Archive for Networks
"Can You Hear Me Now? How About Now?" AKA It’s the Network
Posted by: | CommentsIn the last several weeks I’ve had the privilege to speak to some pretty intelligent people who have had various levels of success in their businesses. And as someone who puts on live events (see our LinkedIn® Live! Event in Phoenix) I find it intensely interesting that people still don’t get that it’s not just about who you meet.
That got me thinking about how to effectively communicate what I know about networks, the nature of networks, and the impact that has on business development and referrability.
The first thing that came to mind were those annoying Verizon® commercials with the technician in the horned rimmed glasses. He was on the phone with one person – ostensibly testing the quality of the network – and behind him were the thousands of people that were BEHIND the network. The power of that message is that it’s not just about the one-on-one of the phone call – but the network that’s behind it. (BTW – read about how effective that branding campaign was) Can you hear me now?
The second thing that happened was a phone call I had with a gentleman from Oklahoma City, Kirk Shelley. Kirk is interested in what happened with the Ron Paul phenomenon. Grass roots organizing. Millions of dollars donated to an "unknown". A message that got out regardless of how the corporate media covered the story. Blogs. Social Media. This is the true nature of a network. Can you hear me now?
Then there’s the Internet. A network of networks. Think about how that has impacted your life. How you collect and manage information. What can you do today in 10 minutes that even 10 years ago was next to impossible? Google? E-mail? LinkedIn® Can you hear me now?
In my humble opinion, placing a "networked" technological backbone (known as social media software) behind humanity’s aspirations will revolutionize humanity the way the Internet revolutionized (and continues to revolutionize) information.
Go back and read the "Cluetrain Manifesto".
See how much it has influenced the online world over the last 10 years. See how much markets (which are networks) have begun to create technologies to be heard. (Blogs – You Tube – Social Bookmarks, etc.) Can you hear me now?
And finally, there was a poll in the Phoenix Business Journal about "21st Century Networking" and some of the responses highlight the current state of thinking – at least by respondents – around networking, social networking sites, and social media. People still don’t fully understand the implications.
Online social networking, is not necessarily about the one-on-one connections. It’s about getting access to what’s really in the NETWORK. Graduates of my Business Development Training know this. Of course real world networks are important – that’s what social media is about. It’s about connecting with people you know in real life. It’s about sharing resources, knowledge, connections, etc. It’s about discovering new tools that will make your life easier, more enjoyable, productive, or profitable and sharing those with the folks in your network. And with tools like LinkedIn®, MySpace®, Facebook®, etc. you can begin to meet your markets where THEY are – know what THEY think. Know what is important to THEM.
When you understand this – you can begin to speak what my friend Jon Ward refers to as their ‘Tribal Conversation’. And when you do that, you are no longer an outsider looking in. You are someone who is one of them – who has solutions to their problems. Who speaks their language. Who knows their friends.
And that, my friends, is the opportunity of a Network.
Can you hear me now?
Raymond Chip Lambert
Network2Networth
It’s Much More Than a Book of Business!™
It’s about the relationship . . .
Posted by: | CommentsI had a great conversation today with a someone I consider a friend who also happens to be a past client . Some things he said really struck a chord with me – given what I’ve been teaching for years now.
Bill Bergdoll of Bergdoll Insurance has recently completely overhauled his business and business model, given the shift in the economy. He scaled back his operation to the bare bones and began to circle back around to talk with clients that his agents had brought in (network development). He discovered that many of them, while having a policy, only had an auto or a motorcycle insured by his agency.
Why?
Because the agents never really thought about the people with whom they talked as a person to have a relationship with. The agents were focused on the transaction.
He said to me "I want to call them up and let them know how much money they really left on the table."
In one conversation he found that a client had several homes, motorcycles, cars, boats, etc. He was able to help that client save a considerable amount on his overall cost of insurance.
Why am I talking about this?
Because many of you are leaving lots of money on the table. Heck, as I sit here, I can see I’m probably doing the same.
And that money that’s being left on the table represents value we can bring to our current book of business. The people we already spent the time, energy, and money to acquire. You don’t even need to think about developing new sources of business – it’s already there.
