Business Networking Tips in August 2006

Munchkin Musings

posted on August 30, 2006

It's been entirely too long since I've put any pictures of Colette up on my blog. She changes so fast it's amazing, and she's such a great teacher.Right now she's 8 months old and at the trying to figure out how to crawl and/or walk stage. She seems much more focused on standing and walking than crawling. Crawling doesn't seem to interest her very much and she'd much rather pull herself up by whatever nearby object will support her... When I'm around that's usually me!There are truly some valuable lessons to be learned in watching her. Like when you start something that's brand new it's REALLY hard. She's been working on this stuff for weeks and still can't crawl, stand or walk yet. How many of us would start a project, spend weeks working on it and still have the dedication to see it through even if we saw ZERO results. But we all know that she will walk, and before long she won't even think about it. She'll pop up and go running off someplace without a second thought.As adults we so rarely challenge ourselves to push through the challenges of learning a tough new skill like this. For me it's been very empowering to watch. Realizing that new skills are always difficult in the beginning, but if you stick with it long enough what now seems extremely difficult or maybe even impossible will be just the baseline with enough focus and dedication.Sound like something you might be able to apply to your networking skills or some other skill that can help you take your business to the next level?Now just look at that smile... If that doesn't just light you up I don't know what will (although I might be a bit biased)Happy Networking!Scott IngramNetworkInAustin.com

Author: Scott Ingram

Get Out of Your Networking Comfort Zone

posted on August 22, 2006

After getting out there and networking for a while many networkers will begin to get complacent and will spend the majority of their time with other networkers they’ve already built relationships with. They should be spending at least half of their time making new connections and growing their networks.   I’m a big believer in reconnecting at networking events, but don’t forget to meet new people. In fact use your existing contacts to help you make new connections at a networking event.   It’s also important to get out of your comfort zone every now and then and really make things happen. That might just be working your way into a group of folks that are already talking, or it might not even be at a networking event.   Something that I like to do every now and then is to call someone that I’m intimidated by and ask them to have coffee or lunch with me. I’m almost never turned down, and most of the time I find that reaching out and making that connection is extremely valuable. Plus, the more often you do it the easier it gets.   Try it right now. You probably already have someone in mind. Pick up the phone and simply ask if they’d be willing to sit down and have a cup of coffee with you. The hardest part is picking up the phone. I promise your fear is totally irrational. 9 times out of 10, especially here in Austin, the person on the other end will be glad you took the time to make the connection.   Happy networking!   Scott Ingram NetworkInAustin.com

Author: Scott Ingram

Why I'm a Rotarian

posted on August 13, 2006

I’ve been meaning to write this blog post for quite some time. In this post I’ll talk about why I’m a Rotarian, but I’m also planning on starting a series that will probably consist of about 1 post a week that profiles other local business and/or networking groups in Austin. Stay tuned!   I originally joined the Rotary Club of Fountain Valley in California after a good friend pestered me just about every time he saw me for an entire year. I’m really glad he was so persistent; it was probably one of the best things I ever did. That was in 2000. I became a member of the Rotary Club of Austin almost immediately after moving to Austin in 2004, it was one of my biggest priorities after getting here.   I am a Rotarian and will probably be a Rotarian for the rest of my life for several reasons.   The Four Way Test (An ethical test of all things Rotarians think, say and do): 1. Is it the Truth? 2. Is it Fair to all concerned? 3. Will it build Goodwill and better Friendships? 4. Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?   The main reason for my attraction to Rotary is this test, and the fact that most Rotarians subscribe to this test. They’re also focused on “Service Above Self.” Clearly these are the type of business professionals I like to associate with. Because of this principle I’ve found some incredible mentors through my association with Rotary. The funny thing is, the more I give the more I get back so I will be forever indebted to Rotary.   I could go on about Rotary for some time. Instead I’ll share 2 quick stories and if you’re interested in Rotary I’ll encourage you to join me for a meeting to see what it’s really about.   I once did a make-up meeting at the Laguna Beach Rotary Club. I sat next to a gentleman who spent 6 months of the year in Laguna Beach and the other half of the year in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In conversation with him I learned that the sister club of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii is the Rotary Club of Hiroshima, Japan. I think that says a lot!   As the Treasurer of the club in Fountain Valley I learned a lot about the Rotary Foundation. It’s probably one of the best run foundations in the world. They take everything the raise in a given year and invest those funds for 3 years. The interest that those investments produce over that 3 year period is what runs the Rotary organization. Then 100% of the principal from 3 years ago is spent on Rotary projects. Typically those projects are fun by Rotarians so we know that our money isn’t wasted. It’s truly amazing!   One last story (can you tell I love Rotary?). If it weren’t for Rotary and the friendships I built there I never would have met my wife. For that whole story you can read this article: My wife was referred to me by a Rotarian!   Again, if you’d like to be my guest at a Rotary Club of Austin meeting, or have other questions about Rotary please don’t hesitate to give me a call.   Happy networking!   Scott Ingram NetworkInAustin.com

