Brenda Eckstein International

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  • Welcome
  • About Us
    • Brenda
    • Clients
  • Services
    • Strategy
    • Leadership Development
    • Training
    • Executive Coach
    • Speaker
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    • Conference Services
  • EYES Publishing
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The benefits of personal networking

June 5, 2012 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Is networking something you do naturally?  To many it is considered a waste of time. What is all the fuss about?  Yet, it remains one of our best resources to those of us who treat ‘networking’ as a process, a powerful tool. Building relationships provides access to interesting people, many of whom take part as guest speakers during my courses. Recently Pietermaritzburg businessman Yunus Asmall was the guest speaker for the Treverton Post Matric students.

Guest speaker, Pietermaritzburg businessman Yunus Asmall and Treverton Post Matric students.

Training in ‘Networking Tactics’ is based on my two books, ‘Networking Tactics:  how to achieve success through personal networking’ and ‘ABCs of Effective Networking’.  The contents of the workshops are tailored to meet the needs of specific groups.  The main question this training answers is ‘how do we use networking to help achieve our vision?’  While acknowledging the importance of social media sites, these workshops concentrate more on the importance of building (and sustaining) positive relationships through personal interaction.

The benefits of personal networking are enormous.  At the workshops, each group develops their own list of benefits.  Here is a consolidation from the most recent workshops:

Benefits of personal networking

Personal networking:

  • Improves understanding of differences (generational values, cultural awareness, gender, sexual preferences) thus enabling us to be more ‘open-minded’ and work more effectively with a wider range of people.
  • Makes us feel more inspired, encouraged and motivated.
  • Builds our reputation.
  • Provides an opportunity to say ‘what can I do for you?’ and this is the essence of how people should go about networking.
  • Broadens our knowledge base and expands our horizons through enabling us to learn something new - skills enhancement.
  • Advances our careers and business as we like to deal with people we know and trust.  People have confidence working with us.
  • Builds and strengthens long-term beneficial relationships.
  • Provides a sense of belonging.
  • Builds confidence and self-esteem within the group and in association with other teams.
  • Provides a direct route to people who are important or who can enhance our lives.
  • Enables us to socialise in a meaningful way and meet new ‘like-minded’ people.
  • Helps us meet other important role-players and maintain personal relationships with stakeholders.
  • Helps expedite processes because relationships already exist, trust is already built and we don’t have to start from scratch when starting a new project.
  • Helps know who to go to when we are involved in something new.
  • Provides referrals and job opportunities.
  • Enhances performance through resource sharing and co-operation.
  • Enables us to stay up-to-date’ with industry related (or other) topics and developments.
  • Creates opportunities in our business and private lives.
  • Provides a platform for recognition.
  • Provides a support-system.
  • Provides access to new ideas and an avenue for sharing ideas.
  • Saves time and resources through sharing information and exchanging ideas.
  • Gains us access to relevant information in the fastest possible way.
  • Provides a support system through access to trusted feedback.  We can test new ideas within the ‘safety-net’
  • Provides people to give us the right advice.
  • Is a source of motivation and inspiration.
  • An excellent marketing tool, whether we are marketing our business or marketing ourselves.
  • Eases the ‘work-load’ because we are dealing directly with people we know and trust.
  • Enables us to find better ways of doing things and find unique new products.
  • Positively promotes our branding.
  • Helps us source the best products and services.
  • Opens opportunities for new areas of business – suppliers, customers, partners, products, and services.
  • Exposures us to new people, environments and ideas creating opportunities to discover new ways of doing things.
  • Provides opportunities to hear other people’s problems and challenges with a view to finding solutions.
  • Increases visibility – people are more likely to think of us when an opportunity arises.
  • Provides fun and enjoyment.
  • Helps us find out what is new on the market.

For further information on Networking Tactics workshops or motivational talks please contact me - brenda@146.66.90.172,  Phone: +27 33 3425432, Mobile: + 27 82 4993311.

