In Business, networking is the vehicle to spread "word of mouth". Networking is the primary source of referrals. In the business world, referrals are warm leads, almost ready to buy, as opposed to what you can get from cold-calling or direct mail.

Networking is inexpensive, sometimes even free, and it works because of two major psychological truths:

1. People are afraid to do business with strangers.
2. People prefer to do business with people they know or with people who were recommended by someo
   Big Blow Up Gorillas for Adverting Your Store
   Perhaps you have seen the catalogs or talk to a company that rents giant blowup guerrillas that you can use to help advertise your store. But does it really makes sense to put a big blow up guerrilla in front of your store to make people look and get their attention? In some cases it does, but consider if you will that the guerrilla needs to wear a sign on his chest that says; Big Sale!Why you ask? Well because otherwise you confuse your customer; sure they know something big is going on over at your store because there's this giant blowup guerrilla there, but they have no clue as to what is going on. And unless you tell them you are confusing them and you are diluting your potential.Don't get me wrong; big giant blowup guerrillas in front of your store will bring in more customers, but it also needs to be well-thought-out as well. Often you will see, giant waving, blow up stick figures or miniature blimps flying over head of a business, but they do not say anything on them or the blimp is flying so high, you cannot
   These days, networking is synonymous with a successful business. Networking is also the key to a good social life. No matter how big our office, how colourful our flyers, how powerful our computers or how many degrees we have, it is the quality of relationships we establish with ourselves, our family, our friends, our customers, our suppliers and, more than anything else, with people we don't know, that will determine our success in our personal life or in business.

   At school, we got the idea that the more knowledge we gain, the more successful we'd be in life. This intellectual focus on life is still practiced in many places around the world. The emotional approach that has been around for many years and got a boost with Daniel Goleman's book, "Emotional intelligence," proved that success has a better correlation to emotional abilities, rather then academic ones. Relationships with others and with ourselves are major parts of this concept.

   Many people have asked us what we were doing that brought us to those wonderful places around the world. Every time we answer, we realise that it wasn't our profession, our education or our knowledge, but our attitude and the people we knew personally that were the key to this wonderful journey.

   Working around the world in many projects and jobs, we realised that the only people that ever asked for our degrees were immigration officers, and they never appreciated the high achievement on our certificates. I got my first job after university through one of my professors. My second job was a referral by the manager who had just laid me off. I was taken to my third job, half way around the world, by my plant manager, who was moving there himself and needed people he could rely on in his own new job. My forth job was an opportunity that a friend from California picked up on the company's internal notice board. My fifth job, in Thailand, was a call from my manager from the third job, who had moved to Thailand himself and, again, needed people he could trust. My Sixth job was with the Singaporean consultancy I had hired to do the job in Thailand. I got it after becoming friends with the company's owner, who needed, well, someone he could talk to. Our moves to Australia, and then from Melbourne to Brisbane, were both possible as a result of personal relationships I had established with two guys from a recruitment company in Melbourne.

   I think the most surprising part in this was that getting each job did not depend on my expertise, my computer skills or my ability to search well on the Net, but on the people I knew, the network I had developed, my "safety net."

   Some time ago, I found out that over 70% of the jobs are not even advertised and are filled by "word of mouth," so your chances of knowing about a new job depends on the people you know.

   In life, our network is our safety net - the people we can contact to ask for a doctor, an accountant or where to find swimming lessons for the kids. Having moved so many times, I know that our ability to network saved us months of trial and error. Your network is your "Buddy", the person you can call and ask questions and who refers you to the right person if he or she doesn't know the answers. Have you experienced this? New places, new jobs and new schools make this sort of people invaluable.

   In Business, networking is the vehicle to spread "word of mouth". Networking is the primary source of referrals. In the business world, referrals are warm leads, almost ready to buy, as opposed to what you can get from cold-calling or direct mail.

   Networking is inexpensive, sometimes even free, and it works because of two major psychological truths:

   1. People are afraid to do business with strangers.
   2. People prefer to do business with people they know or with people who were recommended by someon
      5 Clues You're in The Wrong Job or Career
      I worked at the Safeway from Midnight to 9 stocking shelves, so I could race to catch a bus to my college classes and afford the rent on my glorious 1 room bachelor apartment.The job was fairly easy, but the two guys I worked with were something else. One fellow couldn’t wait for retirement, and he let everyone know it, and the other was, well, finicky about everything.“Face the can labels FORWARD, Gary! People want to know what they’re buying.”I was lucky my eyes were even open, but this odd couple had a remedy for that, too. Though I had to take a Music Appreciation class for my general education degree requirement, nightly we listened to Beethoven’s 9th at least once, blasted at top volume over the worst speakers you can imagine.Let’s just say the job got me from A to B, and I got into sales soon after that, and it was my ticket to sleeping normal hours.Here are five clues that you’re in the wrong job or business:(1) There’s zero turnover among your supervisors. They’re all “lifers,” as th
      igence," proved that success has a better correlation to emotional abilities, rather then academic ones. Relationships with others and with ourselves are major parts of this concept.

