If you think back to your physics lessons, you’ll remember that something in motion tends to stay in motion – but something that starts and stops loses its momentum.

This is exactly what happens to you when your work day is constantly interrupted by calls and meetings.

• Structure your telephone time. Set up times to accept, initiate, and return calls. The best time to accept incoming calls is just prior to lunch or at the end of the workday. The other person will not want ot wast time. Initiate or return calls early in the morning, just before or after lunch, or at the end of the day to contact difficult-to-reach individuals.
• Scheduling meetings with yourself is a good way to accomplish key objectives. How can this help you be more effective with your use of time?
• Improve your communication skills so you reduce the need to repeat yourself.
• Cut your appointment time by one third. Each one-hour meeting will now be only forty minutes. Schedule phone meetings that will last only five to fifteen minutes. You will be surprised by the fact that you can actually accomplish your objectives in this limited time. List two or three current meetings in which you will try this strategy.
• Conduct “standing meetings.” When someone enters your office, consider conducting your meeting in a standing position. This will let the person know that you have very limited time. Also consider a “walking meeting,” in which issues are discussed while walking.
• Product greater results through others by mastering your leadership, management and coaching skills.

EXERCISE: Keep a daily Meeting/Call log to determine the number, nature, duration, and relative value of your meetings and calls. Determine which meetings require more or less effort and perhaps which meetings could be stopped entirely.

Time Management Basics

You’ll find that your days go much smoother, and that you are much more effective, if you implement these five tips:

• Confirm all appointments to avoid dead time.
• Apply the 80/20 Rule. Which two to four of your activities produce the greatest results? Which eight to ten produce minimal results?
• Think geographically and avoid excessive travel time between appointments. Use drive time to use a Bluetooth device to talk with key people. How else can you think geographically?
• Plan the next day in advance before you leave your office. This doesn’t have to take much time. Your plan could be as simple as writing down three must-do items for the following day.
• Handle papers that cross your desk only once. Review your mail next to a trash can. The same goes for email: engage with each message just once, and take the appropriate action.

You’ve picked up a workbook on time management, so it’s clear that you want to improve in this area. What motivates you?

• Being your personal best, in every area of your life
• Achieving your full potential, in your professional and personal life
• Having more freedom and being able to spend your time as you choose
• Improving your life balance and the quality of your life

Time management is often a top priority of those who come to me for coaching. You may be asking yourself, “ How do I get it all done?” or “Do I even want to get it all done?”

You can increase your mastery of time management skills, if you are willing to do a little work.

Over the months of this time management series, we’ll be taking things step by step. Each day, you‘ll have some ideas to read, and a simple exercise to try out. Don’t be tempted to do too much at once. Remember that consistent effort over time produces a steady stream of accomplishments.

We are pursing progress, not perfection.

Social Media Best Practices

The rise of social networking means that many of your contacts have an online presence-perhaps on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter. By connecting with them in these places, you can maintain and consolidate your relationship. You can also easily access their networks.

LINKEDIN
• Looked for shared connections – they are an indication of mutual connections in your world and theirs. The higher the number, the more you have in common.
• Look at who a new contact has recommended, and who has recommended them – see whether you know those people and can rely on their credibility.

FACEBOOK
• Consider establishing a separate page for your business, rather than adding every contact as a friend – especially if you primarily use Facebook to connect with personal friends and family.
• Update your page regularly, once a day or at minimum, once a week, to link to interesting articles, to ask questions, or to share some news about current projects.

TWITTER
• View Twitter as a conversation medium, not a broadcast medium. 50-70% of your tweets should be directed to a person using the @ symbol and their Twitter name.
• Establish a regular presence on Twitter, logging in most days and tweeting several times. Consider sharing some personal snippets about your life, though be mindful of your professional image and brand.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

You’ll find a number of articles related to networking and other personal development topics on my website, www.dempcoaching.com. I also recommend the following books:

The 29% Solution by Ivan Misner
Endless Referrals by Bob Burg
Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi
Referral of a Lifetime by Tim Templeton
Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders
Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port
The Little Black Book of Connections by Jeffrey Gitomer
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Where are you Networking?

We can network anywhere! Networking isn’t just for the office, or for when you to to a seminar or conference. Every interaction with another person is an opportunity to network. My networking includes the following (check off the items that apply to you):

• The golf course
• Workshops and seminars
• Alumni Associations
• Community Service Clubs
• Chamber of Commerce
• Business Expos
• Networking Organizations
• Leadership Programs
• Athletic Clubs
• Professional Associations
• Religious Organizations
• Hobby groups
• Sporting Events
• Public Speaking events
• Social Gatherings
• Industry meetings
• Community Events

EXERCISE: Which of these have you never thought of using as part of your networking strategy? When and how can you begin?

