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?

1. Every time you travel out of town, ask yourself, ‘Who do I know that lives in that city?’ Call ahead of time and make plans to get together. Heck, you’re there anyway.

2. Every few months, sit down with your cell phone and call every single person in your phone book. When they ask why you’re calling, tell them because you’re sitting down with your cell phone calling every single person in your phone book. No motive. No big deal. Just saying hey.

3. Take about 15 minutes one day and go back through your inbox. Quickly scan through your last 500 emails. Odds are, you’ll be reminded of people you completely forgot about and/or haven’t talked to in a while. Drop ‘em a line and see what’s up.

4. Do you have a big stack of business cards on your desk collecting dust? If so, take a few minutes to flip through them. Jar your memory as to who you’ve met over the last few months. You never know whom you might find!

5. Go to Borders and read through every magazine on the rack. Even Oprah and Rachel Ray. See if you can find an article, sidebar or picture relevant to your job, industry or area of expertise. Pick 50 customers/prospects to hand-send that picture to, along with a note saying, ‘This made me think of you!’

6. Open your appointment book. Are you having lunch or coffee with at least one person every week? If not, fill that baby up! Make a list called ‘20 People I Haven’t Talked to In, Like, Forever.’ Pen (don’t pencil) them in.

7. Start an ezine. Even if you don’t think that you’re a good writer. Even if you don’t think anyone cares. Begin by sending it out to everyone in your network. Offer quick tips and ideas to help them, plus a brief summary of what’s new with your business. Invite people to write back and share the same.

8. If you’re a blogger (and if you’re not, you need to be), keep a blogroll. Every week or so, revisit all the entries written by the people in your Internetwork. Post comments, share link love and help support each other!

9. Whatever social networking program you use (MySpace, Facebook, Squidoo, YouTube, whatever) take some time every so often to peruse all the personal pages of each of your ‘friends’ or ‘contacts.’ See what people are up to. Drop them a message to say hey.

10. Go back through your old planners (or past PDA entries). Look at all the people you had lunch, coffee or connected with last year. BE HONEST: how many of them do you still keep in touch with? If your numbers aren’t as high as you’d like, drop a line to those people and say, ‘I was browsing my old calendar the other day, and I realize we haven’t hung out since May of 2005! It’s time for us to get together again…’

11. Schedule a specific time, i.e., every Thursday afternoon at 3:00, as ‘Keep it Alive Time.’ Set 30 minutes aside each week to do any of the activities listed above.

12. Start a ‘Keep it Alive Journal.’ Make notes about whom you connected with, what you learned, how you helped each other and other related ideas. Review and update it every week.

Imagine you just met someone new. The formalities of names, jobs and the like have been exchanged and you seem to be getting along famously. But before you know it, a few minutes pass – and it looks like you’re running out of clichés!

Now what?

There comes a time in every conversation with someone you’ve just met when you must cross the chasm between ‘HOW are you?’ and ‘WHO are you?’ A helpful technique for doing so is by asking creative, open ended questions. These questions function as front porches, inasmuch as their ability to build rapport, spark creativity and invite people to share their experiences and preferences. What’s more, they show an interest in people’s opinions and insights.

The following list is an excerpt from my most recent book, The Power of Approachability, which has just been released and is available for sale here.

1) Who are some of your mentors?
Mentoring is a hot topic right now. In fact, some people make a living setting up mentoring programs for businesses and organizations! That’s awesome. People need more mentors. I know I’d be lost without mine. So, it’s a perfect topic to bring up with someone you’ve just met. And you can learn a great deal about your conversation partner when you ask this question.

My friend Michael, for example, has a life coach, business mentor and spiritual advisor! When I first learned these facts about him I gained a new insight into the type of person he was. As a result I felt more comfortable sharing those same insights about myself. That’s another beautiful thing about asking these types of questions: self-disclosure, or the process of reciprocating information about yourself to another.

