IntroductionWelcome| 00:04 | How many people do you have
in your professional network?
| | 00:08 | More importantly, how many of those
people remember, know, and trust you?
| | 00:15 | Your answers to these questions about the
quality of your professional network will
| | 00:19 | have a significant impact on your career.
| | 00:23 | In my book, Invaluable, I explored how to
help individuals increase the value of their
| | 00:28 | time and quality of work life, in
other words, how to become invaluable.
| | 00:34 | This course, Building Your Professional
Network, is part of a five-course series on helping
| | 00:40 | you become invaluable and
get the most from your career.
| | 00:44 | In my coaching, I refer to building your professional
network as the invaluable factor of connection.
| | 00:51 | Connection is a powerful
factor when it comes to your career.
| | 00:55 | Perhaps you have heard of
the six degrees of separation.
| | 00:59 | This is the idea that everyone in the world
on average is about six steps away through
| | 01:04 | introduction from any other person in the world.
| | 01:08 | Recent studies have shown this number may be
closer to five, that one person is on average
| | 01:14 | connected with any other person in the
world in as few as four steps or five degrees.
| | 01:20 | I have experienced this
first-hand in my own career.
| | 01:24 | My first book deal came through a friend of
a friend, and recently I had the opportunity
| | 01:29 | to speak in Africa as a
result of a Facebook connection.
| | 01:34 | You also have nearly infinite opportunities
because our world has become so connected.
| | 01:40 | The power of building your professional connections
can enhance your career, bring you more opportunities,
| | 01:46 | and lead to more success in life.
| | 01:48 | The invaluable factor of connection reflects
today's reality, that those who have the most
| | 01:54 | connections and the highest quality connections are
the ones who have the greatest opportunities to succeed.
| | 02:01 | This principle is nothing new.
| | 02:03 | The idea that it is not what know
but who you know is a timeless truth.
| | 02:08 | This course will help you enhance the
quantity of your connections and the quality of your
| | 02:13 | connections, which will help you become more valuable
through building your professional network.
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| Examining the four principles of connection| 00:00 | Throughout this course we'll explore
various opportunities you will have to
| | 00:04 | build professional connections with
others and I'll be discussing some tools
| | 00:09 | that you can use to enhance
the quality of those connections.
| | 00:13 | There are guiding principles that
you'll want to keep in mind regardless of the
| | 00:17 | opportunity and the tool that you are using.
| | 00:20 | These principles will work in person
over the phone and online, these are the
| | 00:26 | same principles that highly connected
people use everyday in their interactions.
| | 00:31 | The first principle is give first.
| | 00:34 | Give first is my business's most
important value, it means you begin every
| | 00:41 | interaction with the mindset of what can
I do for the other person, it's common,
| | 00:47 | especially in professional settings for
people to think about what they can get
| | 00:52 | from others but invaluable connectors
know that serving the needs of others is
| | 00:58 | how they'll build lasting relationships.
| | 01:01 | This is isn't about schmoozing or
flattering people, it is about making real
| | 01:05 | contributions to the work that people
are doing, helping them find the resources
| | 01:09 | they need and even giving gifts, related
to their personal interests or hobbies.
| | 01:15 | If you approach those you meet with an
attitude of give first you will find that
| | 01:20 | they will become more interested in you,
than if you try to make them interested
| | 01:24 | in you by talking about yourself.
| | 01:26 | This principle is first, because the
remaining three won't work without it.
| | 01:32 | The second principle is use their name.
| | 01:35 | We all like to be recognized,
acknowledged and remembered.
| | 01:39 | Make a habit of remembering people's
names, writing them down and connecting
| | 01:43 | their names with faces in your database so
that you recognize them when you see them.
| | 01:49 | Link to them in online interactions
and given them credit for the things
| | 01:52 | you've heard from them.
| | 01:54 | People will appreciate when you use their
names consistently improving your connection.
| | 02:00 | Principle three is focus on the person.
| | 02:04 | If you try to multitask, instead of
focusing on a person you communicate to
| | 02:08 | them that they are not important,
that whatever else you are doing is more
| | 02:12 | important than them.
| | 02:13 | On the other hand if you look
people in the eye and give them your full
| | 02:18 | attention, you
communicate that they are important.
| | 02:22 | In turn they will likely respect you
more strengthening your connection.
| | 02:27 | The fourth principle, is maintain contact.
| | 02:31 | In marketing this principle is called
frequency and it means that the more often
| | 02:35 | someone sees your name and face the
more likely they are to trust you.
| | 02:40 | When making connections it is not
enough to meet a person once have a great
| | 02:45 | conversation and then send
them a holiday card once a year.
| | 02:49 | You want to maintain regular contact
with them to build a strong professional
| | 02:54 | connection, long-term, frequent contact
will result in the most value for both parties.
| | 03:00 | In the following videos I'll show you
these principles in action in a variety
| | 03:06 | of different settings.
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| Using the exercise files| 00:00 | Throughout this course I'll be asking
you to fill out worksheets to better
| | 00:03 | understand how well you are
progressing on the path to becoming invaluable.
| | 00:08 | These worksheets have been provided
in the exercise files tab on the course
| | 00:12 | details page for all Linda.com
subscribers or if you are watching this tutorial
| | 00:18 | on a DVD-ROM the exercise
files have been included there.
| | 00:22 | I suggest that you download these
worksheets and print them out prior to
| | 00:27 | watching the course.
| | 00:28 | At various points throughout the course
I'll be asking you to pause the video's
| | 00:32 | and fill out a worksheet.
| | 00:34 | In order for you to get the most out of
this training I recommend you have these
| | 00:38 | worksheets on hand, now let's get started.