Networking is a learned skill built upon the personal values and attitudes inherent in all of us.

Networkers know the world is interconnected and that when they give their time, talents, and energy to help others satisfy needs and reach goals, they end up helping themselves. When networking, we are engaged in a win-win scenario.

It’s important to seek a diverse network. Don’t associate only with people who are like you. Consider making deliberate connects with:

• People from other cultures
• Those who are younger or older than you
• Members of the opposite gender

This will give you a broader reach, perspective, and impact.

All things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those people they know, like and trust.

Bob Burg’s Golden Rule of Networking

Reputation

Your reputation is your calling card and your greatest asset. You build it by being your best and doing your best.

It takes time to establish a great reputation — maybe years. Conversely, a good reputation can be destroyed overnight. Be careful to maintain yours.

Others will naturally come to hear about your reputation through word-of-mouth — but you can also use testimonials and formal recommendations to make sure that your reputation is coming across strongly.

EXERCISE

Write down five skills and two major strengths for which you are known in your professional world.

Responsibility

In today’s fast-paced global economy, the ability to take charge, show initiative, make choices, and answer for one’s conduct are keys to leading a rewarding personal and professional life. Networkers understand that actions affect outcomes and have learned to deliver what they promise. It is always better to over-deliver. People will be impressed if you can exceed expectations. If you are known for bringing a little something extra, your networks will remember.

EXERCISE

Do you always deliver on your professional and personal promises? Write down at least one way in which you could improve in this area.

Relationships

Networkers understand the importance of becoming acquainted with people for who they are, not only for what they do. Establishing a sincere connection between any two people is the foundation of successful networking. Relationship skills can be learned and improved with conscious effort. Even if your technical capabilities are exceptional, your ability to develop strong relationships is still crucial.

EXERCISE

How easy is it for you to develop professional and personal relationships? How could your strengths in one field translate into the other?

Rapport

Rapport is based on having a genuine interest in learning about others and their world. Taking the time to learn about the needs of others provides you with an understanding of the common ground shared by you and others. You can establish rapport by:

• Joining a group, whether the Chamber of Commerce, a networking group, a fitness group, a golf club, or a professional society. Groups share common interests, which increases rapport.
• Doing your Homework before or after an event. Research people online and find out what interests you have in common.
• Remembering names and specific things people said. What did they say that was interesting, curious, or clever?
• Introduce Yourself! Simply walk over to anyone who looks alone and anxious about networking, and welcome them.
• Just smiling at people makes you attractive and welcoming.

EXERCISE

What are some of your best rapport-creating strategies? How could you take these further?

Research

If you keep up on the world around you and current trends, others will seek you out as a knowledgeable resource. Networkers practice professional due diligence. They do their homework because the more they know, the better prepared they will be.

As well as doing your homework, it is important to be prepared to share it. Don’t view the knowledge that you’ve gained as something “secret” that you should keep from potential competitors. See it as a valuable resource that can establish you as an expert.

EXERCISE

What do you do – or what could you start doing – on a daily or weekly basis to increase your own value as a networking resource?

Truly masterful networking is only possible when you are confident and comfortable with yourself and the value of your services. The Book Good to Great by Jim Collins explains that you need to:

1. Be brilliant at what you do
2. Be passionate and enthusiastic
3. Be distinct… or become extinct

• Have a plan for your networking activities. Think things through, decide on a goal, and work out what actions and behaviors will get you there.
• Target specific industries or professions. You’re shooting a .22 rifle, not a shotgun. Establish a niche for yourself: this could be geographical (a particular city or state) or could involve the types of people with whom you work.
• Have a well-practiced 15-or-30 second commercial. For example: I coach high integrity business leaders to achieve sustainable breakthrough results in their professional and personal lives. You can vary the language in different situations, saying “work with” rather than “coach.”
• Have specific goals for your networking activities. For instance, “I will add five new connections to my LinkedIn profile on a weekly basis,” or “Have a one-on-one conversation with a new contact.”
• Network when you’re busy and don’t need the business. If you find yourself out of work and then start networking, you networks will be brand new and it will be hard for you to get quick results. Continuously establish and build relationships.
• Have a personal advisory panel of peers who can help you build your business. Try to include individuals who work with similar clients or customers to you.
• Keep a list of centers of influence and strategic referral partners. More on this in a future blog.
• Have a large quality network of resources to share with others. Become very well read in your area of expertise and in business in general.

