A good public speaking course will help you avoid the five major mistakes that most public speakers tend to make. You will learn how to create and use visual aids effectively to support your ideas. As your progress through the course you will learn how to analysis the audience on the spot to ensure that your content is relevant. A well planned out course will not try to change your current speaking skills instead it will attempt to improve upon those skills by developing you into a better public speaker. You will learn how to use natural nervousness to your advantage by allowing it to strike passion into your presentations.
Once you have completed your public speaking course your audience will never fall asleep or get up and leave on you again. The best thing about public speaking courses is that there are no pre-requisites needed to sign up for a course. No prior public speak experience is required as well. You can take courses online and even at a local college. There are also courses available in books, DVDs and even online through downloadable videos. Public speaking courses cost different prices depending on the experience of the teacher, the length of the course, the materials provided and a few other factors.
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What public speaking courses will do for you
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What is needed to sign up and course possibilities
International business today necessitates people travel all over the world for meetings, negotiations and other business functions. Along the way one will meet numerous people that all have the potential to give recommendations, pass over work or provide some sort of benefit. The business card is the key to remaining in their sphere of contacts.
Increasingly business cards need to be translated into foreign languages to ensure the receiver understands who you are and who you work for. However, translating a business card is not a simple as literally translating one language into another. There are many linguistic and cultural considerations one must take into account. In order to assist those needing their business cards translated the following ten tips are presented:
1 - Always have your business cards translated by a translator or translation agency. Your neighbour or friend may be capable of translating but to ensure the most suitable and professional language is used, use an expert.
2 - Try and have business cards printed only on one side and in one language. In many countries people will write on the back of your card. However, this is not always necessary and if there is a considerable amount of text you may use both sides.
3 - Keep your business card simple. All the receiver needs to know is who you are, your title, your company and how to contact you. The rest is superfluous. This also helps keep your translation costs down.
4 - Ensure the translator translates your title accurately. In some cases, due to the Western liking of complicated titles such “Associate Director of Employer Solutions”, this is not always easy. It is critical the receiver understands your position within a company. Therefore simplify your title as much as possible.
5 - Do not translate your address. All this does is help the reader pronounce your address. If they ever posted you anything the postman will be scratching his/her head.
6 - It can be useful to transliterate names including company names. This then helps the receiver pronounce them properly.
7 - Make sure numbers are arranged in the correct format. For example, if for any reason you need to write a date on a business card consider the local equivalent for dates - i.e. in Europe dates are written as date/month/year or in the Islamic world the Hijri calendar is used.
8 -Ensure you use the correct language when having your business card translated. If you are travelling to China you would need Simplified Chinese, whereas if you were travelling to Taiwan you would need Traditional Chinese. Similar differences exist in many parts of the world where language may have political consequences, i.e. the area formerly known as Yugoslavia.
9 - Try and research whether there are any cultural nuances that make a business card attractive in another culture. For example in China, using red and gold is considered auspicious.
10 - Finally, always learn a bit about the cultural dos and don’ts of giving/receiving business cards in foreign countries. Which hands should be used? What should one say? Where should you keep it? Can you write on it?
Although technological gains over the past few decades have fundamentally changed the way people across the world contact and communicate with one another, it is sill the humble paper business card that acts as the initial glue which binds two business people together. Within the international fold, having your business card translated into a foreign language goes a long way in making an impression and forming relationships.
Neil Payne runs Kwintessential - a cross cultural communication consultancy offering translation services. For more information visit http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/translation/translation.html
Focus Groups, Paid Surveys, & Other Market Research
Opportunities Demystified
Businesses and other organizations use focus groups and paid
surveys to research consumer and public opinion concerning a
variety of issues. Corporations look to focus groups for general
help in selling their products to the world at large instead of
any type of direct marketing efforts.
Focus groups & Paid Surveys are usually conducted by Market
Research companies. Market research companies are hired by the
big corporations such as Coca-Cola and Nestle. The reason they
do this is because the market research companies have the
experience and expertise to make sure the focus groups are
accurate and unbiased. If the corporations did this themselves
they may not get impartial information and could make mistakes
costing them millions of dollars (not to mention their jobs!)
So from here on out, when I talk about companies that conduct
focus groups and paid surveys, I am referring to market research
companies. These will be the companies whom you will contact,
register with, and get paid from. This is VERY important for you
to remember.