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1. In-Person ConnectionsMaking in-person connections| 00:00 | The most immediate opportunity that
you have to build connections is right in
| | 00:04 | front of you, everyday you meet new
people you interact with coworkers, you may
| | 00:09 | communicate with customers and you meet
people outside of your business as well
| | 00:14 | because of the wide variety of people
that you meet, you may feel overwhelmed by
| | 00:19 | the idea of connecting with all of them.
| | 00:21 | Some feel that because of this they
need to be strategic connecting with some
| | 00:26 | contacts viewed as valuable and ignoring others.
| | 00:30 | However, in my experience
that would be a mistake.
| | 00:33 | The reason for this goes back to the
principle of six degrees of separation,
| | 00:38 | I mentioned before that I received my
first book deal as a result of my connections.
| | 00:44 | I once hired a freelancer to do some
work for my business. I practiced the
| | 00:49 | principles of building connection with
her even though if I was being strategic
| | 00:54 | about the relationship I might not
have considered it a valuable connection.
| | 00:58 | Then years later I reached out to my
network looking for a literary agent, this
| | 01:05 | freelancer that I had hired years
before, knew a fantastic literary agent and
| | 01:11 | referred me to him and incidentally it
was that agent who not only got me my
| | 01:17 | first two book deals, but created the
opportunity that I have right now to speak
| | 01:22 | to you at lynda.com.
| | 01:24 | So while it is true that it's not what
you know but who you know, it's perhaps
| | 01:29 | more true that it is not who you
know but who knows who you know.
| | 01:35 | Value each and every connection you
build because you never know who will
| | 01:41 | provide that one connection you
need to skyrocket your career.
| | 01:46 | There are three areas where you
can build in person connections.
| | 01:50 | First your day-to-day interaction
with your coworkers gives you many
| | 01:54 | opportunities to build connections
that will further both your careers.
| | 01:59 | Second, if you have opportunities to
interact with customers, you can further
| | 02:04 | your relationships as you
provide outstanding service to them.
| | 02:08 | And finally you can build
connections with anyone outside of your company
| | 02:13 | provided you choose the right network.
| | 02:16 | In any situation where you meet people
in person you have the opportunity to use
| | 02:22 | the four principles of connection, the
principles of giving first, using their
| | 02:27 | name focusing on the person and
maintaining contact applied both inside and
| | 02:33 | outside of your company.
| | 02:35 | In the next video I'll illustrate how
you can use these four principles of
| | 02:40 | connection with your coworkers.
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| Connecting with coworkers| 00:00 | Now that I have explained the importance
of making in-person connections, let us
| | 00:05 | see the four principles in action.
| | 00:07 | Specifically with your coworkers.
| | 00:09 | While it is easier to get caught up in
the day-to-day activity of completing
| | 00:13 | projects and meeting deadlines.
| | 00:15 | I would like to open your
mind to a bigger picture.
| | 00:18 | Building strong professional
connections in one organization can lead to future
| | 00:23 | opportunities elsewhere.
| | 00:25 | So let us see how you can use the four
principles of building connections in the workplace.
| | 00:31 | First give first by looking for
opportunities to help those around you be successful.
| | 00:38 | This isn't suggesting to others that if
you scratch my back, I will scratch yours.
| | 00:43 | Instead, it is knowing that if I help
those around me good things will come
| | 00:47 | back to me in time.
| | 00:49 | Occasionally there will be people who
may never do anything for you in return
| | 00:54 | or who may view you suspiciously, do not let
that discourage you from wanting to give and serve.
| | 01:01 | As you set the tone and the example by
being willing to do a little bit more for
| | 01:06 | those around you, you will start a
culture of giving first in the workplace.
| | 01:11 | The second principle use their
name is fairly straightforward.
| | 01:15 | Hopefully you have gotten to know the
names and faces of the people that you
| | 01:20 | work with, if you are struggling with
that perhaps spend a bit of time studying
| | 01:25 | a company directory or practicing their names.
| | 01:28 | Also give credit where credit is due, if
someone helped you succeed on a project
| | 01:34 | make sure that you
acknowledge them publicly by name.
| | 01:38 | The third principle focus on the person
means you do not multitask when you meet
| | 01:43 | with them, turn off the computer screen
if you're meeting in person and remove
| | 01:47 | any distractions that might get in
the way of giving your full attention.
| | 01:52 | Remember by focusing on the person you
communicate to them that they are important.
| | 01:59 | This also includes focusing on the
people around you in a meeting, it is easy to
| | 02:04 | feel that you're unnoticed in a meeting
and that you can get away with checking
| | 02:08 | your electronic device.
| | 02:10 | The truth is people do notice,
especially when they are talking and you are
| | 02:15 | not listening to them.
| | 02:17 | The final principle maintain contact
means using tools such as social networking
| | 02:23 | to stay in touch with
people when they leave your team.
| | 02:27 | A friendly social network message, or
e-mail every one or two months can be
| | 02:33 | enough to stay in contact with past coworkers.
| | 02:37 | Consistently use the four principles
with your coworkers and you will improve
| | 02:42 | your professional connections and see
your opportunities accumulate over time.
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| Identifying your ideal networks| 00:00 | Along with the connections you have
inside your company you have many different
| | 00:05 | places where you can build
connections outside as well.
| | 00:09 | Any place where people gather to connect
with each other are referred to as a network.
| | 00:15 | While you want to value every human connection
you make, not all networks are created equal.
| | 00:21 | You will want to make some
conscious decisions about the networks you
| | 00:25 | participate in, let us explore your options.
| | 00:29 | The most obvious network
is your friends and family.
| | 00:32 | This usually does not take much effort
on your part to cultivate given that you
| | 00:37 | are already friends with them
because there usually is already a strong
| | 00:42 | connection, professional opportunities
are going to naturally arise, take care
| | 00:47 | of this network by being a
caring friend and family member.
| | 00:51 | Now what about associations?
| | 00:54 | Typically these are specific to
your industry such as an association of
| | 00:59 | insurance professionals
or a marketing Association.
| | 01:03 | These groups provide regular
opportunities for you to gather with people in
| | 01:08 | your field and learn more about
your industry, there are also excellent
| | 01:13 | opportunities for networking.
