Be the Change

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” ~~ William James

In networking there are three types of people. Those who wait and watch for things to happen, those who make things happen, and those who wonder what happened.

A catalyst is someone who makes things happen. This is the role you should aspire to in order to positively affect your network.

There are four main characteristics shared by catalytic people. These are:

• Initiative. Catalytic people make things happen in all aspects of their lives. They have a “Do it now” mentality. When they see a need for something they apply action to that need. My CPA’s marketing expert sees herself as a “step up to the plate kind of girl” and she certainly is.
• Intention. Catalytic people are goal oriented. They do not simply rely on luck but create their own chances for success. They understand the process of moving from point A to L and navigate those steps steadily and surely—not easily discouraged by the inevitable setbacks encountered. They learn the goals of others and align with them whenever possible, knowing it is far easier to leverage gravity than struggle against it.
• Confidence. Catalytic people are confident in their abilities as both team players and leaders. They have positive attitudes that are contagious and help bring out the best in others.
• Motivation. Catalytic people are both motivated and motivating. These people excite, exhort, and exhilarate people to perform at their very best. You will see them at the front of the pack—leading by example and urging others to follow. You will see them in the middle of the pack—encouraging others to keep going and broaden the trail. You will see them at the back of the pack—pushing others to keep moving forward.

Think of your network as a row of dominoes. As a catalyst you will tip one over and get the others in gear. Hopefully, this weekly blog is a catalyst for you.

Action steps this week are simply to identify the next domino. Who is a value-added friend? How can you work together to motivate your network?

© 2023 by Stephen Hand of Triangle BNI.
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Stephen Hand of Triangle BNI.

Deepen the roots

“A line has to be drawn somewhere between what is essential and what is peripheral.” ~~ Sargent Shriver

By now we have set the stage for taking your networking skills to a new level. Some of this work has been easy and some has not. Some of this work has already yielded solid results. This week I am asking you to consider making a significant difference in one single relationship.

Throughout the series we have touched on a few elements to help you identify your strategic relationships. Specifically these were Field Your Winning Team, Who’s Who to You, and Revisit Your Contacts.  Low Hanging Fruit on the Family Tree is another although these people are less likely to be in the situation where you need to deepen the relationships.

The Bible tells the story of reaping and sowing and shares the efforts of an ambitious farmer with excellent seed. The farmer keeps on sowing the seed against the birds that take it, the thorns that choke it, and so on. Some of the seed falls on ground where the soil is shallow. The little seeds start to grow but on the first hot day the little plants wither and die. These plants could have kept the farmer’s family fed all year but the elements were stronger than the plants.

All of our relationships exist in an environment that is partially of our making and partially not. Market forces, health, genetics, circumstances, and more all have an impact on those relationships. If we do not take the time and make the effort to nourish the roots and strengthen the bonds of those relationships they will inevitably succumb to the overwhelm of outside forces.

This week I would like you to consider one relationship you would like to both protect and expand. How well do you know this person? Not just on a business level but on a personal level. Are there ways you could expand this relationship and make a difference in the larger scheme of things?

I don’t want to limit your thought but I am doing a disservice if I don’t give you some ideas that will help. Imagine your friend is a builder and also cares about the environment. You may or may not know their spouse and children. Imagine working together on a Habitat for Humanity project. Imagine taking a beach weekend together—your family and theirs. The possibilities are endless and can have a very profound effect on the relationship.

This week’s action is to identify one person you want to strengthen the bonds with. Meet with them and take time to get to know them better. Learn things like:

• What would they like to accomplish in business this year?
• What obstacles are in the way?
• How can I help you achieve those goals?

Look at the same considerations for their personal lives.

The important thing is to have the conversation and truly listen. This prepares you well for next week’s section, too.

© 2023 by Stephen Hand of Triangle BNI.
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Stephen Hand of Triangle BNI.

Flock Together and Fly in Formation

“Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you.” ~~Richard Bach

This week we consider that quality known as magnetism. I won’t go into all the scientific details of electrons lining up and how the compass guides us along our journey although those concepts are important.