OK, so what kinds of focus groups and paid surveys exist? Well,
generally there are two types: Offline and Online.
Offline:
These are small, roundtable discussion groups on topics ranging
from the latest features on internetworking hardware to new
flavors of ice cream. They usually involve about 10 participants
plus the group leader or moderator. Each session usually lasts
about 2 hours and the discussion is “focused” on a particular
topic, about which group members share their opinions. An
honorarium of $40-$80 for time and effort is very common. It is
not unusual for observers from the client corporation to watch
the group in action.
In focus groups, unlike telephone paid surveys, people can be
shown products or ads and can be given an opportunity to express
how they feel and what they think in a normal, conversational
setting. As a research method, the use of focus groups is less
about statistics and numbers and more about qualitative matters
such as whether people find an ad humorous, and why they find it
humorous, or if people believe a product is appealing and why
they think so.
Online:
Online focus groups and paid surveys are a cost effective
alternative to conventional “face-to-face” focus groups. Online
focus groups generally invite 8 to 10 people to join for a
specified period of time (90 minutes to two hours) in a
specialized chat room. This controlled environment allows
participants to view text, graphics, sounds/jingles, video or
multimedia for evaluation and testing. It is not uncommon for
observers from the client corporation to watch the group in
action and send private messages to the co-moderators as the
group is progressing.
Copyright © by Ngullen Rivera ngullen@gmail.com
As President of an executive search firm, I see resumes from highly qualified and able candidates every day. And it only takes a glance to see why many of these experienced executives are not getting the interviews that, doubtless, they feel they deserve.
The reason ? Many of these resumes look and feel the same. Same dry format. Same qualifications and similar backgrounds. Same laundry list of previous achievements. Nothing at all to set one resume apart from the next.
To be perceived as a top of the line, A-list candidate, your resume MUST be memorable. It must be impactful. It must sell you to potential employers. A list of what you did last year or the year before just won’t cut it. Employers want to know what you are going to do in the future - for them. Here’s some tips to ensure that your resume doesn’t end up in the ‘also-rans’ pile.
i) Be Unique
You must show employers why they should be interested in YOU over equally able and competent competing executives. Ensure that your resume highlights the factors that differentiate you from the pack and focus closely on your unique skills.
ii) Be Specific
You are, no doubt, rightfully proud of your achievements as an executive and want to let potential employers know that they are getting an experienced, successful candidate. However, you need to be specific. Give real results and relate these achievements to the company and position you are applying for now. Show how what you have achieved in the past can benefit the potential employer in the future. If you can do that, yours will be a resume they come back to, for sure.
iii) Be An Expert
Most employers want to recruit executives who are already adept in their chosen field. They want to feel that they are hiring proven expertise. Your resume needs to show your expertise in your field. Focus on those areas of your career that do that instead of providing a laundry list of everything you have ever done. Don’t be afraid to show off your specialized knowledge and let potential employers know how this knowledge is going to benefit their bottom line.
Use your resume to give recruiters and potential employers the incentive to want to be interested in hiring you. Setting yourself apart from your competitors is a surefire way of achieving this.
Joe Pelayo is President of Joseph Michaels Inc, a retained executive search firm with over 15 years experience recruiting top financial talent. The company recruits for clients like Sony and Coca Cola. Visit http://www.josephmichaels.com for details.
Choosing Wedding Reception Music: Bridging The Generation
Gap
What a joy it is to know that you’ll be bringing all your
closest family members and friends together to celebrate your
wedding! As you begin to contemplate the type of entertainment
that you’ll offer your guests, it dawns on you that it will be
no easy task to find the perfect wedding
band or DJ that will please your entire crowd. How can your
band or DJ delight your parents without boring your friends? Or
perform at a volume that will make your friends want to jump up
and dance without blowing your parents and their friends out of
the room?
Striking the perfect balance of wedding
music to please everyone can be difficult, but if you do
enough research you will be able to find seasoned professionals
who are used to entertaining people of every generation and
musical taste. Bands and DJs that are inexperienced can really
miss the mark in this regard. It takes a number of years of
playing “out in the field” to become adept at working with a
crowd to see what works and what doesn’t.
You can start your planning by really digging into your research
as to what songs and artists will please your parents. Everyone
loves to dance to familiar tunes that bring back their high
school days. Find out what songs were popular when they were
growing up. It will make them feel young again and they will
really appreciate your thoughtfulness at including “their music”.