2) What’s the one book that’s been most influential on your business?
I go out of my way to ask this question to someone almost every day. It’s probably because I am an author and I love to read. But also, the books people read are partly responsible for creating who they are and how they do business.

I gave a speech a few days ago during which I asked the audience this question. The responses were excellent…and varied. People yelled titles ranging from The Bible to How to Win Friends and Influence People to The Yellow Pages (nice creative thinking on that last one!)

3) What’s the biggest mistake you made in your first year of business?
Admitting mistakes, embarrassing moments and errors you’ve made is a perfect way to invite someone into your heart. After all, a self-deprecating remark is one of the most effective forms of humor. And people love to know that the person they’re talking to is human, just like them. Talk about making an instant connection!

A few weeks ago I popped this question during the Q & A session of a National Speakers Association meeting. When I finished, the room ‘ooooohed.’ It sounded like a studio audience of a sitcom! Then the panelist I addressed chuckled and offered his response, which was a story about a failed project he worked on a few years back. When he finished a few minutes later he said, ‘Thanks – that was a really great question!’

4) What part of your job do you enjoy the most?
This question is one of my all time favorites. It’s fun, positive and always puts a smile on someone’s face – because people love to talk about what they love.

Take my dad, for example. He’s worked in the closeout business for about 30 years as the president of the St. Louis based CWC Inventories (Closeouts with Class). When I asked him this question he said, ‘The Booth! I LOVE standing at our booth at those trade shows, talking to customers we’ve had for 20 years, showing them new deals. That’s the best part about my job.’

If you only used one question from this article, this should be the one. Ask it today. And just watch how the dynamic of your conversation partner’s persona changes. It’s beautiful.

5) What quotations or motivational phrases do you live by?
The challenging, impromptu nature of this question stumps a lot of people. However, no better reflection of one’s values shines like the words they live by. One of the valuable activities I do during various speeches is to have people write one of their ‘words to live by’ on the bottom of their nametags. Then they have to share it with as many people as possible in the next five minutes. The room fills with laughter, smiles and instant connections! People discover CPI’s (Common Points of Interest) and get to know each other on a new level.

Next time you have a meeting or a group session, try this activity out. And just watch the connections spark.

6) What’s your preferred method of getting the news?
I enjoy asking this last question because it’s a generation mirror. Whether you obtain your news from Larry King, CNN, Paul Harvey, USA Today, Yahoo, Google, Newsgroups, List Serves, Talk Radio or your local news station, each medium offers insight about:

Whether or not someone is technology-savvy

A typical workday

A person’s learning style, i.e., visual, aural, etc.

A great benefit of this question is its leveraging ability. Say your friend is obsessed with talk radio, and you come across a great new program on your local station. Well…call him up! Tell him you heard about this great new show and say ‘I thought you might like this.’ It will make his day!

What’s more, he’ll KNOW you were taking an interest during that initial conversation when you learned this information. He’ll REMEMBER how you engaged with him. And he’ll FEEL the transition from HOW are you to WHO are you. After all, that’s what UNFORGETTABLE communication is all about.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your favorite question to ask new people?

Networking is a term that didn’t exist (academically) until almost 40 years ago. It’s a word uttered in and around the business world every day, yet is unclear to most as to how it actually works. Still, it’s a fundamental tool to the success of any business.

By definition, the term networking is the development and maintenance of mutually valuable relationships. It’s not schmoozing; it’s not just handing out business cards, selling, marketing or small talk. Those activities are part of networking, but unfortunately, many people’s misunderstanding of the term causes them network ineffectively.

The following are The 7 Habits of Highly Horrible Networkers™, and they can stand in the in your way of developing mutually valuable relationships. So, next time you attend your Chamber or Association meeting, keep these ideas in mind so you can offer the most value to your fellow networkers.

Habit #1: Attitude
Much like the development of any skill, networking begins with attitude. Unfortunately, Highly Horrible Networkers have the wrong attitude. If you’ve ever attended a networking function before, perhaps you’ve encountered businesspeople who act in the following ways:

The hard sell – they believe networking is about one thing and one thing only: selling products and services to everyone in the room.

