Brenda Eckstein International

Strategy, Leadership, Integral Coaching and Communication consulting

  • Welcome
  • About Us
    • Brenda
    • Clients
  • Services
    • Strategy
    • Leadership Development
    • Training
    • Executive Coach
    • Speaker
    • Author
    • Conference Services
  • EYES Publishing
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Contact Us
  • Welcome
  • About Us
    • Brenda
    • Clients
  • Services
    • Strategy
    • Leadership Development
    • Training
    • Executive Coach
    • Speaker
    • Author
    • Conference Services
  • EYES Publishing
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Contact Us

Sharing your knowledge through networking

February 13, 2019 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Networking involves linking people with people, people with information and people with opportunities.   But we need to be open to recognising and optimising opportunities in order to be effective in helping others.

Let me tell you a story to demonstrate this. Years ago, I joined the National Speakers Association of Australia, Sydney chapter.  I love meeting interesting people and holding quality conversations.  On each visit to Australia I attended a meeting or conference and as a professional speaker, learnt a great deal from programmes and the amazing people I met.

Amongst them were Rob Salisbury and Monika Newman.  As in any networking it is important to build relationships and sustain them.  We kept in touch and I was delighted when they invited me to contribute an article to one of their annual composite motivational books.  Since then I have contributed most years and am delighted that the latest book was launched in February 2019. 

I am pleased to offer you a complimentary copy of Motivating your Mind – Inspiring your Spirit which you can view by clicking here. 

To view my article, click on my front cover photo that will link directly to my story. My article, Use your Low-energy Times Productively can be found on pages 51 and 52.

Congratulations and thanks to Rob and Monika on this outstanding achievement.

Questions

  • What are you doing to share your knowledge with others?
  • How can you share opportunities with people in your network?
  • To meet exciting people what can you do, where can you go?
  • How can you share this motivational book with as many people as possible?
  • In which ways can you tell Rob and Monika how you appreciate their efforts?
  • If you enjoyed an article in this book, how soon can you send a positive comment to the author of that story?

For more information on networking strategy and training or executive coach please contact Brenda at brenda@146.66.90.172

The golden thread running through positive relationships

September 6, 2018 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Through positive relationships others can spontaneously assist you in achieving goals you may not have dreamt of. You need to focus on your personal strategy yet be open to using peripheral vision to notice opportunities arising.

Here is an example of how a person helped me to progress. The context involves a webinar, ‘How to be a more productive coach’ which I’ll be presenting on September 20th 2018, from my base in South Africa. This will be for the International Coach Federation (ICF), Australasia Chapter. How did this opportunity materialise? Tracing the ‘golden thread’ to what made this possible was an interesting exercise.

We could go back further to building positive relationships through coaching, but let’s start in 2012, the year when I asked Janine Everson, Director of the Centre for Coaching, University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business (GSB) if she could recommend coaches whom I could connect with on my next visit to Sydney. Joe Fischer and I met and immediately recognised common bonds and co-incidences through work and family. On my following trip we met for coffee again and he mentioned that Janine would be running a 6-month coaching course (training coaches) in Sydney. As I was currently mentoring emerging coaches for the GSB in Cape Town, I offered and became the pod-mentor for Joe and his group of 6 other participants engaged in the ACC course. I really enjoyed my interaction with that group and we continue meeting during each of my trips to Sydney.

Melanie Gowlland, Joe Fischer, Brenda Eckstein, Sophia Bernard, Kirsty Grace.

The story evolves and continues to span two continents: When I began studying an M Phil (Management coaching) degree at the University of Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa in 2015, I presented a mini-workshop to Joe’s group of coaches at Stephenson Mansell Group in Sydney and discovered that evening that he knew Prof Anthony Grant from the University of Sydney’s Coaching Psychology Unit. This was an amazing co-incidence and Joe spontaneously offered to set up an appointment with Professor Grant, the person who coined the term ‘evidence-based coaching’. This was particularly relevant as I was battling with a Stellenbosch assignment on that aspect of coaching! I was so very grateful to both of them for the inspiration Prof Grant provided.

