Networking Now & Personal Branding

Networking Now and Personal Branding Tips for Growing & Sustaining Your Network of Relationships with Networking & Personal Branding September, 2008 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved. Please do not copy or distribute without permission.

Background
20 Networking Tips
10 Personal Branding Tips
Next Steps
AGENDA © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved. Please do not copy or distribute without permission.

BACKGROUND
From: San Jose, CA (San Francisco for past 12 years)
Started in the non-profit world partnering with high-schools and colleges in California re-inventing curriculum so local students are more prepared for the Silicon Valley workforce
Shifted to Graphic Recording and working with leading management consultants and communicators
Mentored by Gordon Rudow, current business partner and CEO of Bonfire Communications
Have been growing an organizational communications, engagement and branding firm for past ten years
Current Roles: Co-founder, Director of Talent and Partnerships, Bonfire Communications, VP of Branding & Emerging Media, SF IABC, Business Advisory Council Member, Artspan
© Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved. Please do not copy or distribute without permission.

LETS TALK
How many of you …?

NETWORKING DEFINED
Networking
[net-wur-king] noun
A supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest.
- Dictionary.com

FOUR S’s
Strengths: Identify them.
Style : Find it.
Stand out: Be original.
Sustain: Nurture relationships.

20 Networking Tips
Learn the fundamentals, create your own style.
Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Do your homework Before the event (if you haven’t already), always review the title of the event or program overview on the website or materials. It doesn’t take long.
Tip One 1 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Grab the stack Never forget the business cards. You can beam your contact data or Google people later, but it’s the card that counts. Bring more than 10 cards to all events.
Double Tip Always keep business cards in your glove compartment, purse/ wallet and bag so you are never left without them. People do forget.
Tip Two 2 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Arrive on-time or early It will be tough to find parking or there will be another block or two after the BART stop. The best conversations happen early and try not to be the last person in the room.
Tip Three 3 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Set a goal Determine a number of people to meet based on your assumption of how many folks you think may attend. Balance quantity and quality but remember, some call it a numbers game.
Tip Four 4 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Remember, nobody “loves” networking Other people also get a bit nervous when they meet new people. Know that you are not alone.
Tip Five 5 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Know your pitch Your name, title and company should be easy. If it’s a job, information or new business that you may be seeking, be able to provide a quick 2 – 3 sentence overview of what you would like to communicate.
Tip Six 6 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Write clearly If a nametag is not provided for you, write your first and last name clearly along with your company name. If there is room, include your title and abbreviations are fine.
Tip Seven 7 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Keep’em handy Store you business cards somewhere very convenient like your hanging nametag sleeve or right-hand pocket. Nobody wants to get caught looking.
Tip Eight 8 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Mingle You will have a tendency to want to speak to people you already know, but try to mix it up. Acknowledge current contacts and then circle back via email the next day if you didn’t get a chance to speak. They won’t mind.
Tip Nine 9 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Take notes After you exchange cards and the conversation is complete, scratch a few notes/ symbols on the back of the card to remind yourself of what type of follow-up is appropriate.
Tip Ten 10 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

E-mail is not dead (yet) Take advantage of the Linked-In, Facebook, or other networking tool “Invitation to my Network ” function. But remember, a “real ” email may not get caught in the swirl.
Double Tip With e-mail you may automatically end-up in your new contact’s e-mail address book and it’s much easier to respond to a e-mail than create a new one.
Tip Eleven 11 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Choose wisely There are dozens of new and emerging networking tools to build your personal or professional networks and develop relationships, however “industry standard ” can sometimes make the difference.
Tip Twelve 12 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Sustain the conversation Whether it’s circling back to your initial conversation or sending quick notes or updates that would be relevant to your contact, stay in touch.
Double Tip Never forget the power of a quick e-mail or hand-written note for the holidays.
Tip Thirteen 13 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Use your calendar Do you schedule your call list? Try creating appointments and use your calendar as a tool to remind yourself to keep in touch with important contacts.
Tip Fourteen 14 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Actual meeting: Optional If you didn’t get a chance to meet someone specific, Google a speaker or event attendee the next day. It’s OK to send a note communicating that you are sorry that you didn’t get a chance to meet.
Tip Fifteen 15 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Work the network Leverage who you know. Whether it’s your personal or professional network, never forget the power of relationships. It’s how business gets done, world-wide.
Tip Sixteen 16 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Quality & Quantity It’s not “either/ or”. Always make sure to build the quality of your network everyday by virtually inviting more people to an on-line network tool or attending live events.
Tip Seventeen 17 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Pay it forward When someone in your network is up to great things, be sure to spread the word and they will return the favor.
Tip Eighteen 18 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Inquiry, Inquiry, Inquiry Like any new relationship, the most important thing to do is listen. Share your thoughts and communicate a request, but don’t forget to pay attention to their needs.
Tip Nineteen 19 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

It’s not rocket science Once you have a few of the fundamentals down, everything else is common sense and courtesy.
Tip Twenty 20 Networking Now | Top 20 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Build your character.
Interview Tips | Top 10 10 Personal Branding Tips © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Buy your name We all like to Google our names. Purchase your personal domain name and build a site with links to your profile, resume, portfolio (if applicable) and a video or two.
Tip One 1 Personal Branding | Top 10 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Create a strategy Do some research and develop a plan for how you would like to present your Personal Brand. Focus on your key objectives and identify the right tactics.
Tip Two 2 Personal Branding | Top 10 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Find a voice Comment on blog posts and join the conversation. The more that you can establish your voice on-line, the more comfortable you will feel with live comments.
Tip Three 3 Personal Branding | Top 10 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Cut the crap Audit your Facebook, MySpace sites or other “public-domains” and make sure you remove, archive or delete something that you don’t want to discuss in an interview.
Tip Five 5 Personal Branding | Top 10 © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Tip Eight 8 Personal Branding | Top 10 Tell your story Dramatic or not, you would be surprised to find out how many people actually care. However, remember to focus on the point and make it relevant. © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Tip Ten 10 Personal Branding | Top 10 Give back Aligning your strengths with charitable organizations and pro-bono efforts simply makes sense. A few hours a month will benefit you in more ways than one. © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Update your resume
Print your cards
Build a website
Link your site to your current networking tools (i.e Linked-In, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Create a schedule of networking events
List your goals and objectives
List your strengths
Tell your friends (on-line and offline)
Make it happen
NEXT STEPS © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Preston Lewis
Co-founder, Director of Talent & Partnerships
Bonfire Communications
Phone | 415.597.9930 x14
Email | [email_address] | [email_address]
Company Website | http://www.bonfirecommunications.com
Personal Website | http://www.prestonlewis.com
LinkedIn | http://www.linkedin.com/in/prestonlewis
Twitter | bonfirepreston
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

WebsiteSpot.com (domain name hosting, email forwarding)
Apple iWeb (MobileMe)
LinkedIn ( http://www.linkedin.com )
Blogging ( WordPress, Blogger, etc.)
RESOURCES © Preston Lewis, 2008 – 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Networking Now & Personal Branding

by Preston Lewis on Jun 03, 2009

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Networking Now & Personal Branding — Presentation Transcript