1. I need your help. When approaching a service agent or receptionist, this opening line appeal to someone’s instinctive helpful nature. You’re likely to get a better response (and better service!) if you use this line.

2. You don’t know me, but. Be honest. Don’t pretend to be someone’s best friend. Especially on the phone, help someone know right away that you are calling as a stranger who hopes to become a friend.

3. I don’t know anybody here. Especially at an event where you don’t know anyone, use this line to disarm others’ preoccupation. It’s honest, fun, and if you pick the right person, they might reciprocate and become your frist friend!

4. I don’t know what that means. It shows that you’re listening. You’re not too proud to admit you don’t know everything. You’d like to learn more. This approachable, humble phrase also demonstrates interest in the other person.

5. I’m new here/this is my first time. Again, this appeals to someone’s helpful nature. Give them a chance to introduce you to others. Surrender yourself and they’ll usually help you out.

6. Hang on for ten seconds. Especially on the phone, this tells someone that you really will ‘be right back.’ With the limited time each person has to talk to you on the phone, sentences like this speed it up. They will usually count, too, just to see if you really come back in 10 seconds. Remember, specificity = credibility.

7. Let me give you an example. Keeps someone engaged, helps he or she follow you and the conversation. Be sure to offer an example as support for your point.

8. Welcome in. In all situations – at a table, in a room – use these two words to show approachability and hospitality. It’s amazing how much friendlier ‘Welcome in!’ is than ‘Hello!’

9. Drop me a line. This covers all mediums of communication and therefore leaves it open for someone to reach you however they prefer. It’s also appropriate phrasing for our times: casual, cool and informal.

10. You’re my hero. When someone goes out of there way to help you, this beats ‘Thanks!’ any day.

11. Here’s what I learned. People don’t care what you know, only care what you learned. Tell them.

12. It’s my pleasure. This beats ‘Your Welcome’ any day. Don’t believe me? Go to the Ritz. They love this phrase.

13. I’m not saying no TO YOU, I’m saying no FOR ME. Help them understand why you say no without making them feel rejected. Thanks, Jack Canfield.

14. I’m not comfortable with that. This is a good enough reason to object to anything because comfort is everything. And people won’t inquire WHY it’s not comfortable, they’ll respect your choice. You don’t have to defend it.

15. I disagree. These two words say it honestly and directly. Pause for two seconds, get their attention and then explain your point.

16. I don’t know, but I can find out. It’s OK not to know everything. But it’s also OK to tell someone that they’re question is important enough that you will go out of your way to find the answer for them.

17. So, to answer your question. After a long-winded answer, use this to keep your conversation partner on point.

18. Good answer. My friend Jeff does this and I love it. It reassures and affirms me. Almost like ‘my answer’ was good simply because it came from me.

19. You got it. I once had a waitress in a hotel lobby that said this for everything. I don’t know why, but it made me feel great. I use it all the time. There’s just something about it.

20. Right away. People don’t have to wait. They get it now. Few service professionals use this, but it’s amazing.

21. You better believe it. A favorite of Cosmo Kramer, this shows confidence in your points and beliefs.

22. That’s just the way I do business. This phrase helps you keep it real and assures that others respect your choices.

23. I never thought of it that way. Most people are too proud and too close-minded to show openness to new ideas. This phrase compliments someone and shows lack of judgment. What’s more, it offers your willingness to hear someone out. (It’s amazing how few people say this.)

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your best phrase that pays?

1. The Federal Bureau of Labor did a study a few years back indicating that 70% of all new business comes from some form of networking. I think it’s higher.

2. So, no matter where you go – the Mall, church, out to dinner, the gym – you better have at least five business cards with you.

3. And be able to give an UNFORGETTABLE personal introduction in 10 seconds, 30 seconds and 6o seconds.

4. When someone on the phone says, ‘May I ask who’s calling?’ get excited. Say something unique that makes that person say, ‘Um, okay…please hold.’ Be unexpected. Be cool. Be memorable.

5. Get Google alerts on yourself, your company, your area of expertise and your competition. If you don’t know what a Google alert is, just Google it.

6. Networking isn’t selling, marketing or cold calling. It’s the development and maintenance of mutually valuable relationships. Don’t mix those things up.

7. The most important four letters in the word NETWORKING are W-O-R-K, because that’s exactly what it takes.

8. If you give your business card to somebody and they don’t reply, ‘Hey, cool card!’ get a new card. (Thank you, Jeffrey Gitomer.)

9. When attending networking events, come early. Check out the nametags. See if you know anybody, or find people you’d like to meet.

10. Sit in the back so you can scan the room for specific people you’d like to connect with.

11. Email articles of interest, links or other cool stuff OF VALUE (not spam) to people you’ve met.

12. Publish a newsletter or ezine. Interview people from your network and feature them as experts. They will take ownership of their inclusion and spread that publication to everyone they know.

13. Spend an hour a week reading and commenting on other people’s blogs. If you don’t know what a blog is, you’re in trouble.

14. When you read an article you like, email the author. Tell him what you liked about it and introduce yourself. He’ll usually write back.

15. Have an awesome email signature that gives people a reason to click over to your website. Just be careful not to have TOO much information included.

16. Get involved with social networking sites like LinkdIn, MySpace and Squidoo.

17. Remember that networking doesn’t have to be in person. The Internet is a great place to connect with people just like you! It’s called Internetworking. (Yep, I made that word up.)

18. Make your own words up. It’s really fun.

19. Have business lunches at least once a week.

20. Attend local events once a month.

21. Figure out where your target market hangs out (online and offline). Then hang out there.

22. Or, create your own regular ‘business hangout,’ like a copy or coffee shop where you can regularly be found working, networking, reading or connecting with other professionals.

23. Talk to everybody. Don’t sell them; don’t probe them, just make friends. Make friends with everybody. Because people buy people first.

24. Take volunteer positions with organizations that are relevant to your industry. Be a visible leader to whom others can come for help.

25. Every time you meet someone, write the letters HICH on their business card: how I can help. Then think of five ways to do so.

