professordaddyo's posterous

The net-worth of Networking

"Networking" has been, and remains, a buzz for folks wanting to make it in business. Trust me, a full week will not pass without an invitation to some party, some gathering, some "networking" event. We're often told these gatherings are the places to meet our next investor, major connection, or client. But what is the true worth of networked parties and activities? Do we really gain as much as the proposed hype?

 

Just as we set rules for dating, our networking outings seem to warrant a set of rules also. There is absolutely no reason to see the same people over and over again, and gain nothing. In the end, countless emails and unreturned phone calls are not the goal. We network to gain connection, further our progress, and maybe even sell something. So what truly makes networking worthy?

 

• The Knowledge Factor

 Many people treat networking events as places to find investors or customers. Instead, look for sources of knowledge. When engaging in a conversation, check to see if you are learning something, you can talk about TV shows, the economy, and the weather somewhere else. You're looking to grow your business, and good information is a great place to start.

 

 

• The "no address, no business" rule.

I'm not saying that business cards without an address attached don't do business, but having an address means someone is paying rent or mortgage, hence, a real business. As a rule of thumb, I usually avoid businesses with no address. Don't get me wrong, I do make exceptions, but those are far and few between.

• Network Up

I often say "if you're the biggest fish in the pond, swim to a bigger place". Going to places that have folks or your level or below is a big red flag. You want to move up, so start by networking up.

 

Remember, the choice to say no is always available. You don't have to say yes just because folks invite you. Build your business, and have something to present when you go out. Too often, we network to make something happen, and we should be making something happen before we network. And remember, the next person you meet at a networking event, may have read this blog.

 

Happy networking.

Increasing The Odds (or How to hedge your bets)

In the evolving world of Social Media, information overload is a much discussed topic. Often, (more than I would like) my friends ask me, “D, how do you keep up with it all?” New networks appear daily, and everyone wants you to sign up. Scripts like Facebook connect help, but does not take away from adding yet another task for your brain, and even the people close to you suffer your absence with you being in the same room.

So how much is too much? Turns out that in cyberspace, no amount is too much.

*Reputation takes the longest to build
Only celebrities can break this rule. The rest of us “bumblebees” as Wilbert McKinley might say, need to post as much as we can. If we truly know cyberspace as the world wide web, we’d know time zones do apply. Some folks are sleep, while some are at work, while some are partying, all at the same time. A true strategy would warrant knowing who’s seeing what, at the right times. That’s round-the-clock work, and that takes time.

*Original content trumps all
Re-purposing content (see The mis-understanding of re-purposed content), is cool, but your true voice comes from your mouth. If you had a lawn mower company, it would do you well to talk and post and blog and video and foursquare and getlue and scoutmob about it as often as you can. Having a voice means being heard. You need to have a concert everyday.

*Lights, Camera, Action
Social Media and reality television (even though it’s scripted) are brothers from another mother. The cameras are on 24/7, and repping your brand or product is a full time job. We live in a world where you only need a Twitter name on a card and its all good. Mobile devices are part of our lives, we never turn them off, and we answer tweets at 4 in the morning. At four-o-one we land the deal. We sleep when we sleep. But most of the time, we’re awake.

I don’t see any of my colleagues slowing down.  Increasing your odds is engaging with folks online as much as you can. Write as much as you can, tweet as much as you can, Facebook as much as you can. Find your voice, don’t be annoying, and give it what you got. Often.

Monday Night Football

I still hear the music in my head. Growing up, and being a huge (American) Football fan, Monday Night Football was the main attraction, the lights-camera-action, of a Football lovers week. Teams wanted to play there, fans wanted to watch there, and advertisers knew the space could provide top dollar. It was a good time for the NFL, and although some pundits blame the 1982 strike for the start of some decline in interest, the fact remains that Monday Night Football is not what it used to be.

So what does this all mean? For marketers, it means staying on top of your game. For artists, it really means to watch your back. Think of Gladys Knight. Her song &voice trancended genre, race, and creed. But the truth is she's not on the radio today, even if she does make a mean chicken and waffles. If and artist so regal, or (in the case of Monday Night Footbal) a day so royal can be an after-thought today, so can you, tomorrow.

Being prepared is always something we hear, and seldom practice. Plenty of entrepreneur and startup can attest: "when the money rolls in, minds get cloudy". Being prepared for budget increase is key to success. Knowing what to buy next, and who to spend it on, can make or break a company. Just because one year is fruitful, it doesn't mean all years will be. So saving, instead of spending your profit, is usually the best way to go. Of course you'll upgrade staff, equipment, or even offices. But don't start planning the company trip to Aria in Vegas just yet. Let the business grow first.

Something else to think is star power, or the lack thereof. Without John Madden and Frank Gifford, the faces we knew were no longer there. Gifford retired and Madden went on to invade our living rooms, and Monday Night? Fade to black, well until recently when Mike Vic scored over 50 points. And that's my final point. Even in a dead spot, your talent can bring it alive. I remember my cousin Joel missing watching the game with me, he missed history.

And that's just it. Shine in the dark, and be ready when the liight goes out. Are you ready for some football?

The mis-understanding of re-purposed content

Twiiter. Facebook. Linkedin. For some, even Google Buzz.  Social networks have become a mainstay for many of us. Just a few years ago, we depended on news channels for most of what we consumed. Now, we actually get into broadcasting the news ourselves. From the Facebook “like” button, to the “retweet”, we just LOVE to blast out information we get from the four corners of the Internet. But besides doing it to fickle our interests, what is our reasoning behind re-purposing content? The likelihood of  getting a story first or even 100,00th is slim. For instance, if your Facebook or Twitter feeds resemble that of the folks you post to, re-purposed content can almost be considered nil. Re-purposing “old” content can give the appearance of you or your company being out of the loop. It is true, however, that re-purposed content can show expertise, and on that note these points:

*comments count
The true way to make your expertise known is to add your two cents. Most re-purposed content comes from a main post or article anyway. If you agree, say why. If you don’t agree, say why. We all love new information, give us some of your own.

*don’t re-tweet like a machine gun
Twitter users, you know where I’m going with this. Machine Gun re-tweeting may work for a sports event, but end it there. When you re-tweet in spurts and not spots, you show how little original content you really have in your arsenal.

*give credit, give credit, give credit
Put the shoe on the other foot. If you write something, would you want someone else to get credit? Nuff said.

Original content trumps all other. Never forget that. So be aware of how you use re-purposed content. That said, get to writing!

Generate Random Teams Using the Interwebs

Suppose you need to divide a bunch of people into several groups — without giving any impression of bias or favoritism. It’s not the sort of problem that arises every day, of course, but mark my words: Come your next team-building exercise or morale event, you’ll be scrambling for a hat and some strips of paper. I’ve got a more modern approach. Let the Web randomize your teams for you.