In business development, it is all about the relationship.
I challenge you to look at your book. Read the CAN – PAN – FAN article I wrote. Really audit your book of relationships. And see how you might be able to deepen the value you bring your clients.
Remember that in dynamic economic conditions, it’s the dynamic that profit.
Raymond Chip Lambert
Network 2 Networth
Deep Business Development
Share this post :
CAN – FAN – PAN
Posted by: | CommentsLooking at your networks newly unlocks the potential of the relationships you already have.
I recently listened to a podcast from Stan Relihan and Christian Mayaud (two big names in the Social Media space) and in their conversation, Christian talked about how he manages the contacts and relationships in his networks. He shared his taxonomy – CAN (Currently Active Network), FAN (Formerly Active Network), and PAN (Potentially Active Network).
As I thought about this and the application to what we teach in network and business development, this struck me as especially powerful. Think for a moment; You’ve got a new product, or market, or what not, and you do an audit of your network to see what resources you already have – CAN-FAN-PAN. You see that you can reach into your networks and begin the planning of how you are going to position yourself and you have people who you already know who can help you.
With the power of LinkedIn, you can also quickly ascertain who you need to meet in the space, and you can look to see who you used to know. You may need to do some work to rekindle or build some of those relationship, but you will not be needlessly wasting your valuable time and resources.
I recommend that you take a few moments now to do this exercise. It will open your eyes to a whole new world.
Build it deep and build it strong!
Raymond Chip Lambert
Network 2 Networth
Deep Business Development
Share this post :
Recession and Relationship
Posted by: | Comments
I was on the way home from a client meeting this morning, listening to talk radio and the announcer, Daryl Ankarlo, talk about the possibility that with gas at nearly $4 a gallon, the weak dollar, 500% increase in foreclosures, we are on the precipice of a recession.
It struck me that the people who really suffer in recessions are people who have not taken the time to build their networks.
I wrote about this in an earlier post. Taking care of the relationships we have, while sometimes daunting, is critical.
This is especially true when things get scary or shaky. If we have not taken the time to build and nurture our networks, we go it alone.
Who’s there to help you when you fall down? Who’s there to help you build your business? Who’s there to turn you onto new resources? Who’s there to help you find a new job? New clients? New sources?
If you haven’t really begun the work in earnest – don’t fret.
People are intrinsically generous. Especially the ones we’ve made a difference with. If you reach out now and begin to let the people in your life know what you need, know what you are working on, and offer to be a resource for them as well, they’ll rise to the occasion.
AND THEY’LL BE THERE WHEN YOU NEED THEM MOST!
If you haven’t taken the opportunity to do our LinkedIn Webinars, please consider doing that now. Build it before you need it.
Raymond Chip Lambert
Network 2 Networth
Deep Business Development
Share this post :
Building a Network of Value – My first Event
Posted by: | Comments
Last Tuesday I launched Integrated Alliances here in the Phoenix Market with a VIP, invite only event at Ruth’s Chris Steak house.
With two colleagues, Bill Austin and Bob Denton, we generated 113 RSVPs and 86 VIPs in attendance – in 2 weeks.
I’m completely floored – even with all the training I have. And something even more interesting is happening – I am now perceived differently in the communities I already participate in.
Why am I sharing this with you? Well, it illustrates a few things.
- The power of a network and a clear focus. With very little time and a clear outcome a great event was created. With it’s focus around the LinkedIn Platform (a network), a few key individuals (a network), and a clear vision, mountains got moved.
- Be a leader in your network and cause connections – real world connections – it alters how your network perceives you. I cannot even begin to describe the shift that has happened within the conversations I’ve had in the last week. It’s surreal.
If you are in the Phoenix Metropolitan area, a high-level player, a reader of my blog, and a user of LinkedIn, I’d like to invite you to join our mailing list for the IA – Linkedin Live! Events. Go to www.integratedalliances.com/phoenix_events.php and join the list. We’d love to have you join us!
Here’s to the power of networks, of people coming together around a common cause, and of the magic that gets created when they collide.