Exercise

List some people you know well, in different categories, who are part of your network and with whom you can share other members of your network. Aim for 8-10 people with different areas of expertise, ideally people who are of a different generation. Consider how you could establish a regular meeting with these people.

They should be people you know, like and trust, with extraordinary capabilities in their area. You can help one another, be sounding boards for each other’s business, and be “raving fans” for one another.

You can also help each other’s clients, where appropriate. One of my clients, for instance, may need a lawyer or financial planner.

Building Powerful Networking Habits

It is important to be consistent in your networking activities. That means forming good habits by being methodical and tenacious. Work to develop your existing skills, and to learn new ones. Make sure you apply what you’ve learned.

• Network everywhere. Wherever there are people, there’s an opportunity for you to contribute, to to be contributed to. The gym, your church, and your kid’s school all count. You might not engage in business networking in these locations, buy you can gain valuable personal information (such as restaurant recommendations!).
• Network with your suppliers and vendors. The people with whom you spend your money. Do they know and understand what you do?
• Use non-vocational interests as opportunities to network. You can gain clients during your everyday activities, perhaps by striking up a conversation at your health club or on the golf course.
• Be consistent in attending networking meetings. Out of sight means out of mind! As Woody Allen put it, “Ninety percent of life is just showing up.”
• Use breakfast and lunch times as opportunities to network. We all have to eat – and eating is a modest form of intimacy which can easily be combined with networking. Breakfast and lunch are great times to exchange some social graces and get to know people.
• Have a scoreboard to track your networking activities and effectiveness. You could measure: Number of events attended, business cards received, number of opportunities, referrals given, referrals received, follow-up activity.
• Network with everyone. When we network with people, we’re not only networking with them, we’re networking with all their relationships. You never know who your neighbor may know! Don’t focus only on super-connectors and centers of influence.

EXERCISE Look at all your current and former clients. How did they become your clients? Did you meet them directly, or were they referred to you? Who introduced you to them? If someone engaged your services, the mechanism by which they became a client might allow you to get more clients in a similar way. If a super-connector introduced you to several past clients, are you maintaining that relationship?

Relationships are at the heart of networking. To build good relationships, you need strong communication skills.

• Establish and maintain excellent relationships with the officers, leaders, and organizers of your networking venues. Make requests for introductions to people who these leaders believe are a good fit for you.
• Show interest in others and develop masterful listening skills. Try using open ended questions (such as who, what, when, and how) and “layering” the person’s response into your next question.
• Be specific when making requests for assistance. Be clear and crisp in your communications, and ensure that you’ve secured agreement where appropriate.
• Take a proactive approach to connecting with others. Nothing happens inside your head. Don’t rely solely on social media – give people a real-world experience of you. Most people will be happy that you took the initiative.
• Give many referrals to others. You may not be the best person for those who you’re networking with, but if you have a reservoir of resources, you can refer them to someone else.
• Network with people with outstanding reputations. Look for people of high character and integrity, who live out their values and fundamental beliefs. These people help give you credibility, and through them, you can make a bigger difference in the world.
• Avoid trying to sell people in your network. Be situation-specific and only explore the possibility of engagement when there’s true openness, receptiveness, and desire.
• Don’t hesitate to ask for help from others. When you make a sincere and genuine request, people will have a natural desire to assist you.

EXERCISE

Authenticity is essential in our relationships. When you interact with people, you transmit the unique expression of yourself, which is your values. When we authentically share ourselves, and accept and appreciate that in others, we have the basis of a relationship. Next time you have a networking opportunity, be fully present and ask yourself these questions:

1. How well do I know this person?
2. How can I know them better?
3. How likeable is this person?
4. What are the factors that make me like them?
5. What is my level of trust?
6. What factors support this level of trust?

Your attitude is crucial to your success. Networking is a mutual exchange of information, ideas, and resources. Givers Gain: Be prepared to make a contribution and to be generous.

• Focus on quality rather than quantity when networking. One well-connected contact can be more valuable than a dozen poorly connected ones.

• Be an active volunteer at civic or nonprofit organizations. This is a great way to contribute, and you’ll typically find yourself dealing with very high-level people at a peer-to-peer level. These people will be able to see you in action in a low-pressure environment, and they may well hire you as a result.

• Help prospects with their problems even if they cannot be a good lead for you. They may know someone else who can. When you network with people, you’re also networking with their networks.

• Invite other professionals to your networking events. This is another way to contribute and participate—and it can become a significant source of revenue, both directly and through referrals.

EXERCISE:

Meet your competitors. Interact with them, and find out their unique abilities. How do you compare and contrast with them? Instead of seeing your competitors as enemies, consider collaborating in areas of unique ability.