Many people get offended by PhD type people who will not give them the time of day at parties. Often people feel slighted, as they simply brush them off and refuse to chit chat. Not long ago someone mentioned this and indeed we have all probably witnessed this behavior at one time or another, so it was decent commentary and a worthy subject.

Thus, I felt obligated to take the PhD person’s point of view and attempted to debate their possible thoughts. So, I said; of course there is a flip side to all this. That is that if those who are propelling BS are allowed to continue, then the person listening is soaking it in.

For instance - Talking about the weather is fine, for a few minutes and all the how do you do stuff as well. Yet, when the BS starts flying and these are things you have heard over and over again and again, sometimes it is insincere to continue to listen and “pretend” that you are buying into it all.

If the BS’er demands to be listened too and calls a foul if they are graciously exited then it is the person who demands who would be the lesser right? So, in this case if the BS’er called the non-listener arrogant as they felt slighted or perhaps disrespected, then their comments are merely “revengeful” in nature and should also be taken with a grain of salt.

So this is the flip side of the argument as I understand it and recently, I had this conversation with someone in our think tank about this very subject and thus I am so glad to have you address this issue. I suppose therefore there are two sides to every human interaction.

L. Winslow is a Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entrepreneur. Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.

The other day I got a phone call from a guy who wanted me to join his association.

He made a strong case, too: reasonable dues, good people, great networking.

When he asked for the sale (or in this case, the membership), I paused for a few seconds before responding.

“Mark, my policy about saying no is, ‘I don’t say it enough.’ So, for that reason alone, my answer to you is no.”

Dead silence. I smiled and waited.

“Well um, uh … OK,” he stammered. “I-I guess I’m not going to challenge that.”

Dead silence. I smiled and waited some more.

“OK well, uh, thanks for your time Scott,” he resigned.

“My pleasure!”

I hung up the phone.

Whoa. Where did THAT come from?! I wondered.

That was a first for me. Telling someone my “policy” on saying no.

And I tell ya what; it felt GREAT!

Candid, yet friendly.
Honest, yet confident.

And nobody’s time was wasted.

LESSON LEARNED: people respond to policies.

I actually just looked up the word policy. It means, “shrewdness or prudence, especially in the pursuit of a particular course of action.” Which means:

You’re not being mean.
You’re not being difficult.
You’re not rejecting someone.

You’re simply sticking to your guns. Telling someone, “Look, this is how I roll. This is who I am. That’s my policy.”

NOTE: I’m not talking about company policy. That’s different.

I’m talking about personal policy.

Knowing thyself. Being the world’s expert ON yourself and confidently articulating that on a consistent basis.

The following steps will help you put this idea into practice:

POLICY PREPARATION

1. Brainstorm a list of 10-15 of your most valued personal policies.
2. Organize and type them out on a small card.
3. Carry that card in your wallet.
4. Look at it regularly.
5. Next time someone challenges one of your policies, whip out that card and ask them physically read it back to you. (THIS IS CRUCIAL!)
6. Smile and wait for them to respond.

And they will. Every time. Because people respond to policies.

© 2007 All Rights Reserved.
Scott Ginsberg, aka “The Nametag Guy,” is the internationally recognized author of four books, including “The Power of Approachability” and “How to be That Guy.” He delivers speeches and publishes online learning tools that help businesspeople make a name for themselves - one conversation at a time. He can be reached at 314/256-1800 or email scott@hellomynameisscott.com.

Are you one of the millions of small business owners and professionals who have attended networking events held by the chamber of commerce or a business organization and found the experience to be far less than what you had hoped?

Attending networking events has proven to be frustrating and ultimately a waste of time for many business owners and professionals.

Typically, the frustrations and wasted time arise from two basic issues:

1. Overblown expectations

2. No plan of attack

Networking events, especially those of a general nature organized by the chamber or a general business organization, will not provide you with a plate full of potential prospects.

If you can walk out of a networking event with three or four good potential contacts, you have done well. Unfortunately, many, especially those who are not networking junkies, attend these functions with the hope of leaving the event with a whole stack of business cards of great prospects.

