‘A great, practical guide to all aspects of networking – stuffed with lots of quick and easy tips to help you leverage the power of your network.’ Ivan Misner, NY Times bestselling author and founder of BNI and Referral Institute 'This practical and easy-to-read book will quickly get you the results you need from your network.' Charlie Lawson, BNI UK and Ireland national director ‘A “must read” for anyone wanting to use the power of face-to-face AND online networking to generate career and business success.’ Andy Lopata, author of Recommended and And Death Came Third Up to 80 per cent of opportunities come from people who already know you, so the more people you know, the more chance you have of winning the new business or career you want. The Financial Times Guide to Business Networking is your definitive introduction to a joined-up networking strategy that really works. This award-winning book has now been fully updated to include new chapters on generating referrals and boosting your confidence when networking, as well as the latest advice on social networking sites.
This is a great book with a lot of information which I felt was a like to a textbook. The main takeaways I got away from this:
- Those who host networking events, benefit the most from networking opportunities and receive the most the exposure. - Taking up more responsibility in a community can present more opportunities for networking, i.e. being a board member. - It is best to be the specialist in a field to be a proven contact in a network. This could be in the form of writing a blog or generating content in some way. - Always ensure that when connecting with someone that you provide referral opportunities to gain social capital. - Set goals for networking opportunities to ensure that there is a purpose for connecting with people. - Always spend allocated time per week maintaining and nurturing your network.
Overall, the text could have been more light hearted as at times it felt like a lot of information to take in all at once. But enjoyed the content I got out of this.
To sum it up, a S.M.A.R.T format of networking strategy. It's easy to see how one can treat people as objects when talking about relationships in a defined way. It's a practical use of social science... does that make it a social engineering handbook? A handy reference nonetheless.
While there is nothing much in this book for an experienced professional , it may serve as a good introduction to business networking for those who are beginning their career. Read more details about this book in my business website http://www.rgopinath.com/2013/10/22/b...