Business Networking Tips Blog by: Scott Ingram

Be a Connector

posted on February 7, 2010

I can't believe that in nearly 5 years of blogging I've not yet written about being a connector. I guess it's never too late to start.All of the great networkers I know are also great connectors. Connecting is probably the highest impact thing a networker can do, and it takes so little effort.So how does one become a connector? Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

The Networking Culture in Austin, Texas

posted on January 31, 2010

I'm sitting in a hotel room in Boston, MA as a write this. On the flight out here I was reflecting on how different Austin is from so many other places in this country. There's something really special about Austin that probably brought us all here, since so very few of us are actually from here.This unique culture also impacts the networking culture in Austin, and in my experience it's quite a bit different than networking in other cities. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Beyond Personal Branding: Selling Yourself

posted on January 26, 2010

Just so we're crystal clear I'm not talking about prostitution here!What I'm talking about is what you do personally to sell yourself. Whether you're a consultant, a speaker, looking to advance your career or land your next job you're going to have to sell yourself. Even if you've got an incredible network who made the perfect referral and got you in the door as the best and only solution it's still going to be up to YOU to close the deal. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Reputation Management

posted on January 18, 2010

If you've been actively networking for a while you know that it is indeed a small world. Here in Austin this is especially true as everyone seems to know everyone else, at least within a degree or two. This has its positives and its negatives.At the end of the day your reputation is gold, and you've got to protect it. Good or bad people WILL talk about you.So what do you do? How does one protect their reputation? Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Find a Mentor

posted on January 11, 2010

One of the greatest networking relationships you can build is with a mentor. Getting to know someone who's been there done that down the road you'd like to travel can be incredibly helpful. So how does one go about finding a mentor?In my experience these types of relationships just sort of happen, and there's not been a ton of formality around them. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

New Year, New Network

posted on January 3, 2010

Ok, so my title really has very little to do with this blog post. It just sounded good and topical. What I really want to write about today is the importance of your core network, your inner circle. The people who are always there for you, and who try to help whenever they have the opportunity. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

What Does it Mean to be Networked in Austin?

posted on January 1, 2010

A subscription to NetworkInAustin.com costs $10 a month or less.  Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. cost nothing to start and attract millions of users. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

It's not an Either/Or Thing

posted on January 1, 2010

We love Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. They’re free and spilling over with traffic. But they’re not built for networking in Austin. You can try to make them so, but you’ll be swimming against the tide. Facebook is for staying in touch across distances. Linkedin is your resume file. Twitter is for microblogging. They’re not really built for turning the wheel of your network. They are more like spokes. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Teach Yourself to Fish!

posted on January 1, 2010

There’s no better place to learn how to network effectively in Austin than right here, right now. We’re not saying we invented Austin networking. We just perfected it. No, we’re not saying that either, of course. Networking is an ongoing process of improving communication skills and building valuable relationships. Like anything worth doing, it takes hard work and dedication to become good at it. Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram

Be Your Own Press Agent

posted on January 1, 2010

You don’t have to hire and manage a PR company to advertise your organization or beat the bushes for event attendees or spend a lot of valuable time posting fliers or press releases or emailing everyone you know.  With your subscription to NIA, the easy way to get the word out about your organization’s next Austin event is to leverage Network in Austin’s event management tools. In 2 to 3 minutes, you can add an event through your profile tools (My Events) that clearly shows potential Austin attendees: Your event title Your event description < Read more »

Author: Scott Ingram