Personal Resources

May 23, 2012 by Brenda Leave a Comment

When facilitating ‘personal strategy’ during ‘leadership development’ sessions or developing a ‘three year vision’ during ‘networking tactics’ sessions, I like to set the scene by asking participants to imagine themselves three-years hence.  Sometimes we prefer to take a one-year time frame.  Life moves fast! 

We start by considering ‘personal resources’.  This helps to focus the participant’s thinking and ‘ground’ the development of our vision statement.  Although I provided a similar list in an article in October 2011, I am sharing the updated questions I developed for a client yesterday.  Please let me know if you think of other questions I should include.  Thank you!  Please imagine what you’d like your life to look like in three years time and answer the questions below which relate to personal resources:

Resources 

Financial 

What capital do you wish to have accumulated?

What are you earning? 

What income are you generating on a regular basis? 

How are you doing this?  

How have you invested your money?

Employment 

Where are you working? 

What are you doing? 

What opportunities are there for future growth? 

And how are you going to achieve this?

Human 

Which groups of people or individuals are significant in: 

  • your personal life? 
  • your business life?
  • your community life?

Time 

How are you allocating your time in:

  • Your personal life?
  • Your business?
  • Your community life?

Energy 

How are you building your personal energy? 

How are you conserving it? 

How are you allocating or spending it?  

Accommodation 

Where are you living?  Describe.

Knowledge and qualifications 

How have you progressed in the last three years? 

What new skills have you acquired? 

What new qualifications have you achieved? 

What are your goals for the next period?

Transport 

What daily means of transport do you have or use?

Brand 

Your personal brand is a resource. 

How have you built it?

How are you promoting it?

Coaching 

Yes, coaching is a resource. 

What have you done to make sure that you are exposed to the right coaching for you? 

How are you benefitting?

Network 

Your personal network is a powerful resource. 

What are you doing to build and maintain relationships? 

How are you improving your skills as a networker?

What are you doing to expand your network in a meaningful way?

Technology 

How ‘up to date’ are you? 

Can you effectively incorporate the latest relevant and available technology where beneficial?

Other  

Please add your own questions here.

If you’d like to know more about our facilitation of leadership development, personal strategy, networking tactics, integral coaching or any of our other services, you are welcome to contact me - Phone: +27 33 3425432, Mobile: + 27 82 4993311, brenda@146.66.90.172. 

The Power of Compassionate Action

January 26, 2012 by Brenda 3 Comments

My fascination with the power of personal networking led to my writing and publishing two books on this topic. I also run workshops and implement plans to help organisations.   However, most of the emphasis has been on how building and sustaining positive relationships can enhance our performance in the business context. 

The power of personal networking applies equally in our daily lives.  In the last few days I have personally experienced this under compassionate circumstances.  As a tribute to an outsider recognising a solution to a challenge and putting it into action, with the help of others in his network, I’d like to share the story with you:

Our family was delighted when my mother was able to be with us in Australia on the occasion of her 90th birthday.  As a gift, we gave her two flights to Australia and she chose to invite her ‘companion’, Norris to accompany her. We were thrilled as they are both ‘fit and healthy’, an inspiration to all of us.  We love them both. 

It was wonderful that she could have all her children (me and my husband), all her grandchildren and their spouses, and all her great-grandchildren there.  It was so good to have four generations learning from each other, and sharing their wisdom.  We had a wonderful holiday.

My husband and I returned to South Africa 10 days before my mother and Norris were due to fly back.  Unfortunately, a week before their return, Norris had a heart attack (in Australia) and this threw our family into crisis.   Our children and their spouses were at his side for long hours every day and also ‘managed the evolving situation’.  They supported Norris and they supported my mother, taking her to the hospital at least twice a day.

It was devastating that for legal reasons, a week later, my mother had to return to South Africa.  She must have felt as though she was abandoning him (very far from it!). This courageous 90-year-old woman phones him a few times a day from South Africa and hopes it won’t be too long before he is able to return.  Our children have a roster and promised my mother that one of them will visit him every day.  And they do.

A very dear friend of theirs in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, where we live phoned and asked if we’d mind if he arranged that a Rotarian in Sydney could visit Norris.  I was fascinated as none of us are Rotarians.  He swung into action and a few e-mails and phonecalls later, we received a photo of Norris taken by the visitor in Sydney and an update on his condition. 

