Business and Finance

Dear Wendy,

My boss made me to join this association, and I hate it. They meet early in the morning, they don’t like me, and I skip as often as I think I can get away with. How can I assert my independence and tell my boss that I’m not going to go any more?

Dear Unhappy Ms. Independent:

We’ll come to several forks in the road on this journey, so keep both hands on the wheel at all times.

First: Why did your boss “make” you join the association?

a: If she wants to brand the company within that organization, then either find a certified morning person who would love to trade you for the evening networking group she yawns through, or find a new job. (You might also see if there is a different chapter of the organization that you could transfer your membership to.)

b: If your boss used to be a member, and liked it, and she thought you would too, you can come to her with an alternative – suggest a particular luncheon meeting and tell the why the people you meet there will be better prospects and GateOpeners. (But be respectful of this group, because if your boss liked these people that means you would be complaining to her about her own friends.)

Continue reading ‘My Boss Made Me Join’ »

In American surveys 88% of the population says they are shy. If you’re in that group networking events are uncomfortable. It seems that the friendly people interrupt conversations to hand their business card to strangers. That perception isn’t reality.

Friendly people use their eyes to guarantee a warm welcome from everyone in the room.

First Make Eye Contact: Eye contact always comes before words. The farther away you are when you make eye contact, the more time you give the person to remember you and think of a way to introduce you to their current conversation partners.

At 10 Feet, Smile: Your smile signals that you are going to join them. You’ll get a warm welcome because they are expecting you.

At 3 Feet, Extend Your Hand: In our culture a handshake is a business requirement.

Continue reading ‘Network Eyes First’ »

Paint-by-number kits first appeared in 1951. By 1954, twelve million kits had been sold.

While there were critics, of course, (“It’s too formulaic”; “It isn’t really art”; “It’s tacky”) paint-by-number kits gave aspiring artists results they were proud of, and bought again.

Richard Hess’s portrait of President Lyndon Johnson as an incomplete paint-by-number work was even exhibited at the Louvre in Paris. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has a current exhibit about this universally accessible art form.

Imagine if you had the template, the numbers, to build a network.

Here are 4:

Be visibly active in 3 different types of associations: That’s the number of people you need to be in regular contact with in order to get and give referrals.

Follow through 5 times with each person you meet: This year’s NASE survey once again found that 80% of all sales or referrals happen after the 5th to 7th contact.

Continue reading ‘Network by the Numbers’ »

Dear Wendy,

Is there an art to creating the right mix of networking activities? How do I know if I’m going to enough or the right combination?

Dear Artistic Networker;

Bravo! your instincts are correct. Successful results do indeed include both harmony and dissonance, just like an opera. Here are three components that will ensure grand reviews and encore engagements:

Think love triangle: Every opera has a 3-way. It creates a little tension, adds a little spice, without it there isn’t a story. Effective networking requires divergence too. There are 21 different types of networks: Industry specific associations, Single occupation associations, Trade associations, Close-contact associations, Charitable and civic associations, Philosophical associations… you get the picture.

Continue reading ‘Is There an Art to the Mix?’ »