Mari Smith interview - Relationship Marketing Expert

Mari Smith is a relationship marketing expert, trainer, and author of several e-books and e-courses.

Josh: How do you define Business Networking and why do you feel it is important?

Mari Smith: Businesspeople have been networking since the dawn of commerce. Business networking is quite simply the art of relationship-building. We reach out to connect with new people, seek commonalities to build rapport, and strive to nurture the relationship for mutual benefit.

What we're seeing now is a huge upsurge in online social networking platforms. And, we must keep in mind these platforms are designed to be social, first and foremost. So, where we might attend an in-person business networking function and expect to come away with strategic business contacts, with social networks we need to focus on building relationships first, and engaging in business second.

Both business networking and social networking are vital to the solo professional, small business owner, and entrepreneur. It all comes down to the saying, "It's not what you know, but who you know." And I like to add, "... more importantly, who knows you."

Josh: Can you share a few ideas that someone could put into practice that would help them to improve their business networking skills?

Mari Smith: Sure. I believe it's important to have a strategy before beginning to build out your business community through networking. You need to be clear on what it is you have to offer, what problem your products and services are the solution to.

Then, everywhere you go - whether online or offline - be yourself. Be genuine, seek to be interested vs. interesting as Stephen Covey says in his Seven Habits book. Look for ways to join an existing conversation and add value. Ask good questions. Read your friends' Facebook profiles. Follow them on Twitter. Get to know them. Reach out and connect and see how, just by being your authentic self, you can uplift people's spirits.

Also, there's a fine line between our personal and professional worlds, especially for solo-entrepreneurs. The more transparent you're willing to be, the more people will want to get to know, like and trust you -- which is one of the cornerstones of a successful business. On this topic, I recommend the book, Radically Transparent by Andy Beal.

Josh: Upon meeting someone new, inevitably the question of "what do you do?" comes up. What is the best way to go about communicating what one does, and how can they leave a positive impression when they explain what they do to others they've just met?

Mari Smith: To effectively answer the "What do you do?" question, it's important to have a clearly defined "tag line" or "30-second elevator speech." You might want to work with a coach or colleague to help you fine-tune your soundbite.

I recommend focusing on the result you help your clients create. E.g. instead of saying "I'm an Internet Marketing Consultant," you might say something like, "I help my clients implement online systems to increase their profits while freeing up more time."

Studies show we make up our minds about people within the first 3-5 seconds of meeting them. This applies whether we're connecting face-to-face or looking at someone's website, blog, Facebook profile, or other online presence. So, you definitely want to keep a close eye on these areas to maintain a quality professional presence.

Regarding leaving a positive impression, I typically look for ways to contribute to someone I want to connect with. Social networking sites like Facebook make this very easy to do. By first reading through their profile, you can find something of interest to comment on, a resource to recommend, a helpful tip, etc.

Josh: Based on your experiences, which places and activities (online or off-line) have you found best for meeting new people and expanding your business network?

Mari Smith: Facebook is my top pick. Twitter is a close second. I also have a presence on LinkedIn, Plaxo, a couple of Ning groups, and a slew of other similar sites -- but I spend the bulk of my networking time on Facebook and Twitter.

As for activities, I recommend being active consistently with valuable and relevant posts. There are so many possible touch points to reach our marketplace, as well as entrance points into our businesses; the key is to find the right mediums for your business and be visible in many places.

Josh: Mari, you're an expert on helping folks to get the most out of Facebook.com -- can you share some specific ideas that would be beneficial to people who want to use Facebook as a source for growing and expanding the quality of their professional network?

Mari Smith: Yes. First, I recommend already having a defined business plan, strategy, website, blog, etc. But, if someone is just starting out in business, they can always set up a Facebook profile and reach out to find the support they need via Facebook.

Then, register for a Facebook account at facebook.com. Set up your personal Profile. And, also create a Facebook Page for your business. It's important to note Facebook disallows duplicate accounts or accounts in any name other than your own personal one. So, you'll also want a Facebook Page. You can gather up to 5,000 friends on your personal Profile, but on your business Page you can have unlimited "Fans."

Next, populate your Profile and Page with instructive information about you and your business.