Raymond Chip Lambert
Network 2 Networth
Deep Business Development
Share this post :
The Value of LinkedIn As a Cross Network Platform
Posted by: | CommentsI had a conversation today with a colleague of mine, Bob Denton, from Prime Connexions.
We were talking about the value of LinkedIn and LinkedIn-Centric events and the potential for being perceived as a "threat" that established organizations could conceivably experience in relationship to those events.
It struck me that LinkedIn is one of those platforms that not only allows users to strategically build their own "personal" networks, but it allows them to really explore the organizations that they already belong to.
Take the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce for example. There are nearly 2000 members to the organization. Some participate at a very high level, some come to networking events, some participate only at special events. All in all – they have the potential to derive lots of value from their membership.
Now think about adding LinkedIn to the mix. Not only are they going to have the benefit of their Chamber membership, but they will also be able to connect with ALL the chamber members – even the ones who don’t attend events. They can search that network to find connections within their current Chamber membership and further unlock the value of that network.
To me, that’s a HUGE win. Think about it. Actually being able to get to know other Chamber members and to create relationships with people because of a third party platform.
Further, coming to a LinkedIn Centric event allows people to get access to the ENTIRE Chamber (tier 2 connections) even if they belong to say another organization. If that other organization doesn’t have what the attendee needs, a quick invitation and a connection unlocks the door to quick and easy access to the needed resources.
It should work like this in real life – but unfortunately it doesn’t, for the most part. People are busy. They need what they need when they need it. LinkedIn simply makes it easier – across networks – to find what they are looking for.
It’s my intention to help educate all the networks in my community about LinkedIn and how it can truly unlock the value of the networks they maintain.
Raymond Chip Lambert
Network 2 Networth
Deep Business Development
Share this post :
What is a social network ? Shouldn’t it be based on trusted and known relationships?
Posted by: | CommentsAsked by Akim Sissaoui in Linkedin Answers
Akim, I appreciate the question and enjoy looking at the responses.
From my POV we all live in the middle of an enormous network: friends, family, colleagues, customers, prospects, interest groups – etc.
I view "social network" kind of like a tag – that is it is a way of sorting through the enormity of what we are confronted with each day.
Under the "social network" tag we could have thousands of sub-tags that allow us to further segregate the types of relationships that happen in our "social network". I agree that it is useful to have a sub-tag of "trusted" and "known". This allows us to accomplish some of the things we are already conditioned to use these sub-tags for.
As far a LinkedIn goes, it is a tool to help us capture our network and see into it in a way that has never been before. We can see the INTERRELATIONSHIP between network connections. And we can discover pathways though our "trusted" and "known" contacts to get access to those relationships and resources that we need to get where we want to go.
We can also be that pathway for the people in our networks.
It takes an order of magnitude jump to be able to see this. But I feel it is what is unleashing the individual from their own "blindness" to what networks really have to offer.
Linkedin is a tool. Nothing more, nothing less. The real power is understanding your network and putting it to work for you – and being willing to do the same for those key people in your networks.
Raymond Chip Lambert
Network 2 Networth
Deep Business Development
Share this post :
Build Your Network Before you need it!
Posted by: | CommentsOk -
So it’s not an original thought.
But a few interactions I’ve had over the last couple of days has really illustrated this for me.
I had a good friend and colleague Linda Baugh from American Career Executives come through my Linked In webinar. She trains people to tap into their networks to find the right positions for themselves. After completing the program, she approached me to make it available to all of her clients. “A great Linkedin Profile is critical”.
Then I was working with another client, Bil Austin of Arizona High Tech Talent Partnership and he was sharing with me about his work with The Scottsdale Job Network and how they help people find Phoenix Jobs.
It struck me how important it is to spend time building relationships with people in your network. In the training I do, I’m often surprised at how little attention people pay to the quality of their networks and the quality of the relationships in them.
In fact, in our transaction oriented, bright-and-shiny, ADHD-like relationship to our everyday life, we often forget the reality of how networked we really are. Think about it – schools, work, place of worship, associations, family – all networks.
Take care of your networks and they will take care of you!