If you spend some time listening to what your parents love to
dance to, you will find songs that have broad appeal. These are
the songs to request that your band or DJ play.
There are two good approaches to mixing in the “older music”.
One way to do this is to start out the reception “European
style”, with lighter and older music that is played at a lower
volume. Show tunes, love songs, swing, big band music and
oldies work well early in the night with this format. Older
relatives are less shy than friends, so they usually love to get
out on the floor early. Also, many of them have been to
parties where “their music” has been left out or neglected, so
that they will want to take advantage of a familiar favorite by
getting up on the floor.
Later in the night, especially after dinner is completed, you
can have your wedding band or DJ cut loose with the perfect mix
of songs that you and your friends love. If you add in a ballad
here and there, everyone will have a chance to catch their
breath, and those who have been “sitting it out” will have
another chance to get up and dance!
Another way to keep everyone happy is to mix things up all night
long. As long as your band or DJ plays at a moderate volume,
even the most upbeat music won’t be overbearing. If you can,
seat your older relatives at tables farther away from your band
or DJ’s speakers. Younger guests are less sensitive to volume
and will object less to the higher levels of sound that will
result from sitting in closer proximity to the sound system.
Be sure that any band that you consider has many years
experience performing at wedding receptions and has an extensive
song list. The more extensive the list is, the more likely you
will be able to choose the right mix of songs for your crowd.
Don’t assume that your DJ will have all the songs that you want
without letting him or her know your preferences well
beforehand. Prepare your list and give it to your entertainers
at least four weeks ahead of the party. In addition to
requesting your favorite tunes, you can also mention which songs
you do not want heard at your wedding reception. Clear
communication with the bandleader or DJ is essential so that the
appropriate music is played at your affair.
Your wedding day is your special day, but do not forget
you are sharing it with many guests of various ages and musical
tastes. With some careful planning and proper communication with
your wedding entertainers, bridging the musical generation gap
will become possible and significantly contribute to the success
of your special day.
Sometimes there is confusion about the exact meaning of the
term “cover letter”.
That’s because when most people use that term, they don’t
realize that there are two main types of cover letters.
There are “document transmittal cover letters”, and there
are “resume cover letters”.
DOCUMENT COVER LETTERS
A document cover letter is a letter of transmittal that
explains and conveys an attached document to a second party.
The types of documents that this type of cover letter is
used for typically include: reports, plans, legal papers,
applications, manuscripts, contracts, travel documents,
booklets, manuals, brochures, product samples, photos,
artwork, etc.
A document cover letter is normally a short one-page
business letter that very briefly explains the attached or
enclosed document(s) that is being sent. It only contains
the essential information such as why the document(s) is
being sent, what the recipient is expected to do with it,
and any applicable deadlines.
RESUME COVER LETTERS
When most people use or hear the term “cover letter” they
are thinking of resume cover letters.
Resume cover letters are used for one purpose only - to
convey resumes or curriculum vitae to prospective employers.
A resume cover letter is normally a concise one-pager that
introduces you, explains why you’re writing, summarizes
your key skills, abilities and experience, and asks the
recipient to get back to you. Its main purpose is to capture
the attention of the recipient enough to get that person to
look at the attached resume with interest.
Of the two types of cover letters, by far the most commonly
requested at my Writing Help Central Web site is the cover
letter for a resume or curriculum vitae.
RESUME COVER LETTER WRITING TIPS
When drafting a cover letter for a resume or cv, there are
a number of important rules of thumb to follow. The
following list is an adapted summary of a similar list in
my eBook “Instant Home Writing Kit”.
1. Address It To A Specific Person
Even when sending an unsolicited resume to a company you
should take the time to find out the name of the appropriate
person and write the letter to that person. At least it will
reach their office. Resumes sent to “Dear Human Resources
Manager” are almost always a waste of time. Name someone
specifically and it will at least make it into an in-basket.
2. Keep It Short And Focused
Remember, your resume already says it all. Keep the letter
short and focused and don’t repeat what is already in the
attached resume or c.v. Never exceed one page in a cover
letter.
3. Be Enthusiastic
Express your interest in the job and the new company with
enthusiasm. Show that you really want the job, and that you
would really like to work for that particular company.
