This article orginally appeared on LinkedIn. You can find it here. ******** “Don’t wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig enjoys it.” – Mark Twain I was talking with my massage therapist the other day, and as often happens, our conversation turned toward business development. At one point (right when she […]
The Most Important Rule for LinkedIn Status Updates
Recently, we’ve seen Linkedin add two powerful functionalities to the the Status Updates. Now you can: Add a photo or file to your status update, in addition to the existing ability to link to an external website. “Tag” the name of one of your connections in your status update, notifying them that you gave them […]
Relationships are the New Job Security
If you haven’t noticed, the way the world works has changed a lot. Daily life is going to be a lot different for my children than it was for my parents. In times of change, we yearn for security. Unfortunately, the places that we’ve traditionally found security – career, families, culture – are where most of […]
Windmills, Africa, and Why Your LinkedIn Network = Your Paycheck
I watched Jon Stewart interview Willliam Kamkwamba on the Daily Show a few years back, and I happened to watch it again recently: If you have a chance, I highly recommend reading The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind; it’s a fascinating and inspiring read. But what struck me in the interview is what William says […]
Why I Think it’s Dumb to Not Use Business Cards
I was at a conference sponsored by a large high-tech firm, and because they were a high-tech firm, they were going to be fancy and high-tech and put QR codes on everyone’s namebadge with their contact info. In theory, you would scan the QR code with your smartphone and download their info directly and this […]
Niches are important
I’m going to let you eavesdrop on a conversation I’ve had with hundreds of people in the last few years while talking about networking and their social media presence: Me: “So who are your ideal clients? Who’s the target market you want to work with?” Really Well-Meaning Professional: “Everyone! Which is why I’m totally confused […]
Good Networkers Always Have Jobs
People that are good at building and maintaining a strong professional network are rarely unemployed for long; and it’s not just because they know a lot of people who can hire them. It’s because the competencies that are necessary for successful networking are highly sought after in the job market. When you are actively networking, […]
Networking and Dating
If you have ever stepped back and watched the action at a business networking event, the resemblance to a singles bar is uncanny (and slightly unnerving). Think about it, there’s a bunch of people wandering around, nervously approaching people they don’t know because they’re hoping to meet that special someone that will make their life better. […]
3 Tips to Building Networking Relationships
One of the most important pieces of powerful networking is building successful, long-term relationships. That’s why people who take a short-term view to networking usually fail – you can’t take shortcuts to building relationships. Just as your personal relationships take time to nurture and grow, so too do your professional connections. It does take time to build […]