by Dean Lindsay, author of Cracking the Networking CODE

Holiday Networking Tips (part one)

Holiday Networking Tip #8:  Careful of the Eggnog (and Miller Lite and Merlot).  Many holiday gatherings serve alcohol. I encourage you to consider not drinking at these events, or at least know your alcohol limit and not get anywhere close to it. Sure you want to be remembered, but not as the loud jerk who couldn’t hold his liquor and spilt red wine on Judge Jacob’s Hanukkah sweater.

Holiday Networking Tip #9:  Look for People Standing Alone.  These folks may be nervous, and your initiative will often endear you to them. Plus, one-on-one networking is the best networking. It is hard to join a group unless invited.

A CODE Tip on Joining a Group:  Look for someone you know who is chatting with a couple of people you do not know. Approach the group and stand to the side within view of the person you know. This serves as a subtle cue for your contact to introduce you to the group and bring you into the conversation. Try it. It works. If someone invites you to join the group but forgets to introduce you, take the initiative and introduce yourself.

Holiday Networking Tip #10:  Hang a While at the Food Table.  I know it sounds like I’m joking, but people tend to be easily accessible around food. Stand near the food table, but not the bar. People tend to grab their drinks and move away from the bar, but are more likely to linger near the grub.  As people check out the buffet table, small talk comes more easily. “That fruitcake looks good…” is as good an opener as any. Once they have their hands full, people often look for a flat surface where they can place their plate and beverage. Take a spot next to them and get to chatting.

Check this out — Our endorphin levels are higher when we are close to food, which boosts our memory and the chance that we will remember and be remembered. We humans are a trip, aren’t we?

Food Additive:  Do not go to these Holiday parties too hungry. Consider eating something before you go so you can focus on the person, not the cranberry cheese spread. If you are hungry at the event, grab a quick bite off to the side, and then mingle. Do not talk with your mouth full. (I hope I didn’t need to write that.)

Holiday Networking Tip #11:  Bond with the Spouses and Significant Others of the Influential.  The influence and power wielded by spouses and significant others is grossly underestimated. And because of this, they often go ignored. When offered the chance at a holiday function, invest the time to make a solid connection with them. Get to know them as people, and after the event they are likely to speak well of you to you know who.

Holiday Networking Tip #12:  Do NOT Try to do Major Business Deals (save that for later).  Keep business out of it. It’s the holidays, and people don’t want to be sold to. Make it about getting to know others and not about you or your business. Do not rush new relationships; think LONG TERM. Do not SELL! It is a mind-set. Be subtle. The worst thing you could do is try to start selling someone at a holiday party!

Holiday Networking Tip #13:  Catch That Name.  We say we forget names. But I don’t think that’s true. I don’t think we really hear the name of the person when we meet them. We are not listening. We are more focused on what we’re about to say.

The other person’s name is way important to them, probably about as important as yours is to you. To make a great first impression, make a point of catching and tossing around the person’s name in conversation. This is almost impossible when we are preoccupied with the red and green decorations or what we are going to do or say next to be impressive.

The Name Game                                                                                                                                                           

1. Right before you meet new people, PREPARE to CATCH their name.                                                                  

2. Toss their name back in your first or second response.                                                                                             

3. Mention their name naturally throughout the conversation (but do not overdo it).                                                  

4. Repeat their name when parting.

If you do not catch it, ask them to repeat it rather than letting it go. Do not be embarrassed to ask (they probably did not catch your name either). Read others’ nametags. That’s what they’re there for.  Again, your new contact’s name is the ultimate word to use in order to make a solid first impression. Using the person’s name in a natural manner throughout the conversation is an easy and organic way to create a memorable link between yourself and your new contact.

Holiday Networking Tip #14:  Uncover the Next Step (Mucho Importanto).  Find a reason (that is good for them) to connect them again and then… connect them again (and soon). Focus on — How can you “Be Progress” for this person?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.  Be Progress.

How can Dean Lindsay,  Be Progress for you?

Dean is ready to discuss your program – shoot him an email at: Dean@DeanLindsay.com or give him a buzz at: 214-457-5656

by Dean Lindsay, author of Cracking the Networking CODE

Tis the season for CONNECTING.  The holiday season can be a slow time for “business” but it can also be a busy time for “business relationship building.”  The holidays offer a great, easy and natural reason to re-connect with people we don’t regularly see or communicate with. So besides attending holiday gatherings, it is a wise investment of time to start phoning, mailing and emailing our Season’s Greetings and our Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah Wishes.