I will, however, underscore how important magnetism is in the process of establishing the Visibility that is foundational in your networking success. Like attracts like. Busy people attract other busy people. I imagine you can realize how challenging it is to get a bunch of busy people together at once. I also imagine you can realize how valuable that shared time is.

The best way to attract the type of people you want to meet is by becoming one yourself. Look back into week seven Take Inventory and consider those traits you most want to improve on. A simple shortcut is to get around those people and benefit from modeling their behavior.

Scott Ginsberg is known as the Nametag Guy and he lists eight simple strategies you can use to start the ball rolling. Think of these as ways to walk onto someone’s porch to chat or to invite them onto your porch. You may or may not go in the house with them and it is all about breaking the ice and starting the process.

1. Be Ready to Engage. What a simple concept. How interesting is it for you when someone asks, “How’s the weather? Do you come here often?” These are okay as openers (certainly better than silence) and yet the opportunity to take the conversation up a notch is very rewarding. We need to walk the balance between being too personal and to impersonal. If unsure of the receptiveness of the person you are meeting start with something in the environment and move closer. For example, noting that, “This elevator is slow” is much safer than, “I like your earrings.” The latter—if accepted—moves the relationship closer quicker although it is riskier. The simple advice is to be in the moment and attentive to the other person.
2. Focus on CPI. Look for a “Common Points of Interest.” This helps establish the bond quickly and firmly.
3. Give Flavored Answers. There are many interactions where a question is asked as a polite conversation starter and does not expect any thoughtful response. “How are you today?” is a common example. Most of us answer with the one word “Fine” and this is expected. Try coming back with something more interesting. I have a friend that never answers this question the same way and is quite capable of hundreds of different replies. “Amazing. If I was any better I’d have to be twins.” “I don’t know yet. Let me hum a few bars.” I never know what to expect and since his business is all about helping companies craft creative solutions it engages a new person quickly and establishes his credibility in the arena at the same time.
4. Body Language is Important. It may be tempting to cross your arms, for example, if you are tired, cold, bored…but don’t. That clearly sends the message to stay way. If you are there to meet people then make an effort to be open. Smile. Extend your hand. Join conversations in progress and leave the small group open to other people, rather than closing ranks. If two people are face-to-face and eye-to-eye no one else can enter the conversation. There are times when this is exactly what you want. There are other times, though, when it is not. Instead of being face-to-face open your shoulder lines so a third person can slip in. If you are ever cornered and looking for an exit strategy this is a good method to know—although having a few exit lines is more proactive.
5. Provide Different Options for Communications. Some people prefer face-to-face encounters. Some prefer telephone conversations or email interactions. Include these on your business card, your website, and your signature lines.
6. Always Have Business Cards. If you carry a portfolio keep some extra cards in there. As a backup have more in the glove box of your car. As a backup to the backup keep more in your trunk. You never know when the moment will arrive to share contact information and not everyone likes updating their cellphones. Business cards are all-purpose, all-weather snapshot reminders of who you are. Keep them handy.
7. Conquer Your Fear. I know Mom told you not to talk to strangers and that is important advice for a trusting, defenseless child. Instead, leverage points one through four above and meet new people. You may need to stretch your comfort zone a little. Guess what? That is where growth comes from. Do it in a controlled environment such as a Business Networking event. The other guy is there for the same reason and may be more (or less) comfortable than you.
8. Wear Your Nametag. This has become Scott Ginsberg’s claim to fame (or ticket to celebrity) and his points are all well taken. If you are serious about your business embroider your company name on the clothes you wear. If this is not appropriate then get a magnetic or pinned version to wear all the time. You may think wearing those sticky nametags look silly but they do make it easier for others to talk to you. I made a mistake once and put the nametag on upside down and it became a great way to open conversations. The helpful people pointed it out. The less helpful ignored it. This can be a good sort, too, although it may be a little manipulative. I have a nametag on a lanyard and wear it just about everywhere.

Assess your strengths against this list and get comfortable with the CPI concept.

Let’s also take a look outside the box, based on the CPI that you may not have considered. So far we have considered friends and family as well as new acquaintances as strategic partners. How about your competitors? Don’t they share your same CPI? Couldn’t they be the perfect strategic alliance for you?