26. Go to Borders and spend one day a month reading books on networking, interpersonal communication and marketing. I highly recommend The Power of Approachability and How to be That Guy. (I hear the author is super cool.)

27. Publish articles or a blog or both based around your expertise. Use titles such as ‘Top Ten Ways,’ ‘Essential Elements’ and ‘Success Secrets,’ that grab the reader’s attention. Publish them on www.blogger.com and www.ezinearticles.com

28. Be funny, but don’t tell jokes.

29. Discover the CPI, or Common Point of Interest with everyone you meet.

30. Carry blank business cards with you in case someone forgot theirs. They’ll thank you for saving their butt!

31. Never leave the house without a pen and paper. Sounds dumb, right? It isn’t. It’s genius. Nobody keeps napkins with scribblings on them.

32. Every week, introduce two people you know who need to know each other.

33. Wear your nametag above your breastbone and make sure it’s visible from 10 feet away. Nobody cares what side of your chest it’s on. Just make it big. And if you don’t like wearing nametags, then you probably don’t like people knowing who you are, either.

34. Oh, and it’s not who you know – it’s who knows you. (Thanks again, Jeffrey Gitomer.)

35. And people will like you the minute they figure out how much they ARE like you.

36. Fear not to entertain strangers for by so doing some may have entertained angels unaware. (Hebrews, 13:2)

37. If you don’t have www.yourname.com, get it. It’s ten bucks.

38. Find local professionals with whom you share common interests, customers, ideas and products. Introduce yourself to them, get together, share ideas and find ways to help each other.

39. Form a mastermind group. No more than four people. Meet regularly to set goals, keep each other accountable and brainstorm.

40. Also, set your own networking goals each month for:

o Events to attend
o People to meet
o Emails to write
o Calls to make
o Articles/physical mail to send

41. Go onto Google and type in ‘articles on networking.’ Read on!

42. Speaking of Google, Google yourself regularly. Find out what people are saying about you. If you don’t show up, you’re in trouble.

43. If you think you don’t need to network, you right. You don’t need to network: you MUST network!

44. And stop calling it networking. Ignore the title of this post. I only used that word in the title because my client made me. Networking – as a word – is tired and old and cliché and it makes people think you’re throwing around a bunch of cards trying to sell, sell, sell. No. All you’re doing is making friends. Not schmoozing, mingling or any of those stupid catch phrases. You’re making friends. That’s it. Friends. Make them every day.

45. If you think you suck at networking, don’t worry. You’re not alone. But also remember that anyone can develop their networking skills. That’s right, skills. Because it’s not something you’re born with or just plain ‘good at.’ Anyone can do it effectively. You simply need:

o To develop attitude of approachability
o To read books on the subject
o To practice

46. So, when strangers ask, ‘How are you?’ don’t say fine. You’re not fine. Nobody’s fine. Give a real answer that’s memorable and magnetic. I suggest, ‘Business is kicking ass!’ or ‘Everything is beautiful!’

47. Come to every networking event with three great questions ready to go. Be sure they begin with, ‘What’s the one thing?’ ‘What’s your favorite?’ and ‘What was the best part about?’

48. When someone asks where you’re from, don’t just say ‘Austin.’ Use the H.O.T technique: ‘Oh, I’m from Austin, home of the best college football team in the country.’ Get creative. Get unique. Watch what happens.

49. Put your person before your profession. Your personality before your position. Your individual before your industry.

50. Don’t be different – be unique. Don’t be friendly – be approachable. And don’t be memorable – be unforgettable.

51. Think about the last five ‘luckiest’ business contacts you encountered. Figure out what you did right, realize that there IS NO SUCH THING AS LUCK, then repeat as often as possible.

Consider these three facts:

1. People buy people first.
2. People like (and want) to do business with their friends.
3. People aren’t loyal to companies, they’re loyal to people.

So … doesn’t it just make sense to, like, make friends with everybody?

I dunno. Maybe it’s just me.

That’s why I don’t believe in networking.

Networking, schmetworking. The last time that word carried any meaning was in 1997.

The world is tired of it. It’s overused, cliché and slightly annoying. Not to mention it often conjures up negative images like:

1. Dealing the deck of business cards to everyone in sight
2. One-sided conversations based on how others can help you.
3. Superficial conversations with little or no value offered to the other person.

Stop networking and start making friends.

Everywhere you go, with everyone you meet. For no reason other than to make friends. Zero motive conversations.

Then work hard to keep those relationships alive.

That’s it.

Imagine you just met your ideal client at a networking event. He’s friendly, has great ideas and could use a valuable person like you to help grow his business. Not to mention, he’s the kind of person from whom you could learn a great deal as well. After all, networking is the creation and maintenance of mutually valuable relationships.

After chatting away, building rapport and connecting for a few minutes – the crucial time comes: the exchange of business cards. At his request, you give him your card. Then you ask for his card in return.

And at that moment, your worst networking nightmare comes true. He utters the one sentence you never want to hear from a new and potentially valuable contact:

‘I don’t have one of my business cards with me right now.’

Ouch.

What do you do in this situation?

Some people become frustrated with the person who commits this cardinal sin of networking. Not a good idea. Although business cards are the number-one networking necessity, don’t make a big fuss if someone doesn’t have one. Unfortunately, it happens. People may be changing jobs, reprinting or assumed they didn’t need their cards at the time. But calling them out will only reinforce emotions of their un-professionalism.

A common solution to this problem is suggested in most networking books: simply write your new contact’s information on one of your own cards. Not a bad idea. But space is limited. And how many times have you written information down in your haste only to become completely baffled by your own hieroglyphics when you read your notes a week later? Perhaps this isn’t your best option.

Another way to capture contact information is to use scrap paper. People do this all the time, and it’s not an effective networking technique. Not only does it make you look inefficient and disorganized, but Donna Fisher, author of Networking for Dummies, explains that pieces of paper are more likely to get tossed or lost than business cards. So much for that idea.

Finally, the one attempt at solving this networking nightmare – which usually fails – is when the person says, ‘Well…just give me your card and I’ll call you.’

Yeah right.

