Myths. Check out #33, Delusion with a Twist!
Paula can be contacted at paula@referralinstitute-va.com.
My BNI Story
Ignore the Doomsday Headlines
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Here is a sampling:
Thanks for your article! It expresses exactly what I've been thinking for the last few weeks. Fear can paralyze you quicker than any drug. So until the whole system shuts down (which I doubt will happen) we're going to keep plugging away and networking!
Roy Stout, Owner/Production Manager, Stout Printing
Your article was well written and right on target. Thought and focus precede our results, whether we like or not. We might as well make sure we're focusing on the things we want!
Edward Aldama, Life Coach and Author of The Success Habit Secret
I'm so grateful that you continue to send out your "positive mind over matter" messages! I'm keeping myself busy and loving my business by focusing on "what I want." I give my fears the least time possible.
Anita Foster, Rainbow Touch Clinical Massage
Your article is one that every single business person or student must read and strictly follow—especially the part about action. People need to be positive. If we can seriously DO our duties, the difficult times will be blessings in disguise. I look upon this as examination time. If you do well during these exams you go the next level in business.
This reminds me of the famous Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times."
Vivek Joshi, BNI Dynamic Chapter, Mumbai, India
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I am an international business lawyer based in Stockholm, Sweden. During 2005-2008 I was a member of the BNI Chapter Haga Chamotte where I also was team leader for two mandate periods.
However, my own true success story with BNI has little to do with law. Thanks to my BNI chapter, I got a flying start with my career as an author. I wrote the crime novel Spåren på bryggan (Pier's End), published in 2007.
My whole chapter bought my book as well as recommended it to friends, colleagues, and beyond. They connected me to commercial radio stations, newspaper reporters, and book sellers.
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I am very pleased to be part of the BNI community—and I have no reason to believe that my BNI—supported success will stop here.
In true BNI spirit I am naturally also looking for any contacts to help me get the book published in the U.S: Any means of pushing that decision in the right direction will be much appreciated. I can be reached at lars@rambe.com, or you may read more on my agent's website here.
Lars Rambe, Managing Partner, Advokatbyrån Rambe & Co, www.rambe.com
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In 2004, when life coach Pam Wright first heard about BNI, she was too ill with the pain and fatigue condition Fibromyalgia to join a chapter. But earlier this year, following the publication of her first book, The Fibromyalgia Coach, Pam felt fit enough to take on the commitment and is now a member at Faversham.
She states, "Our chapter meeting is a weekly energy boost for me. Being a people person and team player, it's great for me to work with others—especially this great bunch of people. My life balance and health coaching business is now developing in more ways than I ever believed it could! Thanks BNI."
Pam Wright, Faversham BNI Chapter, Kent, UK
BNI Helps in Time of Trial
On September 3, 2008, my former employer, GMAC Mortgage, closed all retail operations throughout the nation and laid off thousands of employees, including me.
By the evening of September 3, I had several calls from current BNI members and ambassadors with employment referrals and actual job offers. More than seven BNI members displayed the Givers Gain attitude. Their support assured me that I was in the company of good friends. I am grateful for all the warm outpouring and well wishes.
Mark Randolph, Certified Mortgage Planner
Submitted by J. R. Chick Gallagher, Executive Director - BNI Delaware Valley Regions
Business Built on BNI
I have built my PRIMERICA Financial Services business over the last 13 years on referral. BNI gave me the additional edge to get better at what I was already doing. Over the last four years my relationships built through BNI have put over $100,000 in my pocket and has enabled me to put over $100,000 in members' pockets. Now that I am an assistant director, I expect that number to double in the next four years. Thanks BNI!
Chris Wallace, Midcoast Business Exchange Chapter, Yarmouth, Maine
Valued Chapter Changes Lives
I have seen BNI change lives. It has given members unparalleled opportunities. Dreams of entrepreneurial success have come true. Failing businesses have been saved. Members have gained confidence. Attitudes have become focused and positive through weekly support of members. Members celebrate what is right with the economy, and right with the world, instead of wallowing in the bad.
Our chapter motto is that you have to treat the group as if it is one of your "A" list clients. We expect members to treat each other like the one customer we cannot afford to lose. With this attitude, then you will get in front of my "A" list people. And we have all bought into that. Thank you, BNI.
Dino Tudisca, Rose City Chapter, Norwich, Connecticut, www.rosecitybnict.com
Focus on the Give
I am a BNI Minnesota member and an assistant director. I gave the 10-minute presentation at a recent Visitors Day, with about 70 folks in attendance. As part of my presentation I always discuss training. I use the phrase that we at BNI "focus on the give," because we know that the receiving will take care of itself.
As a Send Out Cards representative, "focus on the give" comes easily. The Send Out Cards "Send Out to Give" motto and the BNI "Givers Gain" philosophies are wonderfully aligned this way. My heart is truly engaged when I share "focus on the give" during my Visitors Day presentation.