Now, you're ready to:

* Join Groups.
* Update your Status regularly.
* Use Posted Items to share useful links.
* Add brief comments to your friends' Walls, Notes, Posted Items, Photos and Videos.
* Write informational Notes and tag key Facebook friends.
* Write a blog and import your feed using Notes and/or one of the third party blog applications.

Josh: Do you see any common mistakes people tend to make when it comes to attempting to make business connections? If so, what are they and what corrections could they make in your opinion which would help them to be more effective in their approach towards networking?

Mari Smith: Absolutely. I see heavy-hitter internet marketers using pushy and aggressive tactics on the likes of Facebook and, in my opinion, it is actually counter-productive. These tactics include: adding your signature file on every wall post, uploading irrelevant content to groups you belong to for the purposes of pushing into your friends' News Feed, posting spammy comments, and just generally being "all about the numbers" as I put it.

I believe there are two types of marketers: numbers-based and heart-based. The numbers folks have tunnel vision for the dollars, list-size, group-size, conversion rates, etc. The heart-centered folks genuinely care about their marketplace and see their prospects as real people with real needs, wants and challenges. In fact, just by reading someone's Facebook profile, you can tell which marketing camp they belong to.

The good news is, we have the ability to "unfriend" someone on Facebook. It's essentially a spam-free zone, unlike our regular email systems where spam can be tough to control.

And, because Facebook hyperlinks to your personal Profile *anytime* you take any action anywhere on Facebook -- whether writing on walls, posting items, comments, etc. -- whenever someone likes your vibe and likes what you're saying, with one click, they can read all about you on your profile. I like to think of Facebook profiles as a business card, brochure, website, blog, photo album, storefront and more -- all rolled into one page.

Josh: Can you share a personal "networking" success story with us?

Mari Smith: It's hard for me to pick just one! I've set up two new blogs since I joined Facebook in July '07 and 90% of the traffic and subscribers comes from my activities on Facebook and Twitter alone.

I teach a free introductory Facebook course on Podclass.com and currently have over 800 students and I just launched a paid course, Facebook for Professionals, with well over 100 students.

I've increased my hourly consulting rate by 50% and I predict my income will at least triple this year as a direct result of the relationships I've built using social networking tools. All this while living a completely mobile lifestyle, traveling the US in a big motorhome with my husband!

*brought to you by BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com

Colleen Wainwright interview - writer- designer-consultant, the communicatrix

Colleen Wainwright is a writer-designer-consultant who started calling herself "the communicatrix" when she hit three hyphens. After spending almost two decades acquiring ninja skillz in some dubious fields of communication, she now uses her powers for good and not evil by sharing her knowledge wherever she can, including her free, monthly newsletter, "communicatrix | focuses," which she hopes you'll consider signing up for!

Josh: How do you define Business Networking and why do you feel it is important?

Colleen Wainwright: Gaaaah! Those words! So scary and off-putting, especially when capitalized!

At some point in the past couple of years, I remember stumbling across the definition of "networking" that finally de-toxified it for me: Networking is meeting people. That's it.

Given that as a basis, I'd say "business networking" is just "meeting people in a business setting" and/or "meeting people for business purposes." Neither of which is wrong or bad. But I think the most effective kind of meeting people is just to meet them with a strong sense of who you are and what you have to offer the world, and when you do meet them, to not see them dressed up as big, tasty, potential clients, but as people.

Basically, when you meet people, you are a walking ad or promotion for you. As wine guru/explosive social networking presence Gary Vaynerchuk pointed out recently in a terrific video, there's no separating the Business You from the Personal You anymore. You can't be a shark at work, a good guy in meatspace and a sh*t to your dog; the transparency of the Internet has removed places to hide.

As to why networking of any kind is important, no man is an island. We all need each other at some point: for work, for help, for companionship... you name it.

Josh: Can you share an idea or two that someone could put into practice that would help them to improve their business networking skills?

Colleen Wainwright: Numbers 1, 2 & 3 on my list are probably "loosen up." Nothing turns me off faster than someone getting all car-salesman on me. Yes, it's good to have a 10-second statement and elevator speech and business cards, etc. But the main thing is to relax, take in and enjoy. Remember, you're meeting people, not selling to them.

Also, king of all networkers Chris Brogan has great tips on this. (You'll have to dig around on his site to find them, though, since by his own admission he's not the best at tagging and organizing his vast store of info.)