Business only – they’re not there to make friends. They’re not there to have fun. And they’re certainly not interested in developing mutually valuable relationships.

It’s all about me – they don’t take the time to help and share with others, but rather focus on their own needs. In other words, they can’t spell ‘N-E-T-W-O-R-K-I-N-G’ without ‘I.’

Attitude is fundamental to effective networking. In fact, it’s the most important habit to understand.

Habit #2: Dig Your Well WHEN You’re Thirsty
One of my favorite networking books is called Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty, by Harvey McKay. It’s probably the most well known text on this subject. The key to McKay’s work is making your friends, establishing contacts and developing relationships – before you need them. Getting what you want by helping others get what they want first.

Enter the Highly Horrible Networkers, who only network because:

a) They need new customers

b) They have a new product or service to sell

c) Their boss forced them to do so

Take my friend Lawrence, for example. He’s quite successful in the insurance business; however he recently approached me about using networking to obtain some hot leads.

‘My numbers are down. My boss is on my back. I gotta get out there and start networking…or else! What do you suggest?’

‘Networking takes time,’ I explained, ‘and you can’t expect to come into loads of business or dozens of potential clients without developing the relationships first.’

As you already learned, networking is the development and maintenance of mutually valuable relationships…over time. If you try to dig your well WHEN you’re thirsty, you may never find a drink.

Habit #3: Dealin’ the Deck
Habit #3 is a dangerous one, and it happens all the time. Have you ever seen people distribute 173 of their business cards during the first 5 minutes of the event? They move as quickly as possible from one person to the next. They don’t make eye contact, they don’t ask to exchange cards – they just deal them out.

‘Here’s my card, call me if you need a designer! See ya later.’

‘But…I…never even got your name!’ you muse.

This is guaranteed to make people feel puny and insignificant. Notice these Highly Horrible Networkers don’t spend time actually meeting and establishing rapport with new people; but rather concentrate on giving out as many cards as possible. It’s quantity over quality, right?

Wrong.

Dealin’ the Deck is one of the most common networking pet peeves. Whenever I give my program The Habits of Highly Horrible Networkers™, I walk out into the audience for a quick demonstration of this habit. I grab a stack of business cards and quickly jump from table to table tossing out dozens of them without as much looking at the audience members I’m handing them to.

Unfortunately during one speech, it backfired.

Literally.

Last year, I was demonstrating Highly Horrible Habit #3 when speaking at a local business meeting. While hopping from table to table as dozens of cards flew through the air and into people’s laps and salads, someone yelled out, ‘Oh my God!’

I stopped dead in my tracks. I looked back at the head table and noticed that one of my cards landed in the centerpiece…

…which was a candle!

MY BUSINESS CARD WAS ON FIRE!!

I threw down the microphone, lunged at the table and snatched the burning business card from the candle! As I toppled over the chair in front of me I yelled something to the effect of ‘Oh my God!’ shook the flames off my half burnt card and regained my balance to a roaring applause/laughter from the audience.

‘And…uh…this just goes to show you ladies and gentleman,’ I fumbled, ‘When you deal the deck of business cards without eye contact or consideration…uh…people may as well set them on fire – because they’re not going to read them anyway!’

Nice save.

Habit #4: Unprofessional Information
It’s remarkable how often some business cards will contain unprofessional information. Have you ever received someone’s card with one of those ambiguous, offensive and questionable email addresses with AOL, Hotmail or Yahoo? Not only are those email servers frustrating and ineffective for business communication, but just imagine how it looks when someone has to send business emails to:

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

I have nothing against AOL, Hotmail or Yahoo. But if possible, always send and receive emails using the address of your organization’s website, i.e., [email protected]. If you must use free servers like MSN, SBC and the like, choose a simple username that doesn’t question your professionalism, i.e., [email protected].

