| Welcome to 'Connecting is not Enough' |
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In the past couple of years it has become particularly important for people to use their networks to find jobs or fill vacancies. This has been reflected in the growth in popularity of LinkedIn.
I regularly hear about vacancies coming up in various industries and have people contact me to help them or their friends find work. This gave me an idea recently.
Starting from this newsletter, we have replaced 'Connecting Live', where I listed forthcoming events at which I am speaking, with 'Looking for...'. This column will feature a couple of people looking for work and/or vacancies that need filling each issue.
I hope that you will take a moment each issue to look at this column and ask yourself 'who do I know who might be able to help this person?'
If you know of any vacancies that I should feature, or want to be featured yourself, please let me know. Entries should include a jpeg image of the jobseeker or the company logo where there is a vacancy, up to 35 words to feature underneath , an email address they can be contacted on and a link to their LinkedIn profile or website.
Please send all submissions to claire@lopata.co.uk. We can't promise to feature everyone we receive and will keep it at no more than four entries per newsletter, depending on space.
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Last week's 'The BIG Event' in Hertfordshire was a tremendous success with a superb lineup of speakers for a first time out. You can read my review of the day here, with pearls of wisdom from all of the main platform speakers here.
Pictures of the day, taken by the excellent Dianna Bonner, can be seen on her site here.
Congratulations to the competition winners from the last issue, Ian Hudson, Ernest Bhatti and Vena Ramphal, who all won tickets to The BIG Event.
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This is a fantastic opportunity for small businesses in Birmingham to access the support they need to move on to another level. If you know anyone in the area who might benefit from coming along, please do pass the information onto them.
Details can be found here.
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Do you receive this newsletter in plain text (not formatted/ no pictures)?
We are considering stopping the non HTML version of this newsletter due to the time it takes to put together. Before making this decision, we need to know if there are people who rely on it. If that is the case, we will continue to provide it.
If you would prefer us to continue with this as you cannot access the HTML version please let us know. Please email claire@lopata.co.uk if this is the case.
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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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Hanging around
Networking Skill Tip |
Much of the best networking at events happens towards the end. Whether it is easier to find points of conversation because you have seen the same speaker, or whether people relax and spend more time getting acquainted rather than chasing after as many others as possible, conversation seems to flow more easily and become less shallow as an event reaches its conclusion.
Try to allow some extra time in your diary so that you don't have to rush off after a networking event. Don't be the one leaving while others reap the benefits of their patience behind you.
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Don't take notes, take notice
Networking Strategy Tip |
Motivational speaker Nigel Risner always urges his audiences not to take notes but to take notice during his presentations.
Good speakers should give you a host of ideas to develop your business, but if you take on too much in one go you will be less likely to implement their techniques.
Focus on the key challenges in your business or job and how that speaker's ideas may address them. Just write down the action points you want to implement in your business, and commit to following up with a small number of them.
Do that and you will be far more likely to follow up than if you take reams of notes, go away inspired and then fail to pick up the notes again.
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Who's in control?
Online Social Networking Tip
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Perhaps partly due to media coverage many people shy away from social networks because they are worried about what they may reveal.
Remember, however, that you are in control of much of what you say on the web. You decide what to type, what pictures to upload and what privacy settings you choose.
Of course, other people can still talk about you and post up images themselves. But how does that change if you are not there? The only difference is that if you are out of the loop you are much less likely to have any control.
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Why 'yes' men lose out
Your Business Channel Video Tip |
Many people attend events and join networking groups for all the wrong reasons. There is a strong process that you should go through before making the decision to join a network if you are going to realise the potential from membership.
I explain this in more detail in this video.