Now, as we know, every event offers networking opportunities and that includes holiday gatherings. In fact, holiday gatherings offer ideal opportunities to network because of their relaxed settings and built in conversations starters – holiday shopping, food, family holiday travel, etc.  Holiday gatherings are all around, we can’t make them all. We must be selective and careful not to overextend ourselves. However we can’t connect if we don’t go.  Here are the first 7 of 14 Holiday Networking Tips.

Holiday Networking Tip #1:  Arrive on Time and Ready to Help.  Be sure to offer the host/hostess your assistance. Volunteering at any event heightens the opportunities of connecting.

Holiday Networking Tip #2:  When Talking with Friends, Open Up.  Stand (somewhat) side-by-side and converse rather than standing face-to-face. This make us still approachable to others and does not close us off to others desiring to connect.

Holiday Networking Tip #3:  Carry Pen and Paper as well as Business Cards.  We need to be able to reconnect with folks and they might not to have thought about bringing cards.

Holiday Networking Tip #4:  Focus on Quality of the Conversation Not Quantity of Contacts.  Better to have a half dozen meaningful conversations that lead to progress than forty meaningless ones that don’t.

Holiday Networking Tip #5:  Branch Out (at some point).   Sure it is fun and comfortable to hang with your good old friends but there are new priceless business relationships to make out there also.

Holiday Networking Tip #6:  Get an Introduction to the Person You Want to Meet.  An introduction is an implied endorsement. Try to get introduced by the hostess/host or the most respected person at the event with whom you have a relationship.

Holiday Networking Tip #7:  Carry /Use Breath Mints or Those Dissolving Strip Things (not gum).  Sure you want to try the garlic artichoke dip but halitosis is bad for business. Good breath is a must. And as for gum, smacking anything at a networking function is discouraged.

7 more Holiday Networking Tips in next post!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.  Be Progress.

How can Dean Lindsay,  Be Progress for you?

Dean is ready to discuss your program – shoot him an email at: Dean@DeanLindsay.com or give him a buzz at: 214-457-5656

Gotta LOVE Google Alert.  Look what popped up in my In Box.  Thank you Beth!!

Gotta LOVE Google Alert.  Look what popped up in my In Box.  Thank you Beth!!

(excerpt from Cracking the Networking CODE  by Dean Lindsay)

Wow.  Cold-calling over the phone is tough.  Most sales professionals find it taxing and most consumers don’t like it much either.  Think about it.  Do you like to be cold-called?  Does it work on you? 

Cold Caller: Mr. Jun..dson? 

 Mr. Johnson: That’s Johnson.

 Cold Caller: Oh… (giggle) sorry.  Is Mr. Johnson there?

 Mr. Johnson: No.  (Click.)

Consumers dislike being solicited by phone so much that a law was passed enabling them to get their names on a “Do Not Call” list.  A whole bunch of people – 62 million, and counting! – got themselves on that list as soon as they could.  Maybe even you.  I know I did.  These consumers invested the time to get on this list to say a big, fat “NO thank you!  Please do not call me.” 

Now corporations are trying to find legal ways to keep phoning them up, sometimes even eating up consumers’ cell phone minutes. What is up with that?  Why call someone who has already told you they do NOT want you to call?  The Do Not Call list is a HUGE hint that these people do not like cold calls. 

They do not like them in the morning. 

They do not like them while they’re snoring. 

They do not like them while watching TV.

Not even ‘courtesy calls’ from AT&T. 

They do not like them about how to invest,

Or how to save more than all the rest.

They would not like them with a special rate.

They would not like them with an expiration date. 

Not with a special offer,

Not from a hacking cougher.

They do not like this telephone Spam.

They do not like it, Spam I am.               –   Thank you, Dr. Seuss.

 A solid and gracious way around the Do Not Call list is to get out and meet people.  You can earn a fortune – and have some fun in the process – building relationships with quality business professionals through networking.  Networking sets you apart from the ‘smile and dial’ boiler-room sales types who interrupt people’s dinner hour with their pitches.  Think of networking as using shared interests to create and cultivate mutually beneficial relationships.  It is the back-scratch boogie.

Don’t have the time? 

Make the time.  In today’s competitive environment, networking is an invaluable tool that no person in business can live without.

Be Progress.