You can’t depend on someone to call you. Not because they don’t like you or because they’re not interested in developing a mutually valuable relationship – but because people lose, forget and misplace things. They also meet lots of people every day – and it’s challenging to differentiate yourself among the masses.

Therefore, the question still remains: How do you effectively and professionally capture the information of a valuable contact that doesn’t have any business cards?

Thus far in the field of networking, there is yet to be a solution.

Until now.

What if there was a way to be one step ahead of every person you met?

What if you could leverage every networking opportunity to transform new people into mutually valuable relationships?

And what if you could eliminate missed opportunities by helping others become capable of being reached?

This is the answer to your worst networking nightmare, and it’s called My Card™. Here’s how it works:

When someone reluctantly tells you they don’t have any business cards with them, reach into your pocket and offer them My Card™.

‘You don’t have one of your business cards with you?’ you empathize, ‘Well, don’t worry about it – it happens all the time! Here you go…’

On the front of the card you hand to them, it reads in sharp blue writing: My Card™ – because to your new contact that doesn’t have a business card, that’s exactly what it is. It’s their card!

‘I want to help in any way I can – and also get to know you better,’ you explain. ‘Here! Fill out the card with the best way to reach you. Then I’ll hang on to this one so we can be sure to stay in touch. And here are a few extras for you to keep with you until you get your new cards. I don’t want you missing any networking opportunities!’

No scrap paper. No scribbles. No assumptions or hopes for future contact. Just a fun, simple, memorable, face saving tool that creates a connection between two people who want to build a relationship. What’s more, when you graciously hand this card to someone you’ve just met, you will:

Make an UNFORGETTABLE™ first impression

Show them that you’re committed to developing a mutually beneficial relationship

Demonstrate effective networking skills

Reinforce the idea that networking is all about them

Stay in touch with new people to whom you can give value

Basic to all victory as a successful business communicator is approachability, or ‘capability of being reached.’ So, if someone doesn’t have their business card, they’re not capable of being reached. They’re not approachable. They can’t be helped, and they can’t help others.

But if you pull My Card™. out of your pocket; tell your new friend to fill it out – and give them a few extra cards for future use – you will break down those barriers. You will save the day, save the information and save the face of the person you’ve just met. Not to mention, make their subsequent networking a lot easier.

You will become a Networking Superhero!

And you will turn friends into mutually valuable relationships. All because you took the initiative to empathize with someone who wanted to connect with you, but couldn’t because they needed a front porch through which to express their inherent human desire to do so.

Remember: Interest in someone’s business card = interest in them. And interest in other people is the most important rule of interpersonal communication.

My Card™. is the answer to your worst networking nightmare – and someone else’s. And for $10.00, you can own a 50 pack today, and you’ll never miss another important networking opportunity again.

Click here to buy a pack today!

Several hundred years ago Ben Franklin contemplated a revolutionary business concept: to gather people together on a regular basis to share ideas and help each other boost business. Little did he know that his idea would evolve into a field of study embraced by legions of businesspeople centuries later: networking.

Certainly over the next few hundred years, networking evolved in myriad ways. But with the advent of and dependence on the Internet, networking has now taken a turn to the on-ramp of the information superhighway. And businesspeople are starting to realize that attending meetings, schmoozing with potential clients and creating connections at conventions and trade shows are only the beginning.

Now the time has come for a new kind of networking: internetworking.

The definition of networking is the development and maintenance of mutually valuable relationships. Therefore this new term, internetworking, can be defined as development and maintenance of mutually valuable relationships online. This article will explore five suggestions that will help take your internetworking to the next level.

Goals of Internetworking
Although the motivation for internetworking varies from person to person and business to business, here are the three primary goals:

1. To Develop and Maintain Mutually Valuable Relationships
2. To Maximize Your Web Presence
3. To Give Value First

Notice the absence of such phrases as ‘get new clients,’ ‘book more business’ and ‘make more money.’ Those were not found on the list of internetworking goals because those phrases aren’t goals – they’re results. And they’re not the motivation behind internetworking – they’re the fruits of its labor.

Don’t worry. Those results will come in their due time. But remember, internetworking isn’t a one-time deal, quick-fix, get-rich-in-30-days or a sell-lots-of-stuff-the-day-your-website-goes-live type of concept. It’s an ongoing practice. So keep your goals in the back of your mind while you practice.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What are your Internetworking goals?

Ladies and Gentleman, Start Your Engines
Before you do anything, I recommend you Google yourself. You’ll be amazed at what you find – or don’t find. In addition to being fun, this will also give you a general idea about your existing web presence – or lack thereof.

I’ll never forget the first time I Googled myself. The year was 2002. I’d just started my business, written my first book and created its website, www.hellomynameisscott.com. I was so excited to see how many Google hits I got! And can you guess how many pages came up?

One. One measly hit. It was my high school golf score from a tournament I played when I was 17 years old.

Looks like I had a long way to go.

If your Google ranking isn’t as high as you’d like it to be, that’s ok. It takes time to climb the search engine ladder. But, by investigating your ranking prior to jumping right into internetworking, you’ll have a better idea of where you need to go. Also, as you put to use many of these internetworking tips, your ranking will increase. But the bottom line is this: if you don’t exist on the Internet, you don’t exist at all.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What comes up when you Google yourself?

Research, Research, Research
Speaking of search engines, Google is the perfect portal to discover not only where you stand, but where other business people stand. Part of internetworking is connecting with other people in your industry – or complimentary industries – with whom you can develop mutually valuable relationships.

Let’s say you sell promotional products. Why not take 30 minutes a week to research who else works in the same field? Here are some suggestions for search terms (make certain to use the quotations):

‘promotional product sales’

‘promotional product ideas’

‘worst promotional products’

‘best promotional products’

When you search your industry, job or profession in this manner, you will discover every website, link, article, and reference to it on the web! What’s more, your search results will transcend geographical boundaries and reach valuable contacts you never could have met at your local Chamber meeting.