It took only 2 days from the first suggestion to the visit taking place. And this spanned two continents.  I salute Rotary on their compassionate action. 

Let’s follow the thread of what happened:  A Rotarian not only had the idea, but he shared it.  He followed the correct procedure and protocol and using descriptively worded messages requested help from the appropriate Rotarian in South Africa, who immediately sprung into action with his team.  He put the process into action and achieved positive results through informing and motivating other Rotary members.  Rotary in Sydney immediately responded and the President of the North Sydney Rotary Club visited Norris within hours. So, within that formal structure, an act of kindness changed lives.  We are so very grateful.

Two networks were active – the informal network of our immediate family, and the formal international network of Rotary and its members. ‘Compassionate action’ resulted.  Most of us have the power to take compassionate action.  How are you using your networks for humanitarian enrichment?  What can you do right now to help others?

FLAG Cornerstones

October 26, 2011 by Brenda Leave a Comment

The cornerstones form part of the structure of your Personal Networking Plan in ‘Networking Tactics’.  But we also use them for other strategy plans like, ‘Customer Service’, ‘Personal Strategy’ etc.

The four cornerstones are:

Cornerstone 1 – Fun

  • What ‘fun activities’ do I really enjoy?
  • How can I incorporate more fun into my work and personal life?
  • Who can help me generate more laughter?
  • How can I energise myself and my team through celebrations?

Cornerstone 2 – Leadership

  • Am I ‘serving’ those whom I ‘lead’?  Am I ‘customer driven’?
  • What am I doing to improve ‘self-leadership’?
  • How am I motivating my teams (or groups – for example, family) to achieve a vision?
  • What can I do to improve my leadership skills?
  • Am I helping individuals in my ‘teams’ to reach potential?

Cornerstone 3 – And – Continuous Improvement

  • In my work situation, what am I doing to constantly upgrade my skills?
  • How am I constantly ensuring that my product, service and the way I operate are all the best they can be?
  • What is my personal competitive advantage?  And how do I maintain it?
  • How am I constantly trying to improve the various facets of my product, service and the way I operate?
  • Am I ‘fast and flexible’?  Can I recognise and optimise opportunities?

Cornerstone 4 – Growth

  • How are fun, leadership and continuous improvement helping me to grow?
  • What am I doing to ensure that I’m using all resources available to me, to maximum advantage?
  • What am I doing to grow personally?
  • Who are those people who’ve helped me reach potential in my business capacity?  Have I said ‘thank you’ to them?
  • Which authors have helped me to grow from a business and personal perspective?

‘Family conversation starters’

October 26, 2011 by Brenda Leave a Comment

We all prefer to deal with people we know and trust.  Conversation is an important skill in building relationships.  It is easy to practice even at home.  We don’t always have to practice in a formal environment.  Use these when chatting to your family.

  • One of my favourite family memories is………….
  • One of the best gifts I’ve received………
  • At school I………
  • The member of our family most likely to sky dive………
  • My earliest memory………
  • I can’t wait to……..
  • This year I would like to………
  • I can’t live without……….
  • My dream job would involve………
  • When I grow up………
  • My favourite thing in life………
  • Three words to describe my family……….
  • I get nervous when……..
  • I look up to ……..
  • I wish I could……..
  • My favourite game/sport…….
  • My family is……..
  • The naughtiest thing I’ve ever done……..
  • At school I love (d) ……………. and hate (d)………..
  • My favourite family dinner…………..
  • The best advice I’ve received………..
  • I am really proud of……..
  • The perfect Sunday involves…………
  • Pocket money is for………
  • If I could invite anyone for dinner…….
  • My favourite toy is/was ……….
  • As a child I……….
  • Parents get on my nerves when……..
  • When I grow up……..
  • The first thing I do in the morning………
  • If I were granted three wishes…….
  • Mum/Dad always told me………
  • I wish I hadn’t……..
  • No one knows this but…….
  • My childhood best friend…….
  • I’m afraid of……..
  • During summer I love……..
  • If I had a million dollars……
  • Our best family tradition……..
  • Mum/Dad are good at……..
  • My favourite family holiday……..
  • I get angry when……..
  • Family member with the most annoying habit is……….
  • I could live without………
  • My craziest relative…………
  • Do you remember when………
  • My family is best at………
  • Last time I laughed……..
  • Mum/Dad were angry when I………
  • I would love my family to……… 

