Make Your Contacts Count: Networking Know-how for Business and Career Success

Front Cover
AMACOM, 2002 - Business & Economics - 294 pages

"Setting up a network of contacts is the single most important thing people can do to protect and advance their careers. All businesspeople, no matter what they do for a living, can use networking know-how to reach their goals, and this book is the best place to start. Filled with quizzes, checklists, and sample conversations, the book opens with a Strategic Networking Activities self-assessment test and lets readers chart their increasing skills as they master the strategies needed to effectively build business relationships.

Readers will learn how to avoid the Top 20 Networking Turn-offs, create a workplace contact map, and build strategic alliances. In addition, they'll master the Six Stages of Networking, as well as how to make the most of corporate events and memberships. By the time readers are done, not only will they be able to meet people more easily, but they'll also know how to remember their new contacts' names and follow up effectively! This book is the blueprint to follow for anyone trying to position themselves for career advancement or sales success."

 

Contents

Hows Your Networking KnowHow?
1
Assess Your Mastery
3
Observing the Netiquette
4
Assessing Your Comfort Level
6
Being Strategic
8
I
9
Meeting People
10
Using Networking Organizations
11
The Problem with FollowUp
144
Pave the Way
145
Reasons to Reconnect
146
The Five Goals of FollowUp
147
Tactical TradeOffs
148
Using the Media
149
Contacting One Person
150
Reaching Many
151

Making the Most of Events
12
Achieving BottomLine Results
13
Following Up
15
Check Your Results
16
Whyand HowContacts Count
17
Unmuddle Your Mindset
19
Come In from the Cold
22
Believe the Best About Yourself and Others
23
Catch Your Critic
24
Notice How Your Critic Sabotages You
25
Convert Your Critic Into Your Coach
26
Customize Your Network
29
Link Up OneonOne
30
Choose Groups Strategically
31
Pinpoint Your Arenas
36
Size Your Network to Fit Your Needs
39
Move Through the Six Stages
41
The Next Move Is Up to You
45
Rate Your Relationships
46
Teach Trust
49
Move from Taking to Trusting
50
Teach That You Can Be Trusted
52
The Trust Matrix
54
Avoid Manipulation
56
Hone Your Networking KnowHow
57
Present Yourself
59
Engage Your Partner
60
Consider Closeness
62
Treat Touching as Taboo
63
Exchange Cards Effectively
64
Join Groups Comfortably
66
Be Visible
69
Raise Your Profile
71
Ten Ways to Stand Out in a Crowd
72
yourself to the Be Memorable
74
Listen Generously
79
Think EARS
80
Take Turns
82
Be Seriously Curious
85
Avoid the Top Twenty Turnoffs
91
Master the MillionDollar Moments
97
Who Are You?
99
Learn Names
100
Teach Your Name
101
Try These Twenty Tips
103
Break Up Bunches of Introductions
105
Deal Skillfully with Forgotten Names
106
Yes Mind Your Manners
107
What Do You Do?
109
Make the Right Things Happen
110
Give It Your Best
111
Be Interesting
112
Try These Tips
113
Read These Frequently Asked Questions
114
What Are We Going to Talk About?
117
Use Success Stories to Tell Whats New
118
Figure Out Your Agenda
121
Begin with the Right Side
122
What Do You Have to Give?
123
What Do You Want to Get?
126
Give and Get with Ease
127
Practice Agenda Making
129
Exchange Something
131
End with the Future in Mind
133
Listen for the Bell
134
Ask Your Partner for a Referral
135
Introduce Your Partner
136
Explain the Next Steps
137
Shake Hands and Leave
138
Do You Have Questions?
139
Do Something with Those Cards
140
Take the Time to Keep in Touch
141
Follow Up Effectively
143
Spending Time
152
Saving Time
153
Spending Money
154
Saving Money
155
Making Money
156
Score with the Super Skills
157
Think Big
159
Set Your Sights High
161
Set Your Goal
162
Make the Most of Memberships
169
Tally Your Time and Money
170
Make the Most of the Meetings
172
The Biggest Mistakes Members Make
177
Plan NetworkFriendly Meetings
178
Dont Try to Buy a Network
180
Connect at Conventions
181
Dont Wait for the Convention to Come to You
182
Expand Your Expectations
183
Take Advantage of the Meetings in the Hallway
184
Show Up at the Conference
189
Follow Up After You Get Home
192
Later On Get Reinspired
193
Plan Meetings That Get People Talking
194
Plug In to Technology
197
Know ENetiquette
198
Know Your Technology
199
Up Your Visibility
200
Demonstrate Your Character
202
Get Your Point AcrossEfficiently
203
Make Contact
204
Win in Your Workplace
207
Network Inside
209
Why Network at Work?
210
Assess Your Corporate Culture
214
How Strong Is Your Inside Network?
216
Map Out a Plan
217
Put It in Your Planner
220
Understand Power
221
Stay in Touch with Subordinates
222
Score with Superiors
224
Be Aboveboard
225
After Organizational Earthquakes Rebuild Your Network
226
Avoid Erroneous Assumptions
227
Rev Up Referrals
229
Shop Around
232
Check It Out
234
Dont Just Join Join In
235
Start Small
237
Spice Up the Meetings
238
Start Your Own
240
Make It Rain Clients
241
Professionalize Your Practice Development
242
Make Conversations Count
245
Whats One Conversation Worth?
247
Create Constellations
248
CrossSell Your Clients
250
Go SOHO but Not Solo
253
Conquer the Challenges
254
Link Up Your Life and Your Livelihood
255
JumpStart Your Job Junt
259
If Youre One of the Working Worried
260
If Youve Been Laid Off
261
If You Are Reentering the Job Market
267
If You Have Just Graduated
268
If Youve Just Been Released from the Military
270
If You Take Early Retirement
271
If You Are Changing Careers
272
The Top Ten Tactics for Making Career Changes
273
New Job? Ace It
281
Index
283
About the Authors
293
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