Networking Shampoo!

There are only two universities in the United States that teach a class on networking, yet organizations like BNI are growing exponentially as sales professionals realize cold calling is no longer an effective lead generation tool. Few business schools are preparing their graduates for the real world of business, where effective sales people drive market share and profitability. Fortunately, there are several great resources for self-education that will allow you to shine in your field.

Realizing that most adults have a goal of reading a book a month, the following is a list of the best of the best books on networking so you can make the most of your precious reading time. These are my recommendations:

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Networking is about building relationships. For effective relationships in general, this is a must read. For the successful networker, it is the next read! Sometimes the language is difficult because revisions to the book have been kept to a minimum, which is impressive to me. All that wisdom from 75+ years ago is still relevant today.
2. The 29% Solution by Ivan R. Misner, Ph.D. and Michelle R. Donovan. I am quite sure people have heard the six degrees of separation myth that is so pervasive in American thought today. The myth is so prevalent that people even like trying to figure out of they are really six degrees away from Kevin Bacon. Dr. Misner and Ms. Donovan start of shattering the myth, then laying out a comprehensive plan to get you closer to truly being only six degrees away from anyone on the planet. By reading and implementing just one chapter per week, you will be separating yourself from your competition too.
3. Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. Ferrazzi is a master networker. Period. His strategies are easy to implement and so practical most “out-of-the-box” thinkers would never think them up. How about hosting a dinner party and having a strategy around it? Why not volunteer to help organize a conference so you can see the guest list? The spine on my copy of this book is weak from use!
4. Truth or Delusion by Ivan Misner Ph.D, Mike Macedonio, and Mike Garrison. Can you network at a funeral? Is your family a large referral source for you? Following the golden rule is the way to treat referral sources, right? The answers are not as obvious as you might think.
5. Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Black Book of Connections. I love Gitomer’s writing style. He is a no-holds barred type of author. He is the only author I believe when he tells me my mother had already taught me the basics of networking by the time I was 10. And he is right on when he writes, “Becoming well known, or at least well known among your prospective customers or connections, is the single most valuable element in the entire connection process.”
6. Endless Referrals by Bob Burg. One thing I truly appreciate about Burg is that he is a win-win type of thinker. His approach to developing referrals reflects that too. Although the book is mostly about remaining visible so people will refer you, the savvy networker understands that visibility is a critical part of building a network of solid business professionals.
7. Masters of Networking by Ivan R. Misner, Ph.D and Don Morgan M.A. This is a change of pace book for me. I do like compilations but rarely recommend them. This is a great one because Dr. Misner is one well-connected person! Stories from Mark Victor Hansen, Bob Burg and Jay Conrad Levinson make this a great read in between appointments.

If this article were a shampoo bottle label, it would tell you to lather, rinse and repeat. To achieve networking greatness, I encourage you to do the same with your reading!

Get Nspired!