| | 01:15 | Attend associations with the intention
of reaching outside of your comfort zone,
| | 01:21 | get to know a few people and practice
using the four principles of connection.
| | 01:26 | Trade shows and conferences are also
excellent opportunities to connect with
| | 01:31 | people outside of your local
geographic region and outside of your industry.
| | 01:37 | I suggest you try to build five new
professional friendships, each time you
| | 01:43 | attend one of these events.
| | 01:45 | You'll want to do more than simply
collect business cards, so I will give you
| | 01:50 | some of the tools for using those
cards, when we discuss recurring
| | 01:54 | connections and social media.
| | 01:56 | Do not overlook charitable causes
and organizations as a way to build
| | 02:01 | connections. These causes need your help
and you likely have a contribution you
| | 02:07 | can make to help them succeed.
| | 02:10 | They also provide excellent
opportunities for you to build
| | 02:14 | professional connections.
| | 02:15 | Successful people are often
giving service-oriented people.
| | 02:20 | So, getting involved with a
charitable cause gives you the opportunity to
| | 02:25 | connect with other successful people.
| | 02:28 | Working together for a common
cause will help you both quickly find
| | 02:33 | common ground to connect.
| | 02:35 | Finally, there are business
networking groups that specifically facilitate
| | 02:40 | professional connections in these groups.
| | 02:44 | Everyone in the room wants to build
connections and get referrals for their business.
| | 02:49 | So it is often a dynamic environment.
| | 02:51 | These groups can be fantastic
opportunities to build lots of professional
| | 02:56 | connections very quickly, but you may
find people who do not have an attitude of
| | 03:02 | giving first and their sole
purpose is to get new business.
| | 03:06 | However, no matter what the people
around you are doing, give first, you may see
| | 03:12 | their attitudes and actions shift to
follow your example and become more about
| | 03:18 | helping others in turn.
| | 03:21 | How do you decide which kinds of
networking groups you should join?
| | 03:25 | The answer is really up to you, but
you will want to limit your choices it's
| | 03:31 | better to be involved regularly in one
or two groups than to be sporadically
| | 03:37 | involved in many groups.
| | 03:39 | If you can focus and be regularly
involved in just a couple of groups you will
| | 03:45 | build stronger, deeper professional connections.
| | 03:49 | Also, choose groups where you feel
it's easier to build connections, look for
| | 03:54 | groups that provide opportunities for
conversations with other people and that
| | 03:59 | relate to your ongoing career.
| | 04:02 | Whichever networking groups you choose
you can always use the four principles of
| | 04:07 | building connections, giving first
using their name, focusing on the person and
| | 04:13 | maintaining contact.
| | 04:15 | Use these principles consistently and
you will find networking groups to be
| | 04:20 | valuable resources in building connections.
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| Getting out of your comfort zone| 00:00 | Many people are naturals when it comes
to connecting in person, it is relatively
| | 00:05 | easy for an outgoing person to meet new
people and turn them into fast friends.
| | 00:11 | But what about the rest of us what if
you consider yourself shy or introverted
| | 00:16 | does it surprise you if I say I
know exactly what that is like.
| | 00:20 | I consider myself very introverted
when it comes to social situations, I have
| | 00:25 | had to learn how to get out of my
comfort zone when it comes to meeting new
| | 00:29 | people, So I would like to share with
you some tips I have used that may help
| | 00:34 | you get out of your comfort zone as well.
| | 00:36 | First be open to anything, understand
that not everyone you meet will be or
| | 00:43 | needs to be your friend.
| | 00:45 | Many times I felt uncomfortable going
into social situations because I felt I
| | 00:50 | had to make everyone like me, the
reality is when you go into a convention or an
| | 00:56 | association you can't meet everyone
and not everyone you meet will connect
| | 01:01 | personally with you.
| | 01:02 | That is perfectly okay, accepting that
reality may help put your mind at ease.
| | 01:08 | Tip two is set a target for yourself,
what this means is that when I go to a new
| | 01:15 | situation say attending a Chamber of
Commerce meeting for the first time I might
| | 01:20 | set a goal for myself to talk
to at least five new people.
| | 01:25 | Again not everyone you meet will
become a connection but by setting a simple
| | 01:30 | attainable number for meeting new
people that may help nudge you a little bit
| | 01:35 | outside of your comfort zone.
| | 01:37 | Step three is break the ice, it is a
cliche phrase but still works, you will
| | 01:42 | want to have a few questions or
statements that you can use to help begin a
| | 01:48 | conversation with any person that you meet.
| | 01:50 | For instance, I don't believe we have
met what is your name or if it is your
| | 01:55 | first time that an event you might say
how many of these events have you been to
| | 02:00 | which will just begin the conversation
or tell me about yourself or what is it
| | 02:05 | that you do any of these very simple
icebreakers will begin at the conversation.
| | 02:12 | You can certainly come up with your own as well.
| | 02:14 | Fourth play ping-pong I freed this
metaphor for many other trainers and it is
| | 02:19 | great, having a conversation with
another person is like playing ping-pong.
| | 02:25 | When you play ping-pong you hit the
ball back and forth it is the same when
| | 02:30 | networking in person you want to
avoid having either one of you do all the
| | 02:35 | talking instead make it a casual,
comfortable back and forth conversation.
| | 02:42 | And finally step five is look for loose bricks.
| | 02:46 | This goes hand-in-hand with the
principle of give first that I taught at the
| | 02:50 | beginning of this course.
| | 02:52 | Many people you meet have an
emotional wall that they've built up because
| | 02:57 | they do not know whether or not they can trust you yet,
the tendency is to be a bit guarded. This is natural.
| | 03:04 | However, to build a strong connection
you want to get past the wall, a great way
| | 03:09 | to do that is through loose bricks.
| | 03:12 | Loose bricks are their hobbies,
their interests and the things that they
| | 03:16 | are passionate about.
| | 03:18 | If you can help them talk about these
interests you will find that that wall
| | 03:23 | starts to crumble making it
easier to build a connection.
| | 03:27 | So as you are having a back-and-
forth conversation with someone.
| | 03:31 | Pay special attention to their hobbies
and their personal interests, seek to be
| | 03:36 | genuinely interested in them.
| | 03:39 | You may even find that
you share common interests.
| | 03:41 | But even if you do not you will be
able to learn more about what makes this
| | 03:46 | person unique, as a human being and find ways
to build a stronger connection in the future.
| | 03:51 | Of course there are many other things that
you can do to get out of your comfort zone.
| | 03:58 | Hopefully these five tips will get you
started in the right direction and make
| | 04:03 | it a bit easier for you to
make connections in person.