Each trip to Australia, which took place roughly twice each year, I was delighted to meet with my 2014 Australian coaching pod at a lunch organised by Joe. Whenever we met, I was rewarded with new exciting opportunities offered to me. For example, my interest in Positive Psychology had been ignited and when the group mentioned a forthcoming Positive Psychology conference in Adelaide, South Australia, I was able to plan my next trip around attending that conference. Positive Psychology and my learnings from that conference helped a great deal with my research.

In May 2017, following Joe’s instigation, I presented a workshop highlighting my M Phil findings to 40 coaches in Sydney for the ICF Australasia chapter, ‘The role of coaching in developing character strengths in leaders’.  That workshop led to the June 2018 workshop, ‘The Productive Coach’ also held in the city center in Sydney. The ripple effect spread and that is how it came about that I’m presenting the webinar version: ‘How to be a more productive coach’ on Thursday, September 20th 2018. This new unique work is adapted from my new learnings at the African Doctoral Academy where I attended ‘The Productive PhD’ presented by Prof Sebastian Kernbach in January this year. I have taken some of the techniques which he presented as being helpful to PhD’s, expanded on them and adapted to coaching. Introducing these new, unique techniques into my own Executive Coaching and Leadership Development work over the last 6 months has achieved rewarding outcomes in my own developmental process and helped to achieve positive shifts for my clients. In the forthcoming webinar I’ll be sharing 3 of those techniques.

That was a long story but shows the essence of my opening statement: ‘Through positive relationships others can spontaneously assist you in achieving goals you may not have dreamt of.’ I am very grateful, not only to Joe, but to the many people who have enriched my life in different ways. I do hope I have been able to be of benefit to them.

Network, build relationships, nurture and cherish the beautiful friendships arising. Meet people with an attitude of ‘what can I do for you?’ and you’ll reap bountiful rewards. I’m reminded of one of my favourite quotations:

“The people you meet should excite you, inspire you, make you grow. That’s why you should endeavour constantly to add to the number and variety of people you meet. Each one will polish a different facet of your mind and stimulate you in ways you may not anticipate.”

Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen: Dare To Win

My questions for you are:

  • Have you sincerely thanked those people who have recognised opportunities for you?
  • If you look at the exciting things happening in your life right now, what is the ‘golden thread’ running through the networking you do?
  • What gives you the courage to risk accepting new opportunities?
  • How often do you provide opportunities for others that show that you believe in them?
  • How might you have reciprocally impacted on the life of the person who helped you achieve your goals?
  • How might your interaction in turn have created new opportunities, connections and inspirations for that person?

For more information on the coaching and leadership development services offered by Brenda Eckstein International please contact me, Brenda on +27 82 4993311 or brenda@146.66.90.172 Thank you!

The benefits of personal networking revisited

August 20, 2018 by Brenda Leave a Comment

I am passionate about helping people to build positive relationships. Thus the concept of personal networking is built into many aspects of the services  offered by Brenda Eckstein International (BEI).

My first two published books on this topic, ‘Networking Tactics: A guide to achieving success through personal networking‘ (1st and 2nd editions) and ‘ABCs of Effective Networking: Fifty-two ways to achieve success‘ (1st edition) are in the process of being updated for the next editions which will join the ranks of my other books currently on Amazon. You might like to visit my Amazon author’s page. 

Over the years, I have included the improvement of networking skills and building of effective networks in the courses I have developed and currently run. These include the Networking Tactics, Communication Skills, and Enhance Your Executive Skills. Elements also come into all the leadership development and executive coaching programmes in my portfolio.

Often a section of any course includes asking the participants to consider their individual one-year or three-year personal visions and then to identify the part that networking can play in helping them to achieve their individual visions. I then consolidate their lists of benefits and these often provide the framework for healthy group discussion around the topic.