Why Yes Men Lose Out
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| Andy recommends... |
The Enterprise UK Policy team has just launched an Enterprise Manifesto and need your support
and ideas to make it happen. This is your chance to have a say in policies that
could be taken up by the next government. Here is more info on how to get your
idea heard:
Enterprise Manifesto
Enterprise UK are looking for your involvement in a project that they
hope will make a real impact on entrepreneurs throughout the UK. Enterprise
UK
are seeking collaboration on a Manifesto that will be launched to government
and other stakeholders at the end of
April. Your views are absolutely essential
to making this have a real impact - it
is a Manifesto by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs. All you need to
do is submit a policy idea that you believe could help make Britain more
entrepreneurial - at www.enterpriseuk.org/enterprisemanifesto.
The most popular, innovative and cost-effective ideas will
be taken forward by Enterprise UK, with the Director Generals of the four
largest business organisations in the UK
(the BCC, CBI, FSB and IoD) in a final report 'The
Enterprise Manifesto: Practical thinking for an
entrepreneurial Britain'.
The proposals could be implemented quickly by any Government, or taken up by a
third sector organisation or businesses.
If you
would like more information on the manifesto or have any questions, please
contact policy@enterpriseuk.org |
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Getting your referral message across
The National Networker |
In last month's National Networker article, I shared the first five of ten tips on how to get your message across to your network in a way that will help them refer you.
In a stunning display of predictability, this month's column features....the next five tips! In this set of ideas I look at keeping things simple, telling stories and looking after your reputation.
Don't forget, if you like this article, you can receive a range of networking articles from across the US and globally every week through a free subscription to The National Networker. You can sign up here.
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| Just for Fun |
Time for a game of cards with a wonderful trick from last year's Melbourne Comedy Festival.
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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, or you are interested in booking me for a speech or training session for your team, you can contact me on:
Tel: 07930 417833
Skype: andylopata
I look forward to hearing from you.
Andy
© All material copyright H & A Lopata ltd 2009. All rights reserved.
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Looking for a lawyer!
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We are currently looking for a Central London based law firm to join a Professional Services Networking and Referral Strategy Group (PSRG). We have a firm of accountants and branding agency ready to start and wanting solicitors to join them.
Each PRSG of fifteen comprises five professionals from three firms in
non-competing but complementary business fields.
The overall objective is to substantially increase each firm's return on investment from networking both in general and by building on the synergy with each other.
For more information and to discuss this further please contact Harvey Lopata on 01992 450488 or email harvey@lopata.co.uk
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Looking for...
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Bringing our networks together to help people find and fill jobs
Richard Bolsom...
Looking for a role in equity swaps department of an international bank based in London.
Richard is one of my oldest friends and lost his job in a redundancy programme last year.
View Richard's LinkedIn profile here. Who do you know who might be able to help him?
Richard can be contacted on r_bolsom@yahoo.com
 Isabel Ivars Sancho...Looking for a marketing role, Isabel is an award winning creative professional who has experience in branding,
marketing and communications.
Isabel's previous jobs range from AVP Marketing and
Communications at Merrill Lynch to Head of Marketing at Latin America Film.
View Isabel's LinkedIn profile here. Who do you know who might be interested in employing her? Isabel can be contacted on
isabelivars@hotmail.com |
In other people's words:
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"I
recently heard Andy speak about developing a Referral Strategy.
Now, I thought
that I knew a little about this subject, but Andy really surprised me with the
detail and insights he has in this area.
He also helped me personally with who
and what I should be discussing when looking for referrals. Go and see Andy
speak, even better hire him for your organisation."
Rod Sloane
Sales and Marketing Alignment
Strategist
Author of "Alignment The Secret to
Getting your Sales and Marketing Teams Working Together"
"If you want to hire the
ultimate conference chairman for your event I cannot recommend Andy highly enough.
Given the cost of producing a typical conference Andy's
fee is without a shadow of a doubt a totally worthwhile investment in
success - buying his services is like buying a guarantee that your
event will run smoothly."
Clare Rayner, Director, The BIG Event and The Retail Conference
Read the full testimonial on my LinkedIn profile
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