4. Focus On The Needs Of The Employer
Throughout your cover letter make it clear that you are
interested in the needs of the employer. You are there to
help them. You are part of the solution. Try to make this
the subliminal message of your entire letter.
5. Show That You’ve Done Your Homework
Demonstrate a good knowledge of the company and industry
for which you are applying. A one-liner, or a phrase or
two in the appropriate place in your letter that shows you
are interested, and understand that the company’s problems
will give you instant credibility (i.e. do some simple
Internet research).
6. Use The Appropriate “Buzzwords”
Every organization has its own ways of doing things and its
own lingo. Look through key documents such as annual
reports, corporate Web sites, etc. Try to spot key words,
terms, and phrases that are often repeated. Every company
has them. Use as many of these “hot buttons” as you can in
your cover letter - where appropriate, of course. For
example, if the “Message From the CEO” in the annual report
mentions the phrase “action plan for the future” three
times, make sure you work that term into your cover letter.
Don’t overdo it, of course.
7. Summarize Your Skills and Abilities
If possible, without making the letter too long, summarize
your overall skills and abilities in bullet-point form.
This can make them stand out in a way that they wouldn’t,
buried in the resume or cv.
8. Promise To Follow Up
In the final paragraph, clearly state that you will be
following up by telephone in a few days to see if you can
answer any questions. Make sure you do this. Industry
experts say that over 80% of people never do this crucial
follow-up and just wait for the phone to ring.
The challenge of course, is to try to address all of these
points in a three or four paragraph letter. It can be done!
To see a fully-formatted “real-life template” of a resume
cover letter, go to the following link:
http://writinghelp-central.com/cover-letter.html
© 2005 by Shaun Fawcett
Shaun Fawcett, is webmaster of the popular writing help site
WritingHelp-Central.com. He is also the author of several
best selling “writing toolkit” eBooks. All of his eBooks and
his internationally acclaimed f-r-e-e course, “Tips and Tricks
For Writing Success” are available at his writing tools site:
http://www.writinghelptools.com
It takes only a few minutes and is easy to setup your own weblog
using the Blogger weblog system. By completing only three simple
steps, creating an account, naming your blog and choosing a
template, you too can join the thousands of people now blogging
on the web. Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide to help to get
you started using Blogger
1.Go to Blogger.com and click on the arrow that says “Create
Your Blog Now.” You’ll be asked to create a username and choose
a password that you’ll use to access your Blogger account;
choose a display name that will be used to sign your posts
(e.g., moody mom, bloggerx, etc.) and provide an email address.
You’ll also be asked to check a box indicating that you accept
Blogger’s Terms of Service . Then click on “Continue” to go the
next screen. 2.On the next screen to name your blog (e.g., The
Blog Report, Myrah’s Insanity Report, etc.) You can choose any
name you wish. After you choose your blog title, you need to
choose your URL address. This is the web address that people can
click to access your blog. Again, as long as it’s not taken, you
can choose any address you want. Remember, the shorter and
easier to spell the better it will be for people to remember.
Also remember, that many thousands of people use Blogger to host
their weblog and it may take you a while to find a web address
that hasn’t already been taken. Finally, for security purposes,
you’ll need to provide word verification by typing in the box
the word that is displayed above the box on the screen. Then,
click “Continue” to move to next screen. 3.On the next screen,
you’ll need to choose a template for your blog. This is the
design of your blog, what your blog will look like to visitors.
Blogger provides 12 different templates to choose from. Pick
your favorite. You can change the look of your blog at a later
time by choosing a different Blogger template or using of the
hundreds of free templates that are available across the
Internet. After you choose your template, click “Continue.”
Blogger will begin creating your blog. 4.Once it’s created,
click on “Start Posting” and write your first post for the world
to see. Click on “Publish Post” and Blogger will tell you it is
publishing your post. Then click on the “View Blog” tab and
you’ll find that you’re officially a member of the blogging
world.
If your like most people, the thought of starting an online
business or sharing information via a website can be quite an
ordeal. Or, perhaps you’re an experienced website operator
that’s been so wrapped up with expanding your internet real
estate that you’ve lost track of what services and tools are
available to you. No matter which category you fall under, you
need a good game plan for establishing your presence on the web.
With the constant changes and evolution of web services, you’ll
need a trustworthy friend that you can count on to keep you
informed of the services and tools that are available to help
your operation run smoothly.