Josh: One of the catch 22's in a typical networking environment is that people don't want to focus only on themselves and what they do, but at the same time, they do want to communicate what they do to the other person. With that being the case, in your opinion how can someone go about getting across what they do in the most effective manner?

Colleen Wainwright: Well, first off, I'd say "avoid typical networking environments." :-)

But if you can't, here are good things to remember (I'm constantly reminding myself, so I know whereof I speak).

1. Don't worry about turning the focus on you.

Chris Brogan (my hero) has never talked about himself with anyone I've seen him meet. The first time we met in person, we talked for an hour, and while I'm pretty sure he asked me about me, I'm positive he didn't talk about himself. Instead, he engaged me in lively, wonderful conversation. As a result, I did the legwork of finding out all about him. Now that is some high-level network-fu!

2. You don't have to meet everyone.

Part of why it gets so nuts is people are racing to collect the biggest stack of business cards possible. Why? So they can spend hours entering them into a database and never call them again?

Focus on one or two (or more, depending on time and your energy/abilities) quality conversations. I'm still doing business with the people I did that with. And it's fun business!

3. Be your business.

No matter what you're selling, what you're really selling is (a), yourself and (b) how you will serve me in whatever it is you do. If you are polite, attentive, interesting, charming, etc., I'm probably going to look for ways to find out what you do, and how to either work with you or help you.

My friend, writer Dave Greten, has a great story about how this attitude basically changed his life and started him out on the career path he's still on today.

Josh: How do you generally engage a person in conversation upon first meeting them? I realize this is a bit of an open ended question, so let's assume it's someone you've just met in a semi-professional setting such as at an event, or local Chamber of Commerce type of meeting.

Colleen Wainwright: As you say, there's no one way. But I try to be in the moment, and work off something that's actually happening. Sometimes, the person will be wearing a suit or shoes or something that's really cool I can comment on. Sometimes you can talk about the food (a great thing is meeting people in the food line) or the speaker or even the traffic (lame, but this is L.A. and it's a legitimate topic here.)

The greatest thing to do is some research before so you're not meeting them cold. Then you can say, "Oh, are you the so-and-so who..." or "I was checking out your website before the event and..." or whatever. Don't be creepy or stalker-y, though. If you can't toss that off naturally, then stick to the basics: "Hi, I'm/and you are?", etc.

Josh: How important has networking been in your own professional life. Can you share a few examples where it has made a difference?

Colleen Wainwright: Before I started designing full-time, I did it as a hobby for years. When I wanted to make the transition, I knew I'd have to have "real" clients: working for "fonts money" wasn't going to cut it.

So with the help of my mentor, Ilise Benun, I targeted certain places to begin meeting people (see me avoiding the "networking" word?) and also began practicing ways of introducing myself.

The results were extraordinary almost from the outset. I'm still doing subcontracting work for one presentation specialist I met during my first round of networking, and that first year, I picked up four or five clients just from attending events-clients I'm still either actively working for or in good touch with.

Possibly even more important is how much visibility my meeting people, both online and off, has given me. My web presence has grown astronomically since I went online and started blogging, contributing to the conversation on people's websites, Twittering, etc. Since my long-term goal is to write and speak for a living, raising my visibility and gathering a critical mass of fans is really, really important.

Sometimes, meeting people is a long game.

Josh: What is your favorite (preferred) business or social networking site? In your opinion what are the key features which are most valuable to you? What makes the resources you use most appealing to you, as opposed to the other online networking resources and sites that are available?

Colleen Wainwright: While I'm on most of the pure business networking sites so people can find me, I find I like the social networking sites the best. I'm over the moon about Twitter. While it takes a while to get used to, it's a great way to stay in touch, to discover new things and to improve your short game, writing-wise. It was indispensable at SXSW this year, where I was running around from here to there and so was everyone I wanted to meet up with. The "public IM" functionality of Twitter is unparalleled right now, I think.

Of the rest, I'd say I like StumbleUpon, Google Reader (shared items), Clipmarks, FriendFeed and yes, even del.icio.us, although it's been somewhat less useful since the advent of these other sites.

I am not a huge fan of MySpace, because it's so hideous and clunky, or Facebook, because it's a closed system. But I appreciate that many people are on them, and it's not a huge effort to throw up a page there (emphasis on "throw up"), so I did.

