Guest Blogger Adrian Miller writes on How to Screw Up a Good Introduction

Before I let you read the guest blog post, I have to set the stage:
Have you ever met a person who exudes so much vitality and business savvy that you are left saying to yourself, "Wow, I REALLY need to get to know that person better. I have so much to learn from him/her."

Adrian Miller is unique in these areas. I am fortunate to know her and had her come make a great sales presentation to a private group of clients. My clients loved her!

She knows some amazing people and routinely networks people. I know this personally, she has connected me to the leader of a great group of nonprofit consultants in NYC!

Recently, she has started a unique way of bringing people together in virtual network sessions she calls Adrian's Network. Check it out!

Adrian recently posted a piece on Gotham's list-serve and I wanted to repeat it on my blog. It was that good.

It's called How to Screw Up a Good Introduction and since we are all guilty of this sometime, I thought it was worth distributing on this blog. Enjoy.

How to Screw Up a Good Introduction

Networking isn’t a short-term strategy. It’s not about power selling and moving onto the next lead. Smart networkers understand this concept.

Unfortunately, there are many misguided networkers out there that thoroughly don’t “get” the give and take of networking. They only consider introductions as opportunities to sell and irritate fellow business professionals with their short-sighted, myopic view of networking. They don’t take the time to explore all of the potential opportunities and feel that is more important to lunge ahead and aggressively sell to anyone who is put in contact with them.

If you’re having a lack of success with your networking efforts, it’s well worth your time to explore how you are approaching introductions. Some questions to ponder:

Are You Taking the Time to Get to Know New Contacts?
Relationships of all types, including those with networking contacts, require a period of discovery. How can you begin to explore how you can help each other until you understand each others needs, wants, capabilities, likes, and dislikes?

Are You Looking For Ways to Help Them?
Only after you have a good understanding of how you can possibly work together can you begin to offer suggestions. Use the information that you’ve gathered to find logical, thoughtful ways to help.

Are You Uncovering All Possible Opportunities?
Again, networking is a process not a one-time effort. Don’t stop at one attempt to assist a new acquaintance.

Are You Making Yourself Available?
Out of sight, out of mind definitely certainly applies to networking. Keep in good contact with your new networking acquaintance and provide them with all of your contact information so that they can reach you.

Start reading her blog.

I welcome your comments and war stories, and I encourage you to reach out to Adrian and get to know her and her work. Thanks for everything, Adrian!

Spotlight on...The Friends of PS 169

This spotlight is on my new client The Friends of PS 169 in New York City. For over 50 years, they have been ensuring inner city special needs kids can go to summer camp in the country.

The Friends needed an online donation presence and it came to my attention at a luncheon in New York last fall. One thing led to another and they had 2 friends whose firms provided probono webdesign (Canfield Design Studios) and copy writing (Geraldine Newman Communications / NEWTHYNK). We added the online payment functions, and VOILA! it's up and running, accepting donations. Add mail and email blasts and some donor goodness and this should be another happy summer for a lot of kids.

Have a look at what can be done with marvelous teamwork to ensure a good cause continues its tradition of reaching out to assist those who can benefit most.
We are pleased to have had a small part int his effort.





This is the first of a series of spotlights on nonprofit clients when they have some news to share. If you want me to spotlight your organization, please let me know.

cool website

Go to www.interesting.com
It literally caught my eye when a friend sent some holiday cards a month or so ago.
(Thanks Ellin!)

You can customize fine art work on an e-postcard and it really catches the recipient's attention.
I sent some to recent University of Phoenix graduates that I had taught and I think I will start using this to thank new clients for their business. Today I have someone to send a thank-you to.

Thanks!

First, I want to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving.

Be thankful for:

· the business relationships you have earned this past year,

· for the friends you rely on,

· for the family that surrounds you, and

· for those who are trying to make significant changes to preserve, and improve, our way of life.

Second, thanks to those of you who are my clients.

Finally and not insignificant in the least, thank you for the gift that is Gotham.

Thank you to those who have referred business to me (you know who you are and how special that is to me).

I value my entire network of business relationships, for whom I try to provide the attention and service we all deserve but seldom receive.

Have a great holiday!

Client seminars

We just held our first, in what I hope will be monthly, free client seminars, in this case for my not-for-profit clients.
The repsonse was great as we filled the room, and the comments were even better, as this one was unsolicited:

Hi Marc,
Thank YOU. The seminar exceeded my expectations. I really did get quite a bit out of it. Thank you for that and for being a pleasure to work with.

I think it encapuslates that we can actually help you in non-monetary ways.
All the best.

We have been featured in FastCompany's blog today

We were very pleased to receive a phone call from Ruth Sherman, a nationally-known training coach for speakers, whose expertise is in personal and business communications.

She heard we mail hand-written Thanksgiving thank-you's to clients.

Here's what resulted. http://blog.fastcompany.com/experts/ on Nov 15th. Thanks, Ruth!

It's just another way we are different than the competition....

Have a great holiday. Thanks for reading this blog.