Make It Happen

Network Values

When it comes to networking, the focus seems always to be on quantity. How many cards in your rolodex? How many names in your computer? How many LinkedIn Connections?

Unfortunately, in our quest to supersize our network, we often forget about the importance of its quality. Let's face it: a network of ten people who continuously work on our behalf, giving us business leads and career help, is far more valuable than 1000 people who won't return our calls.

Here are several ways to improve the quality of those in your network:

1) Fish where the fish are: Attend events where people who can help you also attend. Nothing is wrong with kids soccer games or neighborhood BBQs, but make sure your "target" type of person will also be there. (Often they aren't.)

2) Meet new people: Once you're at the networking event, ask open-ended questions to people you haven't yet met, in order to understand their needs... and determine if a relationship will be mutually beneficial. If you do spend time with people you know, as them to introduce you to folks they know at the event. An introduction is an implicit endorsement, and highly valuable.

3) Give to Get: Add the most value to those who can give help you the most. Consider sending them newsclippings, introducing them to people in your network, or giving them business referrals: anything, so long as it as valuable to them. The more you deposit into your network bank, the more you can later withdraw.

This week's action item: Who are your ten most valuable networking contacts? And what have you done for them this month - that they value? Answer these two key questions, and resolve to do something for each of these core ten people... within the week.

Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news to register.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

After a grueling amount of research, writing, and editing, Online PR and Social Media for Experts, Authors, Consultants, and Speakers is now available. Check it out at www.OnlinePRSocialMedia.com.

The book itself is 130 pages, and while it is aimed at "experts", it is completely appropriate for those with expertise working within an organization, whether they be subject matter experts, professionals, or senior executives. Some of the subjects covered are pretty important, including reducing the risk of identity theft, reducing the time "updating" your status, and of course, how to actually get a return on the time that you spend on LinkedIn and the rest of the social networking sites.

Most importantly, the book is designed to help you actually develop your profile, so that you can be found by journalists, speakers bureaus, industry conferences... and possibly even recruiters.

Randall Craig
www.OnlinePRSocialMedia.com

Secret Sauce

There is no shortage of books, experts, web sites, and computer programs that purport to tell you how to succeed in your job, and often, in life. They exist because of the public's insatiable appetite for self-improvement. When you examine them closely, the vast majority have two things in common:

- Success will be yours if only you follow "the system" to the letter.

- They know nothing about you and your unique circumstance.

Unfortunately, for both of these reasons, many of these resources are of questionable value. If you are unique, how can a generic "system" help you sell yourself? (It can't.)

No one knows you better than yourself, and no amount of generic secret sauce is going to make you successful. Instead, consider these questions about your unique selling proposition:

1) What skill do you have that is better than anyone else's, with the greatest market value?

2) What are you doing to improve that value further?

3) What are you doing to demonstrate that value to your employer, to your family, and within your community?

This week's action item: By all means continue reading, listening, and surfing - after all, you would not have found this Tipsheet article if you weren't doing so! But if you want to get yourself to the next level, it will take more than just reading, listening, and surfing - it will take action. Start by answering these three key questions.

Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news to register.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

Have you ever been given one of those cube-shaped paper pads, with corporate advertising on the side? They are very convenient, and a clever way to get your name in front of your market.

Not too long ago, I was at a trade show where Weight Watchers had a booth. (They were selling their services to the corporate market, which was why I was there too.) I normally don't engage in conversation with booths that have little relevance to me, but I was blown away by their marketing genius: Along the entire side wall of the booth were those cube-shaped paper pads, stacked from bottom to top. The only difference was they weren't cube-shaped, they were half height! Can you imagine - paper pads on a diet?

I went up to the person who was in charge, struck a conversation, and mentioned the half-height paper cubes. Their surprising response? "Yeah, we work for such a cheap company - they can't even afford proper advertising"

Pfffft.

Were the half height paper pads done because of cheapness, or as a clever marketing ruse? It doesn't matter. To me, the lesson speaks to the need to organization alignment: in this case, between marketing and sales to HR. Strategically, if the people aren't "onboarded" properly, and if the mission, vision, and values aren't "living", then they are dead. And when the marketing folks don't connect the message of the day to those in the front line? There shouldn't be a surprise when some other message gets delivered.