Habit #4: Sit with the Wrong Company
I’ll never forget my first Chamber meeting. One afternoon I sat down with 6 other local businesspeople for our monthly networking lunch. Naturally, the first thing I did was look at everyone’s nametags. (Not only to learn their names but to examine the effectiveness of their nametags’ design and placement.)

But these were the nametags I saw: ADM Financial, ADM Financial, ADM Financial, ADM Financial, ADM Financial, ADM Financial, Scott. (Company name changed to protect the victims.)

Highly Horrible networkers not only attend meetings with their friends and/or coworkers, but they talk and sit with them the entire time! These are people with whom they’ve worked 5 days a week, 8 hours a day for the past 3 years! This is not a good technique to maximize your company’s visibility.

This habit creates an elitist, unfriendly attitude. And think how uncomfortable this makes the one or two people sitting at the table who don’t work for that company! It’s unfair to them because they’re unable to meet a diverse group of people with whom to develop mutually valuable relationships! Remember: If you’re sitting with YOUR company – you’re sitting with the WRONG company.

Habit #6: Small Talk is for Suckers
Highly Horrible Networkers forget about the small talk. It’s a waste of their time. They don’t ask or answer about ‘New and exciting things happening at work’ or ‘How Thanksgiving was,’ they simply jump right into (what they believe to be) the most important part of the discussion: selling 17 of their products before the salad arrives.

Has this ever happened to you? For example, has someone ever introduced themselves, breezed right through the conversation and flat out asked you for a referral?

Refer you? I don’t even know you!

Reciprocating self-disclosure is the most effective way to build rapport and ultimately develop trust. The people you want to do business with are those with whom you have built that rapport and trust. So, small talk is not for suckers. Debra Fine, author of The Fine Art of Small Talk put it best when she said: ‘Small talk is the biggest talk we do.’

Habit #7: Limitations
Finally, Highly Horrible Networkers believe there is only one specific time and place for networking. It’s called ‘A Room with A Sign Posted Outside That Says So.’ In other words, they only network when someone forces them to. They don’t believe networking opportunities in places like elevators, busses, supermarkets or parks.

That’s it? A measly half hour for networking? Doesn’t give you much time, does it?

The truth about networking is that it can happen anytime, anywhere. There is a time and a place for networking – it’s called ANY time, and ANY place.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Have you ever been a victim of a Highly Horrible Networker?

After a recent speech, an audience member asked me a question I’ve never considered: ‘What’s the difference between ‘approachability’ and ‘working a room’?’

Great point. And I think there’s a MAJOR distinction between the two. Let’s start with the latter.

PICTURE THIS: You’re hanging out by the entrance at a networking event. Your friend standing next to you lightly elbows your shoulder and says, ‘Hey, look at that guy in the blue suit – boy, he’s really working the room tonight!’

How would someone like that make you feel?

For some people, jealous:

Gosh, I wish I could just go up to anyone and start a conversation! If only networking came easy to me, I’d get all kinds of new customers!

For others, annoyed:

I hate when people do that. It’s making the rest of us look bad. It’s embarrassing to even be around someone so flaky and inauthentic.

For me, sympathetic:

Wow. (Shakes head). You know, that’s too bad. Mr. Blue Suit is really blowing his chances of making a positive first impression.

To gain a better understanding of this term, I Googled the phrase ‘working a room’ while writing this article. About 50,000 pages came up. And many of them pointed to Susan Roane’s bestselling book, How To Work A Room: The Ultimate Guide to Savvy Socializing in Person and Online.

Now, I read this book several years ago. And I will say that it’s a great networking resource. But at the same time, I have to disagree:

Nobody should ever have to work a room.

Here’s why.

Working a room makes you sound like the politician who shows up at an event for 10 minutes to make an appearance, shake a few hands, kiss a few babies and then cruise out of town on his private jet.

No relationships, just superficial contact.
No helping others, just helping himself.
No quality conversations, just the quantity thereof.

This is NOT what effective networking looks like. Why?

Because people don’t want to feel like they’ve just been ‘worked.’

It pisses them off.
It creates a barrier to communication.
It makes them feel small.
And it makes YOU look like a jerk.