When their expectations are not met, they conclude that networking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and decide their time is better spent elsewhere.

In addition, most attendees do without a plan for using their time to the maximum. Rather than an organized plan, they simply attend hoping to “run into” prospects. Yet, if you attend regularly and with realistic expectations, networking can eventually pay great dividends.

There are three “secrets” to making networking pay:

1. Know where you’re going

Knowing who is likely to attend the event you are considering is as important as attending the event. If you are considering going to an event that you have never attended before, try to get a copy of the host organization’s member roster.
By examining the membership directory, you can get a fairly good idea of the type of people you can expect to meet. If it appears there are a reasonable number of people and businesses of interest, plan on attending.

2. Know why you’re going

Go with a definite number of contacts you want to make. Determine how many good contacts you will need to make in order to make the investment of time worthwhile. Depending on your product or service, that number may be only one or two—or five or six.
By establishing realistic, objective criteria, you can easily determine whether your time was well spent and whether you might want to attend the event in the future.

3. Have a system for working the event

For most business owners, the real networking-event killer isn’t so much who is in attendance or even their own unrealistic expectations, but the time they waste during the event. Working a networking room requires planning and a clear vision of how you will spend your time.

I and many of my clients have found the following networking method easy and very effective.
Arrive about 15 minutes before the official event start time. Wear a large, easy-to-read, high-quality, permanent nametag. Of course, have lots of business cards. Business cards should be blank on the back. Wear clothing with two easy-to-reach pockets.

Station yourself close to the entry door—close enough that people might mistake you for one of the hosts. Greet each person as he or she enters. Nothing more than a greeting—and, hopefully, noticing their company name: All you want is to hear a name—put a name to a face and to make a quick judgment as to whether they might be a prospect.

When arrivals begin to slow, begin your progression around the room. Move in one direction—left or right. Greet the first person or group of people you meet. This round of conversations should be short—two to three minutes at most. Your goal is to introduce yourself and learn as much as you can in a very short span of time about the person or persons you’ve just met.

Don’t clutter the conversation with information about yourself—keep everything focused on the person or the persons you are speaking with. This will be your second meeting with many of these people, although you will probably not remember their names.

Since many, if not most, will offer you a business card, you will begin to segregate cards into an interest stack and a non-interest stack. When you meet someone you believe you’d like to get to know better—a potential prospect—put that person’s business card in your right-hand pocket. Put the cards of those you don’t believe are prospects in your left-hand pocket.

This system allows you to immediately find the cards of those you want to reconnect with during the event without having to try to remember their name.

If you meet someone you would like to get to know better, before moving on to another group let the person know of your interest in learning more about their business and ask permission to make contact via phone at a later date. If the person agrees, take one of your business cards and on the blank reverse side write the day and an hour span of time during which you will call: “e.g., Thursday, March 12, between 10:30-11:30.”

That day and time will be the same for everyone you meet whom you want to call. It keeps you from having to remember when you will call, but because it is an hour-long span you’ll have time to make several calls without concern that you won’t keep your appointment.

Now, move to the next group and continue in this manner for the majority of the event. About 30-45 minutes prior to the end of the event, go into your last phase.

The last phase is taking the few cards in your right-hand pocket and seeking to reconnect with those people. This will be your third chance to meet them and to put a name and face together. In addition, since it will be your third meeting, they’ll begin to feel like they know you and they will probably greet you as a friend rather than as new acquaintance. Just as you are implanting their name and face in your mind through multiple meetings during the event, you’re planting your name and face in their mind.

This third conversation will be a little more in-depth, but, again, keep the focus on the other person. Possibly you can move this conversation to the point of inviting the person to lunch instead of a phone call on Thursday. If not, prior to moving to the next person, again mention the phone call on Thursday and hand out another business card with the same information written on the back.

On Thursday, make your phone calls and close for a get-to-know-one-another meeting.

This structure allows you to “meet” a prospect three times during the course of the event, set up a definite telephone conversation, and help both you and the prospect quickly move from the “just met” stage to acquaintance stage very quickly. All without having to remember any details during the course of the event.