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| Assessing your in-person connections| 00:00 | I've provided a short worksheet that
will help you assess how well you are doing
| | 00:04 | with in-person connections.
| | 00:06 | This worksheet is designed to help you
figure out how well you're connecting
| | 00:10 | with customers, co-workers, and networks using
the principles I've taught in the previous videos.
| | 00:16 | This worksheet contains a series of
statements and you will indicate how
| | 00:20 | strongly you agree or
disagree with each of them.
| | 00:23 | You can also mark not applicable if
one of these areas does not apply to you.
| | 00:27 | Take a moment now to complete the
upper portion of this worksheet.
| | 00:32 | After you've filled in your responses to each
statement, you are going to answer two questions.
| | 00:37 | First what is one area that you want to
improve regarding your in-person connections?
| | 00:42 | Perhaps you've realized that you have a
habit of multitasking during meetings or
| | 00:47 | that you want to do a better job of
knowing the names and faces of your
| | 00:50 | customers, write down the
area you want to improve.
| | 00:54 | Then write down one action step that
you can take to make that improvement
| | 00:59 | happen, if you said I want to do a
better job of knowing the names and faces of
| | 01:03 | my customers you might give yourself
an action item to start writing down the
| | 01:08 | names of customers as they come in.
| | 01:10 | The point of this worksheet, and even
this course, is not to become perfect in
| | 01:14 | building connections immediately but
instead to make incremental improvements.
| | 01:20 | Find the one area where you want to
improve the most and make one step forward.
| | 01:25 | Once you have made one
improvement you can return later to this
| | 01:29 | worksheet complete it again.
| | 01:31 | And then improve another area by making
small steps in improving your in-person
| | 01:36 | connections, you'll make steady
progress toward becoming invaluable.
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2. Recurring ConnectionsMaking recurring connections| 00:00 | It is not enough to meet somebody one
time, have a great conversation and then
| | 00:05 | assume that you've built a connection.
| | 00:07 | You must have a strategy for and
commitment to recurring connections in order to
| | 00:13 | become a great connector, it is
a bit like an exercise program.
| | 00:17 | Many people decide that they want to
be healthier and look better so they buy
| | 00:21 | a gym membership but soon they
stop going to the gym and later become
| | 00:26 | frustrated that they wasted the money
on the membership and did not get the
| | 00:30 | results they wanted.
| | 00:31 | It is the same thing with the
connections you build, you need to go back to them
| | 00:36 | over and over to make those connections
stronger and in order to be successful
| | 00:42 | at doing that you need a system.
| | 00:44 | As you follow that system on an
ongoing basis, you will find that the
| | 00:49 | connections that you've built start to
grow and flourish, just like a person's
| | 00:54 | muscle tone strengthens as
they consistently go to the gym.
| | 00:57 | In this chapter, I'll discuss some of
the principles of recurring connections
| | 01:02 | and the tools available to
help those connections grow.
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| Exploring the four principles of recurring connections| 00:00 | Before we can build systems for
successful recurring connections, we need to
| | 00:05 | understand a few basic principles.
| | 00:07 | When planning repeated contact with
people we want to do it properly so we build
| | 00:13 | and strengthen the
connections instead of damaging them.
| | 00:16 | There are four principles for
effective recurring connections.
| | 00:20 | Principle number one is personalize,
people want to feel that they are
| | 00:25 | understood and that they
are viewed as an individual.
| | 00:28 | They also want to know that you
have their best interests in mind.
| | 00:33 | So try whenever possible to
personalize the messages that you send.
| | 00:38 | A thank you card written by hand is
appreciated more than one that was
| | 00:42 | mass-produced because we recognize the
personal attention that went into it.
| | 00:48 | Even if you are dealing with
thousands of contacts look for ways to
| | 00:52 | segment those contacts so messages you send
to them are personalized as much as possible.
| | 00:59 | The next principle I call the three ha's,
specifically ha ha, ha and ha ha this
| | 01:08 | funny sounding principle helps you to remember
the kinds of messages people want to receive.
| | 01:14 | The messages that get passed around and
shared with others usually fall into one
| | 01:20 | of these three categories.
| | 01:21 | Ha ha stands for a profound principle
or inspirational message that enlightens
| | 01:27 | yourself and others.
| | 01:29 | Haa means it is cute or
heartwarming such as pictures of fluffy kittens
| | 01:34 | sleeping and ha ha well that's obvious
it means that it is a humorous message
| | 01:40 | that makes people laugh.
| | 01:42 | If messages you send to your contacts
incorporate one of these three things
| | 01:47 | then you will find people are much more
responsive and you will make yourself more memorable.
| | 01:54 | The third principle is
unexpected gift, unexpected time.
| | 01:58 | Well sending a holiday card
every year is a nice gesture.
| | 02:03 | It is not as memorable and
mildly builds connections with people.
| | 02:07 | You could instead, for example, send
someone a card on their anniversary or
| | 02:13 | other significant milestones, the
more random you can make it the better.
