Posts tagged ‘networking’
Pay it Forward
On his Harvard Business Blog, Tom Davenport recently wrote a post about how “Forwarding is the New Networking”. This is a great observation and should be a core weekly activity of anyone in business development including business or non-profit fund raising of any kind. It gives you not only relevant (as opposed to awkward) reason to touch others so they keep you in mind, but also helps reinforce your reputation as someone who is thoughtful and considerate of others – so long as you are truly sincere about it, which will pay benefits in areas you can’t even imagine down the line.
I first learned this skill from my dad who would tear out articles in newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal or magazines like Fortune or Forbes, add a short personal note, and mail them to business colleagues who he believed would be interested. Some were humorous and some strictly business, but they all were part of his core being – always thinking about how he could add value to someone.
Mailing a tear-out of a magazine or newspaper article is still the best way to go as it adds a personal touch; in an increasingly impersonal and digital world, this will help you stand out. Second to that is to find the full article, paste it in an email (along with the link) and forward it on with a personal note to those who might be interested. Don’t forward it to a bunch of folks at once. You don’t want to be on mass emails so don’t do it to others. Do it individually, or in logical groups, to keep it personal. Try it and be patient. People will be thankful to you for sending something that adds value to their day.
The Closer Interview #1 – Buddy Teaster
Click Here to download transcripts of Lee’s Interview with Buddy Teaster.
The Closer Interview #1
Relationships, Relationships, Relationships…
Welcome to the first entry of the WhoDoYouKnowAt blog. I’m Lee Blaylock, the company’s founder. My objective is for this blog to help professionals improve the networking knowledge and skills of professionals.
A couple of interesting features about the blog will be both The Closer and Networking Briefs. The Closer is a podcast of interviews I will conduct with experienced business professionals to learn more about how they network, trends they see, best practices and something all business leaders enjoy – winning and closing deals.
The first Closer interview is with Buddy Teaster, the former Chief Networking Officer of the Young President’s Organization or YPO. Buddy is also an experienced and successful entrepreneur and has had the good fortune of working with YPO executives around the globe who are part of YPO. (More info on YPO is at YPO at http://www.ypo.org/
For those of you not familiar with WhoDoYouKnowAt, our unique Business Relationship Management application will be useful to any professional needing a trusted introduction to sell their product or service.
Our primary audience will be folks responsible for a P&L, a sales quota or financing a business. Experienced entrepreneurs, Presidents, CEOs and leaders of finance know that no investor or bank will invest in your firm without a relationship or introduction from a mutually trusted source. WhoDoYouKnowAt provides you the edge you need to get ahead in business by helping you leverage the most important business assets you have, your relationships and your reputation, while both protecting the privacy of your relationships and enabling you to leverage them at the same time.
Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you!