And these people would be perfect additions to your network. But you do have to take initiative. So, no matter what industry you’re in, here’s what to do next:

1) Review someone’s website or article from your search
2) Drop him an email
3) In the letter, tell him how you came across his information, introduce yourself, and why the two of you should connect with each other. Explain how important networking relationships are to business, and that you’d like to be able to help him by sharing ideas and brainstorming and offering resources and recommendations.

Not every person will respond. But most professionals will be willing to, at the least, check out your site and get to know you a little better so they can expand their network too. And you never know: the one person that you email could change everything!

Believe me, it happens. Last year I randomly emailed one of my favorite authors to speak highly of his work. He saw my website on my email signature, then decided to post a link to my website on his blog. That link resulted in 70,000 hits per day for a week, several new valuable relationships and a tremendous increase in web presence!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Who could you email ‘out of the blue’?

Write as an Expert
Publishing articles is a brilliant way to maximize the web presence of yourself, your company and your website. It positions you as an expert, gives value first, educates people in you industry and promotes you and your business…FOR FREE!

But the question is: What do you write about?

Let’s go back to Google for the answer. If you work as an attorney who specializes in workman’s compensation, try this. Go online and type in ‘article workman’s compensation.’ Thousands of hits will come up, many of which will have articles written by other professionals in your industry. As you read, your mind will overflow with creative article ideas. You will learn information or concepts you’ve never heard of before. And you will most definitely run into a few points about which you strongly disagree. These are all perfect prompts for your own publishing.

Once you’ve decided what topic to write on, here are two suggestions for getting your work published online. The first is to email the editor of the publication in which you saw an interesting article. Introduce yourself and tell her your opinion on the same matter. Also mention that you’d love to contribute to her publication as well, and would like to know more about her submission guidelines.

You can also search online for article databases. These websites catalogue thousands of articles written by various contributors, one of whom could be you! When you arrive at those sites, browse around for a page called ‘Submission Guidelines.’ This will give you more information about the publishing process.

The best advantage to publishing articles online is the opportunity to include a short bio at the end of your piece. This will briefly tell the reader about you and link to your website. And because you’ve already given value and established credibility, people will want to learn more!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What article could you write that positions you as an expert?

Virtual Communities
According to an article from the December 2003 issue of Venture Capital Journal, over 50 million people are involved in online social networking. These virtual communities such as Friendster, LinkedIn and Blogger are helping individuals develop personal and professional relationships more than ever before.

Scott Allen and David Teten (www.thevirtualhandshake.com) are the leading experts on building quality business relationships online. According to their monthly column in Fast Company, they said ‘More and more sales and marketing professionals will use online networks to accelerate their sales…because word of mouth will spread more rapidly about the value of your product or service.’

Once you get involved in a virtual community, you will realize that most of the members are incredibly willing to share ideas and connect with you. Especially with bloggers, internetworking is an up and coming business practice that gives you a competitive advantage over your competitors who are too lazy or too skeptical to take part.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Which virtual community could you join?

Internetworking is the Future
If you think attending Chamber and association meetings, offering referrals, hosting informational lunches and keeping a stack of 50 business cards on your desk is networking, you’re right. It is. But it’s not enough. In fact, the Federal Bureau of Labor recently indicated that 70% of new business comes from some form of networking. So the real question is: how much of your 70% will come from internetworking?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you maximizing your Internetworking time?

When I hear the word psychology, I think of Dr. Phil.
When I hear the word motivation, I think of Tony Robbins.
When I hear the word marketing, I think of Seth Godin.
And when I hear the word closeout, I think of my Dad.

Why?

Because each of those people are individuals who, in MY mind, have the most expertise about, and most association with a particular word. That’s called word ownership.

In terms of personal branding, however, word ownership is a great advantage to your business. It differentiates you from your competitors, keeps you in the minds of the people you serve and positions you an expert. Ultimately, it’s a fundamental key to entrepreneurial success.

Origination
In Al Ries’s famous book, 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, he explains that if you want to build a brand, you must ‘focus your branding efforts on owning a word in the prospect’s mind. A word that nobody else owns.’

He also and said, ‘Forget about the laundry list of wonderful attributes your product has. You can’t possibly associate them all with your brand name in a human mind. The key to getting into the consumer’s mind is sacrifice. You have to reduce the essence of your brand to a single thought or attribute. An attribute that nobody else already owns in your category.’

With that in mind, the first question to ask yourself is, ‘Do I already own a word?’

If so, congrats! You’re way ahead of the crowd. If not, that’s cool too. You’re reading the right article. (Odds are, you already DO own a word, you just don’t know it yet!)

To discover which word you own, ask yourself the following questions:

*If you looked up the word _______________ in the dictionary, you’d see a picture of my company
*If you googled the word ________________, the first ten pages would be my company’s website
*If was about to give a speech to 10,000 people and one of the audience members came back stage and asked, ‘So, what’s your speech about?’ I’d probably say ____________________
*In my marketing materials, the one word you will find that no other company uses is ______________________
*If CNN called me for an interview, they’d want my expert opinion on _________________
*After people get to know me, they’ll never think about the word ________________ the same way again
*The reason my customers love me so much is because I always help them with _________________
*If people were talking about me behind my back, they’d probably call me ‘The ____________ Guy’

Obviously, the goal of this exercise is to arrive at the same answer for every question. Now, if can’t do that yet, here’s what to do. Ask those same questions to 20 of your closest friends, family members, customers and coworkers. They might match with some of your answers, they might be way off, they might even think of words that never occurred to you! But at least it will give you an objective perspective on your degree of word ownership.

Hey! That’s My Word!
Ok, now that you’ve explored some possibilities as to which word you own, you need to maintain that ownership. After all, that word is yours, baby! Nobody else in the world deserves to own it besides you! Here are some suggestions to make sure you keep it.

REGISTER IT: just for kicks, see if www.yourword.com is already taken. If not, get it! Domain names are like currency these days! If not, register a name with your word in the URL, i.e., www.thebotanyexpert.com or www.perfectfamilyphotos.com. This will better position you in search engines.

RESEARCH IT: find out everything you possibly can about your word. Search for books on Amazon with your word in the title. Go on Google, type in your word and spend an hour a week reading every entry you can. Look up the etymology of your word’s origin. Do anything you can to increase your knowledge because, after all, you’re the expert on that word!