| | 02:18 | For instance, I once met someone at
a networking group who was a Corvette
| | 02:23 | fanatic, I did note of it and sent him
a collector's book on Corvettes, years
| | 02:29 | later he contacted me and said he still
remembers that gift and it meant a lot to him.
| | 02:35 | By unexpectedly surprising a contact
with your greetings or gifts you'll stand
| | 02:41 | out from the crowd and build
a stronger connection. Why?
| | 02:46 | Well it shows a unique
thoughtfulness toward that person and that you pay
| | 02:50 | attention to the things
that matter most to them.
| | 02:53 | Of course you can't send something to
everyone you meet, it's not practical.
| | 02:59 | Instead just be on the lookout for
opportunities and do something nice when it feels right.
| | 03:05 | I recommend you set up a
monthly budget for these gifts.
| | 03:09 | This will allow you the freedom to
send when you see the need, but keep your
| | 03:14 | expenses, reasonable.
| | 03:16 | The fourth principle deals
with tracking your connection.
| | 03:20 | You need a way to see how often you're
connecting with people and what kinds of
| | 03:24 | connections you are making.
| | 03:25 | That is why tools such as relationship
management programs for CRM's are so helpful.
| | 03:32 | I'll discuss those a bit more in the next video.
| | 03:36 | Use these four principles as you are
building your recurring connections
| | 03:40 | systems, and you'll be more likely to
build strong connections and get maximum
| | 03:46 | results for your efforts.
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| Maintaining connections with a CRM| 00:00 | As I mentioned in the last video
tracking the connections that you make will be
| | 00:05 | an important part of building your network.
| | 00:07 | When you have just a handful of people
in your circle of friends it is easy to
| | 00:11 | stay in contact with them regularly.
| | 00:14 | However, as your network of
professional connections grows you will find it
| | 00:18 | challenging to remember all the people
that you have met and stay in contact
| | 00:22 | with them consistently.
| | 00:24 | This is where relationship
management software becomes so important.
| | 00:28 | Now you may feel that this tool does
not apply to you, if you are not in sales
| | 00:33 | or in an executive position.
| | 00:35 | However, everyone can benefit from
using a CRM regardless of position.
| | 00:41 | In your mind, think of
the C in CRM as connection.
| | 00:46 | The purpose of this video is not to
discuss how to use a CRM but instead
| | 00:51 | to emphasize the importance of using a tool
like this in maintaining your connections.
| | 00:56 | CRM's can help you track how
often you're connecting with people.
| | 01:01 | What medium you are using to connect
with them and even track the details of the
| | 01:05 | conversations that you have had.
| | 01:07 | CRM's can also remind you when it is
time to reach out to someone again and
| | 01:12 | automate large tasks such as sending
out broadcast e-mails or even thank you
| | 01:18 | cards and text messages.
| | 01:20 | Most established businesses have
implemented some CRM tool if your company has
| | 01:25 | already selected a tool, then I
recommend that you use that system consistently.
| | 01:30 | Invested some time in training to
become familiar with the power that a CRM can
| | 01:35 | bring to your relationships, if your
company has not yet selected a CRM, you may
| | 01:40 | wish to recommend that your
company consider adopting a system.
| | 01:44 | And if your company has no system or
it's not practical for you to use their
| | 01:48 | program, then I suggest you make a small
investment on your own to maintain your own contacts.
| | 01:54 | Some e-mail programs have built-in
tools for tracking conversations with the
| | 01:59 | various contacts that you have, so it
may not require any more investment than
| | 02:04 | the time it takes for you to
get familiar with these tools.
| | 02:08 | I'd suggest you take a moment and
write down an action for yourself one step
| | 02:13 | that you will take to either use the
CRM that your company already has or
| | 02:19 | research programs on your own.
| | 02:21 | Doing so can make building connections
dramatically easier and more effective
| | 02:27 | for you in the long run.
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| Building a system for recurring connections| 00:00 | Now let's look at building
your recurring connections systems.
| | 00:04 | A system is a process that you follow to
get consistent results time after time.
| | 00:10 | To help you consider how well you are
maintaining your recurring connections, I
| | 00:15 | have provided a worksheet called the
recurring connection self-assessment.
| | 00:19 | This worksheet contains a series of
statements and you will indicate how
| | 00:23 | strongly you agree or
disagree with each of them.
| | 00:26 | Let us look at each of the statements
briefly to explore some of the systems
| | 00:31 | options that you already have.
| | 00:32 | The first statement is
about the results we want.
| | 00:36 | My professional contacts here from
or see me at least once per month.
| | 00:42 | This is the goal you are striving for in
recurring connections. Are you there yet?
| | 00:46 | The next statement is I have a
calendar schedule for contact with my
| | 00:51 | professional connections. Usually,
once or twice a month is enough time is
| | 00:56 | that in your schedule.
| | 00:58 | The next statement is I participate in
a company newsletter that goes out to
| | 01:02 | customers. Are you contributing
articles to your company's physical or e-mail
| | 01:07 | newsletter? See if there is an opportunity there.
| | 01:10 | The next statement is, I have a
regular newsletter that goes out to my
| | 01:15 | professional contacts. You may have a
personal newsletter goes out to friends and family.
| | 01:20 | But what about your professional
connections, this can be as simple as a
| | 01:24 | brief e-mail with a picture or a short
thought that goes out to everyone in your network.
| | 01:31 | Next, I participate in a random system
to connect with professional contacts.
| | 01:37 | This relates to the principle of
unexpected gift, unexpected time.
| | 01:41 | You want a system that reminds you
to make unexpected contact with your
| | 01:45 | connections such as every 47 days. Do
you have a set reminder for yourself at
| | 01:52 | some strange interval of time?
| | 01:55 | The next statement is I use a system
for recognizing significant dates in the
| | 02:00 | lives of my professional contacts.
| | 02:03 | CRM's can provide reminders to you,
when these dates occur and some can even
| | 02:08 | automatically send out the
cards and messages on your behalf.
| | 02:12 | Are you sending these consistently?