If you keep your expectations reasonable and focus your time during the event on the few true prospects you meet, you’ll find your time at networking events to be both more enjoyable and profitable.

Paul McCord. McCord, president of McCord and Associates, a sales training and management consulting company in Houston, Texas, is the author of Creating a Million Dollar a Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client Referrals (John Wiley and Sons, 2007) and upcoming SuperStar Selling: 12 Keys to Becoming a Sales Superstar. Paul can be reached at pmccord@mccordandassociates.com. His sales training website is http://www.powerreferralselling.com

Business to business networking can go a long way in boosting your business. There are really two different venues now available, one of which was not available even two decades ago. Some business owners are seeing, within their own lifetimes, the growth and the introduction of brand new possibilities for business to business networking. This new technology that has cleared the way for new advances in business to business networking is the internet. The internet has added a new venue for networking in general, but this is especially pertinent and relevant for the businesses who wish to engage in business to business networking.

The internet allows businesses from all over the world to “discover” each other. A business in Taiwan that sells whatchamabobs can connect with a business in Toledo that sells whatchamabob covers with just a few clicks. The internet may not have made the world smaller, but it certainly has made it accessible. Now business to business networking is easier than ever. With business to business networking communities such as Direct Matches, businesses can connect easier than ever. These types of companies narrow the focus specifically to business people. This could be business owners, managers, executives, CEOs, you name it. What it also does is allow these people to connect, to network.

Businesses in similar industries can trade information. Events, conventions and seminars can be posted on these sites to keep business people in the know. These sites do for business people what MySpace did for teenagers and college kids. There is nothing like it.

Forums and newsgroups are also a great way to do a little business to business networking. You can enter these forums and newsgroups and establish your reputation as an expert while you are networking with other business people. This will also boost your credibility among your peers as well as prospects. When you have that type of credibility, other businesses are more receptive to proposals for swapping backlinks and other marketing strategies.

Finally, another great way to attract business people to you and do some business to business networking is to keep a blog. If you are keeping a blog, you should post to it 3 to 5 days a week. Also, consider your intended audience and make the posts informative, but give your readers information that they can use and that is relevant to them. Also, place your keywords in your blog post’s title so that it will be picked up easier by the search engines. If you write for an intended audience of business people, then that is who will come to your blog. You can begin business to business networking from there.

Business to business networking can prove to be very beneficial to your company. It can help you with your marketing strategies and even help you expand your markets. You may find other businesses and do a marketing co op. You can get a heads up on news and upcoming events. Business to business networking is a very effective way to build your business.

Sam Bowen is a successful internet entrepreneur who offers success centered audio books and ebooks to those who desire wealth, health and happiness. One of his websites: Science Of Getting Rich is a prime example of the kind of quality audio book packages he provides. Sam’s financial vehicle of choice is an up and coming B2B Matchmaking service where you can earn up to $12,000 per week! Check out this site right Here

Are you attracting enough clients or customers to your business? Do you ever wonder why you may feel blocked around this situation when others around you are flourishing?

Let’s look at the top 10 reasons people give as to why they don’t have a full client roster

1. I am uncomfortable networking

2. I feel like a used car salesman

3. I don’t like hard selling anyone anything

4. No one will want to pay me for my work

5. I have no credibility (education credentials or otherwise)

6. I have no time to market myself

7. I’m not perfect at what I do

8. I have a “shady” past that I’m afraid people will find out about

9. I just don’t feel like I know what I’m doing

10. I’m afraid…… (you fill in the blank)

Let’s take a look at this same list but view it as a list of limiting beliefs that coincide to each statement above.

