| Welcome to 'Connecting is not Enough' |
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At the moment I seem to be speaking a lot about the importance of networking in providing support as you develop your business or career. In fact I wrote about the power of Mastermind Groups in the last newsletter.
On Monday of this week, I piloted a new workshop with a colleague, Neil Urquhart. The workshop is being developed for a corporate audience, but Neil and I wanted to test what we have written before offering it to potential clients. How can you test a whole workshop?
The answer was to run it with the help of people in our network. Fourteen people kindly gave up their day to role play as our ideal participants, get involved in the workshop and feedback to us at the end. As an added benefit, we recorded the entire day, giving us some promotional and some support footage when we approach potential clients.
Hopefully we were able to repay that support by giving the participants ideas and techniques that are transferable to their own businesses.
Thanks to the generosity of our network, Neil and I have some valuable feedback and our own observations on what worked well and what we need to change. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of support that people will give you if you develop a strong relationship with them and just ask.
The only thing that amazes me more is that there are still people who don't realise the support around them and who try to do it all alone.
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I have had a strong response to a blog I wrote earlier this week. On Monday, I told the story of a friend of mine and his struggle to get referrals from his network, despite his incredible generosity. In 'The Need for Greed' I talked about how we can be too quick to help others sometimes, forgetting to ask for the help that we need ourselves. I've had a number of comments on the blog, on Facebook, on Twitter and direct to me from people who recognised themselves or others in the piece. Yes, it is a genuine person (!) but not any of the people suggested to me!! The fact that so many people thought they knew who I was talking about, but were wrong, shows how prevalent this problem really is. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have received this in error and don't want to receive future editions, please use the unsubscribe link at the foot of the email and accept my apologies.If you like what you read, please feel free to forward it and invite others to subscribe.
Happy Networking!
Andy
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Don't get stuck in a tunnel
Networking Skill Tip |
I keep being told that men can't multitask! Maybe that's why women are often recognised as more natural networkers.
It's a natural thing to do to walk into a networking event with a very strong focus, particularly when people like me are telling you that you must have a clear vision of why you are there and what success looks like.
However, if you suffer from tunnel vision when you are networking, you will struggle to find the light at the end. Effective networking involves recognising opportunities, both for yourself and for others, while enjoying a relaxed conversation.
A strong strategy and clear goals are vital. But rather than set these for each event, have these targets for your networking across the year. That frees you up to engage with the people you meet without worrying if they are appropriate contacts for you, or struggling to get your elevator speech out.
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Wearing one hat at a time
Networking Strategy Tip |
Make life easier for your friends and colleagues.....develop a niche, or even a few of them.
If you can be recognised as an expert in your field within a particular industry people will be more likely to recognise opportunities for you and will be more confident making introductions.
You don't just need the one niche. Look through your existing client list and ask yourself which ones you'd like to replicate. What makes them such attractive clients? Why are they working with you, what do you bring to their business and could you do the same for their competitors, other people in the same industry or other businesses in a similar position?
The more work you do in a particular field, the greater your profile in that field, you will soon find work coming your way naturally.
If you have a number of areas of speciality, when people ask how they can help, you can give them a clear answer based on the circles they operate in and the people they know. |
Don't forget, it's about being human
Online Social Networking Tip
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I often hear people say how great it would be if someone would create software that can bring all of your social network content together and save you logging into each one individually.
This is already happening to some extent, with different software allowing you to share Tweets on Facebook and Ecademy content on Twitter for example. However, I think this misses the point.
Different networks should serve different purposes. Ultimately, networking involves engaging with different people; the best networkers are those who build two way relationships, not those who just broadcast their own message to all and sundry.
By all means, if software allows you to avoid retyping some content, such as your basic profile information, that's great. But before sending exactly the same content to every network, ask yourself if that's appropriate for different audiences.
If you're a member of a network, you still need to log in and read what other people have to say and talk to them. If we move the other way, we'll have sites full of automated content and no-one reading them.
That wouldn't work for anyone.
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How I use Twitter
Video Tip |
 Many people write off Twitter as a waste of time but I believe it can be a useful business tool. My approach is focused not purely on broadcast nor on the meaningless minutiae of my life. Instead I try to achieve a mix of sharing business tips and letting people know more about me. I also try to engage with others on the site, it is a network after all. I discuss this in more detail in this video recorded for a new resource being put together by Currencies Direct.