RECORD IT: write and publish articles related to your word. Think of yourself as a syndicated columnist, whose weekly articles always have something to do with your word. And if you don’t like or have trouble writing, don’t worry. Just go online and search ‘article’ + ‘your word.’ Thousands of articles on your word will come up and that will stimulate your creativity.

REVEAL IT: once you’ve developed and positioned your expertise on your word, tell everyone! Use it your lateral materials, website, newsletter, public appearances, client meetings, face-to-face networking or any of your other marketing channels. Shout it from the rooftops! Over time, customers and prospects will recognize the connection between YOU and your word. And they will know that whenever they need help on (insert your word here,) there is no person in the world they’d rather call than you!

What’s Next?
Ok. You now own a word. The world knows it. Your customers know it. Even Google knows it! So the next question is: how will this word change your business?

I’m glad you asked.

Here’s a personal example of word ownership at its finest. It all started with a voicemail waiting on my cell phone as I walked off the airplane into the St. Louis terminal.

‘Yes, Mr. Ginsberg, I’m one of the editors of Cosmopolitan Magazine. I’d like to set up an interview with you for an upcoming piece. Please call me back at the following number…’

When I returned her call, she enthusiastically replied, ‘Oh great! I’m so glad you got right back to me – my deadline is tomorrow!’

‘So, what can I do for you?’ I asked.

‘Well, have you ever seen those little ‘quizzes’ that Cosmo runs every month?’

‘Oh, right. My girlfriend used to take those things in college.’ I replied.

‘Exactly! Well, as the editor of the section, it’s my job to seek out experts to help create those quizzes. And in our upcoming issue for January 2006, we’ll be running a quiz called ‘How Approachable Are You?’’

‘Reeeeeely,’ I said.

‘Yes. And in my research for possible contributors, I went on Amazon to search for books about approachability. And guess what? Your book was the first and only title that came up! So, we’d like for YOU to write the quiz. After all, you are the expert. Would you be interested?’

Um, are you kidding?! Me, write a quiz for one of the most widely read publications in the word?! I thought.

‘Yes. Yes I would,’ I said.

Word.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What word do you own?

Every time you hear someone say ‘May I have one of your business cards?” you should get excited. I know I do. That’s because I LOVE my cards. I spent thousands of dollars on printing, several hours on designing and went through 10 different layouts until I got them right.

And it was all worth it.

A business card is an entrepreneur’s best friend, his most valuable marketing tool and an essential element to becoming UNFORGETTABLE. Unfortunately, too many people have business cards that simply blend into the multitude of cookie cutter crap. And that’s a shame, because a business card is more powerful than you think.

Of course, it’s impossible to know this unless you actually have a card that’s really, really good. Therefore, this article will examine The Four Corners of Unforgettable Business Cards™:

1. Stacking Up
2. Standing Out
3. Creative Enhancement
4. Implementation

CORNER #1: How Does Your Card Stack Up?
Think back to the last trade show, networking event, seminar, convention, social hour or association meeting you attended. How did people react to your business card? Did they compliment its design? Quickly shove it into their pocket? Show it to someone else? Rip it up?

Whatever the response was, your card made some type of impression. But only the most creative, unique and memorable business cards make UNFORGETTABLE impressions. And those types of cards elicit reactions like…

‘I showed your card to everybody in my office!’ says a hot prospect.

‘Can I have another one? A friend of mine will LOVE this!’ exclaims your tablemate.

‘Oooh! I want one too!’ begs the person in looking over your shoulder.

‘Hey…can you show my friend Paul your business card!’ asks a colleague of yours.

‘You know, I’ve never thrown your card away!’ says one of your customers.

If you’ve ever heard a compliment along those lines before, congrats! You’re on the right track.

That reminds me of Gus, who works for a company called The Rocket Group. He and I sat next to each other at a sales seminar a few years ago. During the program, the facilitator asked the audience members to exchange cards and get to know each other. Gus’s card was amazing: thick, colorful, double sided, bold, shiny and best of all, simple. (That was no surprise – he was in advertising!) But it was one of the best I’d ever seen. So we introduced ourselves, exchanged cards and talked for a few minutes. And that was about it. Nice guy, I thought.

Now, here’s the cool part: although Gus and I didn’t really keep in touch, I’ve never thrown his card away. I show it to everyone! In fact, I even use it as a prop in some of my networking workshops! His card was just that good.

Is yours that good? Keep that question in the back of your mind as you read on. Now let’s move into the next section and find out why certain cards stand out more than others.

CORNER # 2: Standing Out
Recently I took 66 business cards I’ve collected over the years and spread them out on a table. I closed my eyes for 30 seconds, opened them and took note of which cards stood out the most. And here’s what I noticed:

Red: every card that had red on it stood out.

Picture: only a few cards had pictures of the cardholder. This not only made them stand out, but helped me connect faces with names and companies.

Vertical: several cards were formatted vertically, which caught my eye.

Black Background: most cards have a white background, so the black ones REALLY stood out.

Image: cards with some sort of colorful image that took up at least one fourth of the total surface area captured my interest.

(To view a high quality image of this game of 66 Card Pick Up, go here.)

This was a valuable exercise in understanding UNFORGETTABLE business cards, and I recommend it to everyone. Try it out! Gather dozens of accumulated cards from your desk and discover which ones stand out. Oh, and don’t forget to put your OWN card in the pile. You’ll be amazed at what you see.

Or don’t see.

CORNER #3: Creative and Unique Ways to Enhance Your Card
Now that you’ve analyzed your own card and have been exposed to a large quantity of other people cards, your mind should be swimming with new, creative ideas. This is the perfect time to brainstorm ways to enhance your card. So, grab a blank sheet of paper. Come up with as many ideas as possible. Let your creativity run wild! And to help you get started, here’s a list of 16 creative ideas to make your business card UNFORGETTABLE:

1. Size or Shape – Rectangle, schmectangle. I’ve seen squares, circles, ovals and triangles. Each shape made a connection to the brand, and each shape stood out amidst the endless regression of the same old rectangles.