Networking Tactics

May 9, 2011 by Brenda Leave a Comment

We all prefer to deal with people we know and trust.  To become the ‘person of choice’, the ‘firm of choice’ or the ‘organisation of choice’, we need to build positive relationships.  Networking skills can help us to do that. 

You can expand your personal network by improving the quality of relationships within your existing network, and also by adding new contacts in a purposeful manner.

Personal networks are dynamic and constantly changing.  Most people would like to expand their networks and at the same time maintain quality and integrity.  In order to do this, you need to pay attention to all the aspects of building your network.  These include improving your skills, identifying your network, organising and updating the information and sustaining relationships.  On this firm foundation you can then build an even stronger and more effective network.

We present a ‘one day’ workshop which includes training in relevant networking skills.   For example, a simple technique for quality conversation is easy to apply.  We’ll also explore ways of developing and expanding the structure of our networks.  

Networking is a ‘critical success factor’ in achieving our goals.  This workshop will help participants to define and capture their personal three-year vision on a one-page plan together with the networking tactics they have chosen to work on. 

You’ll leave the workshop ready to swing into action with your unique ‘one page personal strategy’ and your signed copy of Brenda’s book:  ‘Networking Tactics:  a guide to achieving success through personal strategy’.  As a result of participating effectively in this one-day workshop, participants will be able to: 

  • Understand why networking skills are critical in achieving professional/business success
  • Appreciate that personal networking is a process – and not a ‘transaction’
  • More easily hold quality conversations which help in building positive relationships and also lead to more confidence in attending social engagements
  • Apply skills practised at the workshop and enhance their own style of networking
  • Share ideas on sustaining and expanding their personal networks
  • Incorporate all stakeholders in the networking mix
  • Set personal strategy incorporating their three-year vision, values and networking tactics
  • Complete their personal one-page plan for achieving their personal three year vision and know how to use their personal networking tactics to achieve success
  • Implement their personal  programme.

Taking Networking To Greater Heights

May 9, 2011 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Often I’m asked to help implement programmes that will take networking to a higher level within an organisation, firm or business. 

Seen above at a networking talk held at Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Durban on Friday, November 19 are Sharalene Randelhoff, Alice Bester, Brenda Eckstein, Priya Mistry, Farida Lavangee and Preshena Sookoo.

‘Stakeholders’ are the core of business networking.  We have to be clear as to what we mean by the term ‘stakeholders’.  Often participants think only of shareholders, staff and clients.  ‘Stakeholders’ are basically any person or entity that has power over your organisation, firm or business – or over you!   So, even SARS is a stakeholder in your business and it would be good to build positive relationships with the people there.

Let’s look at some other examples of who your ‘stakeholders’ may be:

  • Owners, directors
  • Management and staff
  • Investors and financers – local and offshore
  • Bankers
  • Service providers
  • Accountants, lawyers, consultants
  • Advisory circles
  • Organisations, firms, businesses in similar industries
  • Your competitors
  • BEE funders, groups and individuals
  • Press
  • Regulators

Once you have developed your list of stakeholders, you need to look at past, present and future role-players in each section.

It is also important to explore the benefits (to that firm and to all levels of management and staff) of networking effectively with those people.  A good way of doing this is to ask:

What are the benefits of networking with:

  • Former stakeholders?
  • Current stakeholders?
  • Potential stakeholders?

At the workshops, during discussion in the ‘groupwork’ participants usually come up with interesting combinations in each of the above categories and these will be unique to their firm. 