The most important thing to me, at this point, is signal-to-noise ratio: how much valuable info am I getting relative to crap, and how much can I control it. For me, Twitter has the tools, rudimentary as they are, for keeping things manageable. I just hope the spammers and gross self-promoters can be kept at bay, at least until someone comes up with an even better tool!

*brought you to by BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com

Sponsor: Josh Hinds -- your "host" of Business Networking Advice is an entrepreneur, speaker and author. Get details on having him appear at your next event, seminar, or company meeting.

Steve Harper interview - entrepreneur, speaker, author and business strategist

Steve Harper, often referred to as "Mr. Ripple" is a serial entrepreneur, professional speaker, business strategist and author of The Ripple Effect: Maximizing the Power of Relationships for Your Life and Business. You can Steve at www.ripplecentral.com.

Josh: How do you define Business Networking and why do you feel it is important?

Steve Harper: In my opinion a lot of people have the wrong idea about business networking. They think it all begins and ends with a snazzy business card and a creative "elevator pitch" about what they do and why the complete stranger they are just now meeting for the first time should give a rats you know what about it.

My definition of networking is different. I define it as connecting. Meeting people based on who they are and what they are about not what product or service they sell, represent of simply work for.

Though I agree networking is important, I believe people need to do it better and that means setting aside their professional agendas first to really connect with people as people first. In my opinion, if you do that, huge Ripples and often business will come back to you.

Josh: Can you share a few ideas that someone could put into practice that would help them to improve their business networking skills?

Steve Harper: Put away your business cards (at least at first). Ditch your snappy elevator spiel (forever). Come armed with some engaging questions that give you some insight into who the new people are you are meeting; don't default to the 'so what do you do?' kind of mind-numbing questions.

Allow people to see you for who you are as a person first and then it's easier for others to let their guard down and be more real with you... that's when the really good stuff starts to happen! Put on your HEARING ears and really hear what people tell you. Notice I didn't say listen. There is a difference!

Connect with the individual first before you try and attempt to learn about their business and whether or not they are a possible prospect. Remember, never judge a book by its cover. Although someone doesn't look like an ideal fit for what you have to offer, people always know people and this world is way smaller than most people think. So never burn a bridge.

Josh: For some people knowing where to go to network in the first place is a problem. Can you share some specific resources, events, or places that you have found helpful for meeting new people and growing your business network?

Steve Harper: Networking can happen anywhere and everywhere. Let's eliminate that word networking for a minute and replace it with my more preferred Ripple oriented word connecting. My best business connections have come from getting to know people in environments outside of what most people would define as "networking opportunities."

Whether it be connecting with other parents from your kid's sports teams, to people you meet out walking the mall to complete strangers who sit down next to you at Starbucks. It is my long-held belief that people are specifically put in our paths for a reason.

The problem is we are so myopic that we often miss those whom we are intended to meet. Pull your head out of that laptop or away from your Blackberry and look around. Make eye contact... smile. Start a conversation with someone, anyone. Start connecting with others and you will surprise yourself how easy it will become and just how many amazing connections you will make along the way.

Josh: Steve, you're the author of 'The Ripple Effect: Maximizing the Power of Relationships for Your Life and Business' -- can you give a brief overview of what it's about, and perhaps share an idea or two from it?

Steve Harper: My book is all about the power of understanding and appreciating the power of connection. Whether you are looking to build a better personal or professional network, you have to be willing to recognize and take action in order for something positive to take place.

People have lost their innate ability to connect (hence why we all go to networking events and network badly) and so if you are willing to take chance and set yourself apart from the rest of the herd, you can discover some amazing connections that will rise up to meet you. And the Ripples that come to your personal and professional life as a result of it will astound you.

Josh: Can you share a personal "networking" success story with us?

Steve Harper: A personal networking story? Hmmm there are so many that I would have a hard time coming up with just one. Not knowing how much space you have, let me just say that running my life with the Ripple Philosophy has brought more people into my life that I never would have had a chance to meet had I not taken a chance.

When I think back to how many different opportunities I have had that have blossomed into something amazing that so easily could have gone no where had I not taken a chance and said "Hello, I'm Steve, what's your name?" I never would have had the chance to start my first company at age 23.