Business Networking is the Way Around the “Do Not Call” List! is a excerpt from Cracking the Networking CODE  by Dean Lindsay.

(excerpt from Cracking the Networking CODE  by Dean Lindsay)

“When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.”   – Japanese Proverb

An introduction is an implied endorsement.  Try to get introduced by the most respected person at the event with whom you have a relationship.  Solid CODE crackers are always happy to play a part in your success and you look like a winner by association.

Who are the people who have established a good reputation?

Who loves to network and knows a lot of people?

These people have a large circle of influence and understand the power of networking.  They are quick to bond and make the most of relationships.  (Be sure to ask them if there is someone you can introduce them to.) 

Who are the solid networkers inside your network? 

Find out what they do.  Study the techniques of a successful networker.  Try to tag along with a well-connected person in your network to some of their normal networking functions and ask them to introduce you to a few of their contacts.  Give them some insight and direction by letting them know the kind of person you want to meet – the more specific the better.

A slight modification on the same strategy — Look for someone you know who is chatting with a couple of people you do not know. Approach the group and stand to the side within view of the person you know.  This serves as a subtle cue for your contact to introduce you to the group and bring you into the conversation.  Try it.  It works.  If someone invites you to join the group but forgets to introduce you, take the initiative and introduce yourself. 

Be Progress.

Business Networking Book Advice – Get an Introduction! is excerpt from Cracking the Networking CODE  by Dean Lindsay)

(excerpt from Cracking the Networking CODE

How you hold your physical body communicates a tremendous amount of information about you.  Be aware of presence power.  Studies suggest that a person will unconsciously interpret approximately 55% of the meaning of your message from physiological cues from your attire, body position, stance, and facial expressions. 

Body language, demeanor, and dress are important elements in making a lasting impression .  First impressions are often lasting impressions. So take pride in your appearance. Be fun and sociable. You are the number -one element in your success strategy.

How you look and present yourself matters.  You want to look smart and with -it.  You should not look untidy.  No messed up hair, wrinkled shirts, or loose ties.  In fact, the ideal wardrobe for a networking event is slightly better dressed than the other attendees.

Effective Business Networking Tips #1  Check yourself before you go out.  Do a 360 in front of a full -length mirror.  Would you want to talk to you?  Would you want to be seen talking to you? 

Effective Business Networking Tips #2  Ask someone’s opinion .  Take the advice of others about your appearance.  I ask my wife.  She has saved me from more than a few bad shirt/tie combos.   

However, do not rely on your “ together” look to cover up for sad puppy behavior or poor conversational ability.  Stand, speak, and act as if you were self-confident, attractive, vital.  If you have flair, use it.  Make sure you will be remembered in a positive way.  Be enthusiastic.  An enthusiastic attitude distinguishes the really cracking networkers from the so-so networkers.

Effective Business Networking Tips #3   - Speak with a positive countenance, exhibit confidence, and display a natural enthusiasm about your life and your work.  Be a walking-talking representation of life, in all its excitement and possibility.  How you say something means as much or more than what you say.  You are your best public relations representative.  You are the person who knows best what you do and what you have to offer others.

Effective Business Networking Tips #4 - Sit or stand up straight.  Gesture with power and confidence.  Be fully engaged.  Nod in agreement.  Smile.  Do not fold your arms or let your eyes wander off into the distance; look like you are having a good time.  People trust people who look them in the eye.  Do not shift focus.  The more you change your focus, the more new information your brain is taking in.  If you change focus frequently, you can overload your brain to the point where you are “at sea” and unable to focus on the issue at hand. 

Effective Business Networking Tips # 5 Be careful about shifting your weight while chatting with someone.  It communicates a lack of interest and confidence, and it can result in your contact feeling a lack of TRUST. 

Also, do not keep your hands in your pockets the whole time and jingle-jangle-jingle your keys or change.  You are not there to provide musical backup or percussion for the event.

 Think about this: 

Each positive first impression has the potential to turn into a priceless business relationship.  People want to do business with professionals who are excited about life and who look like they have their act together.

Be Progress.

(excerpt from Cracking the Networking CODE  by Dean Lindsay)

 Business Networking Speaker – Funny Video on How to Remember Names

Dean Lindsay, author of Cracking the Networking CODE: 4 Steps to Priceless Business Relationships
An authority on harnessing human potential and creating authentic business growth, business networking speaker Dean Lindsay is an engaging and highly sought-after business consultant and speaker. He is an active member of the Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy and the American Society of Training and Development.