Below is a list developed as part of a recent 12-module Communication Skills course run for groups of mechanical and industrial engineers and other engineers in metallurgy or analytical chemistry. Their input has been consolidated, refined and expanded.

The benefits of building positive relationships and actively engaging in networking include:

  1. Gaining new insights into your inner and external worlds.
  2. Enhancing every aspect of life.
  3. Interacting with others who may be experiencing issues similar to yours.
  4. Having access to like-minded people who can help alleviate loneliness.
  5. Gaining inspiration from others.
  6. Acquiring and using networking skills which gives you confidence to communicate.
  7. Using communication skills more and thus improving ability to hold meaningful conversations.
  8. Having the confidence to accept invitations.
  9. Meeting a broad range of diverse people and expanding your network.
  10. Being exposed to different cultures, backgrounds and phenomena.
  11. Gaining greater understanding thus leading to new perspectives of justice or fairness.
  12. Building a feeling of connectedness, relatedness or safety with individuals.
  13. Understanding others better and thus knowing their wants and their needs.
  14. Recognising opportunities to reach out to people whom you may normally not communicate with.
  15. Accessing influential people and other individuals whom you may otherwise not meet.
  16. Being offered introductions to interest groups and incentives to join.
  17. Developing a sense of belonging to formal and informal groups.
  18. Building reputation and visibility thus enhancing our status.
  19. Having a safety-net for testing ideas.
  20. Being able to elicit trusted feedback from customers or others.
  21. Developing a broader pool of ideas for sustaining the ‘status quo’ or innovating.
  22. Helping to develop and set priorities.
  23. Effecting change in personal or business lives.
  24. Expanding knowledge applicable in your current position and exposure to opportunities for the future. Growth opportunities.
  25. Gaining different perspectives on solving problems.
  26. Boosting confidence in being able to accept challenges and achieve current or new goals.
  27. Recognising possibilities to expand beyond the current boundaries, either locally or globally.
  28. Increasing autonomy or control over events.
  29. Generating a greater sense of certainty because you are up-to-date.
  30. Saving time – knowing who to go to access information or to get the job done effectively.
  31. Becoming more productive.

In addition to exploring the benefits above, you may wish to visit pages 50 to 53 of Networking Tactics where the benefits of networking are grouped under the Fun, Leadership, Continuous Improvement and Growth categories. In addition the following articles are relevant:

  • Update on the benefits of networking
  • Personal networking: a different perspective
  • Networking benefits updated
  • The benefits of personal networking 

My invitation is for you as a reader to consider the following:

  • In which ways can you break your goal down into manageable chunks?
  • What are the tactics you can put into place in order to help you achieve the goals?
  • How can personal networking help you to achieve your goals?
  • Which of the 31 benefits above could help you?
  • In addition to the benefits listed above, what other benefits are there that may help you to achieve your goals?
  • Who can assist you with improving your networking skills?
  • What can you do to help others achieve their goals?

For more information on the services offered by Brenda Eckstein International, please visit www.strategy-leadership.com Thank you! Happy networking!

 

120: Personal Networking Tips

June 7, 2013 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Personal networking is great fun!  - particularly when our motivating thought is ‘what can I do for you’?  We are all tired of those people whose aim is to ‘make friends’ so that they can sell us their products or services.  We want genuine positive relationships coming from the person’s ‘heart’.  

Networking occurs wherever people gather.  Sometimes we distinguish between a ‘formal’ group, where we have chosen to ‘join’ so that we ‘belong’ and ‘informal’ groups which develop and have a life of their own.  Often those ‘formal’ groups give rise to ‘informal’ clusters.  For example, many of us joined the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business specifically to learn and to grow our businesses.  However, it is fascinating how over time, although our common interest remains significant, friendship and support are factors which help bind the members together. 