1. I am afraid to be out their speaking my truth

2. I have no credibility, I sound unauthentic when I sell my skills, I sound stupid

3. Selling must be done in a harsh way to get people to listen

4. I don’t deserve to be paid for my skills/gifts

5. I don’t believe in myself enough to be out there. I don’t believe in my natural skills.

6. This isn’t important enough for me to make time to market myself.

7. I judge myself harshly and demand perfection

8. I am afraid to be my authentic self

9. I have no confidence and people will see that I am a fraud

10. I’m just plain afraid …….and here’s the punch line: I’m just plain afraid of being rejected.

That’s it. That’s basically what it comes down to: FEAR OF REJECTION. Oh, I can hear the moans and groans. Some of you have even gone back in time during this split second and relived being the last person to be picked for dodge ball when you were 6 years old or not having a date for the prom. Come back! : )))

Let’s go further. What is this fear of rejection about? Well basically if you break it down to the smallest common denominator it is a LACK OF SELF WORTH. When you fear rejection or reprisal by being you’re true authentic self then you have a self-worth issue. You’re business is a very personal extension of who YOU are. That’s a whole lot of esteem that you put out on the line each and every day you market yourself. Make sense?

In effect, what you’ve created is a negative Law of Attraction situation. The negative is what is boomeranging back to you. The image of the boomerang is a wonderful illustration of how energy works in the world. You throw a boomerang as hard or soft as you like, it still comes back to you in the same manner you let it go out of your hands. So it also is when you send out into the world negative, self defeating limiting beliefs about you and your business guess what comes back? Yup, negative or null and void energy. The important thing to note here is that the boomerang really doesn’t care what the energy (or intention) is behind being thrown, it just comes back.

Let’s erase these limiting beliefs that are causing your self esteem issues and thereby the negative boomerang. You will need 2 pieces of paper for this exercise.

Step 1: On page 1 make 2 columns. Label the first column “why I am not getting the clients I want”. Then label the 2nd column “the corresponding limiting belief.” You’re basically going to do exactly what I did with the 10 statements above. Purge as much as you can onto this page. Go back and uncover all the hidden sabotaging voices that are impeding you. They can even be people.

Step 2: On page 2 write across the top “My New Beliefs and Behaviors”. Write the necessary positive affirmation that would correspond to each point on page 1. Using my lists above, I’ll give you a few examples:

1. Networking is easy for me. People are drawn to me and want to hear what I have to say.

2. I speak eloquently about my skills and talents.

3. My gentle persuasive soft sell allows me to seal the deal with ease.Etc…, you get the idea.

Step 3: Now here’s your choice. You can keep page 1 or you can keep page 2. It’s totally up to you. You always have a choice. If you choose to keep page 2 – congratulations! Now ceremonially, reach down to your shredder and run that list of negative things through it. Say the following:

“I release all of these negative patterns from every layer and level of my body. I no longer need these things. I choose a better me, a better life and an abundant business with lots of clients!”

Step 4: Tape your new list to the mirror in the bathroom and say those statements every morning. Be sure to look yourself in the eye as you do so! : ) You’ve just become a conscious co-creator in your life. You are setting the Law of Attraction into motion by changing your focus! Be prepared to catch it!!!! : ))))))

ABOUT MARIA:

Maria Gamb “The Anti-Sabotage Expert” is founder of NoMoreSabotage.com, helping hundreds people learn how to undo sabotaging patterns thereby attracting more success and abundance into their lives.

She is a well-known and respected expert on Anti-Sabotage Principles and the Laws of Attraction for Success, speaking nationally to audiences whose members want to overcome blocks to success. Maria coaches female entrepreneurs and other motivated professionals to overcome self sabotaging patterns and limiting beliefs about money, success, and relationships, helping to improve their own intuitive skills along the way.

Are you considering My World Plus as a home business or network marketing business? Have you ever heard of My World Plus?

Whether you have heard of them or not, I felt like my experience was worth sharing.

My World Plus is a brand new network marketing company that officially launched on March 15, 2007. Their product is a discount membership card to over 175,000 retailers worldwide. You also get cash back discounts at over 600 online stores.

I joined this company 8 hours before launch. In approximately 3 weeks I have 310 paid members in my powerline. I guess you could say I was and still am shocked! I am second level to the founder which I am sure didn’t hurt my cause, but this company and product has been long thought out, and put together very well.

The membership cost is only $19.95 per month making it affordable to the masses. The company pays their members on their first 5 levels whether they enroll anyone or not. You are guaranteed to make money even if you don’t do anything. When you consider this, along with the fact you can save $100 or more every month by using the discount card and coupons to do the same things you are already doing you really can’t lose.

