Saturday, October 31, 2009

Are you Netbeing or Networking?

A clear distinction between NetBeing and Networking exists. Networking provides a situational focus to gain competitive personal success and for individuals to connect with others to accomplish individual project tasks. In NetBeing, individual purposes overlap and a joint focus fosters mutual and multiple successes. NetBeing transforms networking contacts to a relationship focus through person-to-person connection. NetBeing links creativity, resources, and ideas, people-to-people in mutually supportive, rewarding, and purposeful relationships over a lifetime.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Attention to a Relationship focus

Motivational experts in the last century proposed a timeless and sustaining theme in the study of motivation: human beings throughout the world, share fundamental needs. On a continuum from physiological and survival needs to reaching to realize full potential, the central element threading throughout is the need for affiliation. Human beings have a need to be in relationship.

What is relationship? Simply put, relationship is a flow of feeling This flow of feeling may be between you and a higher source, between you and nature, between you and your environment, or between you and another person. In this flow, an opportunity exists to experience connection. With another there is an opportunity for individual and mutual growth and support. We, as human beings, affect and are affected by others, help and are helped. Individuals have the opportunity to reach individual potential far beyond what they are able to do on their own, and to co-create when truly engaged in relationship. As they say in Africa, it takes a village to raise a child. Attention to a relationship focus takes this premise to the next level—it takes a village to maximize individual potential! All of us need relationship to maximize our full potential!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

MICHAEL GERBER FOREWARD

When my friend, Ron Sukenick, asked me to write the Foreword to this book, The Power is in the Connection, I cringed. So many books, so many ideas, so many prescriptions for success; the thought of dealing with yet another one was overwhelming to me.

Fortunately, I relented. And I'm glad I did. This book is a breath of fresh air. Finally, someone has addressed the subject of networking in an original and authentic way.

In a way that gets to the bottom of the word, relationship, and brings that word to the top of the mind, to the top of the heart, to the top of the commitment one needs to make if a truly authentic relationship is going to be served between the person who is looking for something and the person who is being engaged.

Because isn't that how all relationships start out? Someone wants something? A fellow wants a wife; a woman wants a husband? A girl wants a boy; a boy a girl? A business wants a customer; a customer wants to find exactly the right business to serve his or her needs?

And isn’t it true that most of us are pretty dismal when it comes to the process of communicating to someone else what we want? In fact, isn’t it also true that just knowing what we want, and feeling justified in wanting it, is a skill few of us have developed? And not knowing what we want, how often do we pursue a relationship with one thought in mind, only to find when it’s too late that even if we got what we thought we wanted, it was far from the truth of what we wanted? And what do we do then?

That's what this book is all about. It defines the essence of relationship, and the 15 strategies one can use (along with the 15 skills one needs to develop) in order to develop healthy, authentic, deeply productive relationships. Whether for the purpose of growing your business, or for the purpose of developing your career, or for the purpose of creating more profitable work, working with more exciting people, doing things you love to do, rather than things you don't, relationship is the vehicle.

Tall order for a personal improvement book. But this book does exactly that. And in a way that is thoroughly enjoyable to read, and thoroughly inspiring to use as a bridge between where you are presently, and where you want to be.

I'm sure you'll find this book to be as inspiring as I did. I'm sure you'll find more than you're looking for in it.

Thanks Ron and Jane, for asking me. And, thanks for your patience in waiting for my response. But, after all, isn’t that what a good relationship is about?

Michael Gerber, Author
xThe E-Myth Books

Saturday, October 10, 2009

“Great Listeners have Great Connection”


As many of you know, listening is one of the most sought after marketing tools of all time.

In fact, why is it so hard to find a good listener?

Here’s another question - When was the last time anyone said to you - Thanks for taking the time to listen?

Has it been awhile?

So without further ado, allow me to share a few of the many great listening quotes that are out there.

If you have a favorite listening quote, please don’t to hesitate to send it to me.

I can always get better at this thing called – listening.

Enjoy.


The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them. — Ralph Nichols


Effective listeners remember that "words have no meaning - people have meaning." The assignment of meaning to a term is an internal process; meaning comes from inside us. And although our experiences, knowledge and attitudes differ, we often misinterpret each other’s messages while under the illusion that a common understanding has been achieved. — Larry Barker


Our first responsibility as effective listeners is to understand ourselves as communicators. Just as the sources of the communication message shout are trained in self-intrapersonal communication, so, too, should listeners know themselves? — Carolyn Coakley

Every person in this life has something to teach me -- and as soon as I accept that, I open myself to truly listening. — Catherine Doucette

We listen in order to learn and retain information. If we are speaking, we are not listening or learning anything to add to our sum of knowledge. This is why the first step to effective listening is to stop talking! — Ken Fracaro

