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Are “Degrees of Separation” Important to Networking?
Posted on March 30, 2017 at 5:53 PM |
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In the early 90’s three Pennsylvania college boys with too much time on
their hands decided that every actor living or dead could be linked to Kevin
Bacon. Although never a big box office
draw, Bacon has been in a significant number of films and the boys discovered
that if you use Bacon as an end point, you can link him in six degrees or less
to almost any other performer. So, from
that humble beginning The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon was born. For example, Alfred Hitchcock and Elvis Presley can both be linked to
Kevin Bacon. Just for fun let’s imagine that Kevin Bacon is an open networker and
all the actors in this example are currently living. Kevin would like to add to
his suspense and psychological thriller genres and believes Alfred Hitchcock
could be just the ticket. Kevin Bacon contacts Jack Nicholson: Jack, I hope all well! Hey, I
really enjoyed working with you on “A Few Good Men.” I wanted to reach out to you and see if you could help with an introduction
to Alfred Hitchcock. I know you are not directly connected to Alfred, but you
were in “A Safe Place” with Orson Wells. And Orson Wells was in “Show Business at War” with Mr. Hitchcock. Based on those common connections, could I ask you to pass along my
request? Jack Nicholson replies to Kevin Bacon: Kevin,
you can’t handle the truth! “A Safe Place” was a critical and box-office disaster! In fact, Time magazine called the film
"pretentious and confusing.” Wow, sorry to hear that. But can I depend on you to sell my
introduction to Mr. Hitchcock through Mr. Wells? Son we live in a world that has walls, social
capital walls, “what’s in it for me” walls.
But OK Kevin, I’ll do you a big favor,
but I’m not making any promises. Jack Nicholson contacts Orson Wells: Orson, I hope all is well! Hey, it’s been awhile since we worked
together on “A Safe Place,” but I’ve got this young friend who would like to
meet Alfred Hitchcock. I noticed you and
Alfred worked together on “Show Business at War.” Would you be open to making that
introduction? Orson’s reply to Jack: Jack, I had completely forgotten we worked
together. In fact, I almost deleted your
message without even reading it. You
see, I’ve tried to erase the “A Safe Place” experience from my mind because it
was such a disaster. Concerning your
request, no I can’t help. I wouldn’t
feel comfortable reaching out to Mr. Hitchcock.
You see “Show Business at War” was a short film, only 17 minutes in length. It was sponsored by Time Inc. in 1943 to tout
the United States film industry’s contribution to the Second World War effort. And the fact of the matter is that I never personally
met Alfred during that brief project. So what point, conclusions or action steps am I trying to
make here? 1. If you are an open networker,
and that strategy works for you, keep doing what you are doing. I would never order a “code red” on a
strategy that is delivering results. 2. If that strategy is not
working then order the code red immediately because “The Strength of Weak Ties”
theory does not guarantee networking success. Asking connections of connections for a favor is a difficult
tactic to pull off. In those situations
it’s obvious that your focus is completely self-centered, and most people are
afraid of being taken advantage of by people they barely know or have no
emotional investment in. |
How to Engage a Social Media Influencer
Posted on May 4, 2015 at 8:18 AM |
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How many social
media blogs and white papers have you read where one of the first points of
advice reads: “Find the key influencers in your space and engage them.” Finding key
influencers is not that hard. Engaging key influencers is much more
difficult than most people realize. In fact, most social media managers
struggle with this task because they have never been trained on how to approach
an important influencer. OK, I can already feel the heat rising from that
last statement and you may very well disagree. Let me explain my B2B
point-of-view before you turn on the flames. First of all, it’s not just
social media managers who fumble with the influential. Most people
approach key influencers incorrectly because approaching key influencers is not
unlike approaching a key executive decision maker. So, how many of your
employee’s had training specific to the approach of C-level “shark tank” type
buyers? Is your answer zero on the social media marketing team? Key
B2B social media influencers are like top B2B executive level decision makers
for the following reasons: 1. They have an
audience who listens to them. In many cases that audience is much larger and
more loyal than any corporate executive could ever hope for. 2. They have their
own point-of-view and agenda. Of course they do. Did you think they
became influential by being a social profile wall flower that only curates
other people’s material? 3. They have a
healthy ego. That is they are confident in their knowledge and comfortable
expressing their own opinion. Don’t try to put your words in their mouth. 4. They are
responsible for capital. Social capital and in some cases a real P&L.