Benefits are outlined in both of my books, ‘Networking tactics’ and ‘ABCs of effective networking’ and include:

  • Becoming the ‘person of choice’, ‘firm of choice’ – or even ‘city of choice’
  • Giving the other party the ‘benefit of the doubt’ when things don’t go according to plan - ‘Absence of malice’ 
  • Providing opportunities for new projects or jobs or additional work with existing clients
  • Growing your organisation, firm or business in the market
  • Influencing decisions, having more power
  • Negotiating prices or fees more easily
  • Benefitting from referrals
  • Having access to alumni and other networks
  • Recognising and optimising opportunities for strategic alliances
  • Learning about and exposure to different businesses
  • Expanding your horizons though exposure to different ways of thinking and doing things
  • Having access to experts and information when you need it
  • Knowing who to go to when you are involved in something new
  • Being visible so others think of you when there are opportunities

Once we have a clear understanding of the benefits we need to clearly define skills development and the building of stronger networks.  (These topics are explored ‘in depth’ in both books and are not the focus of this article, although they are dealt with during workshops.)

The question of how to take networking to greater heights is a complex issue.  Examples of successful projects that I’ve been involved in are:

  1. Holding a ‘one day’ workshop on networking for the leadership and sales teams and then setting up a sustainable 13-week programme for the entire staff.  This was handled most effectively during 2009 by Arch Chemicals.  Please refer to CEO, Dave Mullin’s feedback in our newsletter (link).  He is to be commended on the way he imbued the entire staff with a sense of commitment to the programme.  It was a great success and the positive results escalated way beyond just improved networking.
  2. At a leading hotel the management chose a number of appropriate principles from the ‘ABCs of networking’.  The entire staff at every level worked on the same principle each week. Report back and ‘catching people doing something right’ were integral parts of this programme, too.
  3. An international firm of consultants made a video of interviews with a select group of partners in the New York and Los Angeles offices. Each person was asked to define and tell others their networking background and strategies.  This helped to articulate ‘tacit knowledge’, those things that we know or take for granted but have never made a conscious effort to share.  It also helped the lower levels of management to understand the networking culture of the firm.  Obviously in undertaking a project of this nature there is a huge risk that the DVDs will get into the wrong (competitor’s) hands.  However, this project worked for them and I was one of the consultants involved in rolling the programme out in South Africa. 

Based on this experience and further work in this field, I developed a template for leaders to use in profiling their approach to networking.  In my blog I gave an example using my own details.

The above are some examples of programmes that can be developed and implemented in order to build a sustainable networking progamme within an organisation, firm or business.

Networking At Its Best

May 8, 2011 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Networking is a process and not a transaction.  However, in organising our approach, it is sometimes convenient to segment various aspects into past, present and future.

  • Past:  we need to identify the groups of people who have played a significant role in our lives.  This involves digging into our past and looking for commonalty.  ‘Mindmaps’ or charts are a convenient way of depicting this information.
  • Present:  What are we doing to sustain relationships, to keep our contacts alive?  There are many benefits of sustaining positive relationships.  Two include:

o Having an advantage over our competitors – becoming the ‘person of choice’ or the ‘firm of choice’.

o An ‘absence of malice’.  When things go wrong – and we all know that even with the most careful planning, there will be ‘hiccups’, if we are functioning within positive relationships, our partners are more likely to give us the ‘benefit of the doubt’.  There would be an ‘absence of malice’. Compare this with the same situation where there is no positive relationship – our customer may consider the ‘hiccup’ a poor reflection on our performance.

Under ‘present’ we also need to assess how efficiently we are capturing and organising the contact details.  And how effective are our systems for keeping information ‘up to date’?

  • Future:  How are we going to ‘expand’ our networks in relevant ways so that we continue to build stronger networks?  There are two main aspects to this: o What are we doing to strengthen existing relationships? o How are we going to add meaningful contacts to our networks?  This could involve working out where the weak areas in our contacts are, planning how we are going to fill the gaps or joining forces with like-minded people or those who have a common interest.

Let’s expand further on that idea:  We join organisations for a range of reasons.  But so often it is the friendship and support that bind us together and cement our membership.

