From Business Cards to Business Relationships: Personal Branding and Profitable Networking Made Easy
Author(s): Allison Graham
Want to supercharge your life? Effective networking is the answer and this book will teach you how. Professionals of all stripes and ages are told to 'get out there' and network so they can build their careers, grow their businesses and elevate their influence in the community, but they are rarely taught the skills to do that. Most people are lost, intimidated by the idea of presenting their own personal brand, and frustrated when it comes to networking. Despite long hours at events and attempts to make the right connections, they aren't seeing their desired results. From Business Cards to Business Relationships is a start-to-finish guide that demystifies the networking process and teaches readers how to truly benefit from getting connected. Allison Graham provides an easy to follow road map that is adaptable to your personality, circumstances and growth goals. You will learn how to strategically decide where to go, what to do when you get there and what to do afterwards to turn those casual business card contacts into meaningful relationships. Allison's approach is based on the Four Pillars of Profitable Networking: Perspective, Personal Brand, Procedures, and a Strategic Plan.
This is a prescriptive, practical system based on the author's real-life experience of going from unconnected to connected in a short period of time. No cheesy gimmicks or high-pressure nonsense, just the skills and knowledge that will create success for anyone willing to do the work and follow this advice. Regardless of your past experience or current level of connectivity, your industry or profession, whether you're an entrepreneur or climbing the corporate ladder: you can accomplish whatever you want by meeting and connecting with the right people. From Business Cards to Business Relationships gives you the tools you need to cement a positive personal brand and build your own profitable network. Praise for From Business Cards to Business Relationships "Allison Graham can help you turn an introduction into a business, a dinner into a relationship, and an average practice into world class. I've long preached that we're in a relationship business, and this book provides the handshakes, codes, actions, and routes to master those relationships."
-- Alan Weiss, PhD , Author of Million Dollar Consulting and The Consulting Bible "At last--a networking book that actually makes sense! Allison Graham's four pillars of networking are as simple as they are powerful. If you are willing to follow her lead with consistent and persistent effort, you will make your mark and expand your horizons both personally and professionally." -- Lou Heckler , Humorous Business Keynote Speaker and Speech Coach "This book is an excellent and much-needed resource to share with the business community." -- PJ Hartson , Business Editor, Sun Media
Product Information
Allison Graham is a corporate consultant and keynote speaker specializing in successful business development strategies for professional service providers and small business entrepreneurs. Her company, Elevate Seminars + Strategic Development Inc. (www.ElevateBiz.com) is based in London, Ontario. Allison writes a column and blog on networking and professional growth for the Sun Media chain, and blogs for the Huffington Post . She has contributed to and been quoted in several media outlets including the Financial Post and the Globe and Mail.
Preface xi Introduction xv THE FIRST PILLAR OF PROFITABLE NETWORKING: PERSPECTIVE Chapter 1: The Power of Building a Profitable Network 3 Chapter 2: What Does Having a Strong Network Mean to You? 7 Chapter 3: Expectations 10 Chapter 4: What Networking Is Not 14 Chapter 5: Understanding Business Networking 18 Chapter 6: Friendship versus Business Relationships 21 Chapter 7: Education and Connection 26 Summary 28 THE SECOND PILLAR OF PROFITABLE NETWORKING: PERSONAL BRAND Chapter 8: Th e Business of YOU 33 Chapter 9: Overcoming Age Objections 37 Chapter 10: You Never Know Who's Watching 41 Chapter 11: Your Ideal Personal Brand 44 Chapter 12: Reality Check 46 Chapter 13: Why It Matters 49 Chapter 14: Personal Hygiene and Grooming 51 Chapter 15: Professional Wardrobe 53 Chapter 16: A Smile 57 Chapter 17: Eye Contact 59 Chapter 18: Authenticity 61 Chapter 19: Approachability 63 Chapter 20: The Tone and Pitch of Your Voice 65 Chapter 21: Sense of Humor 67 Chapter 22: Confidence: Part One 69 Chapter 23: Confidence: Part Two 72 Chapter 24: Confidence: Part Three 74 Chapter 25: Recovering from Embarrassing Situations 80 Chapter 26: Building Your Reputation 83 Summary 87 THE THIRD PILLAR OF PROFITABLE NETWORKING: PROCEDURES Chapter 27: The Fundamentals 91 Chapter 28: Handshakes 93 Chapter 29: Name Tags 97 Chapter 30: Remembering Names 99 Chapter 31: Forgetting Names 103 Chapter 32: Dining Etiquette 105 Chapter 33: Objectives for Attending Events 110 Chapter 34: Calculating the Return on Investment for Events 112 Chapter 35: Networking Eff ectively with Spouses, Friends, and Work Colleagues 116 Chapter 36: Before an Event 119 Chapter 37: Understanding Event Flow 123 Chapter 38: Arrival 126 Chapter 39: Mingling Formula 128 Chapter 40: Initiating Dialogue 130 Chapter 41: Small, but Meaningful, Chat 133 Chapter 42: Listening 138 Chapter 43: Creating Mini-Bonds 140 Chapter 44: Exchanging Contact Information 144 Chapter 45: Moving On 146 Chapter 46: Breaking into Group Discussions 151 Chapter 47: Business Cards 153 Chapter 48: Communicating YOU 157 Chapter 49: Developing Your Own 5-10-15-Second Communication 163 Chapter 50: General Business Etiquette 166 Summary 177 THE FOURTH PILLAR OF PROFITABLE NETWORKING: STRATEGIC PLAN Chapter 51: Now What? 181 Chapter 52: The Logical First Step 183 Chapter 53: Electronic Filing System 188 Chapter 54: Categorizing Contacts 190 Chapter 55: Relationship-Development Action Plan 195 Chapter 56: Following Up 199 Chapter 57: Transitioning from Social to Business 206 Chapter 58: Maintaining Relationships 210 Chapter 59: Tapping into Your Network 213 Chapter 60: Staying Visible 217 Chapter 61: Online Networking 220 Chapter 62: Accessing the Traditional Media 225 Chapter 63: Finding Your Focus 229 Chapter 64: Filling Your Calendar 235 Chapter 65: Analyzing the Options 238 Chapter 66: Networking Ruts 243 Summary 245 Epilogue 247 About the Author 251
General Fields
- :
- : John Wiley & Sons Inc
- : John Wiley & Sons Inc
- : 0.32
- : 06 September 2012
- : 214mm X 137mm X 17mm
- : United States
- : books
Special Fields
- : Allison Graham
- : Paperback
- : 2nd Edition
- : 650.13
- : 272