Like all top executives they are not going to just hand over a piece of their
capital without getting value in return. So, have you even thought about
a “value proposition?” 5. They are human.
That means first impressions matter. Yes, they are sizing you up in the first
couple of seconds. It also means they ask themselves “what’s in it for
me?” each time you make a request for their time and attention. 6. It’s personal.
It’s always personal; don’t let anyone tell you different. If you’re
using social media automation (auto DM’s, etc.) to get your messages through
you’re wasting your time. They are not going to just pop over and “Like”
your Facebook page. In other words, don’t expect results from your
automated “call-to-action” requests. 7. They are busy.
That’s how they became influential. 8. You must learn
to listen with rapt attention. Key influencers like key executives want to be
heard and understood. If your initial communications suggest that you
want them to “find out what you do” so you can “see if there is a fit” you are
really kidding yourself. You need to prove you are listening (reading
their blogs, tweets, etc.) and engaging with their agenda first. 9. You must have
unlimited energy and patience. You may need to engage them for a very long time
before you catch their eye and they start replying to your comments. This
rapport building time is necessary and cannot be avoided. 10. Do not think in terms of “closing” the influencer. Key
influencers like key executives do not like to “be closed.” You want to
build a long-term relationship with the influencer and that means working to
show them how you are “opening doors,” not closing deals. There are
additional points I could raise, but these are a good start. Can you
change your current mindset in order to work with B2B social media influencers?
Your intern may know how to set up a Facebook page and search for hashtags on
Twitter. But are you providing training on how to swim with the
sharks? You need to because in many cases B2B social media influencers
and key B2B executive buyers are one in the same. |
How to Establish Business Rapport in 140 Characters or Less
Posted on April 16, 2015 at 10:42 AM |
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In
2002 Nicholas Boothman penned a book titled “How
to Connect in Business in 90 Seconds or Less.” Pinterest wasn’t around in 2002, so yes, I
mean he is the author. It was a spin-off
from a book he released in 2000 titled “How to
Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less.” In his books Boothman states that research
has shown that we have approximately 90 seconds to make a favorable impression
when we first meet someone. “If meeting is
the physical coming together of two or more people, then communicating is what
we do from the moment we are fully aware of another’s presence. And between these two events - meeting and
communicating - lies the 90-second land of rapport that links them together.” How
quickly can you build rapport with others?
Without rapport, you will not get what you want, but when you have it a
lot of opportunities appear. Obviously Boothman’s
works are focused on face-to-face situations because they were written before social
media came on the scene. But I believe
many of the suggestions he offered can be applied to the social media world. 1. Rule Number One: When you meet someone, look
them in the eye and smile. Online this
means make sure your profile picture is business class. When you follow someone, or are following back
a new connection the first thing they are looking at is your picture. I don’t want to see a picture of your company
logo pasted into the spot where your face belongs. Also, you might be a fun loving adventurist
mountain climber in great shape. But
your end goal is to try and schedule a business meeting with me. So, is that really the picture you want to
use to create my initial impression?
Remember, I’m making a decision in just a couple of seconds on whether
or not to take you seriously and at this point of our relationship I don’t care
about your personal life. I care about
people who can add value to my day. 2. Rule Number Two:
When you want them to feel like they already know you, be a chameleon. What does a chameleon do? They instinctively know how to fit in. Online this means you need to fit into your
target markets world and not force them to feel like they need to follow your
world. Here is a suggestion on how to quickly
connect with your audience and improve your social graces: Before: “I hope you
enjoy my tweets.” After: “I’m looking
forward to reading your tweets.” See
the difference? A chameleon makes it
about their environment and synchronizes appropriately. When you adapt to their world they will feel
more comfortable and be more inclined to like you. 3. Rule Number
Three: Capture the imagination, and you capture the heart. Online this means your content needs to
build trust and fire the imagination.
What does your content look like?
Do your blog posts tell a story?