Well, that’s exactly where GonzoWebHosting.com comes in! These
guys are NUTS! But when you’re looking for quality reviews and
opinions on a number of different services and tools, they are
top-notch!
I had the chance to speak with Gaston Collins, President of
GonzoWebHosting.com to find out what a person should look for
when choosing web services like web hosting, autoresponders,
shopping carts, and more. I was amazed at some of the things
Gaston had to say during our brief conversation. I’m sure you’ll
want to take notes as I did.
Shane: Gaston, first of all, who are you and what exactly does
GonzoWebHosting do? Do you offer web hosting services?
Gaston: Well Shane, I have a pretty diverse professional
background. I’m just an average guy that got started on the
Internet in the late mid to late ’90s by sharing information.
That’s really all I wanted to do. I had a successful career in
the cellular industry as a business owner and the Internet was
just a hobby for me. Of course the web evolved into a huge
platform for not only sharing information, but also a great
place to start a business with very little overhead or costs.
So, like many others I jumped on the bandwagon and started and
operated several successful online businesses - and I still do
very well with them. But with the continuing evolution of
services and tools for folks to sort through, it became obvious
to me that there are a lot of things that go into building a
website that some people may be overlooking. One of the most
important factors, of course, is web hosting. There’s a lot of
pure crap out there. It blows my mind to still hear commercials
on the radio advertising basic web hosting for $30 a month and a
domain name for nearly $20 a year! There’s nothing that a basic
hosting service can provide me that could justify paying $30 a
month.
We decided to create a free service to help people decide which
web hosts provide a great value and, frankly, which ones don’t.
Shane: The name GonzoWebHosting suggests that all your site
deals with is web hosting. Is that correct?
Gaston: No. Actually, we cover all of the necessities like
autoresponders, shopping carts, revenue sources web site
editors, and more. But web hosting is our primary focus. And by
the way, you won’t find any $30 a month for basic web hosting
crap on our recommended list.
Shane: Well, that’s a good point. How can a company offer the
same service for $30 a month that another company offers for -
say $7 a month?
Gaston: Well the truth is that there are a lot of folks that
just don’t know any better. They might think that $30 is the
going price for web hosting. And some companies will gladly take
advantage of a newbie.
Shane: So getting to the main point - give us some tips that we
can use when deciding on certain web services.
Gaston: Sure. Let’s start with web hosting. It’s probably the
most important service you’ll be using. First of all, if you’re
paying over $10 a month for just a basic web hosting service,
you’re getting ripped off. There are literally hundreds of
companies out there that would be happy to host your site for
under $10. But, even those companies aren’t the same. You really
need to work with decent people that are easily accessible for
support or questions. You’d be amazed at how many companies
don’t offer 24-7 customer support. In this day and age, 24-hour
support is absolutely necessary to have any credibility with us.
After all, most people work on their website at night or on the
weekend when they have the free time. If a customer has a
problem they shouldn’t have to wait until the next morning or
even worst - a whole weekend!
Shane: So customer service is important -
Gaston: It’s the MOST important thing. Hell, if a person can
grab a burger 24 hours a day, they should certainly be able to
get support for a service that they’re paying for every month 24
hours a day!
Shane: Right, it’s the most important. What about the monthly
cost?
Gaston: Well, obviously the cost is important, but we’re really
only talking about a few dollars a month. What’s even more
important than cost is the features that you get with your
service. The features vary among the many hosting providers. We
make it easy to understand the different hosting features that
are offered online at GonzoWebHosting.com - we really lay it all
out on the table.
Shane: What are some of the features that a person should look
for when choosing a web host?
Gaston: That really depends on what type of…
This article continues at
GonzoWebHosting.com
Web site design has certainly, in the past decade, evolved
tremendously. More clients now are demanding custom design, as
opposed to the ‘cookie cutter’ sites of yesteryear.
Where once there existed a limit as to the types of fonts used,
the types of coding languages used, and the styles themselves,
there is now the possibility for more variety in Web site design
than ever before. This has come about because of the advances in
technology that did not exist even a few years ago, and it has
opened up many creative avenues for Web site designers in the
creation of custom designs.
Web development overall, has to be more competitive, and take
into consideration the needs of clients now, when literally
billions of Web sites compete for attention online on a daily
basis. A Web site is the first impression the owner of an
E-commerce business makes on their own potential clients, and
the competition factor, has now led to the burgeoning of more
creative designs and implementations to deal with this
competition factor.