And this leads to the last statement.
| | 02:18 | I use a CRM to track my interactions
with my contacts, whether you are making
| | 02:23 | these connections personally or through
your company, you want to keep a record
| | 02:28 | of every interaction that you have? Are
you using a CRM so that you can easily
| | 02:33 | see every communication you've had with them.
| | 02:36 | Finally, you will see a blank space for
you to put your own creative ideas for
| | 02:40 | recurring contacts, maybe you'd like to
invite people to attend an event or do
| | 02:45 | some other unusual activity for them.
| | 02:48 | Whatever it is feel free to
be as creative as you like.
| | 02:52 | Remember, the more unique, unexpected,
and personal it is, the more meaningful it
| | 02:57 | will be to your connections.
| | 02:59 | After you complete the top portion
of the questionnaire, there are two
| | 03:03 | questions for you to answer.
| | 03:05 | First what is one area where I want to
improve my recurring connection systems?
| | 03:11 | Pick one thing that comes to mind as
you have gone through this process that
| | 03:15 | you like to change.
| | 03:17 | Next what is the next action step
that I can take to make that improvement
| | 03:22 | happen by taking one small positive
action, you'll make what you have learned
| | 03:28 | about recurring connections become a reality.
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|
|
3. Social NetworkingBuilding stronger connections with digital media| 00:00 | Consider briefly how our ability to
connect with people has changed over
| | 00:05 | the last few centuries.
| | 00:06 | In the beginning our connections were
largely limited to people who lived around
| | 00:11 | us simply because it was too far to
travel to stay in contact with people, then
| | 00:16 | as transportation improved the reach
of those connections began to expand,
| | 00:20 | perhaps as far as several hundred miles away.
| | 00:23 | The advent of the telephone allowed
those connections to expand even further.
| | 00:27 | The pattern has continued until
we're now at the point where we can
| | 00:31 | instantly communicate with almost
anyone in any part of the world and it is
| | 00:35 | likely that innovation and technology
will drive our ability to connect even
| | 00:40 | faster, and even further.
| | 00:42 | The concept of online social networking
is not a fad, the sites we visit and the
| | 00:48 | tools we use will surely change in the
coming years, but the principle of using
| | 00:53 | digital media through social networks
is here to stay, it will become an ever
| | 00:58 | increasing part of our lives.
| | 01:01 | Also, as you may have started to
realize if you consistently follow the
| | 01:05 | suggestions in this course, you may
quickly find yourself with a very large network.
| | 01:10 | You may have wondered how can I keep
up with all of this, part of the answer
| | 01:14 | lies in social networking.
| | 01:16 | It is a fairly effective tool to
help anyone maintain connections with
| | 01:21 | larger groups of people.
| | 01:23 | Because of these reasons social
networks deserve our attention.
| | 01:27 | As were talking about personal
connections with human beings, the principles
| | 01:32 | involved are the same in the
digital world as the physical world.
| | 01:36 | You want to give first, use
people's names, focus on the person and
| | 01:40 | maintain regular contact.
| | 01:42 | However, the ways in which we use these
principles changes considerably in the
| | 01:48 | following videos we'll discuss some
of the systems and tools you can use to
| | 01:53 | foster stronger connections in the digital age.
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| Choosing the right social networks| 00:00 | There are so many options for social networks
and it is important that you make wise choices
| | 00:06 | as to which ones you use.
| | 00:09 | Think of social networking sites in the
same way that I asked you think about in-person
| | 00:14 | business networks, it is a good
idea to participate in a few of them.
| | 00:19 | However, if you participate in too many you will
spread yourself too thin and your relationships
| | 00:25 | with people in the online
world may be very superficial.
| | 00:29 | Because of this I recommend that you
participate in three networks at any given time.
| | 00:36 | Keep in mind that by a network I am
referring to an online networking portal where people
| | 00:42 | gather to share information,
collaborate, and discuss.
| | 00:46 | Given how many networks there
are and how quickly they change.
| | 00:50 | How do you know which would be
the best three for you to join?
| | 00:54 | First, consider their popularity.
| | 00:57 | In your region or country, there are likely
social networks that are more popular than others.
| | 01:03 | I recommend that you participate in the
most popular networks available to you.
| | 01:09 | Next consider your target market.
| | 01:12 | your customers are the people that you
are trying to market your services to.
| | 01:17 | This target market is likely to have a social
network where they tend to gather so that
| | 01:23 | is a social network you want to join.
Finally, consider the context.
| | 01:29 | For example, historically, MySpace was designed
for fun while LinkedIn was created as a social
| | 01:35 | network for business professionals to connect.
| | 01:39 | I recommend that you participate in networks
that give you a chance to interact with your
| | 01:43 | connections in both a professional
and a personal way. Why?
| | 01:49 | Well there is an important principle that
holds true in both the physical and digital
| | 01:54 | world, if you talk about business
and nothing else when you meet someone.
| | 01:59 | The conversation usually is very dry and does
not lead to a strong professional connection.
| | 02:05 | If however you add in just a bit of your hobbies,
your families, and your likes, and your dislikes
| | 02:11 | the professional connection takes on a richer, deeper
context, and this is usually more friendly and relaxed.
| | 02:19 | By mixing a couple of social networks with
a different context and purposes, you will
| | 02:24 | be able to connect with
people on multiple levels.
| | 02:28 | Just be careful not to share too much
personal information or anything that is private.
| | 02:33 | A little bit shared online goes a very long way.
| | 02:38 | Focus on three online social
networks, use them consistently.
| | 02:43 | And you will find they enhance
your professional connections.
| | 02:47 |
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| Using social media to connect| 00:00 | I need to briefly explain the
difference between social media and social
| | 00:04 | networking as the terms are most commonly used.
| | 00:08 | Social networking is what takes place
when you share, collaborate and have
| | 00:12 | discussions with people
in your online community.