Within the formal Chamber structure are sub-structures like the new ‘Marketing Mix’ where I was privileged to be the speaker last night.  It was a relatively small group so I adapted and changed my ‘keynote’ into a more interactive workshop.  In the picture below we are role-playing how to gain the greatest networking value out of ‘cocktail’ functions.  (The signs and fancy glasses added to our fun.)

Lungile

L-R: Lungile Nkabinde, Brenda Eckstein, Alianh Tsoinyane, and Bridget Jones.

I find it sad that so many people avoid social functions simply because they are uncomfortable attending alone.  They miss recognising and optimising opportunities.  How do I go and talk to people?  What will I talk about?  How do I conduct myself? How do I escape if I’m not enjoying myself?  These are social skills that can be learned.  And we cover these in our networking workshops.  But people need to keep practising.   

I also find it important to make participants conscious of the kinds of conversations we have.  In coaching we talk about the sequence of ‘conversation for relationship’, ‘conversation for possibility’ and then ‘conversation for action’.  And in building relationships ‘out there’ in the real world, we also need to establish the relationship as strongly as possible before exploring possibilities and then taking appropriate action. 

Ten tips on personal networking 

  1. Social media connections and other electronic means of communicating are great – but there is no substitute for meeting people ‘face to face’.  One organisation that I was working with recently introduced a new mantra:  ‘Pick up the phone!’  People were sitting at their desks sending e-mails to the person next to them instead of holding conversations.  The leadership realised that personal relationships were dwindling.
  2. Approach networking with an attitude of ‘what can I do for you’? 
  3. Don’t ever give out your business card without first asking permission.  ‘May I give you one of my business cards’?  And the same applies to your advertising material.  At social gatherings or networking events, keep it to yourself and use only at the appropriate time. 
  4. Practise the ’30 second introduction’ which helps to lead to quality conversation.  Please have a look at the previous article, ‘Greetings’.
  5. Practise ‘Quality Conversation’.  The template can be found in our article ‘Building Relationships Through Quality Conversation’. You can practise this every day of your life (unless you are alone on a desert island, in solitary confinement, incapacitated in some other way or voluntarily participating in a ‘silence retreat’.)  I practise with my grandchildren and two of them have become far better than I am. Whenever we are in the car, one will say to me, ‘Granny Brenda, can we please play conversations’?
  6. Regard networking as a process.  What you do before the event, at the event and afterwards are all important in building relationships and sustaining them.  Networking is not a transaction.  Just meeting a person is not ‘networking’ – although it is an important part of the process. 
  7. In order to get the most out of a social event where you will possibly network, it is a good idea to ask for a list of participants in advance.  It is not always possible, but in the case of conferences, for example, it is a tool which is often available.  I go through the attendance list and decide who I really want to meet or ‘connect’ with again. 
  8. Then I find out as much about each participant as possible.  For example, at a recent event, by looking at their website, I found a photo of the person I was hoping to meet.  At the crowded functions, I at least had an idea of what he looked like, was able to identify him and go and speak to him.  Having looked at their corporate website, and knowing some background made conversation easier.
  9. When you meet a person, consciously use as many of your senses as possible to create a more vivid impression of that person.  What do they look like?  Could you describe them to some-one else easily afterwards (even the Police!)?  And if you exchange business cards, look at their card carefully.  Show interest.  And look at the spelling of the name and all the other details.  How tall are they?  Concentrate on the sound of their voice.  Would you recognise them if they phoned?  What perfume or aftershave are you aware of?  When you shook hands, what did their handshake feel like?  These are just some of the questions you could ask.
  10. After the event, contact the person again within 24 hours.  You are helping to cement the memory of meeting you.  That message or phonecall can be as simple as:
  • ‘I enjoyed meeting you at xy function. 
  • Include at least one fact unique to them – so that they feel as though this isn’t just a generic message that you are sending to everyone.  ‘It is interesting that you and Mpumi will be working as associates in the future and I look forward to hearing  more about the latest development.
  • Let’s stay in contact.’  