2. Chocolate Business Cards (yes, these DO exist) – Several companies have online catalogues for personalized chocolate cards. Expensive? Yes. Delicious? Probably. Memorable? You better believe it.

3. Trading Cards – If your company is team oriented, get trading cards with your ‘players’ pictures and stats. Then encourage your customers and prospects to ‘collect all 12!’

4. Cartoons – Get a custom cartoon commissioned for the back of your card. It’s cheap, royalty free and absolutely unique to your business.

5. Table/Chart – Include a mortgage loan interest table or some staggering statistics on the back. These are helpful reminders for the mathematically challenged and effective methods to position yourself as a resource.

6. Pop-Ups – Just like kid’s books, some business cards can be printed as folded, pop-up cards. Talk about thinking three-dimensionally!

7. Credibility – The smartest thing I ever did to my business card was add color images of my two books. Instant credibility. And, I noticed an immediate change in the reactions from the people to whom I gave cards. One lady even said, ‘Scott, this is the coolest business card I’ve ever seen!’ Money well spent.

8. Rubber Stamps – Buy 10 different customized rubber stamps for the backs of your cards. When someone asks for one just say ‘Pick a card, any card!’

9. Die Cutting – My friend Lisa works for the Rock Island Fire Dept. Her business card has a charred hole burnt right through the middle of every card! It looks incredibly real. And most printers offer this feature for a nominal feel. You can also specify various shapes, bite marks or hole sizes.

10. Recipe – If you work in an industry connected to food, kitchens or homes; include one of your favorite recipes on the back!

11. Material – Use leather, blinking or brail business cards (yes, these actually exist too!)

12. Language – If your business requires international travel, consider offering multiple languages, or print the phonetic spelling of a difficult to pronounce name.

13. Motivation – If you’re the motivational type, include a famous quotation, bible verse or movie line that connects to your brand. And be sure to read it aloud when you give someone your card, it might just make their day!

14. Stickers – Print one side of your cards on adhesive label paper. This gives the recipient a peel off sticker for reminders, appointments or phone numbers.

15. Non-Cards – Who says a card has to be a card? After all, the first rule of creativity is ‘break all the rules!’ I’ve seen million dollar bill cards, coin cards, even a banker in Boston who uses business cards that are actually miniature checks he tears off of a pad each time he gives one out! The possibilities are endless.

16. Double Up – Make your card ‘double’ as something other than a card. For example, mine doubles as a business card AND a nametag. As a result, people stick it on their shirts all the time. Thanks for the free promotion!

CORNER #4: Implementation
Once you’ve come up with the layout for your new, creative, UNFORGETTABLE business card, there are only two things left to do: print ‘em up and hand ‘em out!

First, as you approach you printer, remember a few rules:

It’s OK to Spend Money – when I did my taxes this year I calculated that I reprinted my business cards 11 times and spent over $1,400 on printing costs. I also doubled my income from the previous year. Once again, money well spent.

Local is Better – by choosing a local printer you can work closely with the designers; touch, feel and smell your paper and even do a few test runs until you get the card perfect. Some businesspeople choose to use online sources, which is fine. The only problem with that approach is that most cards designed, created and ordered over the Internet look like they were designed, created and ordered over the Internet.

OK. Once you have your new cards in hand, keep a few final rules in mind:

Reminders – be sure to tell people you’ve got a new card. They’ll be happy to accept it, even if they already have your old one. Highlight some of its newest, most unique attributes. Also, if you printed on both sides of your new card, remember to either tell people about the back of your card; or hand them the card back side up, so they know there’s more to it.

Etiquette – don’t ‘Deal the Deck’ by inconsiderately throwing thousands of your cards to everyone in sight. If so, you will not only become a practitioner of Highly Horrible Networking™, but you will waste your money. Remember: people throw away business cards from those who failed to establish rapport or make a connection.

The Card Credo: finally, when you’re ready, reach into your pocket and grab one of your business cards. Look at it closely. Then say this affirmation out loud:

‘This is my business card. There are many others out there, but none of them are like mine – because there’s nobody else like me. My business card is not a formality. It’s not a piece of paper containing my name and contact information. And it’s not another annoying thing to keep in my pocket. My business card is the most important networking tool that I own. It’s a reflection of my personal brand and a bite-sized morsel of the mission of my business. I LOVE my business card. And I can’t wait until somebody asks me for one. Because when they do, I will find a way to give that person value.’

After you’ve face lifted your business card from unacceptable to unforgettable, I promise you will feel great. Your confidence will skyrocket. And from that moment on, every time someone asks, ‘May I have one of your business cards?’ it will be like music to your ears.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s the best business card you’ve ever seen?

There comes a time in every small business person’s life when common networking practices like handing out business cards, attending various meetings and schmoozing with potential clients only goes so far. Eventually, the same old techniques get overused to the point that they become insufficient.

But how many times have you gained new business, created a great relationship or watched your website hits skyrocket because you did something unusual? Or uncommon? Perhaps even unexpected? Maybe you were on the right track.

The following is a list of atypical networking techniques that will help boost business. WARNING: They will stretch your courage. They will test your expertise. And they will challenge your creativity. But when business cards aren’t enough, alternative ways to develop and maintain mutually valuable relationships are your ticket to networking success.

What’s Your Story?
How did you get your start in business? Did you ‘fall’ into your line of work? Perhaps there was an interesting anecdote, epiphany or event that caused the birth of your business. If so, this is called ‘Your Story.’ Now, it’s not your Elevator Speech or your 30 Second Commercial. It’s your story. And it’s a fundamental tool for helping people and potential customers get to know you.

Here’s the key: write it out. Practice saying it aloud. Make it funny. And tell it to everybody. Not only does this create a memorable presence, but the more you share it with people, the more they will share Your Story with other people. Why? Because people don’t remember things, they remember stories. And after a while, the word about Your Story will spread.

