Just Ask – Strategic networking
Actually – it isn’t that simple, is it? I do think you need to consider whether, what you are asking, is something other people can answer.
I am an active networker both on and off line. I know that how you present your question will give you different responses. When you pose a question face to face you can always qualify it if it is misunderstood. However when you post a question online it can be a different kettle of fish.
This is a tenuous link but it’s worth a listen to this virtually unheard of Beatles track! Ask me why.
I love Facebook for its intimacy and have had fantastic feedback from people close to me. Twitter I haven’t ‘got’ quite yet but I am sure I’ll get there once I clear those from my in tray with the TwitterBug. Best of all I love LinkedIn for its professionalism. Recently I have had some fantastic answers from a couple of questions I have posed.
The second of those two questions has had the biggest response: I asked: “I want some bite size, amusing yet PC business anecdotes as an introduction to a business awards ceremony that I have been asked to MC later this year. Do you have any suggestions?” Now I did have to qualify the question after receiving a whole bunch of anecdotes about computers (PC) when what I actually meant was politically correct (PC) suggestions. That will teach me not to use jargon!
However, I did have a private message back from one of my connections, the author and international speaking guru Nigel Risner. He asked me to phone him on his private number. I did – and in a second he ignited the flame. This guy really ‘Had Me at Hello’. Whilst I am not decrying the other anecdotes – I will be including all in my brainstorm analysis, Nig suggested the perfect ‘Impact Code’. I was delighted. He is a darling!
My other LinkedIn question asked for examples where miscommunication cost your company a fortune. This will be the subject of my next Blog. Watch this space… In the meantime if you have any amusing one-line anecdotes about your business please feel free to comment.
PS – if you are interested in some strategic networking exercises – please find a discounted link to my Udemy course Strategic Networking for the confident networker
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Maybe
1. We need to spread ‘Just Give’ as well……
2. Could there be a funny story or two about the names of businesses! (Especially if the winners have an interesting name or two.) I seem to vaguely remember someone talking about that rather humorously in the past….IT in the name is always interesting – not always Information Technology related!
I’m personally always reminded to be ‘focussing on me’ whenever I mention ‘focussing on you’ – to those who know me well at least! A pretty good self-reminder so there’s no way I’m changing it, though admittedly use my product/service names first more often these days! But how is it some people choose nifty names, some opt out of the game by using their own name, and others have a strange sense of humour/reality/humanthought – bet the Impact code could explain that too!
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