For example, I joined the New South Wales Chapter of NSAA (National Speakers Association of Australia) so that during my visits to Australia (two or three times a year) I could go to meetings, learn and network.  The benefits have been enormous.  In addition to expose to ideas and the experience of international speakers, trainers and coaches, I have made wonderful friends.  In my latest newsletter, I mention the annual convention which Gary Eckstein and I attended in April 2010.   Here are some more photos:

Lindsay Adams and Brenda Eckstein

Lindsay Adams, a Past National President of NSAA and the current President of the International Federation for Professional Speakers (IFFPS).   Lindsay is the National Director of the Referral Institute in Australia and New Zealand.

Rachel Green and Brenda Eckstein

Rachel Green, CSP is a fellow networker, trainer and speaker from Perth, Western Australia.

Networking is great fun!  However, the benefits will not be great unless we approach networking with the right attitude, ‘what can I do for you’ (and most certainly not ‘what can you do for me’.)  Most of us are tired of people who are like leeches – wanting to get whatever they can from us.  That type of relationship is parasitic.  We need to function symbiotically, help each other, work for the ‘common good’.

So, my message to you is clear:  Network by seeing how you can be of assistance to others and you will benefit enormously.

Networking Profile

May 7, 2011 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Within organisations there is usually a wealth of networking experience. Deals often depend on sustaining positive relationships. The problem is that the leaders and others who are good at networking and sustaining positive relationships are not conscious of what they actually do as far as networking is concerned.

My job is to enable them to be more conscious of what they do and articulate the ‘tacit knowledge’ in order to share it within the organisation.  To achieve this, I recently showed one of my clients how each role model in the firm could write up their ‘networking profile’.  This information may be used as a tool in a variety of ways to promote internal and external networking.

First I drew up an outline for them to follow.  This would help tap into the way each person operated.  But, to test the concept and way I was structuring the information, I needed to write up my own profile according to my format and I’m sharing this with you.  I have included the number of words as a guideline.  In most cases, the profiles should be considerably shorter.

For training on this topic or others offered by BEI, please contact brenda@146.66.90.172

EXAMPLE

Summary of Brenda’s approach to networking

Brenda’s ‘what can I do to help you’ approach enables her to assist others and build positive relationships.  She searches for opportunities to connect ‘people with people’ and ‘people with information’ and optimises those opportunities. She consciously promotes a strong personal brand and actively assumes a systematic approach to networking.  She sustains relationships by remaining in contact with people from various aspects of her life and intentionally moves seamlessly between her work and private life.  (75 words) 

Background and experience

Brenda currently operates ‘Brenda Eckstein International’, a training and consulting company, specialising in leadership development, strategy and training in communication skills and customer service.  Her theme of FLAG (Fun, Leadership, And (continuous improvement) Growth permeates all her endeavours. 

Her background in clothing retail and manufacture provide opportunities for building a strong customer base and enables her to incorporate a strong ‘hands on’ approach in all her consulting and training.  Through a voluntary organisation aimed at leadership development and communication skills, and using opportunities to ‘hold office’ at high levels she enjoyed the opportunity to present training and build her network in many different countries.  She remains in contact with friends internationally.

Her opportunities to train and build her network with this organisation made her realise that while she had been presented with incredible opportunities, she lacked a formal training qualification.  She thus embarked on becoming a trainer through a professional company and qualified with an international qualification.  She later gained accreditation in South Africa through the Services Seta (but chose to abandon that avenue and become a ‘listed provider’) and also qualified as a registered assessor.  In Australia in March 2009 she was awarded the ‘Professional Member’ accreditation through the National Speakers Association of Australia. 

Brenda has served on many boards and committees but confines her appointments to positions that enable her to ‘add value’ combined with her passion for the goals of the organisation.  She finds that the easiest way to raise her profile is to write articles for quality magazines or to address audiences of the right caliber.  That way she gets through to many people at once.  She always follows up with anyone who contacts her after one of her presentations or  having read one of her articles or one of her two books, ‘Networking Tactics’ or ‘ABCs of Networking’.