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| Andy recommends... |
These days many people do sponsored bike rides, mountain climbs, treks, walks and runs among other challenges. They raise vital money for worthy causes while overcoming personal fears, or reaching great achievements.
One such person is Steve Trister. Steve is doing the London to Southend bicycle run on 19th July in aid of the British Heart Foundation.
There's nothing unusual in that, you might think.
Steve has set himself another challenge alongside the bike ride. He has decided that he wants to make it easy for people to sponsor him by only asking for £1 per person.
The twist is that he wants 1 million people to each donate £1.
It's some challenge and Steve has been tapping into the power of online networks, celebrity endorsement and a gruelling schedule of personal appearances at events to spread the word. Yesterday he positioned himself outside Parliament to ask MPs to contribute....and check if they were going to claim their £1 contribution back on expenses!
You can find out how to contribute your £1, how to spread the word and see some of the celebrity videos Steve has filmed here.
Steve will be appearing on Monday at Rod Sloane's 'How to Barack Obama your Business' event that I am MC'ing in Newbury Park East London. Details are in 'Connecting Live' in the right hand column.
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A question of trust
The National Networker |
Do you trust me?
We talk about trust a lot in networking, without thinking too much about what it really means. Trust is implied often when it needs to be earned.
I surprised a networking contact recently when I told him that I didn't trust him. I explain why in my monthly column in The National Networker.
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| Just for Fun |
Errr......a bit of a dodgy one this week!
I must admit to not being a fan of the wave of TV talent shows over recent years. Yet some acts do stand out from the crowd.
The UK may have Susan Boyle, but Sweden's Got Talent have their own superstars......Swedish style!
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I hope you've enjoyed the newsletter and look forward to your feedback.
If you're serious about developing a networking and referrals strategy that can take your business to a new level, you can contact me on:
Tel: 07930 417833
Skype: andylopata
I look forward to hearing from you.
Andy |
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Free networking coaching sessions...courtesy of the Government!
I was lucky enough to spend a few hours with Andy discussing my networking strategy (or absence thereof). I came away with a much clearer understanding of what I needed to do, in order to develop a more commercially focused approach to my business networking.
Andy is a true expert in business networking and the strategies that can make it commercially successful.
John F Galvin
Managing Director
IO1 ltd
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If you're a small or medium sized business (5-250 employees) based in London, Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire or Bedfordshire you may qualify for a fully funded two hour coaching/consultancy session with me as part of the Government's Train to Gain scheme.
We can also offer subsidised training for your teams under the same scheme.
If you'd like to know more, please contact Harvey Lopata at harvey@lopata.co.uk.
07930 633245
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| Connecting...Live! |
| 13th July
6pm-8.30pm
How to Barack Obama Yourself and your Business
with Rod Sloane
King George Conference and Banqueting Centre
713 Eastern Avenue
Newbury Park
Ilford,
Redbridge
IG2 7RH
I will be MC'ing this seminar, presented by Rod Sloane.
Book Here
21st July
6pm-10pm
International Special Events Society
AGM and Summer Party
Forman's Fish Island
Stour Road
London
SW1A 1ER
I will be MC'ing this event
Book Here
26th August
1pm-4.30pm
Networking, not Not-Working - How to make the room work for you
Service Network
Newcastle Racecourse, High Gosforth Park, NE3 5HP
Book Here
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In other people's words:
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"Andy has successfully elevated networking into more
of a strategic arena ...................rather than it just being a
"skills" thing"
Phil
Jesson, Director of Speaker Development
Academy
for Chief Executives
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"One of the biggest
challenges ISES faced was the lack of interaction between our members at our
networking events.
Andy Lopata helped us to
change that with an interactive networking skills talk that was highly
successful.
We received fantastic feedback from our Members following the talk
and we have noticed a clear shift in the quality of networking at our events
ever since."
Will Broome,
President International Special Events Society UK
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"
Andy certainly
made a difference on how I normally approach / perceive events such as this."
Ann Azzopardi, Category Buying Manager
Pret a Manger
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