| | 00:15 | It's the human one-to-one interaction
that takes place in a digital world.
| | 00:20 | Social media on the other hand, is
both the broadcast medium that you used
| | 00:26 | and the strategy that the company uses to
build their brand and get their message out.
| | 00:32 | The difference between the two is
important because when it comes to
| | 00:36 | participating in your company's social
media efforts you want to be sure that
| | 00:41 | you are reinforcing its goals and objectives.
| | 00:44 | Personally I believe all employees
should participate as much as possible in
| | 00:49 | their company's social media campaign, it
adds a more human personal element to it.
| | 00:55 | However, you will need to research your
company's policy regarding social media.
| | 01:00 | Some companies limit social media
interaction to just a few people and some are
| | 01:05 | very protective about
how much you can say or do.
| | 01:08 | With that in mind, I would like to
share with you a few basic do's and don'ts
| | 01:13 | when it comes to participating in social media.
| | 01:16 | First, the do's, number one
make it about the customer.
| | 01:21 | In other words give first, use social
media to find out what your customers and
| | 01:26 | your connections want.
| | 01:28 | You want to use social media to get
to know them to promote them and their
| | 01:32 | successes and the things that they love.
| | 01:35 | By keeping the conversation about them, they
will actually be more interested in your company.
| | 01:41 | Number two is provide value.
| | 01:44 | Provide links, videos, stories and
pictures that your target market will find
| | 01:49 | meaningful if you need some ideas,
consider the three ha's principle I discussed
| | 01:55 | in an earlier video, people enjoy
things that are either enlightening or a ha
| | 02:00 | heartwarming haa or humorous ha ha.
| | 02:04 | Number three respond quickly when
people say good things about your company
| | 02:10 | respond quickly and thank them, when
people say bad things about your company
| | 02:15 | respond quickly and apologize or work
to make it right, doing this will show
| | 02:21 | people who are not your
customers yet that you care.
| | 02:25 | now three don'ts first do not hide a
few companies do not believe the social
| | 02:30 | media is necessary or it is a fad,
also some companies are afraid of putting
| | 02:35 | themselves out in the public forum of
social media hoping to avoid a public
| | 02:40 | display of negative feedback.
| | 02:43 | Understand that people will talk
about your company in the public forum
| | 02:47 | whether you like it or not.
| | 02:49 | However if you control the venue where
that conversation takes place, you can
| | 02:54 | keep the conversation positive and
helpful even in tough situations.
| | 02:59 | So, participate, be a part of
social media and embrace it.
| | 03:04 | Number two do not hard sell this is
trying to push people into making decisions
| | 03:10 | quickly in a very public setting.
| | 03:12 | No one likes the pressure of feeling
that they are being sold to, particularly
| | 03:17 | when others are watching.
| | 03:19 | Social media is like a stage where you are
having a conversation in front of everyone else.
| | 03:25 | If you offer helpful suggestions,
rather than push for action you will be
| | 03:30 | perceived by the social media
audience as a hero rather than a villain.
| | 03:35 | And finally, do not spam.
| | 03:37 | Spam has traditionally referred to
sending people unsolicited e-mail constantly,
| | 03:43 | it's taken on a different meaning now
with social media, often you'll see people
| | 03:48 | blanket various social media sites
with their links in an effort to entice
| | 03:52 | people into clicking.
| | 03:54 | Even if your intentions are honorable
randomly plastering links everywhere will
| | 03:59 | get you in trouble on many social sites
and may give you a reputation as someone
| | 04:04 | who is trying to take advantage of others.
| | 04:07 | Following your company policy and
these simple do's and don'ts will help you
| | 04:11 | have greater success using social
media to connect with your customers.
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| Balancing your time for social networking| 00:00 | Well social networking can be an
incredible tool to help you build connections,
| | 00:05 | it can get in the way of how valuable
you are, if it causes you to lose focus.
| | 00:10 | We have all gone on to a social
networking site, only to get sucked into random
| | 00:15 | links pictures or online games.
| | 00:17 | In order to help you maintain focus and
build connections at the same time you
| | 00:23 | will want to establish a time budget.
| | 00:25 | A time budget is very simple.
| | 00:27 | It says this is how much time I am
willing to devote each day or each week to
| | 00:33 | using social networking sites.
| | 00:35 | Ask yourself how much time you
think you need to devote to these sites.
| | 00:40 | The number will vary according
to who you are and your position.
| | 00:45 | If most of your connections are online
then you want to devote more time to it,
| | 00:50 | perhaps a half an hour or even an hour per day.
| | 00:54 | If online networking is not as
important for you or for your target market then
| | 00:59 | you may want to spend a half
an hour to an hour per week.
| | 01:03 | Whatever the number is, I suggest that
you check your calendar for a regular
| | 01:07 | time that works for you, then set up a
reoccurring appointment in your calendar
| | 01:12 | to focus on social networking.
| | 01:15 | Once you are on the site.
| | 01:17 | I suggest that you set an alarm
so you do not lose track of time.
| | 01:21 | Any kind of timer will do and there are also
computer applications that will do this for you.
| | 01:27 | Just search for track time online
and you will find several options.
| | 01:32 | Set an alarm to remind you when it is
time to stop, that will help you avoid
| | 01:36 | the trap of getting sucked into searching to
many different sites and getting distracted.
| | 01:41 | I also recommend that you use web
tools to aggregate or combine the activity
| | 01:48 | from all of the different social
networks that you participate in, its
| | 01:52 | unproductive for you to get a
notification every time a person mentions you or
| | 01:56 | comments on your page.
| | 01:58 | It's much better to use social
networking site settings to send you a daily or
| | 02:04 | weekly digest of activity.
| | 02:06 | There are also other online tools
that combine the information across many
| | 02:11 | social networks and then send you
a brief message with the summary.
| | 02:16 | These tools can save you even more time.
| | 02:19 | To learn more about these tools
search for social media aggregator or
| | 02:24 | social network aggregator.
| | 02:26 | There are also several excellent
courses on social media here on Lynda.com.
| | 02:32 | that will give you even greater insight.
| | 02:35 | By implementing a simple system to
regularly participate and protect your time
| | 02:40 | while social networking you will be
able to maintain a healthy balance between
| | 02:45 | productivity and
maintaining important relationships.