The definition which I developed over time and use in ‘Networking Tactics’ and ‘ABCs of Effective Networking’ is as follows:

‘Personal Networking’ is an active ongoing process which involves making contacts at a time when we probably don’t need them, organising and updating the relevant information, sustaining contact so that we build positive relationships and when the need arises, if appropriate, drawing on those relationships for mutual advantage.’    

I need to change this definition to incorporate an attitude of ‘what can I do for you’?  What are your suggestions? 

For more information on workshops covering building positive relationships and other aspects of networking, or for details of ‘keynotes’ on these topics, please contact Brenda Eckstein on +27 82 4993311 or brenda@146.66.90.172

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.

Let People Know What Your Needs Are

May 7, 2011 by Brenda Leave a Comment

In networking, so often we forget to tell others what we need.  For example, if we are looking for a secretary with special skills, we should remember to tell others in our network what you are looking for. At one of my sessions, during an exercise which I conduct, a person mentioned that he needed indigenous plants for a new section of his garden.  The person he was talking to happened to have a friend who was clearing indigenous plants from his garden.  After the session, the ‘middle-man’ introduced the two men to each other.  The giver was pleased that he wouldn’t have to discard his excess plants and that someone could make good use of them.  The recipient was delighted that he could get plants that were difficult to obtain.  The ‘middle-man’ celebrated the success of his ‘networking’ initiative.  All three felt good about the outcome.  What are your needs at present? For example, do you need to buy a second-hand bicycle?  Would you like to know where to take clients for an excellent lunch?  If you are new in town, do you wish to know about networking events? Step 1:  Write down a list of needs - the type that others might help you meet. Step 2:  Next to each, write the name of someone in your network who could possibly give you the information you require, or suggest how you could go about finding it. Step 3:  Take action.  Contact the relevant people.

Ten Tips To Help You Become The ‘Person Of Choice’

May 7, 2011 by Brenda Leave a Comment

BEI successfully provides training in helping people ‘move up the ladder’.  Apply the ‘Ten tips’ illustrated below in your work and personal lives and you will increase your chances of being ‘the person of choice.’ (These were developed through the consolidation of input from various groups of participants in Brenda Eckstein International workshops.)
  1. Develop your competitive advantage Firstly identify your unique talents.  What are you able to offer that few others can?  Then develop these talents so that you cement a competitive advantage.  See how you can match your competitive advantage with the needs of the other person or the organisation. 
  2. Build positive ongoing relationships We all prefer to deal with people we know and trust. Use your conversation skills to help build positive relationships, and then actively sustain those relationships.  Treat networking as a process and not as a transaction.  Promote yourself, maximise your influence.
  3. Communicate effectively Get your point across effectively by first being sure what you wish to communicate.  Then convey it clearly in the most appropriate, effective and efficient manner. Check that your message has been perceived and understood correctly.
  4. Become an expert listener Become valued as an ‘expert’ listener so that others know they can depend on you to understand and follow through on instructions correctly.  Active listening will help you to process and remember facts and also enable you to be more empathetic.
  5. Be reliable Build up a history of following through on expectations and on your promises by completing all assignments efficiently and effectively.  Consistently meet or exceed people’s expectations of you.  People need to know that they can depend on you.  Make sure your performance is always exemplary.
  6. Exercise professionalism Be professional in all your behaviour.  This includes being punctual, respecting other people, their privacy and their time.  Present a professional image in all your actions and in your appearance.
  7. Recognise and optimise opportunities Actively look for ways in which you can be of assistance to others.  Find areas where you can help solve problems.    Also look for opportunities to pursue activities that you really enjoy or are good at.  Maximise those opportunities.
  8. Be approachable, friendly and yet polite Make sure that people find it easy to approach you to ask for help, or to share ideas.  Be friendly and easy work with.  Be respectful and polite.
  9. Practise honest and ethical behaviour Show that you are a person of integrity and that you can at all times be relied on to actively promote and practise honesty.  Be ethical in all that you do.  Do not tolerate complacency in this area.  Do the right thing.
  10. Be properly informed Have the correct facts ‘at your fingertips’. Consciously make an effort to learn all you can about your job and the functions of all with whom you interact.  Research and learn as much as possible about your product and services, your company, its competitors and the industry.

