The other day I had the opportunity to meet with someone for the first time. He had requested the meeting and was looking to expand his network. It didn’t go well–at least from my perspective. I had budgeted an hour for this meeting and had agreed to meet as a favor to a client. My […]
What not to do in a meeting Read More »
You’ve prepared and analyzed, written and read and composed and rehearsed. You walk into the room ready for a solid,clear discussion The discussion begins and goes in a completely different direction. Did you see this coming? Can you flex with it? It has happened to all of us at one time or another: the misread
Reading Situations Read More »
Recently a friend reminded me of a scene she encountered on an evening out that got her to thinking about conversation and relationships. We call the story the canoe conversation. She was out to dinner by herself and she and an older couple were the only patrons in this Northwest-themed restaurant. Hanging from the ceiling
The Canoe Conversation Read More »
We spend a lot of time in conversations and in electronic communications. Sometimes we lose the thread of who were are and our ideals. Have confidence and be positive. Be your brand with no apologies. This came up after seeing the movie “The Help.” A repetitive theme and scene in the story is when the
Remember Who You Are Read More »
Networking isn’t just for sales or to be done outside the walls of a company. I had a lesson in what it can (or can’t) do recently. At, of all places, my car dealer. My recently purchased car was due for its first oil change. All was going well until the service manager came to
Intra-Company Networking Read More »
Many companies make the statement “our people are our most important asset.” And then treat them as disposable parts and pieces. While a business must run in the black, saying one thing and doing another is the issue at hand. As it is in networking as well. Over the past number of weeks I have
Really Valuing People Read More »
With the death this past week of Peter Falk, one of his obituaries read like a primer on networking. Best known as Columbo, Mr. Falk was eulogized by Associate Press Writer Frazier Moore. In his story Mr. Moore points out not just the usual “born-lived-died” facts, but he talks about the essence of the characters
In one of the latest issues of D Magazine, there is a story about the widow of Fred Baron, a long-time attorney and adviser in the Dallas area. While it was an interesting interview and profile of Lisa Blue Baron, what her late husband left her with was the most striking part of the story.
Three Life Lessons Read More »
It is an age-old paradigm. New methods of connecting can surface, but why people do business with others doesn’t seem to change. People do business with others that they know, like and trust. Knowing someone takes time. Over time, you get know what they mean when they say certain things, how they act in certain
Why People Do Business with Other People Read More »
Being remembered is tough, particularly given the complexity and onslaught of today’s many channels of media. How can you make yourself remembered in an important conversation? Yes, the usual things of first impressions: dress, smile, attitude, courtesy, ease of conversation. But what will help you be remembered when the time comes for your conversation partner
Remembering Orange Julius and Other Conversation Starters Read More »