I never would have landed one of the biggest accounts our company ever landed. I never would have sold my company for more money than I could have ever imagined. I never would have written a book... much less published it. I never would have had the opportunity to speak to tens of thousands of people a year. I never would have found what I was destined to do. I never would have become the Ripple Guy, Mr. Ripple or the Ripple Dude (amazing how many descriptions people have come up to describe me). The list goes on and on.

Is networking important? Sure it is. But connecting... really connecting is so much more important. When two people come together to connect as individuals first, anything, and I do mean, anything can happen!

*brought to you by BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com

Sponsor Message: Looking for a speaker to present at your next event, company meeting, or seminar? Learn more about Josh Hinds (your host here at Business Networking Advice).

Rex Hammock interview - founder & CEO of Hammock Inc.

I'm pleased to bring you the following interview with Rex Hammock, founder and CEO of the custom media firm, Hammock Inc. -- Rex blogs at rexblog.com. You may also recognize him from SmallBusiness.com.

Josh: How do you define Business Networking and why do you feel it is important?

Rex Hammock: First, thanks for asking me to participate in this Josh. How long have we known each other "online"? Almost ten years -- hard to believe.

Business networking is a little more focused and deliberate than the kinds of networking one does in other aspects of life. In other words, as I believe people should have well-rounded and balanced lives, I hope their "networking" is not just about building business relationships.

That said, business networking is all about creating work-related connections -- and understanding how those connections touch one-another. These connections provide us with the ability to better do our jobs by helping us find new clients or vendors, identify best practices or market intelligence, keeping us abreast of developments in our marketplaces, find new employees or partners, etc.

Before technology enabled visual representations of those networks of connections, it was hard for some people to understand the geometry of connections -- they would simply say, "He or she has a thick Rolodex." Now, with services like LinkedIn, one can see that "networks of connections" are not necessarily about the "thickness" of a rolodex, but the way in which we are probably closer to others than we knew we were. We all know lots of people who know lots of people. We just never knew who the intermediary was.

Josh: Can you share one or two ideas that someone could put into practice that would help them to improve their business networking skills?

Rex Hammock: As with any relationship, building a business network starts with "getting involved" and "giving back."

When I look back over three decades of business, I can tell you that my most valuable connections came from serving on trade association or civic-related committees or boards. I was fortunate (it seems odd to say) to start out knowing no-one in the city or industry I found myself in right out of college. As I knew no one, I joined a local business-oriented civic group and volunteered for a few committees.

The same is true for the trade association related to my industry. I was young and didn't know I could say "no" when someone asked me to serve on a committee. Looking back, any investment of my time in those extra-work activities have had a dramatic return-on-investment in terms of the people I met and got to work with.

That's sort of a broad statement, so here are a couple of specific ideas: Comment on people's blogs with helpful or insightful information. Help someone find a job. Write a recommendation on a contact's LinkedIn page. Call the person who will serve as next year's president of your trade association and volunteer for a specific committee.

Josh: What events, places, or resources (online or offline) have you found to be especially good for networking? And based on your experience what makes them stand out?

Rex Hammock: People often tell you about opportunities that have come from left-field -- meeting someone on a plane, for example. (That would never work for me as I fly with my head buried in an ebook.) However, I think those serendipitous encounters are exceptions.

I think the obvious networking strategies are obvious for a reason: they are tried and true and are, to use a sports analogy, lay-ups rather than half-court shots. Local Chamber of Commerce functions, trade-associations, civic-groups are what I've found to work best overtime.

Getting involved in community, school and church activities are things I greatly encourage for lots of reasons, but I discourage people from doing so for "business" reasons. That said, when you are involved in such activities, there are countless conversations that begin with the question, "So what do you do for a living?"

Online, I'm probably not a good role-model because I have some "professional" reasons for studying and participating in networking services. I would never encourage people to register on everything I'm registered as I'm registered everywhere.

Right now, I think LinkedIn, Plaxo and the identity-management related features of FaceBook are worth spending time with -- I keep up with them. However, there are other professions that have specialized networks and forums that would be required if I worked in those areas.

The geometry of online networks are fascinating, however there's a common sense foundation to them that most business people understand: You want to be where your customers are. If you like Plaxo but all your customers are using LinkedIn, well, use LinkedIn.

My "identity" online, however, is not with any one service. My professional identity online is my business-oriented website, Rexblog.com, and my company's website, Hammock.com. Even though I "host" SmallBusiness.com and you can probably find a lot about me there, I don't consider my userpage there my "identity." However, it will lead you to me.