Discover The Person Sitting Next To You

May 7, 2011 by Brenda Leave a Comment

In an article entitled ‘Who is this person sitting next to you?’ Ross Snyder, of the Chicago Theological Seminary (1968), said: ‘You might say a name, describe how tall he is, and the colour of eyes and hair.  But none of these things is what the person is.  A person is invisible activities… ‘The person sitting next to you is an inexhaustible sort of existence.  Within him are energies that have only been partially awakened.  Nine-tenths of his possibility has not yet been touched off… ‘Thus the person sitting next to you is a cluster of memories of the past and expectations of the future.  He (or she) is really a whole colony of persons, of people met all during a life.  Something of these people has entered into this person forever.  So that the person sitting next to you is really a city – a community.  In that community live the father and mother of this person, the boys and girls with whom he played most, the people with whom he was at school, the persons with whom he competed, the enemies he met:  all the live things of this world that came and interacted with this person.  They are still deep within… ‘Each person is this world of experiences. …Thus the person sitting next to you is the greatest miracle and greatest mystery that you will ever meet.’ Whether you know the person sitting next to you or not, remember the words of Ross Snyder and apply them.  Through holding quality conversations you can bring out the best in them. This will enrich your understanding of the person. Discover the person sitting next to you.

Identify The Benefits of Personal Networking

May 7, 2011 by Brenda Leave a Comment

More information on personal networking can be found in ‘Networking Tactics:  a guide to achieving success through personal networking’ and ‘ABCs of Effective Networking:  fifty-two ways to achieve success’.  Brenda Eckstein is the author of these books and presents training programmes, workshops and talks on personal networking.  The benefits of personal networking are many and varied.  Identify those benefits that will help you to achieve success.  It’s important to have your personal vision clearly articulated.  Make sure you know where you want to be in three years’ time.  Align your networking tactics with your strategy. The benefits of strategic personal networking are great, and if managed correctly, they translate directly into sustainable business and personal success and growth.  For example, effective personal networking can: • provide opportunities for you to be of service to others • build and sustain relationships • help to maintain a good reputation • be the best marketing tool available • result in good referrals • expand your horizons • make you more visible so that when opportunities arise people think of you • create a sense of belonging • enable you to reach your goals • give you easier access to relevant information • put you in line for a work promotion • create occasions for sharing ideas and generating new ones (energy) • provide a safety net for testing ideas and obtaining trustworthy advice. From a professional, business and personal perspective, make sure your strategy for achieving your three-year goals is clearly articulated.  Then set tactics for using personal networking to help you achieve your vision. Exercise List 10 benefits of networking that apply to you and will help you to achieve your three-year vision. Give an example of each: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Next Page »

Latest articles

  • Countdown to 2022
  • Positive Relationships: 2021
  • How do I deal with imperfection?
  • Finding freedom
  • How to streamline your life

Recent Posts

  • Countdown to 2022
  • Positive Relationships: 2021
  • How do I deal with imperfection?
  • Finding freedom
  • How to streamline your life

Blog Categories

  • Business Consulting
  • Coaching
  • Communication Skills Training
  • Customer Service
  • Keynotes
  • Leadership Development
  • Personal Networking
  • Strategy

Search this website

Contact Brenda

Phone:+27 (0)33 342 5432
Fax:+27 (0)86 5188 205
Mobile:+27 (0)82 499 3311
E-mail:brenda@strategy-leadership.com

Login

Login here

Copyright © 2022 · Brenda Eckstein International, Phone: +27 (0)82 499 3311, Email: brenda@strategy-leadership.com · Website by OrganicWeb