Mix the Medium and Wow People
When I receive an email from an organization or business who has a question, wants to work together or just wants to chat, I do something called Mix the Medium. Here’s how it works:

1) The exact moment I finish reading the email, I obtain the person’s phone number (if I don’t already have it.) If there’s no email signature, I look at their email address or go to their website. If all I know is their company, I call Directory Assistance or look them up on City Search. Basically, I do anything I can to get their phone number within the next two minutes.

2) Then I call them right back.

3) I then say, “Hi, this is Scott Ginsberg. I was in the office when your email came through and I thought I’d call you back!” I say with a big smile on my face.

PEOPLE LOVE THIS. I have never done this without completely blowing the caller away. They respond with such excited phrases as “Wow, that was fast!” or “I’m impressed you called back already!” In fact, I recently received an email from a friend of mine who just changed jobs. He was writing to say hello and wish me a Happy New Year. And since I hadn’t heard from Jake in quite a while, I Mixed the Medium and called him right back. Five minutes later he booked me to do one of my speaking programs for his new organization!

Network en Masse
Speaking of speaking, here’s another untapped networking resource: local groups, organizations and associations. But I’m not talking about joining; I’m talking about giving a speech. It’s what I call ‘Networking en Masse.’

Small businesspeople are successful because they’re experts on something. So whether you’re in sales, printing, tech consulting or retail, find a way to transform your expertise into an informative, concise and entertaining speech that will help other people like yourself boost business.

Contact the meeting coordinator of your local Chamber, Rotary Club, Networking Group or Trade Association. They always need speakers. Offer the group a free 15-20 minute program. Include valuable tips, stories, illustrations and examples from your own business experiences that are of interest to the members. By speaking, you position yourself as an expert, validate your credibility and increase your company’s visibility.

Write as an Expert
Another underused networking tactic is writing articles or tip sheets about hot topics in your industry. You don’t even have to be a freelance writer or a journalist – just a business professional who can effectively convey his or her expertise in the form of a short article. Similar to speaking, writing articles in a publication read by your target market is the perfect way to position you and your company.

Here’s how to get started with this tip: Go to Google, type in your topic of expertise and the word ‘article.’ For example, if you work in phone book advertising, type in ‘phone book advertising article.’ (Be sure to use the quotation marks.) Hundreds of hits will come up. Read through a few dozen of them. This will give you an idea of what hot topics other people in your industry are writing articles about.

Then, find out which online databases, ezines, newsletters or websites syndicated the articles you just read. By localizing these sources, you can contact the editors and inquire about article submission guidelines. (And if you get the opportunity to publish articles online, you can easily email the article link to other people who would benefit from reading your work.)

Don’t Fear the Big Shots
You’d be surprised how approachable some of the so-called ‘Big Shots’ are. Great example: At a National Speakers Association Convention in July of 2004, I had the pleasure of attending a session with Seth Godin, best selling author of Unleash the Ideavirus and Purple Cow. Now, in addition hearing him speak, I’ve also been a frequent reader of his books and articles for years. And a few months after seeing him live I thought, ‘What the heck…maybe I’ll just drop him an email.’

So it came to pass on October 8th, 2004, that I emailed Seth Godin. I told him how much I enjoyed his speech at the convention and that his work was a big influence on my own books and speeches. I also told him to check out my website, for it was an example of the kind of idea he so passionately supported.

What did I have to lose, right?

To my surprise about a half hour later, he wrote me back. ‘Thanks for the kind words, Scott! I blogged your site. Good luck.’

Little did I realize that Seth Godin publishes one of the top ten most frequently read blogs in the world. As a result, I received over 70,000 hits on my website in one day! This resulted in some great new contacts, several exciting business opportunities and the birth of my own blog, which is now a critical part of my business! Which brings me to my last networking tip.

Blog For Bucks
If you don’t already have a blog for your business – get one. A blog is an online journal on which you can post comments, links, stories and articles. This popular new medium through which to share your feelings, experiences and emotions is a free and fun way to network with other online professionals. After I talked with Seth last year, I started the blog for my business, and it’s become a valuable tool to stimulate personal dialogue with potential customers. It’s also a great way to let your customers know what’s going on in your life.

The commonality of these unusual, uncommon and unexpected networking techniques is this: you must do what nobody else is willing to do. Sure, handing out business cards and attending meetings are all good techniques. But everyone does that. So are you willing to practice telling Your Story? Would you call people right back when they’re expecting you to email them tomorrow? Do you have the courage to give a great speech, write a helpful article or start a blog that shares your expertise? And are you willing to get in contact with a Big Shot?

I hope so – because eventually, business cards just aren’t enough!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Have you ever tried uncommon networking approaches?

(This article appeared in the August 11th issue of Business Know How. To learn more, click here.)

“Fear not to entertain strangers for by so doing some have entertained angels unaware.”

This quotation is from the book of Hebrews, which means it probably has nothing to do with networking.

Or does it?

Networking is the process of sharing knowledge, helping others and developing mutually beneficial relationships. Serendipity is the lucky tendency to find interesting or valuable things by chance. Mix the two forces, and you’ve got a sure-fire formula to boost your business.

Now, I understand the Catch-22: if it’s serendipity, how can you plan it? Well, you’re right – you can’t. But you can do a few things to be more aware of it and prepare yourself to leverage it.

What is Serendipity Networking?
First and foremost, serendipity networking is unexpected. You never know whom you’re going to meet! So don’t discount the power of each person to affect your business or even your life. For example, the birth of my career was a direct result of the “Start Conversations with Random People on the Bus Who Happen to Know the Editor of a Major Newspaper Theory.” Works every time!

Secondly, being at the right place at the right time is good; but being at the wrong place at the wrong time can be better. I once attended a small group discussion under the impression that the speaker was a certain author, only to realize I had read the flyer incorrectly – the author wasn’t coming at all. When I learned who the actual facilitator was, I was initially disappointed. I then realized how much she and I had in common, and now I’m happy to say we’re great friends and colleagues who share information and ideas on a frequent basis!

Next, serendipity networking is powerful. I mean REALLY powerful. How many times have you met a valuable contact and said, “Wow, the planets must have been aligned tonight!” “The Gods have smiled down upon me!” or “What are the odds of meeting someone as perfect as her?”

