What is stopping you from building the strongest network possible and getting the help and support you need from that network?

In response to a suggestion from my good friend Mark Lee, I am launching a survey of the biggest challenges faced by people who want to network more effectively. Once responses have been collated, I will offer a series of short free webinars or Google Hangouts, where I'll address the most popular challenges and answer your questions.

So please help me by taking a few minutes to answer the questions in the survey and let me know what's stopping you.

----------------------------------------------

Conference season is coming and soon many of us will have diaries crammed with events. For me, this weekend sees the annual conference of The Professional Speaking Association in London.

It's not always possible to make it to a whole conference but you can still benefit from them. I can't attend this weekend, but I have booked myself into a Fellows' Forum tomorrow morning and to the evening entertainment. That way, although I can't attend the whole conference I still get the opportunity to connect with fellow speakers from across the UK and Ireland and those who have flown in from further afield.

I also reached out to a few people I particularly want to connect with to see either, if they will be free tomorrow or if we can meet up while they are in the South East.

Don't just put conference dates into your diary and wait. Be proactive and ask yourself who will be there and whether you can go to the event itself or not, make sure you get the right meetings into your diary.

----------------------------------------------

After a prolonged spell back in the UK, I'm getting my travelling boots back on over the next few weeks with two trips I've been looking forward to for some time.

Later this month I'll be in Sofia, Bulgaria, speaking on 29th October at this event.

I'll then be speaking in Chicago, USA on 19th and 20th November on both referrals and networking strategy.

If you know anyone in either city who might be interested in coming to see me speak or meeting with me, please do put them in touch. Thank you.

And don't forget, in the meantime, I will be interviewed on a webinar for Saudi Arabia's Madinah Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship (MILE) on 14th October. You are more welcome to join the webinar here.

------------------------------------------------------------

The following day, Dr. Ivan Misner and I will be joined by Charlie Lawson, author of 'The Unnatural Networker', to discuss Networking for the Nervous on The Global Networking Show.

The show will be broadcast live on Google Hangouts and YouTube at 5.30pm BST and you can submit your questions in advance or live on the show.

------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you enjoy the newsletter and look forward to your feedback. Please do check out the blogs listed on the right hand side of the page for lots of extra ideas, tips and thoughts.

Let me know what you think.

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

Email: andy@lopata.co.uk

Skype: andylopata

I look forward to hearing from you.

Andy

Video Tip: Can your network recognise opportunities for you?

While you read this, how many people in your network are sat opposite someone you'd love to meet? And how many of those people will recognise that fact and make the connection?

In this clip from my presentation 'It's Who Knows You' in Tehran, I discuss how we need to take control of our own personal brand and help those in our network to help us.

Networking Tip: Can your network recognise opportunities for you?

A quick example of the power of networking. When I first received the videos from Iran I couldn't separate the Farsi translation from the video. I posted a cry for help on Facebook and my friend Andy Preston tagged video producer Dave Richardson. Within 24 hours of posting the DVDs to Dave I had the clean versions in dropbox in time to include today.

Thanks guys!

Interviewing the Experts: Finding the Time to Network

One of the biggest challenges for people trying to network effectively is managing the time to do so. Who better to ask about this than Simon Phillips, author of The Complete Guide to Professional Networking and Mastering Time

How do you find the time to network effectively?

Just for Fun: Stop, Look and Boogie

It's inspiring when you see how people find creative solutions to everyday problems. Take, for example, the issue of people crossing busy roads at red lights. How can you get them to wait?

Here's a great approach:

The Dancing Traffic Light

Andy Online

The Networking Shop

Recommended: How to sell through networking and referrals

...and Death Came Third! The Definitive Guide to Networking and Speaking in Public

Kindle version

iPhone App

?Recent blogs and interviews

A Global Approach to Networking Strategy

BNI Podcast with Dr Ivan Misner

Five Card Trick

andylopata.com

Do you personalise connection requests on LinkedIn?

andylopata.com

To Tweet or Not to Tweet

andylopata.com

What people say...

Andy has successfully been working to support me at Molnlycke over the past few years and in a number of different ways.

His enthusiastic and interactive presentation at our National conference was very much appreciated by all and his series of workshops for my leadership team has been put to significant positive use.

Effective networking is critical to our organisation and like many others, resonates strongly within the challenges we face as an industry.

Shona MacDonald,

Business Director UK & Ireland,

Wound Care.

Molnlycke Health Care