Dean Lindsay sees an important connection between sales, motivation, solid customer care and leadership. All are achieved by effectively positioning ideas, recommendations, solutions, products, services – even ourselves – as PROGRESS in minds of those we wish to inspire to action. All must be positioned as Progress and NOT Change. It is natural to resist change but we embrace PROGRESS. All progress is change but not all change is PROGRESS.

Dean is a featured contributor to Executive Travel, Sales and Service Excellence and the American Management Association’s Moving Ahead magazine as well as the nationally distributed audio publication Selling Power Live. He has been spotlighted as an Outstanding Speaker by the International Association of Speakers Bureaus and recognized as a ‘Sales-and-Networking Guru’ by the Dallas Business Journal.

“Dean Lindsay is an outstanding thought leader on the subject of developing priceless business relationships.” — Willis Turner, President of Sales and Marketing Executives International

Dean has served as Guest Lecturer to International Customer Management Institute as well as both the UCLA and University of Dallas MBA programs. He is a Cum laude graduate of the University of North Texas and serves on the Executive Advisory Board for UNT’s Department of Marketing and Logistics and the Board of Directors of the UNT Alumni Association. Dean’s first book, Cracking the Networking CODE: 4 Steps to Priceless Business Relationships is Recommended Reading by United Professional Sales Association and Profit magazine.

Click for more info on Business Networking Speaker - Funny Video on How to Remember Names

Dean Lindsay, author of Cracking the Networking CODE: 4 Steps to Priceless Business Relationships

Look for something to acknowledge people for.  Genuinely complimenting someone costs you nothing, but to the recipient, a heartfelt compliment and the feelings it generates cannot be bought at any price. Recognition, encouraging words, and pats on the back are all excellent ways of making positive impressions, especially if done in front of others.

Mother Teresa

Avoid general compliments as they may just seem like flattery, “sucking up.” Much more powerful is a comment about something positive that person has done: compliment on behavior or achievements.

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” — Mother Teresa

A thoughtful person is a remembered person. Be generous of spirit. You will get back much more than what you put out. The end result of acknowledging and praising others is that you have given people reasons to speak well of you to others. Such word-of-mouth character endorsements are far more powerful than anything you could ever say about yourself.

It does not matter how successful a person is, or how good that person feels inside: it is always nice to know that others appreciate one’s personality, talent, uniqueness, attitude, or accomplishments. You can compliment someone about any one of hundreds of things. Just keep it real and don’t go overboard. Insincerity can be sensed.

By Dean Lindsay, Author of Cracking the Networking CODE

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” – JRR Tolkien

It might be tough out there, but Tis STILL the season for CONNECTING.

The holiday season can be a slow time for “business” but it can also be a busy time for “business relationship building.”

The holidays offer a great, easy and natural reason to re-connect with people we don’t regularly see or communicate with. So besides attending holiday gatherings, it is a wise investment of time to start phoning, mailing and emailing our Season’s Greetings and our Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah Wishes.

Now, as we know, every event offers networking opportunities and that includes holiday gatherings. In fact, holiday gatherings offer ideal opportunities to network because of their relaxed settings and built in conversations starters – holiday shopping, food, family holiday travel, etc.

Holiday gatherings are all around, we can’t make them all. We must be selective and careful not to overextend ourselves. However we can’t connect if we don’t go.

Here are 14 Overlooked Holiday Networking Tips

Overlooked Holiday Networking Tip #1 

Arrive on Time and Ready to Help.

Be sure to offer the host/hostess your assistance. Volunteering at any event heightens the opportunities of connecting.

Overlooked Holiday Networking Tip #2

When Talking with Friends, Open Up.

Stand (somewhat) side-by-side and converse rather than standing face-to-face. This make us still approachable to others and does not close us off to others desiring to connect.

Overlooked Holiday Networking Tip #3

Carry Pen and Paper as well as Business Cards.

We need to be able to reconnect with folks and they might not to have thought about bringing cards.

Overlooked Holiday Networking Tip #4

Focus on Quality of the Conversation Not Quantity of Contacts.

Better to have a half dozen meaningful conversations that lead to progress than forty meaningless ones that don’t.

Overlooked Holiday Networking Tip #5

Branch Out (at some point)

Sure it is fun and comfortable to hang with your good old friends but there are new priceless business relationships to make out there also.