World renowned speaker, author, and my friend Carol Weisman experienced the power of serendipity networking years ago. She was giving a speech at a conference that unfortunately conflicted with a concurrent session by Dr. Steven Covey. Obviously, attendance was low, but Carol didn’t care. She did her absolute best and blew the audience away – all six of them. At the end of her speech she announced, “And now, I’m going to do something that Steven Covey would NEVER do – I’m going to take my entire audience out to lunch!”

Little did she know that a member of her audience worked for PBS. Five seasons of a hit program and a Telly Award later, Carol understood the power of serendipity networking.

Warning Signs That Serendipity Networking is in the Air

Do you see the same person time and time again at similar meetings and events? Great! You are experiencing “Networking Dejavu,” and it’s not an accident. This is a person with whom you obviously share common interests. So go talk to him! There’s a good chance you can help each other.

Have you ever walked away from a coffee shop, bar, store, gym, church, mailbox, park, train, street corner or bus and said to yourself, “Thank God I had one of my business cards with me today!” What a great feeling! Remember, chance encounters like these may be more valuable than you think.

Did you recently have a business conversation that contained the words, “A friend of a friend” or “I don’t know how I ended up at your website, but…”? Perfect. Localize this connection; then generate mutually valuable information and CPI’s (Common Points of Interest).

A person called, emailed, wrote or contacted you because “something made her think of you.” This should set off an alarm. Discover what associations were made so you can learn how to recreate that tipping point in the future.

Scott’s Success7
1. Talk to everybody. We are conditioned not to talk to strangers, but some people enter our lives and change them forever.

2. Be nice and help people. Reciprocity is an inherent human need. Go out of your way to extend kindness, friendliness and assistance to everyone – they are likely to pay you back. Possibly by giving you millions of dollars.

3. Keep a list of your “People Collection.” (In an non-crawl-space-under-the-deck kind of way) Whether you use a journal, database software or bar napkins, make sure you write down the names of every person you meet – not just business contacts. You never know when, 6 months down the road, an idea will pop into your head and you’ll need to call someone.

4. Get out there. Make a weekly/monthly networking plan. Serendipity networking has a lot to do with being at the right place at the right time. And although you can’t create serendipity, you can certainly put yourself in a position to grab it when it crosses your path.

5. Always have business cards. Always. Remember, most of your networking won’t occur between Monday and Friday from 9-5. So remove the following phrase from your vocabulary: “I don’t have any of my business cards with me right now.” No excuses. Unexpected conversations are the stuff serendipity networking is made of.

6. Always have something free to give away. People like free stuff. They also like to show it to other people.

7. Wear your nametag. A person’s name is the single context of human memory most apt to be forgotten. So, at your next meeting or event when you’re given the chance to remind someone who you are – do it. They’ll thank you by approaching you. And possibly by giving you millions of dollars.

Luck is Not a Word
For effective serendipity networking, remember the three L’s: Listen, Localize and Leverage.

Listen: the most important communication tools you own are your ears. Keep them open for iceberg statements – key phrases under which 90% of the remaining important information awaits.

Localize: If you’ve ever been stricken with food poisoning, the first thing you always do – after chugging the bottle of Pepto – is localize your sickness. Serendipity networking is the same way. Retrace your steps and discover where the rock created the ripple.

Leverage: After you’ve identified which person, event, situation, letter, gossip, or bathroom stall writing or was responsible for the spark and development of a mutually valuable relationship – make a mental note. Hell, make a post-it note! Do anything that will remind you of the chain of valuable events so in the future you can put yourself in a position where it is likely to happen again.

Serendipity networking takes time. As the definition says, it means a lucky tendency to find interesting or valuable things by chance. Now, you can’t make it happen. But you CAN make yourself more aware of the warning signs and more accessible to that which fortuitously affects you. And even if you really DO think it’s all about luck, remember: L.U.C.K is an acronym for Laboring Under Correct Knowledge.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Have you ever been a victor of serendipity?

Guess what? Today you will be taking field trip!

No permission slip needed.

THE DESTINATION: your inbox.

Here’s your first assignment:

Start by going back to your oldest saved email message. Maybe it’s from last year. Maybe it’s from last month. Maybe it’s from last century. But spend the next half-hour working your way backwards to today.

By reviewing past emails, you’ll come across people, messages and issues you’ve completely forgotten all about. You might think, ‘Wow, I wonder what Karen’s been up to lately!’ or ‘Hmm…I don’t recognize Mike’s name. Better re-read his message to refresh my memory.’

Either way, this trip down e-memory lane is the perfect exercise to workout those out of shape networking muscles. And if you can reconnect with just one person you otherwise wouldn’t have talked to, it will be worth it.

OK. Here’s your second assignment:

Another underused feature for staying in touch is the email auto-completer. Depending on which mail client you use, you should be able to do this in a few quick steps:

1. Go to ‘compose new message.’
2. Punch in any letter of the alphabet.
3. You should be prompted with a dozen or so potential email addresses starting with that same letter. Pick a name and email away!

It’s actually kind of fun. You’ll see names you completely forgot about!

Gmail is good at this. They provide you with a drop down box. It reminds you of every person you’ve ever emailed (or received an email from) over the years.

TRY THIS: every once in a while, take a few minutes and just go through the entire alphabet. You never know whose name might come up! And a simple, ‘We haven’t chatted in a while, so I just thought I’d drop a line and say hey!’ is the perfect way to reconnect with an old friend or colleague.

Ultimately, running a monthly email search is the perfect tool to Keep It Alive with old contacts, friends and prospects.

Maybe it’s a simple ‘just checking in’ note.
Maybe it’s a reply to an old message you forgot about.
Maybe it’s an email update to an old friend you haven’t talked to in a while.

EITHER WAY: people will appreciate your follow up.

PLUS, YOU NEVER KNOW: you might make a sale, reconnect with old friends, even made someone’s day!

AND SURE, it might seem like extra work.

But remember, the last four words in N-E-T-W-O-R-K are W-O-R-K!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you keep it alive?