Listening effectively to others can be the most fundamental and powerful communication tool of all. When someone is willing to stop talking or thinking and begin truly listening to others, all of their interactions become easier, and communication problems are all but eliminated. — Ken Johnson

The contrast between hearing and really listening can be as different as night and day. And in a business environment, not listening effectively to customers, employees, and peers can mean the difference between success and failure. — Ken Johnson
Listening well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well. — John Marshall
When making personal decisions, listen to what your head says; then listen to what your heart says. If they differ, follow your heart! Whenever you listen to your heart, you listen to that part of you that is most interested in your well-being. — Anonymous


This is a time to give the gift of listening. There are an unknowable but very large number of folks who could really be helped with our listening to them. I know your hearts are all very warm and giving. Please, take time to listen to those around you.
- Richard D. Halley



My only advice is to stay aware, listen carefully and yell for help if you need it. — Judy Blume

I tell you everything that is really nothing, and nothing of what is everything, do not be fooled by what I am saying. Please listen carefully and try to hear what I am not saying. — Charles C. Finn


History repeats itself because no one listens the first time. — Anonymous

A vocal competition in which the one who is catching his breath is called the listener. — Anonymous

The older I grow the more I listen to people who don’t talk much. — Germain G. GlienThe right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously. — Humphrey Hubert

One advantage of talking to yourself is that you know at least somebody’s listening. — Franklin P. Jones

Just because I didn’t do what you told me, doesn’t mean I wasn’t listening to you! — Hank Ketcham

The opposite of talking is not listening. The opposite of talking is waiting. — Fran Lebowitz
Congress is so strange. A man gets up to speak and says nothing, nobody listens and then everybody disagrees. — Will Rogers

Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening. — Dorothy Sarnoff

A good listener is a good talker with a sore throat. — Katharine Whitehorn
It seems that we shall eventually come to believe that the responsibility for effective oral communication must be equally shared by speakers and listeners. When this transpires, we shall have taken a long stride toward greater economy in learning, accelerated personal growth, and significantly deepened human understanding. — Ralph Nichols

Talk less--you will automatically learn more, hear more, see more--and make fewer blunders. — Mark McCormack


You talk, you repeat what you already know; when you listen, and you often learn something. — Jared Sparks

Referral Clubs big attraction


In a world that has radically changed for small businesses succeeding in today’s economy, the role of relationship building and referral giving is at an all time high.

Ask any small business owner today how they meet people best and undoubtedly they will state that they always meet people best through recommendation.

But go on to ask if they have all the referral business they can handle and that answer is almost always no.

So what’s the paradox you ask?

It’s simple. People are so pre-occupied with building their own business, it’s becomes difficult to take the time to help others.

But that doesn’t make any sense. In fact, from my understanding of people, and the trends I’m seeing in the small business community, the desire for success hasn’t change. What’s changing is simply the way we get there.

People are coming together today to help one another get ahead.

And what’s exciting is that structured referral programs enter the picture in a big way..

In a structured fun, fast moving agenda, businesses can meet weekly for the sole purpose of getting to know one another and with intention of passing qualified referrals to one another.

In fact, a great running referral system can easily provide the following benefits to anyone in business.

Here is what you can expect to receive as benefits from a structured referral giving program:

1. A Lead Generating System – This comes as a result of members inviting guests weekly to experience the group. Not everyone becomes a member. But everyone can easily become a good beginning for a relationship that will never end.

2. Business Building System – A business building system is a predictable and reliable approach with a structured agenda to provide business to one another. Simply said, it’s a part of the agenda at every meeting in which referrals are given to all in attendance. It’s an experience you don’t want to miss.


3. Relationship Building System – If were going to think long term, and want to build a business that succeeds, we have to go after the relationship. It’s too often that people in business are looking for leads and not understanding the real value of building relationships. Think about it.

How easy is in to get referrals with people you don’t know? That’s right. It’s not easy. What great about referrals groups is that they meet weekly with the clear intention of building relationships. And from my experience, if you can get up to six interactions with anyone, and at the same time provide mutually beneficial experiences, it’s likely you’ll have the beginning of a relationship that will never end. That’s why weekly referral is catching on like fire.

While Gold Star Referral Clubs are not the only referral clubs around, after spending 30+ years around the world of networking, Gold Star is the latest and what I feel the greatest and most improved system for building business around.

I liked their system so much; I decided to become one of their national director’s.

To learn more about Gold Star as a business building system, visit - https://www.goldstardirectors.com/index.asp
to become one of our director's, or simply to discuss the world of people connecting with people, I’m easily reachable at – rs@ronsukenick.com or by phone – 317-216-8210.