The compensation plan is also very impressive. I already mentioned they pay out 5 levels whether you enroll anyone or not, but they also pay out 4 levels of fast start bonuses which is very unusual. Then they pay infinity bonuses which start when you enroll only 3 people that can earn you commissions on a thousand levels deep. Then, if they have not done enough already, they have included a bonus pool which pays their qualified members 10% of the companies volume every month. You actually get paid for members not even on your team.

If you are considering My World Plus I would definitely take a very close look and consider it. If you are just looking for a company to start a home business, this is definitely one to consider. It is a startup company growing very rapidly.

I have included my affiliate link so you can take a free tour and get more details. This is also a very good feature. When you take the free tour, you will lock in a position in the powerline and you can actually see results before you make any decisions.

You can go here to take a free tour and lock in your position: http://randyjones.MyWorldResults.com

Randy Jones is a Home Business Owner and Internet Marketer. To find the best home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home visit: http://www.simplebiz4u.com

Blogs are great ways to promote your online business for free. You can view the Author’s Blog here: http://mlmbusinessbuildingonline.blogspot.com

Originally my article title was going to be,”If you have to pay for child care you will make more money with a home based business earning $100 a year than you can if your wife finds a job earning $20,000 a year.” Then I decided the article should show even without paying for childcare that a home based business will end up putting more money into your bank account.

So before I begin, let me say I am not a tax expert, I don’t pretend to be one, so please consult one before you start any MLM home based business.

With that said Sandy Botkin a renowned tax expert, just one of several home based business tax experts I’ve learned much from, wrote an article “If you don’t have a home based business start one today.” In his article he talks about a story in woman’s magazine in 1994 which sadly stated that having more than 1 job did not produce a significant change in a couple’s bank account. Since their example was written more than 10 years ago, I have tried to update it so it’s more in line with our year of 2007.

In my example the man earns $40,000 a year. His wife who we’ll call Sara stays home with their 2 small children. Many months they find themselves frustrated because they don’t have enough money. Even though the kids aren’t in school yet, Sara decides to get a job. She’s knows she can get a fairly decent job making around $10 a hour. So she gets a job making $20,00 a year.

Their combined income is now $60,000. Sounds good to them but they don’t feel like they are much better off than before. They decide to sit down and figure where their money is going. What they discovered surprised and amazed them.

Since they file a joint return, their total income is what determines their tax bracket. O.K., when I checked the difference between making $40,000 and $60,000 in the tax booklet provided by the IRS, they know have to pay an additional $3,000 in federal with holding tax.

Social Security came to around $1,100. Medicare tax was $243. State tax was $322.

Sara now commutes 10 miles to work round trip everyday. This has cost them around $520. a year in gas. They also had to put new tires on her car which cost almost $300. They also had some minor car repairs like needing a new battery, which we didn’t count.

Sara also had some child care expenses. She had 2 small children ages 2 and 4. When I called a day care in my area, I was stunned at the price they told me. They wanted $249 a week for 2 children. This comes to $10,908 a year. I’m sure you’ll agree unless your making a ton of money it makes little sense to work when paying that much for child care. But Sara does not understand how this will affect their net income, and feels it necessary to work.

Now Sara wants to eat out with her coworkers occasionally. This cost her around $20. to eat out only twice a week. This is another $1,000. a year.

With her job she now needs professional clothes, shoes, nylons. She now spends at least another $600 a year on these items. If you ask I’m sure you find many women who spend much more than that a year just getting their hair and nails done alone.

Finally after caring for her children and working full time she doesn’t feel like cooking every night like before. They now spend $30 or more a week eating out. That comes to an additional $1,560 a year.

Add it all up and how much has Sara really made to improve their financial position?

O.K. if you did the math you found out that it’s costing them money for Sara to work. So maybe you have a wonderful grandparent who will watch your children for free or maybe they’re in school. How much will you be making then?

It’s doesn’t matter because I’m going to show you how having a home based business can make you more. Even if you don’t make anything the first year.

Are you ready to learn how?