What’s more, people can tell when they are being worked.

So what’s the alternative?

You guessed it: approachability. The authentic magnetization of two people based on friendliness and common ground.

Here’s a quick comparison of the two words to help you understand the difference:

Working a Room

Bounce from table to table slinging business cards to anyone and everyone saying, ‘Call me if you need a tech consultant!’

Shake hands, give your elevator speech, qualify, move on to the next victim

Fast paced, proactive, meet-as-many-people-as-possible speed networking; forget the names of everyone you just met

Show up for the networking portion of the event and then get the heck out!

Approachability

Offer your card when asked for one by a new contact; take the time to actually appreciate and inquire about the cards of others

Spend enough time with each person to develop the CPI (Common Point of Interest)

Chill out, choose a few key people to talk to; focus on both approaching them AND letting them approach you

Come early, stay late. Don’t sacrifice a great conversation and/or a potential relationship just because ‘networking time’ is over.

When I first started my career as an author/speaker, I thought ‘working the room’ was the answer. I was even guilty of doing it myself! But after one particular networking event a few years ago, the president of my industry association reminded me, ‘Scott, just relax. Just be yourself. Avoid anything that would give others the impression that you’re working the room. Don’t worry. People will notice. Authenticity is the most magnetic quality of any businessperson.’

He was right. Approachability is about authenticity. It’s about giving yourself away to the other person.

It’s not about how many people you can meet in a half hour.
It’s not about how many business cards you give away or collect.
It’s not about tuning into some radio station called WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?)

It’s about mutually valuable relationships. It’s about asking, ‘What’s in it for US?!’

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
When was the last time you saw someone “work the room?”

Let’s test your knowledge on networking:

1)The best definition of networking is:

a) Schmoozing at meetings and events
b) The solicitation of funds
c) Building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships
d) Marketing and selling your products and services to everyone in the room so you can meet your sales quota before your boss fires you

2) Why do you network?

a) To develop your business
b) To help other people
c) To share information
d) All of the above

3) What are the most effective ways to network?

a) Regularly attending meetings, events and activities
b) Talking to random people in the streets, stores, busses and bathrooms
c) Offering referrals, resources and recommendations
d) It doesn’t matter as long as you help others first and remember that it ain’t about you

4) True or False: Networking is not a skill, but rather a hereditary trait passed down from your father not unlike height or Male Pattern Baldness.

5) True or False: Networking isn’t always strategic, but frequently occurs by an accident and/or stroke of luck which falls in your lap like a gift from God.

Networking is the development and maintenance of mutually beneficial relationships. It’s not schmoozing, it’s not handing out business cards, it’s not selling, it’s not marketing, and it’s not small talk. Some of those activities might be part of networking, but be careful not to confuse form with function. Networking is a process that takes the right attitude, patience and organization.

Networking is one of, if not THE leading way to increase your business. In fact, I get almost 100% of my business from some form of networking. And with proper preparation and implementation, a networking plan can be your catalyst for dramatically changing the way you deal with, obtain and maintain your business relationships.

Networking is also sharing information. Your most valuable resource is other people. And the supply never ends! I once read a quotation from my favorite author, a philosopher by the name of Anonymous, who said, “Even though it’s not what you know but who you know – remember that who you know teaches you what you know.”

Networking is a skill. It is not an inherent trait. It takes time to develop. Now, clearly some people are more extroverted, friendly and outgoing than others. And that certainly helps. But anyone can develop their networking skills with a little research and plenty of practice, and in so doing become a monument of approachability.

Networking is helping others. Some people just don’t get it. They honestly believe it’s all about them. False. Networking is, as aptly stated by Zig Ziglar “getting what you want by helping other people get what they want first.”

Here’s some great tips to help you put these ideas into practice:

Get Organized
At the beginning of every month, sit down and organize your networking plan. Ask yourself the following questions:

When are the general membership meetings of my organizations?

Who can I meet for lunch/coffee to brainstorm and share ideas?