Author: Scott Ingram

Give Referrals to Get Referrals

posted on August 7, 2006

I’m extremely aware of both the referrals I give and the referrals I receive. I suppose running a business networking website and writing a networking blog will do that to you.   I don’t actually track the number of referrals that I give. It’s such a part of the way that I operate that it would really be ridiculous to try and track the number. On average I’d say I give at least 3 referrals a day.   On the other hand I religiously track the referrals I receive. My memory doesn’t always work so well and I want to be sure I remember the folks who refer business to me. I’ve found that if someone refers me once they’re much more likely to refer me twice, and when someone refers me multiple times I know I need to take care of them because they will continue to take care of me.   That being said I’ve found that I have to give 4-5 referrals for every 1 that I receive. You truly can’t expect to get referrals unless you give referrals. The more you give the more you’ll get, but don’t expect the numbers to be equal.   Are your referral expectations in line with these numbers? You should expect to give more than you receive. In the end it usually works out pretty well… It certainly does for me.   Happy networking!   Scott Ingram NetworkInAustin.com

Author: Scott Ingram

What's Your Story?

posted on August 2, 2006

I think I’ll probably write some more about this in the future, but generally speaking I think 30 second elevator pitches are useless. I think it’s time we start looking beyond the elevator anyway. Besides, nobody talks in elevators… they’re almost as quiet as a men’s restroom.   Stories are so much more powerful. Think about the movies for example. Hollywood can throw hundreds of millions of dollars at a movie and it can still fail. Most of the time this happens because there’s not a good story behind the movie, and no amount of special effects and well known actors can overcome this core problem. Great stories are the same reason that Pixar hasn’t had a miss yet. Every one of their movies starts with a really great story.   So what’s your story? A good story is powerful, can help you get your point across much more clearly, and help you build credibility… and if you craft it right it won’t take much more than 30 seconds, although a couple of minutes is perfectly acceptable.   There are two kinds of stories that should serve you well when you’re out networking. A good business story should help someone understand more clearly what it is you do. The easiest of these is a customer success story. How did you help one of your customers? Who are they? What was their challenge? What were the results that you helped them produce?   The second type of story is a personal story. I’ll never stop saying it: “Networking is about relationships.” Telling a personal story is a great way to connect with someone you’re starting to build a relationship with. This can be about anything. The idea is to give your fellow networker a better glimpse of who YOU really are.   I have quite a few short stories about myself that I’ll often tell people when I’m getting to know them: How and why I started NetworkInAustin.com. Why Emily and I moved to Austin/Why we left California. How my wife was literally referred to me.   What’s your story? Think about how you might be able to better describe what you do, what makes you different, and who you are by telling stories. Besides, who doesn’t love a good story?   Happy networking!   Scott Ingram NetworkInAustin.com

Author: Scott Ingram