If your looking for more infomation to promote your network marketing business, but tired of the endless steam of sales pitches you’ll find her site a refreshing change.
http://www.mlmalchemy.com

Do you ever wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and say “what am I doing this all for?” Why spend hours, days and years of your life working for others and making other people rich. You are helping them fulfill their dreams, while your dreams pass you by. Do you do it for the security of a good job? Maybe your parents told you this was most important in life. Maybe you need the paycheck to pay your mortgage or you are worried about retirement. Maybe you have to support yourself and your kids. We all need money to live, but the bottom line is that sometimes you need to follow your heart, not just your head. I did, and it paid off…big time!

Before I followed my dream, I worked as a lawyer and I must admit, I hated every minute of it. One day I woke up and said, that’s enough. I am finished working for my wealthy and greedy clients, now I am working for me, for my life. And I did. I’ve never looked back and, although it wasn’t always easy, in the end I found my way and I am now living my dream. As a home based MLM business owner you can live your dream too. But don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy. It takes hard work and dedication, but the results are great: financial freedom and independence. It’s true money doesn’t make us happy, but let’s look at what it does give us: time! Time to live your life. To spend with your family, friends. Bottom line is we should live to work, not work to live.

But you need to be smart. Picking an opportunity is not easy. Many of the best MLM programs available are already saturated with distributors and don’t allow a new comer to easily succeed. You need to look for programs that are relatively new yet have solid management experience (it’s a bonus when the company is a spin-off of a major player). You also need a company that has a product that meets current market trends and consumer demands. Nutrition and wellness products are ideal as they allow you to reap not only financial but health benefits as you build your business. And you need a company that provides the marketing assistance you need to start. Most importantly, you need to be able to do it affordably in a limited amount of time. I managed to find the opportunity that provided all that, and for your sake I certainly hope you do too.

Formerly a lawyer, Brian Stewart is now living his personal dream. As a network marketer with a home business, Brian has free time to spend with his family and pursue his life goals.

You can learn more about Brian’s business at http://www.x2obuilder.com/x2obuilder

What is one thing you love about networking? Is it getting out and meeting others with the possibility of walking away with a pocketful of great leads? What are some of the things about networking that you do not like? Is it constantly being sold to or that no one really takes the time to understand what you really do and do not take the time to understand your business?

If you are like me, I bet the networking scene is becoming stale fast. There are hundreds of networking clubs scattered across the world, all of these networking groups are based on the same core principles, they are designed for sales people to come out and obtain more leads, and most of them are only interested in growing their own contacts and working towards their own commission cheques. Some networking groups even go the extreme of charging fines to their members when they do not have leads to share – how does that affect the quality of leads that you may potentially receive.

NetWeaving is a new approach to sharing opportunities in the marketplace. NetWeaving takes the stress away from networking. Now instead of being surrounded by sales people that are only out to grow their contact base and sell you something, NetWeaving is based on a core principle of helping others. NetWeaving puts the emphasis is on becoming a connector. The NetWeaving concept was created by Bob Little.

When you have a NetWeaving event where connectors are able to come together and help each other, the stress of having the card junkie or salesperson that only focuses on their agenda is gone and something magical happens, opportunities are introduced, businesses are connected and the most important thing, the members of the group are growing their business.

NetWeaving is all about helping others! When you focus on helping others, good things will happen.

Connectors love to introduce people, be it either in a social setting or in a business setting. The joy of seeing two people come together and something happening is a huge rush for a connector, and this is what NetWeaving is based on. Instead of connecting people in a social setting, business or professionals are connected and form strong business relationships with each other. These relationships tend to now become long term instead of a single transaction opportunity that normally occurs in the majority of networking events.

When you change your focus from “here is my business, what I can sell you” to“ how can I help you” you will start to see benefits in your business as you commit to help your fellow business acquaintance or even you clients. You will soon gain the reputation of connecting businesses together and then the people that you have helped will want to help you when the opportunity presents itself. It is normal for others to want to help others after they have been helped by you.

