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Starting Today - Your professional network will make a difference in your relationships for you, your career, and your business; but only if you can answer the question: WHY am I networking? Connecting with people you do not know or do not know well is one of the toughest challenges you and your employees face! Very few people are natural connectors. And even fewer are skilled at managing and maintaining their professional relationships. Fortunately, this is a skill that you can develop. I know it can be developed because I had to overcome the obstacle myself. I believe that most of you will be able to relate to my story. Many years ago, while at IBM, I had a manager tell me that I was too shy and that I should take a Dale Carnegie Course to develop my conversational skills. It was not what I wanted to hear. I did not want to move out of my comfort zone! Instead of taking the recommended course; I bought the book and sat alone to read it. It didn't accomplish much, but I felt I had done my part. It was several years later before I finally took the needed steps to overcome my quiet nature. I wasted a lot of time and missed many opportunities before finally facing reality! My purpose is to let you learn from my experience; instead of repeating it yourself. I am passionate about networking and I know the benefits that it can provide to you, your career, and your business. There Are Two Primary Reasons Why You Want Professional Relationships!
That is it! It is that simple. You want to find others and you want others to find you! You may feel this is too simplified, but I don't believe so; it really comes down to a desire to connect is the motivating reason for networking. "The problem is that even though these are the reasons for networking and it is very simple; most people are not effective because they do not know their WHY for networking!" They are lacking the motivator. They are lacking the passionate reason. Because connecting is a foreign process for most without a reason and/or passion; problems arise. You cannot have a passion when you have not defined your networking purpose. It is not enough to just want to be connected. You need to have a driving force behind you. You must have a passion for networking; you must know:
This Is Your Networking "WHY"! You may wonder why it is so important and here are some of the reasons. First, this is your motivation! This is how you will overcome rejections, objections, procrastination, roadblocks, and avoidance. This is what will keep you going when it seems to be taking far too long or when the "right" connection never seems to appear. Your "WHY" gets you through the periods when you simply want to quit; it will be the differentiator that makes you a success as a networker. The lack of a "WHY" is where people fail. Without a purpose or strategy it is easy to find excuses, to avoid your network and the networking process, to say it does not work and simply give up. So, the questions are... When you know your "WHY"; you will approach your networking with confidence and determination. Understanding your "WHY" and being committed to your "WHY" is the difference. If you do not have a commitment to your WHY; you will find excuses to avoid networking. You will find yourself using one of these worn out cliches:
Without confidence and determination in your networking; you will be paralyzed by the fear of rejection! Fear of rejection is the one thing that prevents most people from being successful networkers. |
A special message to business executives, owners, and managers Make your connecting activities count! I'll show you how. Enter your email address and name below to get free instant access to these three valuable networking videos:
Special Reports: NEWS FLASH: Upcoming Events: Tom offers a variety of Networking and Social Networking workbooks that have been developed from his workshops and seminars and new titles are being added regularly. If you are looking for that next step in getting introduced to Tom and his networking expertise; here is an easy way to jump in. Tom offers a variety of Networking and Social Networking workshops from the novice to the advanced user and from the unemployed to the seasoned professional. Tom's easy going personality allows him to interact with ease regardless of the audience. In addition to the Networking Workshops that Tom holds in the Portland, Oregon area; he is available to bring these workshops to your organization and personalize them to your unique requirements. Tom has broad industry experience that enables him to relate seemlessly with most any group. Do you have an event coming up? Are you looking for someone to put a buzz in your crowd? Do you need a speaker to challenge your audience to do better? Then Tom is the person for you! His easy going manner and interesting stories will inspire your audience to want to do better and he will give them the tools to do better! Are you struggling to develop your "WHY" for networking? You have ideas and you know it is the thing to do, but it just doesn't seem to be happening as fast or in the way you want. Here is your answer the "Why" Club. This group meets twice monthly on conference calls to discuss WHY they are committed to their networking efforts and to gain the support of people going through the same process. The Why Club is a support group designed to keep you motivated and focused on your goals. Tom works with a limited number of executives, professionals, and managers coaching them in the finer points of networking. Helping them define their WHY and overcome their fears of networking. Executives, professionals, and managers must lead their teams by example and if they are challenged by the idea of networking it is critical that they address the problem NOW! |