Overlooked Holiday Networking Tip #6

Get an Introduction to the Person You Want to Meet.

An introduction is an implied endorsement. Try to get introduced by the hostess/host or the most respected person at the event with whom you have a relationship.

Overlooked Holiday Networking Tip #7

Carry /Use Breath Mints or Those Dissolving Strip Things (not gum).

Sure you want to try the garlic artichoke dip but halitosis is bad for business. Good breath is a must. And as for gum, smacking anything at a networking function is discouraged.

Overlooked Holiday Networking Tip #8

Careful of the Eggnog (and Miller Lite and Merlot)

Many holiday gatherings serve alcohol. I encourage you to consider not drinking at these events, or at least know your alcohol limit and not get anywhere close to it. Sure you want to be remembered, but not as the loud jerk who couldn’t hold his liquor and spilt red wine on Judge Jacob’s Hanukkah sweater.

Overlooked Holiday Networking Tip #9

Look for People Standing Alone.

These folks may be nervous, and your initiative will often endear you to them. Plus, one-on-one networking is the best networking. It is hard to join a group unless invited.

A CODE Tip on Joining a Group –

Look for someone you know who is chatting with a couple of people you do not know. Approach the group and stand to the side within view of the person you know. This serves as a subtle cue for your contact to introduce you to the group and bring you into the conversation. Try it. It works. If someone invites you to join the group but forgets to introduce you, take the initiative and introduce yourself.

Overlooked Holiday Networking Tip #10

Hang a While at the Food Table.

I know it sounds like I’m joking, but people tend to be easily accessible around food. Stand near the food table, but not the bar. People tend to grab their drinks and move away from the bar, but are more likely to linger near the grub.

As people check out the buffet table, small talk comes more easily. “That fruitcake looks good…” is as good an opener as any. Once they have their hands full, people often look for a flat surface where they can place their plate and beverage. Take a spot next to them and get to chatting.

Check this out — Our endorphin levels are higher when we are close to food, which boosts our memory and the chance that we will remember and be remembered. We humans are a trip, aren’t we?

Food Additive:

Do not go to these Holiday parties too hungry. Consider eating something before you go so you can focus on the person, not the cranberry cheese spreed. If you are hungry at the event, grab a quick bite off to the side, and then mingle. Do not talk with your mouth full. (I hope I didn’t need to write that.)

Overlooked Holiday Networking Tip #11

Bond With the Spouses and Significant Others of the Influential.

The influence and power wielded by spouses and significant others is grossly underestimated. And because of this, they often go ignored. When offered the chance at a holiday function, invest the time to make a solid connection with them. Get to know them as people, and after the event they are likely to speak well of you to you know who.

Overlooked Holiday Networking Tip #12

Do NOT Try to do Major Business Deals (save that for later).

Keep business out of it. It’s the holidays, and people don’t want to be sold to. Make it about getting to know others and not about you or your business. Do not rush new relationships; think LONG TERM. Do not SELL! It is a mind-set. Be subtle. The worst thing you could do is try to start selling someone at a holiday party!

Overlooked Holiday Networking Tip #13

Catch That Name.

We say we forget names. But I don’t think that’s true. I don’t think we really hear the name of the person when we meet them. We are not listening. We are more focused on what we’re about to say.

The other person’s name is way important to them, probably about as important as yours is to you. To make a great first impression, make a point of catching and tossing around the person’s name in conversation. This is almost impossible when we are preoccupied with the red and green decorations or what we are going to do or say next to be impressive.

The Name Game

1. Right before you meet new people, PREPARE to CATCH their name.

2. Toss their name back in your first or second response.

3. Mention their name naturally throughout the conversation (but do not overdo it).

4. Repeat their name when parting.

If you do not catch it, ask them to repeat it rather than letting it go. Do not be embarrassed to ask (they probably did not catch your name either). Read others’ nametags. That’s what they’re there for.

Again, your new contact’s name is the ultimate word to use in order to make a solid first impression. Using the person’s name in a natural manner throughout the conversation is an easy and organic way to create a memorable link between yourself and your new contact.

Overlooked Holiday Networking Tip #14

Uncover the Next Step (Mucho Importanto).

Find a reason (that is good for them) to connect them again and then… connect them again (and soon). Focus on — How can you “Be Progress” for this person?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Be Progress.

Eight Holiday Organization Tips (Guest Blog Post)