Or are they guaranteed to
induce sleepiness? Is your
Twitter stream engaging, or nothing but “Thank You for Following” messages post
after post? Coercion
is about getting people to do what you want them to; persuasion is about
getting them to want to do what you want them to do. Persuasion takes more time. It requires understanding your target markets
needs and desires. You need to develop
trust by building rapport and credibility, and minimizing their risk. If you’re not getting what you want from your
online networking behavior it’s time to change your strategy. |
Are You a Social Buzzkill?
Posted on March 31, 2015 at 8:20 AM |
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Imagine that you’re attending a major conference. It’s time to head over to the networking
kick-off session. You’ve got your
business cards in your pocket and your elevator speech is locked and
loaded. You’ve brushed up on current events
and read the speakers backgrounds so you are ready to keep the conversation
light and engaging. And then it happens; you run into a social buzzkill. He’s looking at your name tag now… “Welcome Alan, thanks for shaking my
hand! Now, if it’s not too much trouble
could you get out your smart phone and Like my Facebook page? While you’re at it take a look at my website,
and read my blogs and let me know what you think. Also, let’s connect on Facebook and LinkedIn. My company helps marketers get new customers. Can we schedule a quick 30 minute demo to
show you our stuff?” Just let me know
how I can help you! Well, here’s my business card, have a great conference!” What a buzzkill. Although, I’ll
have to admit; at a face-to-face networking event I’ve never had that kind of
greeting. Why does it feel like a common
occurrence when you’re on a social platform?
True networking is a give and take exercise. I learn about you, and you learn about me. We explore to see if there might be a mutual
benefit. Here are three signs that you
might be a Twitter buzzkill: 1. Social
begging: OK. It’s not really
begging. But you immediately request
your new connections to “Like” your Facebook page, read your blog, or connect
on LinkedIn. You might even do all three
through your automated direct message application you are using. Automation can be helpful, and I understand
the “call-to-action” temptation; but you need to turn it off. You wouldn’t make a frontal attack like that
during an initial face-to-face meeting, and you shouldn’t do it on a social
platform. 2. Extreme
thankfulness: Is it possible to be
over-the-top with thankfulness? I
graduated from Abilene Christian University and I don’t find it difficult to be
thankful for many things. But I’m still
going to put this on the table. When
your Twitter stream is just one long line of “thanks” or “welcomes” to your new
followers it gets kind of annoying. Even
more annoying because you are doing it with an automation tool. Plus, I’m not getting an idea of what real content
you can offer. We get it; you’re excited
(and thankful) to be building an audience.
But again, turn off the automation.
When you list me with six or seven new followers all at once, and three
of them are bots, it’s not like I really feel special. Save the thanks and welcomes for key situations. 3. Welcome,
but no follow: You probably wouldn’t
offer someone your business card, and then refuse to accept theirs. But that’s what it feels like when you
welcome a new follower, but don’t follow them back. It might be that your follower to follows
ratio is out of balance and you can’t follow more profiles just yet. If that’s the case you need to unfollow
someone who hasn’t followed you back yet in order to make room. Don’t risk losing your new follower by
telling them you’ll follow them later.
You’ll forget, or they may unfollow you if you don’t follow them back
within a certain period of time. I’ll get off my high horse now. After
all, it’s not like I’m the Ann Landers of Twitter. In fact, you may totally disagree with the
points above. I do really like the buzz
on Twitter though, and hate to see it killed. |
Social Networking Choke Points
Posted on March 29, 2015 at 11:17 AM |
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A choke point is a strategic channel which could be closed
or blocked to stop sea traffic. At the Strait of Gibraltar,
where Spain reaches for Morocco, only eight miles separate Africa from Europe. It’s a
strategic location that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean
Sea. When the world’s
economy depended on merchant ships, control of Gibraltar
meant control over the flow of products and profits to merchants throughout a
large portion of the world. Have your social networking messages sailed into a choke
point? It’s no secret in today’s
relationship economy that your prospect is in control of their Networking
Strait. And that means where rapport
reaches for credibility, a value-based relationship is built, and only then can
the flow of products and profits begin. Some
relationships appear to be no more than anonymous encounters, lasting only as
long as it takes to finish a simple transaction. Others are the prelude to a full merger of
supply and demand chains. Whatever the
duration or objective, strategic relationships generally depend on mutual value
and trust. Why you’re
not getting that demo appointment To enter an Executive Networking Strait you must be prepared to deliver
a communication experience that builds rapport, credibility and creates
value. Unfortunately, that’s not what
generally happens. Whether by email,
telephone, or through social media, the gist of the initial communication is
often the following: The usual headline or grabber statement “Quick Question” or “Follow-up” or “Just reaching
out”
Alan,I wanted to reach out because our fully oxygenated, holistic,
end-to-end digital marketing solution is revolutionary. I’d love to get a quick 30 minutes of your
time for a demo so you can see the full power and scope of our
capabilities. What time would work best
for you? Or is there someone on your team I should be working with?