This week one of my audience members happened to be the Catholic priest from a large parish nearby. He commented that "focus on the give" was a great reminder for him—he even decided to gear his weekly homily on the topic. In an email, Father Jarvis said:
"I was very impressed with your organization's motto, Givers Gain. This past Sunday's scriptural readings in Catholic Christian churches were about the cross, which in Catholic Christian tradition is the perfect sign for true love, true caring, true giving. When we give without thought of getting, we paradoxically get far more out of the giving than those receiving. You get in the giving. And, quite often, you get as a result of giving in a kind of mutual giving. But the greatest getting is indeed in the giving."
Steve Wein, Assistant Director, BNI Minnesota
How Do You Place a Value on BNI?
BNI teaches:
1. Sharing: In BNI it isn't me vs. you; there is room for us all.
2. Team work: It's hard to play ball alone; together is so much better.
3. Togetherness: Chapter meetings, One-2-Ones, dance cards.
4. Proactiveness: Gathering weekly with likeminded professionals.
5. Commitment: Personal relationships with BNI team members.
6. Openness: To know and be known by fellow BNI members.
7. Building: Yourself, your marketing team, your destiny.
How much value is there in that?
Matthew Brady, BNI Achievers Chapter, Thailand
A BNI Poem
Some members keep a group strong,
While others join just to belong.
Some dig right in and serve with pride.
Some go along just for the ride.
Some volunteer to do their share.
While some lie back and just don't care.
Some greet new members with a smile,
And make their coming so worthwhile.
While some go on their merry way,
No greeting or kind word to say.
Some help the group to grow and grow.
When asked to help they don't say no!
Some drag; some pull; some don't; some do.
Consider: which one of these are you?
Author Unknown
Submitted by Marilise du Preez, Executive Director - BNI South Africa, Johannesburg
Breaking News
Calling All BNI Members: Participate in Important Networking Survey!
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By asking networkers across the globe about their businesses, their marketing and networking strategies, and which types of approaches work best for them, we will discover some "best practice" marketing mixes for both small and large businesses and also establish what limits they are currently facing.
To take the survey, click here.
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BNI Foundation Webathon
The first-ever, live webathon for the BNI Foundation was a success, with members from around the world plugging in through the Internet and supporting the Foundation.
Dr. Ivan Misner kicked off the event with a presentation, which was followed by an interview conducted by Beth Misner and Georgia Rudolph from the Haynes Center for Children and Family Development, a recipient of a few mini grants. Georgia was presented another $1000 mini grant for the Leroy Boys' Home; the fund will be used for books.
Other event highlights included a presentation by Susan Bean from BNI HQ, an interview with Amy Turley-Brown from HQ on why philanthropy is important, a presentation by Leroy Gaines from HQ, and an interview with Brian Wiesner, BNI Executive Board of Advisor member and Chapter President of the Route 66 chapter in Glendora, CA (the only chapter in the world to qualify this year as a Mini-Grant Sponsor Chapter!)
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| Beth Misner makes a $1000 mini-grant presentation to Mrs. Wright's 2nd grade class at Mt. Calvary Lutheran School in Diamond Bar, California. |
Special guest Chuck Seventi presented via web from his school in Page, Arizona. Recently approved for a mini grant, Chuck discussed how he is using technology in his classroom to bring the best education possible to his students.
Throughout the course of the webathon, donors were encouraged to make their contributions; a prize (a painting done by Ivan and Beth's daughter, Ashley) was offered to the person making the single-largest contribution during the broadcast. Beth Anderson won that gift; thank you, Beth, for your generous contribution!
The webathon has been archived at the BNI Foundation site and may be viewed at www.bnifoundation.org; simply click on News. You will find the archived show in three parts. Unfortunately, the final segment was not recorded from Arizona, but you will be able to view 3 1/2 hours of the 4-hour webathon.
Submitted by Elisabeth Misner, BNI-Misner Foundation Administrator
2008 US Member Extravaganza
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The event was held from Friday, October 10 through Monday, October 13 with over 200 participants, including US Member Extravaganza competition winners and their guests.
Ivan Misner's presentation was based on his newest book, The 29% Solution.
Here is what trip winner Sharon Bowen, member of BNI Ultimate Chapter in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, had to say:
"My husband Larry and I had a FANTASTIC time in Orlando at the BNI Member Extravaganza. The entire event was well organized from the preflight correspondence to the flight home. We were delighted with the 4-star resort and the day at Universal Studios Theme Park. But without a doubt the highlight was meeting and listening to Dr. Misner, one of the best speakers we have ever heard. At the mixer, we met many BNI members from across the United States and got to share our success stories and enthusiasm for our BNI membership. We cannot thank Executive Directors Deanna and Bob Schmitt enough for providing us this wonderful trip!"