Brenda’s passion for business started at a very young age as she was brought up ‘under the counter’ in her mother’s tea-room.  Later, as part of her degree she chose to do her research and write her (junior) thesis on ‘Modern Trends in American Retailing’.  That ‘opened doors’ for her and presented opportunities which resulted in her and her husband starting their group of clothing stores from scratch. 

Her involvement in ‘organised business’ led to her becoming the first woman to hold the position of ‘President of the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Commerce and Industries’. Her next leading role was that of President of International Training in Communications (at that time, the Headquarters were in Los Angeles). She continues to be passionate in helping others in leadership roles. (430 words).

Approach to networking

Brenda uses several tools to diligently and methodically reach out to people:

  • When she meets a person for the first time, if she wishes to pursue the relationship, she contacts the person again within 48 hours.  That interaction could be as simple as saying ‘it was great meeting you, let’s stay in contact’.  That step cements the introduction and sets the scene for future networking.
  • Brenda makes sure that all details are immediately entered into her database. She uses ‘Outlook’ and currently has over 5000 contacts, all people with whom she has personally interacted.  (She does not support ‘list buying’ or using.)
  • In the ‘notes’ section of Outlook, she enters relevant details which may help her to connect ‘people with people’ or ‘people with information’.  A good way to start is to write down 5 key words about the person.  These could include tangible aspects of their appearance (big nose with scar on the left nostril – only kidding!).  An example would be Rosie C (catering company, sons attend Cordwalles, husband = neurosurgeon, formerly a nurse).
  • She purposely uses carefully chosen ‘categories’.  For example, she spends a total of two months each year in Australia.  Each trip she creates a category of those significant people with whom she has interacted during that trip.  For example, there are 70 people listed under Australia November 2009.  That makes it easy for her to follow up with a personal note and contact each person when she returns to South Africa.  She may even send them photographs taken during the trip if appropriate.  For each training session she runs, she creates a category, e.g. BEI 324 is the last ‘How to get your point across’ workshop. There are also groups for family, friends and other categories.  One person may appear in multiple categories.
  • Her Contacts are synced with her phone.  She purposely chose a phone with the capacity to transfer all her contacts and store them according to the categories on her computer.  (She uses categories for reference a great deal.)
  • Brenda always has her A4 ‘black book’ with her.  Here she writes notes as she talks to people.  A book lasts about 4 months.  As she nears the end of each book she summarises all phone numbers she has used into the next book.  Her secretary checks these against her Outlook Contacts to make sure all are updated.  Brenda then goes through the summary and phones as many of those people as possible and appropriate.  This acts as a reminder to her to phone them at least every 4 months.
  • Visibility is very important.  She aims at participating in at least two networking meetings and events a month (either Chamber or independent functions).  She also attends a wide range of presentations and talks.  However, she is ruthless in refusing invitations to events which are not in line with her interests, goals or image. 
  • Positioning at any function is very important. Where possible she takes a seat near the entrance facing the incoming people.  That way she can smile at specific people as they enter.  At gym, on Sundays she has coffee in the coffee bar after she has completed her exercise (timing is important, people want to do their gym first, and then talk).  She positions herself at a table where she has easy access to the people whom she wishes to speak to and network with.
  • She also supports colleagues who may be presenting talks and sends ‘well done’ and ‘thank you’ notes immediately after functions.  She also sustains positive relationships with the press and journalists and always phones to say ‘thank you’ after every article or mention of her.
  • Brenda is constantly on the ‘lookout’ for information which may be of interest to others.  For example, she sends newspaper articles or photos to people where she feels that they would be of interest.  She enjoys recognising opportunities and immediately linking people.  For example, if she hears some-one looking for information on e-learning and it is appropriate, she’ll provide the opportunity to connect with a colleague who is an expert in this field.
  • Brenda uses techniques to build relationships.  Over the years she has developed her skills in a technique which she calls the ‘listen-comment-question’ approach to quality conversation.  ‘Open’ questions dominate. This helps to build relationships and trust.
  • Brenda averages 16 breakfasts, lunches or ‘coffees’ per month.  She finds that most of the people she networks with are high powered people who work hard and are tired at night.  Dinners also are not as cost effective as breakfasts or lunches.  However, she finds that her business colleagues enjoy the opportunity to be entertained at her home and she occasionally combines business networking with her passion for cooking and entertaining.  She carefully combines interesting people and usually has 14 people for seated functions at home.  She strategically seats people, and moves them (usually with their partners – where appropriate) to new seats during the meal.
    (821 words)

Networking Success (one example)

When Brenda reads a book or article that really interests her, she contacts the author. For example she had found the ‘Instant Manager’ to be an excellent quick guide and she wanted to use a certain questionnaire in the book for a training session she was presenting.

