Shannon's thoughts on marketing, public relations, social technology, entrepreneurship and other things

Shannon Mouton
Shannon Mouton

the principal at Topaz Consulting, is a relationship marketing professional, with a passion for utilizing social technology for building B2B/B2C relationships, sharing information, networking and advancing the greater good. She has over 20 years of public relations, marketing and community building experience. Her combination of political, nonprofit, higher ed and corporate experience has afforded her opportunities to build communities where none existed, develop and launch innovative programming and bridge generational, economic and racial divides.

Shannon serves on the board of directors for the In Series, a Washington, DC performing arts organization. She is a regular contributor to Women Grow Business and Discover Exceptionalism, and her blog, Shannon Sez So, examines life's joys, pains and idiosyncrasies. Shannon is the founder of Topaz Consulting, a DC based marketing consultancy with a nationwide portfolio of clients. She graduated from Mount Vernon College (now part of The George Washington University) and is a proud native Washingtonian.

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2011 (31)
2010 (74)
 

Networking For Success

"Networking is crucial to success."
How many of you have heard this time and again? How many of you are uncomfortable networking?

You were taught to the WIIFM Approach to Networking:

  • have your business card at the ready, easily accessible, no fumbling for it
  • confidently walk up to John Doe, look him eye-to-eye
  • give him a firm handshake, not too soft and not too hard
  • say your name and title clearly, with a smile on your face
  • give your elevator pitch, which you've repeatedly rehearsed
  • listen to John give you his information, you're nodding, though not really listening
  • you and John exchange cards, neither of you writing any notes on them
  • take a sip of whatever you are drinking, say you will call, knowing you won't
  • you move to the next person to repeat the cycle, believing John will call because you are brilliant and he needs you to do something or other
  • and, you wait for John, or anyone from that night, to call you
Answer this question, did anyone ever call you?

Networking is often seen as a one-way endeavor, to find someone to help you; however, the true benefits of networking come when you focus outwardly versus inwardly. If you approach networking as a opportunity to help others first and yourself second, it will become easier, less stressful and even enjoyable.

Nugget of knowledge: Networking in the 21st century is about fostering mutually beneficial relationships.

Imagine this scenario:

  • have your business card and a pen at the ready, easily accessible
  • confidently walk up to John Doe, look him eye-to-eye
  • give him a firm handshake, not too soft and not too hard
  • ask him his name and title, with a smile on your face
  • ask him what is his organization's mission or goal and what is a current challenge
  • offer him suggestions for meeting the challenge and/or how you can help him meet it
  • you and John exchange cards, you write a note on the back of his card to jog your memory about the conversation and any follow-up
  • take a sip of whatever you are drinking, say you will call and mean it
  • you move to the next person to repeat the cycle, knowing you will call John because he is expecting to finish the conversation of how you can help him
  • and, you call John, set an appointment to meet and a new member of your network is born
In scenario 1, it was about you, your organization, your elevator pitch, what John can do for you. Whereas in scenario 2, it is about John, his organization, his goals and his opportunities. Which scenario do you think will be most successful in fostering a mutually beneficial business relationship?

When is your next networking event? Are you going to make most out of it, getting contacts to take your organization to the next level or will this just be another happy hour?

Additional resources:
Top 10 Networking Tips
How To: Network With A Purpose
The Importance of Being Memorable

Posted
 

Ahhh, tomorrow

Tomorrow, what a wonderful word.

Little Orphan Annie sang about the virtues of tomorrow. Its promise of another sunrise in the midst of a gloom condition. Tomorrow is the great unknown. You don't know what will happen. Who will you meet or run into? What adventures await when you leave home? Tomorrow provides hope, yet another chance and do-overs, and it gives you opportunities to correct mistakes, make amends and get it right. It is tomorrow which makes yesterday a memory and today tolerable.

Tomorrow, what a horrible word.

Thomas Jefferson once said, "Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today." It allows you to procrastinate. It is your greatest excuse for not doing, being and accomplishing. You assume tomorrow will be there for you, to do what you are not doing today. Your unfulfilled today morphs into a tomorrow filled with today's leftovers, as well as work of its own. Tomorrow robs you of the today that is to come.

Will you start the business?
Will you send the proposal?
Will you make the call?

What do your tomorrows look like?

Posted
Posterous theme by Cory Watilo.
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