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Welcome to 'Connecting is not Enough' | |
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'...and Death Came Third!' has now been out of print for three years and stocks sold out some time ago. Due to the number of enquiries both Peter and I regularly get for the book, we have decided to publish a second edition with Ecademy Press. Details of where and how to purchase this will be featured in the next edition of 'Connecting is not Enough'.
In the meantime, Peter and I would like to invite you to come to the launch party for the book. This will take place on Monday 16th May at Eight Club Bank, in the heart of the City of London. We've got a very enjoyable evening in store, with some excellent networking, an interview with Peter and I by Sky News presenter, BBC news correspondent and undercover investigative journalist Se�n Brickell and some cocktail making courtesy of Ready Steady Cocktail to round the evening off.
Tickets are limited so if you'd like to come, please register here as soon as possible. We look forward to seeing you there.
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Competition corner
I have the joy of being able to speak alongside some fantastic presenters in my job. One of my favourite speakers currently is marketing expert Geoff Ramm. Geoff has been described by one of his audience members as the "Billy Connolly and Peter Kay of Marketing", and it's a fair description. His talks are always highly interactive, entertaining, as well as being packed full of marketing ideas.
Last year Geoff won the audience prize as Best Speaker at the World Advertising Forum in Iran, bringing home a Persian Rug as his trophy. Following another successful trip to the Middle East, he has brought out a DVD covering both his keynote talks, under the title Ramm in Iran II.
This 2 hour dvd is full of his observational stories and ideas including; Chase The Ace, Easy on The Eye, Surprise Me, Figure it Out, From Me to You, Fusion Marketing and Epinay Must Stay that will inspire you and your business.
Geoff has kindly made five signed copies of the DVD available for readers of 'Connecting is not Enough'. For a chance of winning, please email claire@lopata.co.uk with your contact details or send a tweet, including #LopataComps in your tweet, by 6pm on Tuesday 3rd May. Congratulations to Trevor Wood, who won a pair of engraved cufflinks from A Suit that Fits in our last competition. If you weren't a winner this time, A Suit That Fits are kindly offering a complimentary style consultation and measurement appointment*, worth �25, for all Connecting is not Enough readers.
To take advantage of this offer please book an appointment at www.aSuitThatFits.com and quote 'Lopata' at the beginning of your appointment.
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If you have any questions you'd like me to address either in this newsletter or on my blog, please either tweet me, post them onto our Facebook or LinkedIn pages or email them to me.
I always try to address as many as possible.
Happy Networking!
If you like what you read, please feel free to forward it and invite others to subscribe.
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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. |
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It's OK to talk about football!
Networking Skill Tip | |
Think of the business people with whom you have a strong relationship. If there wasn't a strong shared business interest originally, how did the relationship develop? What was it that brought you together in the first place?
It is likely that the relationship has developed through something in common other than business, whether it is a hobby, your age and background, your lifestyle or other common experiences.
It is the growth of a strong relationship that leads to successful networking. That doesn't arise from forced conversation about business; more from a relaxed conversation about common areas of interest. |
We prefer to be referred
Networking Strategy Tip | |
It's well-recognised that personal introduction is powerful. I had a meeting with an individual within a very well-known trade association last year. A business acquaintance of mine had sent an email introducing me to her contact, who runs development programmes on behalf of the association. The woman at the association immediately replied to both of us and invited me to get in touch.
We initially arranged to talk on the phone to see what scope there might be to work together. It turned out however that, on the day she was free to speak on the phone, I was delivering a morning workshop at a company based across the road from her. I suggested that we meet in person after my workshop.
We therefore managed to bypass the 'prequalification' phone call and went straight into a meeting within a week of being introduced. Talking about this on the way out of a very productive meeting, she said how the credibility offered by the connection introducing me meant that she was happy to meet in person, during a busy day, without a clear idea of any agenda. She wouldn't have done so if I had contacted her cold.
People sometimes ask me why they should look for mutual connections when they can get details and approach people direct. A referral gives you a level of assumed credibility that is missing when you get in touch out of the blue. People prefer to be referred.
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Commit to being social
Online Social Networking Tip | |
This is possibly the number one rule of social networking. It's too easy to see sites like Facebook and Twitter as an opportunity to tell everyone what they can buy from you. But just like any networking event, most people haven't logged in to buy. They want to engage in conversation and discussion, they want support and ideas, and they want to promote their own business or career.
Use social media wisely by developing relationships with people in your network, meeting new people and keeping in touch with old friends and colleagues. Show an interest in what they are doing, support them when they ask and share what they do with the rest of your network. They will then want to do the same for you.
If you engage effectively and show a constant interest in others, your online connections will be receptive when you do have something to share with them about your business or your needs. And they'll be far more likely to respond and support you. |
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The importance of trust
Video Tip | |
In August I recorded three videos on the key ingredients of referrals. The first ingredient is trust, and in this video I explain how trust is developed and the role it plays in allowing people to refer you.
 | | Getting good referrals : Part one - Trust |
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Royal Wedding - a sneak preview
Just for Fun
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It may have somehow escaped your attention but next week sees the marriage of Prince William to Kate Middleton.
What most people don't realise is that, to avoid any last minute hitches in front of a global audience, the wedding is in fact pre-recorded. It took place this week and will be broadcast 'as live' next Friday.
I have managed to obtain a sneak preview for readers of 'Connecting is not Enough'. Just don't tell anyone...
 | | The Royal Wedding |
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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, find out more details on our website or 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 2011. All rights reserved.
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Embedding a Referrals Strategy into your business | |
Recommendations and referrals are the lifeblood of many businesses but few firms are aware of how to make the most of the opportunities that are presented to them, which leads to them losing thousands of pounds of potential business
We are developing a twelve month programme aimed at equipping key staff with the skills, understanding and confidence to use networking effectively which will lead to more quality referrals and business
Details of the programme will be released shortly, in the meantime if you want information when released please contact harvey@lopata.co.uk |
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Andy's Musings... | |
A selection of Andy's regular online columns and coverage elsewhere:
Accountancy Magazine
Fresh Business Thinking
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In other people's words:
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"There are many motivational speakers on the circuit who leave behind them just a short lived glow and then there are the subject matter pragmatic, passionate presenters who can potentially change the long term way their audience thinks or operates. I'd put Andy Lopata in the latter category.
We invited Andy to present at our annual Sales Conference how to use social networking to help drive pipeline. In a 40 minute prescriptive tips and tricks pitch, he challenged the audience to see social media as the means to an end goal of targeting individuals with whom they wish to engage.
That Andy succeeded was reflected in the very immediate way our sales execs - and others in the audience - responded to his recommendations by taking a long hard look at their social media interactions (and those of their target prospects) rather than just networking or blogging for its own sake.
If your company needs some structure and purpose behind its business social networking then I would have no hesitation in recommending you engage with Andy to help you in this fast emerging aspect of the sales and marketing mix."
Trevor Salomon - Director, Corporate Marketing, IFS
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