Words of Wisdom From Brian Tracy
Note: Brian Tracy University fees have been drastically reduced. BNI members save 20% on all BTU course fees – Use Code: BNIBTU20. For more information, click here. Or, call: (858) 436-7337 or e-mail: bni@briantracyu.com.
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Finding success within your reference group.
In Part I, we discussed why every successful business person needs a positive reference group. Here we discuss how to get one started—and working for you.
You begin your networking process at your place of work. Look around and identify the top people in your organization. Make these people your role models and pattern yourself after them.
One of the best ways to start networking is to go to someone you admire and ask for his or her advice. Don't be a pest. Don't tie up several hours of his or her time. Initially, you should ask for only a few minutes—and you should have two or three specific questions.
Ask questions like, "What do you think is the most important quality or attribute that has contributed to your success?" or "What one piece of advice would you give to someone like me who wants to be as successful as you some day?" You could also ask, "Can you recommend a particular book, tape, or training program that would help me move along more rapidly in my career?"
There is a law of incremental commitment in networking. It says that people become committed to helping you, or associating with you, little by little over time. In some cases the chemistry won't be right and the person with whom you would like to network won't be interested in networking with you. Don't take this personally. People get into—or out of—networking for a thousand reasons.
However, if there is chemistry, if you like the person and the person likes you, be patient and bide your time. Don't rush or hurry; just let the networking relationship unfold without over-eagerness on your part. If you try to go too fast, you'll scare people away.
Instead of asking your superiors for more money, ask for more responsibility. Tell your boss that you are determined to be valuable to the organization and that you are willing to work extra hours to make a more important contribution.
There is nothing as impressive to a boss as an employee who continually volunteers for more responsibility. Many people have the unfortunate goal of doing as little as possible for as much money as possible. But they're not the winners.
The winners realize that if all you do is what you're being paid for today, you can never be paid any more in the future. The person who continually volunteers for extra assignments and does more than expected gains the respect, esteem and support of his or her boss.
Whenever you do something nice or helpful for others, they feel a sense of obligation. They feel like they owe you one. They have a deep, subconscious need to pay you back until they no longer feel obligated to you. The more things you do for people without expectation of return, the more they feel obligated to help you when the time comes.
We have moved from the age of the go-getter to the age of the go-giver. A go-giver is a person who practices the law of sowing and reaping. He or she is always looking for opportunities to sow, knowing that reaping is not the result of chance. You'll find that successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, "What's in it for me?"
The surprising thing is that the more of yourself you give away with no direct expectation of return, the more good things come back to you in the most unexpected ways. In fact, it seems that the help we get in life almost invariably comes from people whom we have not helped directly. Rather, it comes from others who have been influenced by people whom we have helped directly. Therefore, since you can't control where your help or assistance is coming from, you must establish a blanket policy of giving with complete confidence that it will come back to you in the most wonderful ways.
Whatever your job or occupation, there are trade and industry associations, business associations and service clubs that you can join. Excellent networkers are among the best-known and most respected people in the community. To reach that status, they followed a simple formula. They carefully identified the clubs and associations whose members they can help and support and who can help and support them in return. And then they joined and participated.
When you look at the various organizations you should join, you should select no more than two or three. Target the ones with the people who can be the most helpful to you. When you join, your strategy should be to look at the various committees of the organization. Volunteer for the committee that engages in the activities that are most important to the organization, such as governmental affairs or fundraising. Then get fully involved in your chosen responsibilities.
You will find that the members of the key committees are usually key players in the business community as well. By joining the committee, you create an opportunity to interact with them in a completely voluntary and nonthreatening way. You give them a chance to see what you can really do outside the work environment. And you contribute to the committee as a peer, not as an employee or subordinate.
Remember, in any committee, 20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work. In any association, fully 80 percent of the members never volunteer for anything. All they do is attend the meetings and then go home. But this is not for you. You are determined to make your mark, and you do this by jumping wholeheartedly into voluntary activities that move the association ahead. And the key people will be watching and evaluating you. The more favorable attention you attract, the more people will be willing to help you when you need them.
Networking fulfills one of your deepest subconscious needs—getting to know people and being known by them. It fulfills your need for social interaction and for establishing friendly relationships. It broadens your perspective and opens doors of opportunity for you. It increases the number of people who know and respect you. It makes you feel more in control of your career. And it can be one of the most exciting and fulfilling experiences of your life.
About Brian Tracy:
Brian Tracy is one of the top sales experts and trainers in the world. He has taught more than 2,000,000 sales people in 46 countries. He is the president of Brian Tracy University of Sales and Entrepreneurship online, and committed to teaching ambitious individuals how to rapidly increase their sales, income, and profits. For a free one-hour CD on "21 Great Ways to Become a Sales Superstar," click here.