When you attend events, do you have a plan?  Recently, a client
said he was going to attend a trade show as a way to develop
business.  When asked about his plan, he said he didn't have one.

At a recent networking presentation, the Gurus were asked, "You
said that talking about personal topics is good, but if I'm at a
business networking event, isn't that inappropriate?  Won't the

Are you getting the results you want from your networking? 
Are you giving business referrals to the people you meet but not
getting referrals?

Last month we talked about elegant exits – how to end a
conversation gracefully. Of course, in order to end a conversation,
you first have to start one.   So how do you start a conversation?

Have you ever had a conversation at a networking event where the
conversation died after the initial exchange of "Hi, how are yous?"
We all have.  Here are three ways to keep a conversation alive.

Do you assume that networking happens only at something called "a
business networking event"?  If you do, you're missing out!  We've
said it before and we'll say it again, networking is about

Although nothing beats face-to-face contact, using on-line
networking allows you to expand your network in ways that just
aren't possible in person.  For example, you can search from among

Lately, everywhere we look, from the in-flight magazine in our
front seat pocket to the Style section of The Sunday Denver Post we
notice an article on networking, the right way to network, the 

One of the most important ways to build and nurture your network is
to respect it.  Treat the people in your network the way you want
to be treated.  This sounds simple, yet we find people abuse their

At a recent networking event we noticed someone working the room by
passing out business cards faster than a poker dealer in Vegas.
Later, someone told us,  "I don't know who that person was but they

At a recent networking presentation we were asked this question by
a graphic designer: I'm looking to meet CEO's, CFO's or COO's, but
when I'm out networking, I meet mostly middle and lower-level

When was the last time you received a referral, a good referral,
from someone in your network?  If you answered never or not
recently, it could be that the people in your network don't know