All of the online activities related to business that I may participate in online (be they commenting on blogs, participating in forums, editing a wiki, posting something on Flickr or YouTube) are anchored back to those two anchors of my identity online.

Josh: Can you share a personal "networking" success story with us?

Rex Hammock: I can say that pretty much any success I've had professionally has come as a result of networking. There is a story that accompanies every client I have that begins with, "I met a person several years ago when we were on a panel together and she later ran into someone who explained that she needed a company to provide such-and-such a service -- did they know someone who did that?"

It's hard for even me to believe, but my company has a rather significant portion of its revenue that can be attributed to contacts I have made from blogging about my industry. I find it hard to believe because I rarely blog about my company.

*brought to you by BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com

Interview with Josh Hinds on The Bigg Success Show

I just wanted to mention that I was a guest recently on The Bigg Success Show with Mary-Lynn Foster and George Krueger.

The topic was 3 Keys to Effective Networking -- I won't give away the "keys" I shared here, but I will tell you that one of them was ... drum roll please...

"Build your network before you need to your network"...

If you'd like to hear the show I appeared on (as well as learn the other two "keys to effective networking") you can do so here. While you're there be sure to have a listen to some of the other shows they've done. You're sure to find lots of great advice in each episode.

Btw. While the interview is audio, they do have a transcript of it as well, in case you find yourself where you're unable to listen right now. Enjoy!

Happy Networking!
-- Josh Hinds

Interview with Glenn K. Garnes and Mac Cassity of Referral University

I'm pleased to bring you the following interview I did with Glenn K. Garnes and Mac Cassity, President and Vice President of Referral University and Perfect Networker. You can reach them at PerfectNetworker.com and also learn more about their Perfect Networker Radio show.

Josh: How do you define Business Networking and why do you feel it is important?

Glenn K. Garnes: I define Business Networking as the process of reaching out to business owners who are complementary to what you do and finding a way to develop a long lasting referral relationship with them. The reason it’s important, is that it can be easier for someone you know to refer business to you than it is for you to get that business yourself.

Josh: Can you share one idea that someone could put into practice that would help them to improve their business networking skills?

Mac Cassity: Simply put: Develop your listening skills. Everyone’s favorite subject is themselves. Let them talk about their favorite subject and miraculously, they will find YOU fascinating. Josh, I know you have adopted this technique well as I have read it in some of your material. It is so easy for us to go into OUR story, but if we just learn to listen, and give others the ability to talk, it can make all the difference in the world.

Josh: Why do you think some people discredit the power of having a well established business network in place?

Glenn K. Garnes: There are 3 reasons that come to mind:

1. They don’t understand the true power of a business network.

2. People are intimidated about their ability to attract business through the people they know.

3. People will not take the time to nurture a network properly. It takes persistence and a commitment to put others needs first, which for some is a difficult philosophy to embrace.

Mac Cassity: Absolutely, and in addition, I have found that some folks have attained success through other means, and because they have, they simply push aside effective networking as something that isn’t needed or doesn’t work. By other means, I mean cold calling, door knocking, direct mail, etc. All potentially effective forms of getting business, but not for me. I would rather have a friend, call me, and refer me personally to one of THEIR friends...

Josh: For some people knowing where to go to network in the first place is a problem. Can you share some specific resources, events, or places that you have found helpful for meeting new people and growing your business network?

Glenn K. Garnes: Finding a place to network is not the problem, it’s what you do when you get there that makes all the difference. Mac always says, "It doesn’t make a difference if you go to a bowling alley every Friday night, if you know what to say, then you can be successful in developing Referral Relationships."

Every city in the country has a Chamber of Commerce, or a networking group, or some other type of member based organization. Check your city’s calendar of events, plan some dates, get some Relationship Marketing training under your belt, and go and test the waters!

Josh: How do you follow up with the people you meet? Do you have any particular system in place for keeping up with and managing the relationships in your business network?

Glenn K. Garnes: Yeah, that is a good question and one of the key aspects of relationship building that most folks miss. We are advocates of using technology effectively to leverage one’s time effectively while still being true to the philosophies of offering value and giving before you expect to get.

