Yesterday I was sitting in a Second Cup coffee shop and I overheard the conversation of a manager with her employees. Setting the scene — she was on an apparent break, sitting casually at a table sipping a coffee. Lounging like she was on vacation, she barked over to one of the employees and said: […]

Most people say they’re OK receiving constructive criticism. But few people really are. Criticism of any kind hurts. Even if it’s done properly. When someone reacts poorly to constructive criticism, they usually: Get angry. Get defensive. Get quiet and tune out. It’s not quite Kubler-Ross’s 5 stages of grief, but there’s a pattern there. The […]

How Can I Help You? This question is so effective because: It shows you care. It gives the person an opportunity to talk about themselves. It opens up opportunities. It’s easy for the person to reciprocate by asking the same question. It gets to the heart of networking. So, how can I help you?

The secret to networking successfully is simple: Know what people have to offer And: Know what people need

So here I am thinking about nuts and having a good laugh about it too when I come across the brouhaha started by Justin Kitch, CEO of Homestead. Justin suggests there’s a time and place for firing customers. The resulting comments are generally not positive, with a few Homestead customers questioning whether they’ll stay customers […]

This just in from Jim Turner at One By One Media: PayPerPost and Performancing Go Separate Ways. Getting into bed with business partners is tough. Nick Wilson announced the move on his blog: After much discussion, we’ve decided that the deal proposed by PayPerPost just isn’t right for us or our community. It’s regrettable that […]

Josh Hinds over at Business Networking Advice invited me to answer a few questions about business networking. I was happy to oblige, and I hope you’ll check out my quick interview with him. His first question was, “How do you define Business Networking and why do you feel it is important?” I mulled this over […]

This is a sponsored post, through the ReviewMe service. I accepted this opportunity for a couple of reasons. For starters I’m intrigued by why Nevada Corporation would pick me to write a review. Secondly, I’m learning more about the world of blog-for-pay. Whether you agree with the concept or not, it’s interesting and worth reporting […]

This year was all about finding opportunities and change. 2007 will be a further evolution on those themes. Reflecting a bit on opportunities and change, I’ve come up with 3 business rules to live by, rules I’m going to follow more closely and we’ll see where they take me. Work With People You Want To. […]

This is something I’ve only learned recently, but it’s as important as anything I’ve learned in years. You never know who you’ll meet. Don’t just think “networking.” Often, networking implies you’re going to a gathering with a specific goal in mind; to meet someone in particular, or to sell something. Many people connect “networking” with […]