or
Alan,Based on your title and background, I thought our marketing solution
would be of interest to you. Feel free
to visit our website to learn more about us.
I’d love to do a quick demo so you can see the features and
benefits. You can go to this (URL here)
to schedule a time that works best for you. or Alan,We seem to have several groups and interests in common. Would you be open to a quick call? We’re doing some exciting things here and I
think our solution would be a good fit. I’m a little over-the-top with my examples, but not by
much. Yes, in general you can assume
that the CMO has a budget and authority to buy (the B and A of the traditional
BANT qualification mechanism). And
according to a Gartner report, by 2017 the CMO will spend more on IT than the
CIO. So, of course you want to go
straight for a top decision maker, who has dollars to purchase, and jump-start
the sales process with an eye popping demonstration. If the CMO could just see the product in
action, they would instantly understand the value and sign the order. However; I’m going to assume that your days
are not completely booked with those types of executive level meetings. Whether the CMO is managing a global organization, or a
start-up, the marketing technology landscape they are facing is large and
continues to grow. Large or small, the
CMO doesn’t want to have their time wasted.
So, they’re probably not going to just stroll over to your website to
“learn more about” your company. In
addition, they generally don’t open their calendars for total strangers to talk
to them about something they are ill-informed about, or currently couldn’t care
less about. In short, you are pushing
buttons that turn them off, so it’s no wonder they rarely return your call or
reply to your digital invitation. You
want to project yourself as a “thought-leader,” someone who can be
trusted. But at this point the CMO is
not thinking of you as a thought-leader nor as a future trusted advisor. At this point, you are merely another transactional
salesperson chasing a quota. A Roadmap to Navigate the Executive Networking
Strait The networking roadmap appears straight forward, but
customer relationships are sometimes messy and emotional. In addition, customer relationships cannot be
microwaved. If your communication style
is based on “always-be-closing,” where every message must contain a
“call-to-action,” then social networks may not be the right communication
channel for your accelerated time frame.
Remember, your communications need to focus on creating rapport,
building credibility and demonstrating value over the long-term: ·Rapport: Rapport is the ability to understand each
other’s feelings or ideas and communicate well.
Without rapport, you will not get what you want - not friends, not
demos, not sales. ·Credibility: Is the
quality of being believable. Its confidence
in your competence in the topic or idea you are trying to present. ·Value: The relationship creates some form of
value that clearly contributes to the fulfillment of the customer’s needs and
desires, or helps them mitigate risk. Think about those three factors for a minute. They have a lot in common with a job
interview. Yes, in many ways when you
are trying to contact a top decision maker you are on a job interview. Have you been thinking of that initial contact
in that light? ·Making a
good first impression: There is no
room for error here. The executive you
are trying to reach is probably going to check you out on LinkedIn first in
order to understand your background and credentials. Does your presence on the major social
platforms set a professional tone? Is
the executive likely to view you … not your company and not your solution
portfolio … as someone capable of adding value to their day? ·Listen: This means listening with your full
attention. Read their blogs, review
their LinkedIn profile from top to bottom, and follow their posts on
Twitter. Show them you are interested in
understanding how they feel by listening with empathy. ·Stop
trying to close: Top executives don’t
like “being closed,” or pounced on. Just
because they followed you back on Twitter doesn’t mean it’s time to ask for a
short demo to “see if there is a fit.”
In fact, just because they followed you on Twitter doesn’t mean it’s
immediately a good time to suggest connecting on LinkedIn. Yes, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are all
social networking platforms. But
connection on one doesn’t equal immediate and automatic connection on all of
them. They probably have a different networking
strategy for each platform so you are shooting yourself in the foot by trying
to move to fast. Nurture the
relationship before suggesting deeper engagement. |
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