Web development now needs to speak to the needs not only of the
clients that are building the Web site, but the needs of the
visitors who are, overall “potential prospects’ of the Web site
owners.
E-commerce needs have created some rather unique approaches to
Web development, from the most beautiful to the most garish,
unfortunately. In an attempt to have their own E-commerce sites
‘noticed’, some business owners have become too individualistic,
and there does abound many sites that are not easily navigable,
nor especially pleasing to the eye. A Web designer needs to use
good judgment when making choices about how much is ‘too much’
individuality.
Web site designers can avoid the pitfalls of becoming overly
creative, and yet do much now to make a client’s site, very
appealing and eye-catching by keeping a few simple rules in mind:
A. Are the colors pleasing to most visitors, without being
garish and hard to view? B. Are the fonts easily read by most
visitors, which means not too large (too much scrolling), or too
small, (too much squinting)? C. Is the navigation and usability
of the site what it can be? Can visitors find features easily?
D. Is the site clean and uncluttered? It should never look like
your grandmother’s attic, where thirty years of junk abounds in
every corner!
At the same time, the E-commerce functionality can be maintained
with advanced creativity, as navigability and usability can be
implemented flawlessly also. The new advances in technology now
have led to the following changes that increase the ability to
improve creativity:
1. A staggering number of font sizes that can be flawlessly
implemented to distinguish a site. Up until just a few years
ago, Web masters were limited in the choice of fonts, and font
sizes. Times New Roman and Arial were the two standard fonts
used, as some browsers could not effectively display other fonts
with any reliability, changing fonts that were not Times New
Roman and Arial into the Sans Serif, which is not all that
attractive. This was a big deterrent to the creative use of
fonts. With new embedding technologies, this is no longer a real
problem, and many designers are now using great new fonts that
make a site ’stand out’ effortlessly.
2. Original layouts can be more easily implemented due to the
emergence of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) technology. Prior to
CSS, it took much work (and therefore much money) to create
designs with ‘punch’ as every design demanded hours upon hours
of work with HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), the old standard
for writing and creating custom designs. CSS has freed Web
designers from these restrictions, and of course, saves clients
a great deal of money spent on man hours, leading more clients
to demand great looking custom designs.
3. Navigation and usability have also increased, once the
restrictions were lifted from the creation and development of
custom sites. Oddly enough, for some reason, many years ago, it
was thought ‘common knowledge’ that all sites should contain a
left-hand navigation bar, and nothing else. This was the old
standard that designers had used for decades and no one thought
to question this practice. This gave rise to sites that were for
the most part ‘cookie cutter’ varieties, each having the same
standard layout and left-hand navigation bar layout. Creative
use of right-hand navigation bars and other techniques have
created sites that are very much different in layout and
navigation than the old standards, and this has not proven to be
a detriment for most E-commerce businesses. In fact, uniqueness
seems to be more memorable, and may indeed be a competitive edge
in itself.
4. The emergence of WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) HTML
technologies has opened up a whole new world of creative fonts,
creative color schemes, and creative layouts. With WYSIWYG,
designers can see exactly how a site will appear all through the
process, eliminating much of the time consuming trial and error
that preceded this. Even novice designers and those that seek to
create their own site can benefit from WYSIWYG, as most Web site
creation software and online sites used for Web site design
incorporates this technology, which is easy to use for almost
anyone and requires no coding language knowledge.
5. Better flash techniques have also been discovered and
employed in the past several years, leading to greater
effectiveness of flash sites, and faster upload speeds (a
problem with flash prior to the technological advances was slow
loading). Sites that employ flash now have a more professional
look and feel to them, and flash is used often now in the
construction of online videos and games that appear on sites and
educates and entertains visitors.
The past decade in technology has indeed lent itself to the
emergence of superior creativity in Web site design and Web
development by Web masters. Gone are the old days of stagnantly
designed sites, the ’same old, same old’ fonts, dull colors, and
slow-loading and ineffective flash. It seems now, that the sky
is the limit with customization of sites, and this can only be
called one of the best developments of this century. Beautiful
sites, that will hopefully bring beautiful results to personal
and E-commerce clients, are now standard, and the future looks
brighter than ever for Web site designers and developers!
Networking is probably the best way to build a profitable business, or sales pipeline over the long term. Many of us understand the value of networking, but we don’t always know the best way to go about it. Here are 10 simple tips that will help you maximize the effectiveness of your networking efforts.
