From Business Cards to Business Relationships: Personal Branding and Profitable Networking Made Easy, Second Edition

  • 4h 18m
  • Allison Graham
  • John Wiley & Sons (US)
  • 2012

Want to supercharge your life? Effective networking is the answer and this book will teach you how.

Professionals of all stripes and ages are told to 'get out there' and network so they can build their careers, grow their businesses and elevate their influence in the community, but they are rarely taught the skills to do that. Most people are lost, intimidated by the idea of presenting their own personal brand, and frustrated when it comes to networking. Despite long hours at events and attempts to make the right connections, they aren’t seeing their desired results.

From Business Cards to Business Relationships is a start-to-finish guide that demystifies the networking process and teaches readers how to truly benefit from getting connected. Allison Graham provides an easy to follow road map that is adaptable to your personality, circumstances and growth goals. You will learn how to strategically decide where to go, what to do when you get there and what to do afterwards to turn those casual business card contacts into meaningful relationships. Allison's approach is based on the Four Pillars of Profitable Networking: Perspective, Personal Brand, Procedures, and a Strategic Plan.

This is a prescriptive, practical system based on the author's real-life experience of going from unconnected to connected in a short period of time. No cheesy gimmicks or high-pressure nonsense, just the skills and knowledge that will create success for anyone willing to do the work and follow this advice. Regardless of your past experience or current level of connectivity, your industry or profession, whether you're an entrepreneur or climbing the corporate ladder: you can accomplish whatever you want by meeting and connecting with the right people. From Business Cards to Business Relationships gives you the tools you need to cement a positive personal brand and build your own profitable network.

About the Author

Allison Graham is a corporate consultant and keynote speaker specializing in successful business development strategies for professional service providers and small business entrepreneurs. Her company, Elevate Seminars + Strategic Development Inc. (www.ElevateBiz.com) is based in London, Ontario. Allison writes a column and blog on networking and professional growth for the Sun Media chain, and blogs for the Huffington Post. She has contributed to and been quoted in several media outlets including the Financial Post and the Globe and Mail.

In this Book

  • Introduction
  • The Power of Building a Profitable Network
  • What Does Having a Strong Network Mean to You?
  • Expectations
  • What Networking is Not
  • Understanding Business Networking
  • Friendship versus Business Relationships
  • Education and Connection
  • The Business of YOU
  • Overcoming Age Objections
  • You Never Know Who's Watching
  • Your Ideal Personal Brand
  • Reality Check
  • Why it Matters
  • Personal Hygiene and Grooming
  • Professional Wardrobe
  • A Smile
  • Eye Contact
  • Authenticity
  • Approachability
  • The Tone and Pitch of Your Voice
  • Sense of Humor
  • Confidence—Part One—Understanding it
  • Confidence—Part Two—Developing Networking Confidence
  • Confidence—Part Three—Seven Steps to Elevate Your Confidence
  • Recovering from Embarrassing Situations
  • Building Your Reputation
  • The Fundamentals
  • Handshakes
  • Name Tags
  • Remembering Names
  • Forgetting Names—When Your Name Has Been Forgotten
  • Dining Etiquette
  • Objectives for Attending Events
  • Calculating the Return on Investment for Events
  • Networking Effectively with Spouses, Friends, and Work Colleagues
  • Before an Event
  • Understanding Event Flow
  • Arrival
  • Mingling Formula
  • Initiating Dialogue
  • Small, but Meaningful, Chat
  • Listening
  • Creating Mini-Bonds
  • Exchanging Contact Information
  • Moving on
  • Breaking into Group Discussions
  • Business Cards
  • Communicating YOU—The 5-10-15-Second Communication
  • Developing Your Own 5-10-15-Second Communication
  • General Business Etiquette
  • Now What?
  • The Logical First Step
  • Electronic Filing System
  • Categorizing Contacts
  • Relationship-Development Action Plan
  • Following up
  • Transitioning from Social to Business
  • Maintaining Relationships
  • Tapping into Your Network
  • Staying Visible
  • Online Networking
  • Accessing the Traditional Media
  • Finding Your Focus
  • Filling Your Calendar
  • Analyzing the Options
  • Networking Ruts
  • Epilogue—Become the Ultimate Connector and Make Your Mark!
  • Stay Connected with Allison Graham and ElevateBiz
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