The system we use does all of this extremely effectively, and while we don’t want to keep it a secret here, it is much too involved to go into detail here. It is one of the key components we include in our Referral Mastery Program and a large part of what we teach in our "Relationship Marketing for the Rest of Us" seminar.

Mac Cassity: I will simply add this... the follow up system is so incredibly valuable that it is THE reason that Glenn and I ever got together in the first place. The contact and follow up system that Glenn used with me made me think... no, KNOW that this was someone I had to do business with... it is that valuable.

Josh: What are some special techniques for starting a conversation at a networking event? Can you share some memorable ways to approach people you are interested in connecting with?

Mac Cassity: I prefer the good old fashioned approach: Hi, My name is Mac Cassity. Once they reciprocate, I simply ask them what they do, and continue to focus on them and what they do. This allows the focus to be on them, and for me to find out more about them. I will certainly always try to work in the Bob Burg classic "How do I know someone I am speaking with is a good referral for you?"

Josh: Can you share a personal "networking" success story with us?

Mac Cassity: That’s an easy one. Glenn and I met each other at a networking event. The rest, as they say, is history.

Glenn K. Garnes: That’s right. Once I met Mac, and realized that he shared the same philosophies as I do, and a lot of similar interests, a fantastic business partnership was born. We are true examples of practicing what we preach.

*brought to you by BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com

Interview with Mary-Lynn Foster and George Krueger of BiggSuccess.com

It's my pleasure to bring you the following interview with Mary-Lynn Foster and George Krueger -- co-hosts of The Bigg Success Show, and BiggSuccess.com.

Josh: How do you define business networking? Why do you feel it is important?

Mary-Lynn Foster & George Krueger: Business networking is about making real connections with real people in order to build long-term, mutually-beneficial relationships. We think that many people make the mistake of approaching networking as a quick way to advance their careers or make more money. That's putting the cart before the horse - focus on building relationships and all the other good things will follow.

Networking is important because, in spite of the growing use of technology and the internet, people still do business with people. Business is personal - people help and support people they know and like.

Keep in mind that "six steps to Kevin Bacon" is too far away. If you know me, and I know Kevin, you have a good chance to connect with him. If you're further away than that, you have to keep working. Networking, that is!

Josh: Can you share a few ideas that someone could put into practice that would help them to improve their business networking skills?

Mary-Lynn Foster & George Krueger: The hardest part is to get the conversation started. Look for something that you might have in common, something about them that interests you, or just something unusual, topical, or fun.

Keep the conversation balanced. No one enjoys listening all the time, nor do most people like doing all the talking. Find that happy medium. Pay attention to what they're saying. Comment on it and ask follow-up questions.

Think of it as netplaying, not networking. Don't be so serious about it. It's fun to get to know people! You'll not only learn a lot, you might just meet that life-long friend or business associate in the process.

Josh: What events, places, or resources (online or offline) have you found to be especially good for networking and based on your experience, what makes them stand out?

Mary-Lynn Foster & George Krueger: For our particular business, we love the New Media Expo. We've met so many people who's advice has made a major difference in the product we put forth today. So we highly recommend attending industry events and conferences.

Of course, we also use online resources, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and the like. It makes it really easy to keep in touch with your new contacts, reacquaint yourself with connections from the past, and promote your business.

Finally, giving back pays off when it comes to networking. We've met some of our closest friends and business associates through volunteering for our favorite charities.

Josh: You're co-hosts on The Bigg Success Show - can you tell us briefly about the focus of the show. I'm also curious if you've found your experience co-hosting the show to be an advantage in growing and cultivating your own professional network. If so, in what ways?

Mary-Lynn Foster & George Krueger: The Bigg Success Show is a daily, five-minute conversation about succeeding professionally and personally. We want our listeners to take away a lesson and a laugh - they tell us all the time that it's their daily pep talk!

You make a good point about doing a show - it pays to have multiple outlets for networking. People definitely have preferences for how they consume content. So we try to reach out to them with a high-quality product in as many ways as possible. Right now, that means a daily show, our daily blog, and a weekly newsletter. We have plans for even more! It's all led to attention from clients, partners, sponsors, and leading experts in the industry.

The following is a listing of shows and articles on Bigg Success related to Networking that you might enjoy...
- What's Your Pick-Up Line?
- Don't Shy Away From Networking
- Take The Work Out Of Networking
- Attention!

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