      Many people have asked us what we were doing that brought us to those wonderful places around the world. Every time we answer, we realise that it wasn't our profession, our education or our knowledge, but our attitude and the people we knew personally that were the key to this wonderful journey.

      Working around the world in many projects and jobs, we realised that the only people that ever asked for our degrees were immigration officers, and they never appreciated the high achievement on our certificates. I got my first job after university through one of my professors. My second job was a referral by the manager who had just laid me off. I was taken to my third job, half way around the world, by my plant manager, who was moving there himself and needed people he could rely on in his own new job. My forth job was an opportunity that a friend from California picked up on the company's internal notice board. My fifth job, in Thailand, was a call from my manager from the third job, who had moved to Thailand himself and, again, needed people he could trust. My Sixth job was with the Singaporean consultancy I had hired to do the job in Thailand. I got it after becoming friends with the company's owner, who needed, well, someone he could talk to. Our moves to Australia, and then from Melbourne to Brisbane, were both possible as a result of personal relationships I had established with two guys from a recruitment company in Melbourne.

      I think the most surprising part in this was that getting each job did not depend on my expertise, my computer skills or my ability to search well on the Net, but on the people I knew, the network I had developed, my "safety net."

      Some time ago, I found out that over 70% of the jobs are not even advertised and are filled by "word of mouth," so your chances of knowing about a new job depends on the people you know.

      In life, our network is our safety net - the people we can contact to ask for a doctor, an accountant or where to find swimming lessons for the kids. Having moved so many times, I know that our ability to network saved us months of trial and error. Your network is your "Buddy", the person you can call and ask questions and who refers you to the right person if he or she doesn't know the answers. Have you experienced this? New places, new jobs and new schools make this sort of people invaluable.

      In Business, networking is the vehicle to spread "word of mouth". Networking is the primary source of referrals. In the business world, referrals are warm leads, almost ready to buy, as opposed to what you can get from cold-calling or direct mail.

      Networking is inexpensive, sometimes even free, and it works because of two major psychological truths:

      1. People are afraid to do business with strangers.
      2. People prefer to do business with people they know or with people who were recommended by someo
         How Competitions Win New Clients
         You’ve probably noticed competitions on web sites. They come through your letterbox nearly every week. They proliferate on the wrappers of chocolate bars and on food packets in supermarkets. Why?It’s not because the manufacturers like to give money away. It’s because people have always been in love with the idea of something for nothing and because the valuable prize can cause people to select one brand as opposed to another.Offered one brand of fruit juice at the normal price and another similar brand at the same price but with the chance to go to the Olympic Games, which would you choose?But can competitions be used to win new clients for service companies? Let’s look first at why manufacturers use competitions.The reason competitions are popular with manufacturers is this; if you give away a freebie the value of the freebie is dictated by the profit margin of the product you’re selling. So, unless you’re selling a high priced product the freebie is always going to be a low value item.On the other
         nd job was a referral by the manager who had just laid me off. I was taken to my third job, half way around the world, by my plant manager, who was moving there himself and needed people he could rely on in his own new job. My forth job was an opportunity that a friend from California picked up on the company's internal notice board. My fifth job, in Thailand, was a call from my manager from the third job, who had moved to Thailand himself and, again, needed people he could trust. My Sixth job was with the Singaporean consultancy I had hired to do the job in Thailand. I got it after becoming friends with the company's owner, who needed, well, someone he could talk to. Our moves to Australia, and then from Melbourne to Brisbane, were both possible as a result of personal relationships I had established with two guys from a recruitment company in Melbourne.

         I think the most surprising part in this was that getting each job did not depend on my expertise, my computer skills or my ability to search well on the Net, but on the people I knew, the network I had developed, my "safety net."

         Some time ago, I found out that over 70% of the jobs are not even advertised and are filled by "word of mouth," so your chances of knowing about a new job depends on the people you know.

         In life, our network is our safety net - the people we can contact to ask for a doctor, an accountant or where to find swimming lessons for the kids. Having moved so many times, I know that our ability to network saved us months of trial and error. Your network is your "Buddy", the person you can call and ask questions and who refers you to the right person if he or she doesn't know the answers. Have you experienced this? New places, new jobs and new schools make this sort of people invaluable.

         In Business, networking is the vehicle to spread "word of mouth". Networking is the primary source of referrals. In the business world, referrals are warm leads, almost ready to buy, as opposed to what you can get from cold-calling or direct mail.

         Networking is inexpensive, sometimes even free, and it works because of two major psychological truths:

         1. People are afraid to do business with strangers.
         2. People prefer to do business with people they know or with people who were recommended by someo
            As Seen On TV - Infomercial Products
            Infomercials have been around for along time. Have you ever caught yourself glued to the TV watching and listening to information on a new TV product? We have all seen these ads and I am sure most of us have some of these products in our homes. I know I have several. Wow, will that really clean my floors and make them look new again? Use water to steam away all those germs. Only five minutes a day and you will lose weight! How can you not want to try these products? Only $19.99 or 5 easy installments of $29.99.A number of celebrities endorse these products. One product that has been around for awhile is The Thighmaster endorsed by Suzanne Somers. She also endorses other exercise machines such as torso track, beauty products and even appliances. Suzanne has made a real impression in infomercial world.Celebrities definitely help these products to sell. These are people we can relate to and if they are endorsing a product and putting their name to the infomercial product it must be worth buying, right?Some in
            al relationships I had established with two guys from a recruitment company in Melbourne.