What special events are coming up that I want to attend?

Are there any new groups with whom I could get involved?

Who haven’t I talked to in a while?

What resources, tips, articles, ideas or contacts could I share with the people in my network?

What people could I introduce that would be able to help each other?

Before and After
Whatever event, meeting, conference or seminar you attend – arrive early and stay late. Sometimes the most valuable connections are made when nobody else is around. What’s more, there’s less pressure when you’re networking on your time, not the organization’s time.

Don’t Limit Yourself
Networking isn’t limited to a room. The birth of my forthcoming second book was a result of a conversation I had with my good friend Todd – in a swimming pool! We were taking a break from our NSA Convention when I ran a few title ideas by him. He agreed that The Power of Approachability was the best choice, so I decided right then and there. And as any writer will tell you: once you get the title, everything else is cream cheese.

Become a resource
Carry with you a list of books, websites, ideas, suggestions and articles that may benefit other people you’re meeting with. Not only does it provide value for them, but it gives you an easy conversation starter. Remember, helping others first DOES help you!

Keep a pen and paper
If I don’t write that idea down now, I’ll never remember it!

If you’ve ever said this sentence before, you know how valuable a simple notepad can be. I recommend carrying a small pen and paper with you, wherever you go. Keep it right next to your business card holder. My little notepad is the single greatest accessory I’ve ever purchased in my life. It has saved my butt – and other people’s butts – numerous times. You can buy these at any luggage store at your local mall for under $20. Most of them have refills for the paper and a nice pen that fits inside the pad. And I can’t begin to tell you how many ideas, names, phone numbers or recommended book titles I’ve written down the exact moment someone told me.

Stock Questions
No front porch behavior is more effective than asking open ended questions. So don’t walk into a networking event without a few great stock questions that are relevant to the event, i.e., What’s the biggest challenge of your job? What’s been the most effective way to promote your business?

Stick with it
A common misconception about networking is that it boosts your business right away. False. Networking takes time to reciprocate back to you. And because the process of developing mutually beneficial relationships involves helping others first, you may not see the fruits of your labor for weeks, months, even years!

Here’s an example. In March of 2004, one of my audience members approached me for a copy of HELLO, my name is Scott. As I was signing it, we talked about possibly working together in the future. We exchanged cards and stayed in touch over the next few weeks. Shortly thereafter, I received an email from a guy named Paul, one of the audience member’s friends. He was interested in featuring my website in his newsletter. Little did I know his ezine had well over 10,000 subscribers! And two of those subscribers just so happened to be two meeting planners who booked me for two programs six months later.

Get the Story Straight
Have you ever heard the question, “So…what’s your story?” This is an obvious figure of speech. People don’t actually expect you tell them a story. But what if you did? What if you called their bluff? People don’t remember things, facts or ideas – they remember stories. So when it comes to business, you’ve got to have a story. Most business people have some signature tale of how they became involved in their line of work; or something unusual that happened in their job. So be known for your story. Write it out. Tell it often. Soon, people you don’t even know will approach you and ask for “The Story.” It’s a perfect front porch.

Create a Custom Nametag
If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur and you don’t have your own custom nametag, you are missing out. Imagine you attend your Chamber of Commerce meeting and you get stuck wearing the obligatory, computerized, faded-font, barely-sticks-onto-my-lapel Avery piece of crap. You will not stand out. You will not promote your business. And other members will not know who you are or how you can give them value. Try this: at your next meeting, sit by someone in real estate agent – those people know how to wear nametags!

Spice It Up
Cal Thompson, owner of TripleXpresso’s in St. Louis, encourages Nametag Networking at his meetings. He calls it “Xpress Request.” This is a way to identify people’s networking needs in a quick, efficient manner. Here’s how it works. In addition to their standard badges, people also wear pre-registered nametags with a list of three things they need, i.e., Web Design, Direct Mail, New Assistant, etc. This immediately lets people know how they can help others!

What’s your networking know-how?

TEST RESULTS: C, D, D, F, T