How is that for out-of-the-box thinking?

Your action item this week is twofold. Consider your top three competitors and imagine what it would be like if you could collaborate. That may not be as far-fetched as you might imagine. What are your unique selling propositions and how do they dovetail with the competitor. Some CPAs do audits others do not. Some general contractors do not want jobs smaller than five day projects while others do. Some business professionals do not travel more than ten miles away while others do.

The second action item is to think of three magnetic people you know and go with them to a networking function. You will learn a lot and deepen your relationship while expanding your skill base and get to network at the same time.

© 2023 by Stephen Hand of Triangle BNI.
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Stephen Hand of Triangle BNI.

It’s a Wired, Wired World

“Anyone can use these sites – companies and colleges, teachers and students, young and old all make use of networking sites to connect with people electronically to share pictures, information, course work, and common interests.” ~~ Mike Fitzpatrick

So far, all of our focus has been on face-to-face (or at least person-to-person) networking. By now you have a few strategies to expand and deepen your contact database and have, ideally, started to see some results. This week we will venture beyond the confines of our neighborhoods and start to network with the world at large.

Accurate data is not as easy to find as it used to be. However, as of January 2023 more than half of the world now uses social media, with 5.16 billion people using the Internet. Of those users, 168 million are new users that came online in the last 12 months. There are 3.96 billion active users for Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, and Instagram.

Facebook, for example, was launched in February 2004 and in the past nineteen years has become synonymous with the term “social media.” If you are in business the Internet, especially via social media, provides a wide audience 24 hour each day, 7 days each week, and 365 days every year. Wide open.

Like any offline community, however, there are rules and norms that enhance your ability and you will move through three distinct levels of participation.

The first level is Visibility. This can be daunting against a population of 1 billion Instagram people. Do you think they were busily engaged before you registered and created your online presence? Do you think they will remain that way whether you are member 1,721,148,634 or not? Absolutely. Your first challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to gain visibility. You do this by being active. In simple terms activity is measured by posts added. If you have some ideas to share then please do. Start with what you know. You can quickly become a subject matter expert and writing a regular blog is a very good way to do that. WordPress has some very complete tools for doing this, although there are many more.

The key to Visibility is recency and frequency. Visit often and post regularly. Add value every time rather than just noise. Comment on other postings. Subscribe to writers you find value in.

Visibility gets you in the door while Credibility is the currency of success. Your information should emanate and germinate from the vantage point of competence. Back your statements up with empirical data. Keep an open mind. Encourage continual growth. Promote other experts, as well, even when they have conflicting ideas.

When Visibility and Credibility combine against any active population the opportunity for Profitability exists. This triad is called the VCP model.

One word of caution, though, is to apply your time realistically to these sites. Carve a small amount of your schedule for this and stick to that plan. It is very easy to let this time get away from you. I recommend using less productive time for this, as well, until it begins to bear fruit. If you can meet with clients or strategic partners rather than work online—do that. If you can provide customer service or work on your business rather than connect to social media—do that. Small effort on a regular basis is the most effective strategy as opposed to pulling an all-nighter and then avoiding the online world for weeks or months. If you use the word “new” make sure it is. That is, don’t leave information about a new application (dated May 3, 2007.) Go back and change the word NEW to USEFUL. The person or persons on the other end will be checking in their less productive time and taking sips rather than gulps, as well.

Action steps for this week

1. Join one or more online networking communities. Be selective. Look at other members’ profiles and build yours with the VCP model in mind. You only need a few and take on those you can actually sustain.
2. Start a blog or write a regular column. Think of ten things you wish you knew before starting your business. This can become one entry or ten. Think of ten things you have learned over the past year. Brainstorm other ideas and wade in…the water is fine.
3. Develop an email newsletter for your company. That is a large topic beyond the scope of this blog (at least for now) and many good resources are available.
4. Remember that both online and offline networking are always based on trust.
5. Understand that online networking has its own cultural norms. Find your niche where you are comfortable and be receptive to feedback.

Ultimately what you bring to the equation is entirely unique and valuable. Let your talent shine through.

© 2023 by Stephen Hand of Triangle BNI.
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Stephen Hand of Triangle BNI.