Tracking down the author Cy Charney was very difficult.  The publishers were not keen to divulge information.  After a great deal of effort, she tracked down this ex-South African to Toronto, Canada.  She phoned, chatted to him and asked his permission to use the questionnaire.  He immediately responded in a positive manner as he was impressed that she had taken the trouble to phone him, congratulate him on his book and to ask permission to use the questionnaire.

As it happened, Brenda was one of the programme organisers for an international convention which was being help in Toronto a few months later.  Co-incidence!  She was looking for a workshop presenter to fill the final slot that had not yet filled.  And Cy Charney was perfect.  He agreed and presented an excellent workshop (on a voluntary basis!) at the convention.  After that he also invited her to explore becoming licensed to present his work in South Africa and this was investigated. 

So, through making the effort to contact the author or authority on the topic, we help to build a positive relationship and achieve positive results.  (232 words)

Advice from Brenda

  • Pick up the phone!  Don’t rely on e-mails.  Talk to people.  Regularly.
  • Always follow up immediately on any offers you have made and keep the other person informed of progress.
  • Respect people’s time.  When you phone them, ask if it is appropriate to talk to them at that time. They may prefer you to phone later.
  • Respect people’s privacy.  Don’t share information or contact details without first asking both parties their permission.  ‘Would you mind if…. I gave a colleague your contact details as I think you have a common interest.’
  • Adopt an attitude of ‘what can I do to help you’.  Contrast this with the network marketing or pyramid approach where many people want to be friendly so they can sell you something or tap into your network. We avoid those people!
  • Sustain relationships.  Don’t allow an active relationship to become dormant for too long.  A quick phone call to ask how the person is reminds them of your existence.
  • Remember details.  The person’s family, dog, hobbies and interests are all ‘hooks’ on which to hang your interest.  Try to tap into their passions.  Ask yourself, ‘what makes them tick’? Show genuine interest in the person.
  • Practise the ‘listen – comment – question’ technique using open questions to build quality conversation and positive relationships.
  • Develop a definite networking strategy for yourself and put it into practice.
  • Harness the power of collective networking for your team.
    (234 words)

The above is an example of the Personal Networking Profile which I have developed to help organisations tap into their internal networks and learn from each other. 

Take action.  Articulate the way you operate and share with your colleagues (where appropriate)  Sharing valuable information will help to achieve greater results and you’ll build stronger teams.

Expand Your Network

May 7, 2011 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Expand your personal network by improving the quality of relationships within your existing network, and also by adding new contacts in a purposeful manner.

Personal networks are dynamic and constantly changing.  Most people would like to expand their networks and at the same time maintain quality and integrity.  In order to do this, you need to pay attention to all the aspects of building your network.  These include improving your skills, identifying your network, organising and updating the information and sustaining relationships.  On this firm foundation you can then build an even stronger and more effective network.

We often underestimate the value of ‘harnessing the power of collective networking’.  I thank one of my current clients for emphasising this aspect and wording it so well.  A forthcoming blog will provide ideas for symbiotically tapping in to other team-members expertise in networking.

Exercise
How can you improve the quality of existing relationships within your network?

List your top 20 customers.  What action are you going to take in order to sustain each relationship?  Are you going to phone them for a chat, meet with them, entertain them, send them an article of interest, or simply send them a message? 

Set definite goals for each customer and implement the process of building positive relationships.

Which areas of your network need to be improved?  With which categories of people would you like to build relationships?  (For example, people in similar positions in other businesses?)

Take action.  Build strong networks, keep them alive and you will benefit.

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