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| Using other technologies to connect| 00:00 | Up to now we have focused almost
entirely on social networks and how to use them.
| | 00:06 | I do want to take a moment though
to address the other digital methods
| | 00:10 | of maintaining connection with people and
give you some tips on using them properly.
| | 00:15 | I am referring primarily to
e-mail and text messaging.
| | 00:19 | I mentioned these in particular
because they have been around for a long time
| | 00:23 | and they are likely to be around
for years to come, how you use them is
| | 00:28 | important and I am going to give you
for tips to help your e-mail and text
| | 00:33 | messages be helpful tools
for building connections.
| | 00:36 | Number one is be friendly all too often
people use formal business writing in a
| | 00:43 | digital context and it does not work well.
| | 00:45 | A formal letter that says dear Sir or
Madam, how are you today is going to come
| | 00:51 | across very cold and
heartless in a digital format.
| | 00:55 | I recommend that you use
casual, friendly language.
| | 00:59 | Also part of being friendly is
including some personal touches, I found that
| | 01:04 | including my picture in my e-mail
signature helps people remember that they are
| | 01:08 | talking to a human being.
| | 01:10 | When people include their picture, it helps
me associate their name and face together.
| | 01:16 | Second, be brief the nature of
digital communication is fast and people do
| | 01:22 | not want to read through a multi-
paragraph e-mail, state your message in as
| | 01:27 | few words as possible.
| | 01:29 | If the e-mail needs to be longer cull
out multiple details with bullet points
| | 01:34 | or numbered lists so that the reader catches
every point that you want to discuss with them.
| | 01:41 | Tip three is count to 10 before you
send, we have all heard stories and even
| | 01:48 | experienced personally the anguish
that comes from sending an e-mail with
| | 01:52 | embarrassing typos or
delivered to the wrong recipient.
| | 01:57 | By double checking for typos
confirming you're sending it to the right person
| | 02:01 | and ensuring that it's an e-
mail you really want to send.
| | 02:05 | You will avoid many common
mistakes that happen from hitting the send
| | 02:10 | button prematurely.
| | 02:12 | Tip four is go off-line when needed.
| | 02:15 | If you are exchanging information with
someone through text or e-mail and it
| | 02:19 | seems like the conversation is
going back and forth multiple times.
| | 02:24 | That's probably a good sign that
you should pick up the phone and talk.
| | 02:28 | It may seem inconvenient in the moment
but you will realize that it is actually
| | 02:33 | faster in the long run to pick up the phone.
| | 02:36 | If the conversation is just a
simple one or two times back and forth of
| | 02:40 | information then the digital medium is fine.
| | 02:43 | Follow these tips and any other ideas
that you can think of to make e-mail and
| | 02:48 | text messages, more personal and more
human and you will find them useful tools
| | 02:54 | in building connections.
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| Assessing your online social-networking skills| 00:00 | How well are you doing with using
online social networking? To help you find
| | 00:06 | the answer to that question, we have provided
a social networking self-assessment worksheet.
| | 00:11 | In this worksheet you will see a series
of statements and after each statement
| | 00:16 | you'll indicate how strongly you
agree or disagree with each of them.
| | 00:20 | This will give you a quick and easy way
to evaluate how well you are doing with
| | 00:25 | social networking and give you
some possible ideas for improvement.
| | 00:29 | There is also a section at the end of
the assessment questions where you can add
| | 00:33 | your own ideas for
improving your social networking.
| | 00:37 | Take a moment now and complete
the upper portion of this worksheet.
| | 00:42 | After you assess yourself consider
your answers to the next two questions.
| | 00:46 | First, what is one area where I want to
improve my online social networking skills?
| | 00:53 | Perhaps you want to do a better
job of giving first in your online
| | 00:57 | interactions or you want to concentrate on
making your e-mail and text more social and friendly.
| | 01:05 | Question two is what is the next action step I
can take to make that improvement happen?
| | 01:11 | For instance, if you want a
better give first attitude.
| | 01:15 | Your action step might be to go online
and actively look for something helpful
| | 01:20 | you can do for someone else.
| | 01:23 | As with any training course by
implementing just one thing in a positive way,
| | 01:28 | we'll take a step forward making it
easier to take the next step forward.
| | 01:34 | You can return to this worksheet
occasionally to reassess how well you are
| | 01:38 | using social networking to build
connections, by taking small steps forward,
| | 01:43 | over time you will make significant progress in
building connections and building your value.
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|
|
ConclusionFinal thoughts| 00:01 | Thank you for completing our course
on building professional connections.
| | 00:04 | We have given you practical advice
and tips that you can use to improve
| | 00:08 | the connections that you make in person on a
recurring basis and through social networking.
| | 00:14 | If you enjoyed this course, I suggest
that you share something you have learned
| | 00:19 | with your connections, one of the
best ways to reinforce your learning of
| | 00:23 | something is to teach it to someone else.
| | 00:25 | I'd suggest you teach the people in
your network, one or two things that
| | 00:30 | you have learned here.
| | 00:31 | That way you can work together to
help each other become invaluable.
| | 00:35 | Remember the connections that you
make not only give you a richer life, but
| | 00:40 | also create more professional opportunities
for you and improve your marketplace value.
| | 00:46 | Incidentally, I'd love to connect with you.
| | 00:49 | Please reach out to me at davecrenshaw.com
and you will see links to the various
| | 00:55 | social networks that I use, connect
with me on those sites and please mention
| | 01:00 | that you watched this course on lynda.
com have fun building connections with the
| | 01:05 | people around you and may you be invaluable.
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