            I think the most surprising part in this was that getting each job did not depend on my expertise, my computer skills or my ability to search well on the Net, but on the people I knew, the network I had developed, my "safety net."

            Some time ago, I found out that over 70% of the jobs are not even advertised and are filled by "word of mouth," so your chances of knowing about a new job depends on the people you know.

            In life, our network is our safety net - the people we can contact to ask for a doctor, an accountant or where to find swimming lessons for the kids. Having moved so many times, I know that our ability to network saved us months of trial and error. Your network is your "Buddy", the person you can call and ask questions and who refers you to the right person if he or she doesn't know the answers. Have you experienced this? New places, new jobs and new schools make this sort of people invaluable.

            In Business, networking is the vehicle to spread "word of mouth". Networking is the primary source of referrals. In the business world, referrals are warm leads, almost ready to buy, as opposed to what you can get from cold-calling or direct mail.

            Networking is inexpensive, sometimes even free, and it works because of two major psychological truths:

            1. People are afraid to do business with strangers.
            2. People prefer to do business with people they know or with people who were recommended by someo
               Want To Run Better Meetings?
               There are dozens of meetings that take place every day in organizations. There are informal spur-of-the-moment meetings. There are weekly staff update meetings. There are monthly executive meetings. And there are board meetings, training meetings, strategic planning retreats, meetings with clients, staff and suppliers.Most meetings generally take too long, cover too little, end without specific plans, objectives or outcomes and waste time, money and resources. I believe that “meeting” is an important business function. Meetings get people together to share information, ideas, problems, activities and feelings.There are a few key elements to consider when planning or holding a productive meeting that you want to end with a specific outcome, objective met, decision made or plan implemented.1. Carefully consider who should attend the meeting and why. What will they add or what do they need to take away.2. Let people know the agenda in advance, so they can come prepared.3. Follow the agenda
               r network is your "Buddy", the person you can call and ask questions and who refers you to the right person if he or she doesn't know the answers. Have you experienced this? New places, new jobs and new schools make this sort of people invaluable.

               In Business, networking is the vehicle to spread "word of mouth". Networking is the primary source of referrals. In the business world, referrals are warm leads, almost ready to buy, as opposed to what you can get from cold-calling or direct mail.

               Networking is inexpensive, sometimes even free, and it works because of two major psychological truths:

               1. People are afraid to do business with strangers.
               2. People prefer to do business with people they know or with people who were recommended by someone they know.
               Therefore, the MORE people you know (i.e. the BIGGER your network), the more business you'll do.

               It gets even better. Of everybody they know, people prefer to do business with the people they like and/or trust. Therefore, the more GOOD relationships you have (i.e. the STRONGER your network), the more business you'll do.

               Granted, not every person is a social butterfly and not all of us have a big network. It may be encouraging to know that networking is a learned skill and persistence is the key. As Thomas Edison once said, "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." Just take it one person at a time and one conversation at a time.

               Some people don't want to mix business with social networking. They fear that trying to sell to their personal acquaintances will drive them away, because they're not interested in the product or service. Funny, isn't it? People get over 70% of their jobs through the people they know personally, but still want to separate. The trick here is NOT to sell directly while networking. While exchanging opinions, advice and stories, it may come up in conversation that you're keen to sell a product. In this situation, the partners to the conversation aren't put on the spot, and their desire to be helpful will get them thinking about potential buyers for your product. All you have to do is talk to them, then let them help and show your appreciation.

               SELLING IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO ENTITIES EXCHANGING THINGS THEY VALUE. I give you something and you give me something in return. I give you my money and you give me a Pizza. I give you some of my time and you give me some of your money. Think about it - even volunteering is an exchange of service in return for a good feeling. Networking is about building long-lasting relationships of give-and-take. Good networking is ensuring that EVERYBODY WINS in the exchange.

               National Sales Executive Association research shows that over 80% of sales are closed after a minimum of 5 contacts. This means that, in order to build a relationship with someone that's strong enough for them to buy from you, you need to spend time with them and socialise with them 5 or more times. so don't thought away your dish so fast.

               But networking isn't only for business. Community events, going out to the park with some friends and their kids, having a car rally or getting together for coffee with friends are all good networking opportunities. By participating, you gain common experiences with other people, making everybody feel closer to one another. As a result, it becomes easier for everybody to support one another, because you can see a bit of yourself in the others and they can see a bit of themselves in you. Then it's almost like helping yourself, isn't it?

               With our coaching clients, we put a lot of emphasis on relationships. Once the clients discover the power of relationships, they move forward with their personal life and their business much quicker. For all our clients, it is the safety network they esta