Are Millennials better or worse at interacting on a one-on-one basis because of the prevalence of technology in their lives? I’m not sure what the long-term effects of growing up in a world of computers and cellphones will be. However, watching high school and college students communicate leads me to believe that texting and digital communication have affected their “in-person” communication skills (but that is a completely unscientific observation). When looking at what skills to develop, face-to-face communication is a critical place to start. The more effectively you interact with others, both online and off-line, the more powerful … [Read more...]
Are you the Right Kind of Networker?
What kind of networker are you? In my experience, people fall into one of two categories. It’s an incredibly important distinction. The professionals in the first category put in an enormous amount of effort and still fail miserably at building their network. Those in the second find their careers blossoming because of their business relationships. Transactional vs. Relational Networking The Transactional Networker The first type is the transactional networker. People that follow this philosophy see networking as a series of brief encounters. And the goal of each encounter is to get something from it. These are the people at … [Read more...]
3 Easy Body Language Adjustments For Better Business Meetings
With more and more of our time spent online, there are hundreds of articles that will help you develop the perfect online presence. You can learn how to create an optimized social media profile, a blog post with the perfect headline, and a website that will make you look like the pre-eminent expert in your field. For most of us, though, our digital activity eventually funnels us back into the "real-world". No matter how fancy your CRM or iPhone app, most deals get done face-to-face. It's hard to shake someone's hand to seal the deal when you aren't sitting across from them! It doesn't matter how stunning your online presence is in the … [Read more...]
My Trick to Successful First Dates (It Works on Networking “First Dates” Too!)
Updated October 2018 I wrote this article about how to do well on first dates (because I was going on a lot of first dates and I was struck by how awkward they can be). I realized that the tool works just as well when you grab a cup of coffee or lunch with a new networking partner...which is basically another form of first date. So whether you are looking for a referral partner or a spouse, I hope this will help! Most of us dread first dates. It's a weird combination of job interview, etiquette test, and fashion show that we submit to in the hopes that a) we like the other person and b) the other person likes us. And the most "useful" … [Read more...]
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, you are both a) continually honing these skills and more importantly, b) proving that you have them! Intangible Business Skills Here are a few of the areas involved in successful networking that have an impact throughout your career: Interpersonal Communication Skills Networking is communicating. If you … [Read more...]
3 Keys to Introducing Yourself to a Group
At some point in your professional career you are going to have to stand up in front of a group of people and introduce yourself. It might be at a formal networking event where everyone is going around the room and giving their “elevator speech”, or maybe it’s a professional conference where you are each introducing yourself during a seminar or a break-out session. Whatever the scenario, you are going to be standing in a room of strangers, telling them who you are. And like it or not, they are going to make judgments about you based on how you introduce yourself. They are going to decide how competent and skilled you are in your … [Read more...]