1. Build Relationships not Stacks of Business Cards
Networking is not a contest to see who can collect the most business cards. It’s about building great relationships. Walking around an event forcing your business cards on other people is not going to help you to build any of those relationships. Spend your time at a networking event really getting to know the people you’re talking to.
2. Think Quality not Quantity
The next time you find yourself at a big business after hours try to get to know a small number of people. The number isn’t important, it may be 3, 5 of 10 depending on the length of the event. It might even be 1 or 2. What’s important is focusing on a few people as you begin a quality relationship. You’ll be remembered for having spent the time to get to know them.
3. Listen!
When you’re spending time with people make sure you’re listening. Don’t let yourself get distracted or watch for the next person you’d like to meet. Pay attention to that 1 person in front of that you’re talking with now. What you’re listening for is unique information about them. You also want to pay attention for ways that you might be able to help them. This is your key to reconnecting with them again.
Listening also means you should be using your ears more and your mouth less. The best way to do this is by asking questions. By asking questions the times that you are talking will really be about them. Dig deeper into who they are, what drives them, what they’re passionate about, what’s important to them besides business.
4. Smile
You’ll come across as a much nicer and more approachable person if you smile. It’s a very simple tip and it works!
5. Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover
Do not ever write anybody off! Even if you’ve spent some time listening to someone, and you don’t think they’re important to you be polite when you decide to move on. You never know who people really are or who they might become. I’ve heard too many stories of people who weren’t in a position of power and someone was rude to them. Later when those people find themselves at the top they don’t forget about those who had written them off. People have very long memories. Treat everyone with respect. Each person you meet is not just a job title. They’re all people, and are all important.
6. Follow-up
This is probably the most important step of all. Even if you spent 30 or 40 minutes getting to know someone at a networking event they probably won’t remember who you are 3 weeks later. You must follow-up! A phone call, an invitation to coffee or lunch, a handwritten note, even an e-mail. It doesn’t really matter how, just that you do. When you do follow-up make it personal and about them. Sending a form letter and your brochure is not going to work. This is why a phone call or a hand written note is probably best. Make it all about them and you’ll be remembered.
Following up is not something that you do once. This is something you need to do on a regular basis with every person in your network. Continue to solidify the relationships you’ve started building.
7. Give, Give, Give
Successful networkers know that giving is more important than receiving. The more people you help, the more you’ll get in return. It’s also the best excuse to follow-up with someone. If you’ve listened carefully to what they had to say you should have found a couple of ways that you can help them. It doesn’t have to be something grandiose. It can be as simple as sharing a free resource that you’ve found online, or referring them to someone else in your network that can help them solve a minor problem.
The more you give the more you’ll get, and the more you give the better you’ll get at it. You’ll see opportunities to help people all the time. That’s when networking really gets fun!
8. Have Fun!
Don’t take networking or yourself too seriously. Enjoy the time you spend getting to know people. You’ll find networking to be a lot easier if you’re having fun.
9. Do What You Say You’re Going to Do!
All the networking in the world won’t make a difference if you aren’t a man or woman of your word. One of the great benefits of networking is that you’ll get the inside scoop on a lot of things. This will be disastrous if you don’t have total integrity in all that you do. Fortunately it works the opposite way as well. If you consistently make good on your promises people will remember that, and tell others. Word will spread about what you’ve done.
10. Commit
The hardest part about networking is being patient. It will work if you commit yourself to doing it consistently over a long period of time. You probably won’t get results right away, but when they do start coming look out! As a marketing strategy networking is a long term undertaking. Look around at those that have been doing it for an extended period of time. 9 times out of 10 times they’re successful. If you ask them if they’d do it again they’ll all tell you yes!
11. Go the Extra Mile
Whenever you can, give people more than they expect. You’ll soon be getting all the referrals you need, and great word of mouth will spread far and wide. Happy networking!
Scott Ingram is the founder of NetworkInAustin.com, a networking resource for networkers in Austin, Texas who use networking as a business development and marketing strategy. He also posts regularly to his blog: Business Networking in Austin. When he’s not out building relationships at Chambers of Commerce, the Rotary Club, and numerous other business associations and networking groups Scott is busy spending time with his beautiful wife Emily. They are currently expecting their first child, a baby girl.
