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'Connecting is not Enough' - Tips and Tools to help you get a return from your networking
 
 
 
In my recent survey of readers of Connecting is not Enough, a number of you asked for the information I share in the form of a podcast. 
 
As a result, today sees the world debut of 'Connecting is not Enough - The Radio Show!' You have the choice of reading the e-zine or listening to the podcast, with the added benefit of some wonderful music on the radio show. 
 
Thanks to Alan Stevens who has successfully presented The Media Coach Radio Show for a number of years and who has been a great help in putting this together. 
 
The inaugural podcast contains all of the content below plus a track from Zoey Jones, who featured in an earlier edition of the e-zine. 
 
You can listen to the Radio Show here. My next step will be to upload it to iTunes so that you can subscribe to it and listen on the move. 
 
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Occasionally I like to share with you a story that's really caught my attention from the wider world beyond networking and speaking. This week it's the story of Richard Herman. 
 
Richard's may not be a name you recognise easily, but he could well be a hero to many of us who are constantly harassed by cold callers trying to sell us compensation for accidents we've never had or claim money back on insurance we were never missold. 
 
Despite being registered not to receive cold calls with the Telephone Preference Service, I get pestered regularly by these calls. We all have our own way of dealing with them (with a sweet smile at all times of course) but Richard's approach certainly appeals.
 
Richard made the news this week because he successfully charged a company �10 per minute of his time for calling him despite his requests not to receive any more calls. Once he registered to take them to small claims court they quickly settled his invoice of �195 plus costs. 
 
Perhaps if more people followed Richard's example we'll see a move away from such clearly unpopular sales messages and more of a focus on companies trying harder to engage with genuinely interested parties and attract them in a more positive way. 

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I hope that the friends and family of all readers of Connecting is not Enough on the East Coast of the United States haven't been too badly affected by the storm this week and that you've been able to continue  your day to day lives without too much disruption or any loss. 


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If you'd like more regular networking tips and reminders of the best approaches to build your network, progress your career and/or generate referrals, I'm tweeting little networking nuggets throughout every day of the working week. Simply follow my Twitter stream to get these regular reminders. 

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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!


Andy

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.

 

A considered approach to networking: 2 top tips
Networking Top Tips
 
Know your goals 
When I ran networking groups I was amazed at the amount of people who came along to an event simply because they were invited and joined because they liked the buzz. Unsurprisingly they got little return from their membership because they had no focus on what success would look like.
 

Before you join a networking group, or go to an event, know what you want to achieve from your networking and have a clear idea of what you need to do to reach your objectives.

 

 

Have a support team 

It's very tempting to try to prove ourselves by overcoming challenges without letting people see that we're not sure of the answer. That is often counter-productive and stunts personal development.

 

Try not to do everything on your own.  Be aware of your limitations and build a team around you who can provide support where needed. Be willing to learn from other people's experience and benefit from different approaches and perspectives. 

 

On The Pitch
Networking Video Tip

After speaking at the Regional Finals of The Pitch in Liverpool recently I was asked a few questions on networking and referral strategy for the Business Zone website. 

Questions included: 
"What are your tips for leveraging the power of your network?"
"What is a strong business referral and how do you get one?"
"Is it worth trying to get LinkedIn recommendations?" and
"How can entrepreneurs use social platforms like Twitter to build a useful network?"

You can view my responses to these questions below: 

How to leverage the power of your network
How to leverage the power of your network

Congratulations to everyone who pitched over the two days, the standard was exceptional. And best of luck to everyone who's reached the Grand Final in London on November 16th
Bits & Pieces
 
I'll be speaking at the Finnish British Chamber of Commerce in London on Tuesday November 13th at 6pm. The event is based around Personal Marketing and Networking and the other speaker is Dr. Mandy Lehto,  a renowned personal branding expert.



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Twitter ebook
If you're still wondering what all of the Twitter fuss is about or if you're tempted to try the social network for yourself for the first time, one of my good friends has recently published a free e-book to help you get started.

Curiosity didn't kill the Matt*
In other people's words

At the recent Professional Speaking Association Convention I took the opportunity to speak to Matt Crabtree about how he develops relationships with his clients. 

Matt was one of the youngest senior executives at Barclays, as well as enjoying a successful sales and management career with organisations such as Pitney Bowes and AT&T. He now speaks and trains globally with some of the world's best known businesses and has built his consultancy business, Positive Momentum, into one with a $2 million dollar turnover. 

Matt puts a lot of that success down to the relationships he builds with his clients and, in fact, stated that 95% of his business over the last ten years can be tracked back to just seven people. 

Client Relationships - Why Curiosity is so Important
Client Relationships - Why Curiosity is so Important

 *Apologies for the truly dreadful headline...I simply couldn't resist!
Sign of the times
Just for Fun
 
Visitors to London may have recently found themselves confused by the maps on the London Underground. 

Someone (or an army of people?) have taken it upon themselves to update and liven up the familiar routes and signs across various tube lines. 
 
Enjoy!

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.

 

IN THIS ISSUE
Beating the cold callers
Networking Top Tips
Interviewed by The Pitch
Live in London and free Twitter ebook
Matt Crabtree on curiosity
An alternative view of The Tube
Recommended
Recommended: How to sell through networking and referrals. 


and Death Came Third!
...and Death Came Third!
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Andy's Musings...

A selection of Andy's regular online columns and coverage elsewhere:
 

Un Libro, Una Idea (in Spanish but with translate option)
 
In other people's words...
"I had the pleasure of hearing Andy speak at the ARC Retail Conference where he made the opening address. I was impressed not only by the quality of his presentation but also by its content. It's clear to me that Andy is a networking champion. "
Leslie Coelho, CTO, Unipower Solution Europe Limited
"Andy is highly creative, personable and driven, bringing excellence and integrity to everything he touches. He has been an enormous help to me, as adviser and mentor, and I would recommend anyone wishing to learn more about the potentials of Business Networking, or to maximise their returns in this area, to look no further. "
Jon Lloyd, Owner, Instigate Teletraining
 

 

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