Professional NetWeavers have a PDA full of qualified contacts in their trusted network that they will have no challenge sharing and referring to a client or other business that needs some help. This is something that has hindered traditional networking for quite some time. It normally takes a long time for a relationship to form where networkers are comfortable to refer their contacts. This is the same in NetWeaving. Remember you have to give over, over and over before you ever get anything in return, building relationships takes time. Those business people that are focused on NetWeaving fully believe that they are making change in today’s business world.

Once you have successfully introduced two companies or people together it is important to follow-up with everyone involved to ensure that the relationship has not stalled for any reason and also ensures that everything has kicked off the way it should. When you follow-up with everyone involved in the introduction you also show that you sincerely interested in ensuring that everyone is having the best experience with their new business relationships.

For more information on NetWeaving visit http://www.netweaving.com.

Stuart Crawford is a business leader in the Calgary, Alberta small business computer consulting business. He has taken his best practices of success in this market and is sharing this with other IT consultants throughout the world. He can be reached at stuartc@youfactor.ca. Stuart also managed the Canadian Small Business Show at http://www.canadiansmallbusinessshow.com Stuart recently completed his first book on computer challenges for the average person, visit http://www.takingnotes.ca for more information.

Networking is an important part of growing any business. It’s an especially important part of marketing for small businesses that may not have the funds to put towards costly advertising methods. It’s true that networking takes time and energy, but the good news is it’s relatively inexpensive, and it’s a great way to drum up business.

Although networking sometimes gets a bad rap, it’s important to know that effective networking isn’t about “schmoozing” as some people may believe. Networking is, in its most basic form, about relationships. Sure, you can hand your card over to a new acquaintance as you introduce yourself, exchange a few sentences, move on the next prospect and repeat the process. But has the other person learned anything about you and your business? And if they don’t know why you are different from your competitors, why should they call you rather than them the next time they need your product or service?

Getting to know other business personnel is also a good way to qualify prospects to determine whether the potential is there for doing business together. But don’t write off a new contact just because they don’t seem to need your product or service right now. In fact, leaving out the sales pitch when you’re just getting to know someone is actually a good idea.

When two people take time to get to know each other on a personal level, the foundation of a relationship—trust—is built. And it’s built slowly. To learn more about a new contact, consider getting together outside of formal networking events. Grab a cup of coffee or have lunch. Then make sure you’re the one who asks questions and let them do the talking. Chat about hobbies and interests. Ask about their family. Learn about their personal goals—and then do what you can to help achieve them.

Sound like a one-sided street? It’s not. When you make an effort to help someone else, they’re often eager to do the same for you. And now that your new contact knows a little bit about your own goals, chances are they’ll provide qualified leads because they know what you’re looking for. You’ll do the same for them, and you’ve got the foundation of a PPP: a potentially profitable partnership.

Resources
Not sure where to start networking? Chances are there are lots of opportunities nearby. Here are a few types of networking groups found in towns and cities of all sizes:

Chamber of Commerce
Almost every town has a Chamber, which, among other things, hosts regular networking opportunities. Find a Chamber in your city at
www.uschamber.com/chambers/directory/default

BNI (Business Network Int’l)
A referral-based group utilizing word-of-mouth marketing.
www.bni.com

Women’s groups
Probably the most well known organization is NAWBO, The National Association of Women Business Owners (www.nawbo.org). Some Chambers also have Women’s Divisions. Check with your local Chamber to see if it supports this type of sub-group.

Internet groups
It doesn’t matter where you live—these online discussion groups have no regional boundaries. Most offer advice, support, and general conversation for people in similar professions. Search http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/dir/ to find an online community that piques your interest.

Professional associations
If you’ve got a job, hobby, or any type of general interest, there’s an association for people just like you! Here are a couple of starting points to use to find a professional association:

Associations on the Net
www.ipl.org/div/aon/

Encyclopedia of Associations
To find organizations and associations offline, consult this library reference book, published by Gale Research, Inc.
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0787668753/interactiveda162-20

Business Strategist Joy Duling is Managing Director of the midwestern professional services firm, A 25 Hour Day, LLC. With more than a decade of executive-level project management experience, Joy helps time-pressed professionals take control of their business outcomes.

Learn how you can achieve more of what you really want in your business by visiting http://www.theSmallBusinessStrategist.com

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