Dear Coaches,
Jobs are found, businesses are built, and careers are made when your clients know how to use the tools of networking. At Contacts Count we’ve identified The 8 Networking Competencies needed by almost everyone, in every job type at every level, and we’re happy to share them with you. And hey, why not hone the skills yourself to attract more clients and build your business?
On this faculty page we’ve given you a variety of complimentary materials to help you sample our approach to networking. Call Lynne at 301-589-8633 if you’d like to know more about:
- The 8 Networking Competencies that every professional needs to know
- One-on-one coaching on how to build your coaching business using the tools of networking
- Licensed Contacts Count Networking Coach Program that gives you state-of-the-art networking materials to use with your clients
- The Networking Competency Assessment, an on-line, 30-item test that tells you how your – or your client’s – networking skills stack up and shows you what to learn next.
- Make Your Contacts Count by Anne Baber & Lynne Waymon (AMACOM, 2nd edition) The best “how-to” book on the market today.
- Job Hunt: 50 Networking Tips, a downloadable Guide for job-seekers, for only $3.99 (also comes as an iPhone app for just $2.99)
- The Contacts Count e-Newsletter, monthly tips and tools for you and your clients
- The Contacts Count Executive Briefing: See why Contacts Count is #1 when it come to business and career networking training
As one recent client said, “Now I have an actionable idea of networking that doesn’t make me feel dirty or desperate! Thanks for your coaching.”
Contacts Count is the only networking approach that relies on teaching people about your Character and Competence as a way to build relationships. And it’s the only method that works for both Introverts and Extroverts.
Our strategies and tools have been used by such diverse audiences as lawyers, IT professionals, interior designers, trainers, coaches, marketers, project managers, engineers, entrepreneurs, and plastic surgeons, to name only a few! When you look at The 8 Networking Competencies and take the Networking Competency Assessment, you’ll immediately see that Contacts Count offers state-of-the-art, field-tested ways for you to build and capitalize on a deep and wide network.
FREE ARTICLE: Cure the Under-developed Network
Cure the Under-developed Network Syndrome
By Anne Baber & Lynne Waymon
Co-authors of
Make Your Contacts Count:
Networking Know-How for Business and Career Success
(AMACOM, 2nd edition)
What ails your network? Most people’s networks are under-developed. People join groups and then assume that they have networking relationships with the other members. Here’s a fresh look at the various kinds of relationships that are possible with contacts. Even more important, if you know what kind of relationship you have with someone, the next step you can take to develop the relationship becomes obvious.
Imagine your network as a bulls-eye.
Accidents float around outside the concentric circles. You’re in seat 14A. Next to you, in 14B, is an Accident. An Accident is a person you’ll never see again, unless you make it happen – exchange contact information and get back in touch. In one study, 27 percent of people developed a relationship with someone they met on an airplane. But it’s not smart to rely on meeting people by chance.
Inside the outermost circle, put the word Acquaintance. An Acquaintance is a person you could find again, if you had to because you know someone in common. Think of the architect you met at your cousin’s daughter’s wedding. But you’re not going to run into him in the normal course of your life. Remember your Acquaintances when you want more diversity in your network. Cultivating an Acquaintance will bring you in touch with people you don’t normally see.
Inside the next circle, put the word Associate. An Associate is a person who belongs to a group you belong to. That means, you’ll see him repeatedly.
We believe it takes six to eight meetings before two people know and trust each other enough to go to bat for each other. So Associates, whom you’ll see again and again, are your easiest contacts to develop. However (and this is one of the biggest mistakes networkers make), if you don’t develop these relationships, you will remain only co-members of a group. You won’t have begun to act as resources for each other.
Once you have acted – exchanged something of value – a tip, a resource, some information – you and your Associates become Actors. Actors are people you are actively trading with. When you give first, you plug into a quirk of human nature that’s the basis for strong networking relationships: The Reciprocity Principle. It goes like this. If you give somebody something, he will try to give you something back. Two-way swaps are the meat and potatoes of networking.
But there are ways to make relationships even more relevant. When that happens, you and your contact will be able to help each other even more. Advocates (inside the next circle) know you so well and trust you so completely that, when they see an opportunity with your name on it, they’ll grab it and give it to you. Because you’ve taught them so much about yourself, they’ll unhesitatingly pass your name along to others. Advocates can give vivid examples of you in action, serving a client, saving the day, solving a problem.
Finally (in the center circle), you’ll have a few Allies. Allies are on your personal board of directors. They know where you’re headed and will do all they can to help you reach your goals. They will actually seek out opportunities for you. (You’ll do the same for them.) They’ll celebrate with you when things go well, commiserate with you – and even tell you the truth – when things go wrong.
Take a minute to think about your networking contacts. Draw out the bulls-eye and decide, which A best describes each contact. Then you’ll be able to determine what your next step could be with each person.
If you want to move from Actor to Advocate with a contact, for example, tell stories so that your contact will be able to describe your capabilities to others. Ask for stories from your contact, so you can reciprocate.
Using this As model will help you create a fully developed network and help you make networking an art, not an accident.
Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon are co-founders of Contacts Count and co-authors of 5 books on networking and career management. Visit them at www.ContactsCount.com. Information on how to become a Licensed Contacts Count Networking Coach is at http://www.contactscount.com/coachprogram.html . Their Networking Competency Assessment shows which networking skills you’ve mastered and which to give attention to next. Go to http://www.contactscount.com/testyourskills.html for details.
FREE ARTICLE: Make Networking Work: The 3 Million Dollar Moments
Make Networking Work
by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon, authors of Make Your Contacts Count (AMACOM, 2nd edition)
Sophisticated networkers turn every professional and social event they attend into opportunities to expand their circle of contacts. Are you involved with professional organizations, volunteer activities, civic endeavors? Do you know how to make the most of these opportunities?
Focus first on the three “Million Dollar Moments” that happen over and over again at business and social events. They are “Million Dollar Moments” because initiating and managing these business relationships can not only enhance your career, but also add substantially to your bottom line.
Most people don’t manage these moments. They muddle through, relying on the meeting and greeting rituals we all know so well. But, those old rituals can actually stand in the way of building relationships. To forge relationships effectively and efficiently, start networking smart.
The Name Exchange
The first moment comes when you exchange names. Develop your ability to remember other people’s names and – – equally important – – learn how to teach your name to other people.
The next time you’re at a networking event, watch people introduce themselves. Almost everyone zips through the exchange in less than six seconds!
You can do a lot in six seconds. Send a fax. Blow out the candles on your birthday cake. Buy a lottery ticket. But one thing you can’t do in six seconds is teach someone your name and learn his or hers.
So slow down. Linger longer.
To learn someone’s name, do these three things:
Repeat it. After the other person says her name, repeat her first name in
your greeting. Say “Hi, Theresa. It’s good to meet you.”
Ask about it or comment on it. You might ask about the spelling: “Do you
spell your name with an “h”?
Ask separately for the last name. Say, “Tell me your last name again.”
To teach your name, do these three things:
Give your first name twice. Say, “I’m Bob. Bob Torvette.”
Say both your names clearly and distinctly. Don’t run them together.
Provide a way for people to remember your name. Say, “It’s like Corvette but with a “T.”
Often people say this about the name exchange: “Oh, I just rush through that part to get on to the good stuff.” But, in networking, names are “the good stuff.” Unless you learn someone’s name and teach that person yours, you can’t really expect to begin a relationship. So, abandon the six-second ritual. Do the name exchange the effective way.
What Do You Do?
The second Million Dollar Moment occurs when someone asks that inevitable question, “What do you do?” How you answer that question determines whether you’ll instantly start an interesting, productive conversation or one that just limps along.
What do you usually say when someone asks you that question?
Do you tell your title? “I’m president of Cleaver & Associates.” Give the name of your organization? I’m with Big City Eye Center. Mention your industry? “I’m in health care.” “I’m in sales.” Give your occupation? “I’m an administrator.”
Most people say one of those things. Don’t! They are not effective answers.
Instead, tell exactly what you want someone to remember about you and a quick example that brings your job to life.
Don’t say, “I’m an interior designer.” Instead, say, “I help people get the best deal on office furniture and arrange it for maximum productivity. Last week, I worked with a brand new company (Give the name if you wish.) to set up its office space. The furniture was delivered one day; they were up and running the next.”
Create several answers to the question “What do you do” to emphasize your skills and talents (your competence) and to build your image as a person who is trustworthy (your character).
What Are We Going To Talk About?
The third Million Dollar Moment happens just before the conversation about the weather. There’s a pause, as you and your conversation partner try to come up with a topic of mutual interest. This “moment” also happens when you hear the question, “What’s new?” If you answer, “Not much, what’s new with you?” you’ve missed the boat.
Be prepared to be spontaneous. Decide every day what you have to give, conversationally speaking – – your enthusiasms, resources, expertise, tips, shortcuts. Then listen generously. Be alert for needs so you can offer an idea, an introduction, a referral.
When Cindy heard Jim say he needed to find a really special gift for an important client, she gave him the name of a gift basket service she’d used and liked. Also, be prepared to talk about things you want to find, learn, or connect with. When someone says, “What’s new?” say, “I’m adding audio to my website. Have you listened to anybody’s site?”
Rather than relying on the old, worn-out topics, create an agenda for yourself. Be ready to give something; be ready to find what you need or want. That way, you’ll always have productive and interesting conversations that encourage your relationship with your partner.
When you capitalize on the three Million Dollar Moments and use them to build relationships with the future in mind, you’ll see your networking efforts pay off. That’s the way to make networking an art – – not an accident.
Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon are principals of Contacts Count, a nationwide consulting and training firm that specializes in business and professional networking, and career development. They are co-authors of five books. The most recent is Make Your Contacts Count: Networking Know-How for Business and Career Success (2nd edition, AMACOM). Fortune 500 companies license their training programs. Coaches license their materials to use with clients. Visit them at www.ContactsCount.com
80-minute audio CD: Networking Know-How: The Contacts Count System for Savvy Professionals & Smart Companies
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Make Your Contacts Count by Anne Baber & Lynne Waymon (AmACOM, 2nd edition) book cover:
