Sharpen Your Networking Skills

Sharpen your networking skills with this brand new online course!

Networking Course Graphic with Link

You may have seen the links on my website to some short tutorials on networking. And I hope you’ve had a chance to watch the Networking Nuggets™ series on YouTube. But you haven’t seen anything like this new course on networking!

Have you been told that you need to “network” in order to build your business or find a new, better job? Have you been networking with less success than you’d like to achieve?

Are you unsure about the what, where, why and how of networking effectively?

When you take this course you will learn the things you need to know to really make business networking really work for you.

We cover goals, attitude, and tools and talk about what you need to do after a networking event to maximize your return on investment from participating in business networking events.

Is this course for you? It is if you fit one of these descriptions:

Networking novices who’d like to become effective networkers
Experienced networkers who’d like to have new material to use
Marketing people, sales people, small business owners, public relations agents
Anyone wondering about the what, why, how and where of networking

Will you get what you need from this course? You will if you’d like to:

Watch 7 lectures with 40 minutes of video content and downloadable slides!
Learn how to decide whether networking events should be part of your marketing strategy mix
Be able to choose which networking events have the highest value for you
Participate with maximum effectiveness in networking events
Gain the most long-term results from your networking activities

I urge you to Enroll NOW! to take your business networking activities up to the next level!

Want even more information? Watch the Introduction section or visit https://jonturino.com/jons-courses/ for more information and a link that will letter you preview the entire course.

Order the new Networking Necessities, Niceties and No-Nos online course NOW! It has a 30-day money-back guarantee so your risk is absolutely zero!

Thank you for reading and please do share this post with your friends who network as part of their marketing strategy mix. They’ll thank you for it!

Forward

January 17, 2016March 11, 2016

Check Out the New Networking Nuggets Series

New Networking Nuggets Video Series

I’ve just added a new series of short (1-2 minute) videos named Networking Nuggets, complete with graphics showing the key points for each nugget, on the topic of networking. The first ten of these vignettes are now up and available now on YouTube!

In the Networking Nuggets series you’ll find tips on getting together physically, making sure your business card is up to snuff, letting people know who you are, how to be better connected, how not to be a networking “sinner,” how to become a super networker and several other topics. And, depending on their popularity, there will be more — perhaps even many more! — to come.

You can find this new Networking Nuggets series on YouTube at the following links:

Networking Nuggets #1 – How To Get Together, Away From The Computer https://youtu.be/Yw7_U7fNPXg

Networking Nugget #2 – How To Make Sure Your Business Card is Networking Ready https://youtu.be/GsJxZwrrjhU

Networking Nugget #3 – How To Let People Know Who You Are
https://youtu.be/lVIUVS4ibN0

Networking Nugget #4 – How To Be Better Connected
https://youtu.be/ju2ovLj3uhI

Networking Nugget #5 – How Not To Be A Networking Sinner
https://youtu.be/fmamX9twtD4

Networking Nugget #6 – How To Be A Super Networker
https://youtu.be/xIplGYtGDoE

Networking Nugget #7 – How To Conquer Your Fear Of Speaking At Networking Events https://youtu.be/0vmMX08nnmk

Networking Nugget #8 – How To Make The Most Of Networking Events
https://youtu.be/P-Ajxz_xkMo

Networking Nugget #9 – How To Use Some Interesting Networking Technigues
https://youtu.be/yhf6rkgFtBQ

Networking Nugget #10 – How Not To Feel Awkward At Networking Events https://youtu.be/1Gh8WrUh-1I

I hope you enjoy these first ten short videos and find them useful. And please do share them freely with your friends and colleagues. Thanks!

Want help with your networking activities? Hone your skill by taking the Business Networking Necessities, Niceties and No-Nos course on YesCourse.com.

Want even more help? Get one-on-one consulting from the master networker of Portland: Jon Turino!

Networking Consult Image

You can actually book a session online using jonturino/youcanbook.me. The cost is only $65 per session.

You’ll get personalized advice on why you might want to consider networking, where to network, who to network with and how to network most effectively — including the critical follow-up steps! Book your session today!

Please share this post with your friends and colleagues in your networking world! Thanks!

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November 24, 2015

November 23rd Monday Marketing Minutes

The third episode of Monday Marketing Minutes™ was broadcast live via YouTube using Google+ Hangouts On Air.

Here’s a summary of the tips and advice that were included in this episode. You can click on the image above to watch the replay on YouTube at your convenience. And if you have marketing questions you’d like answered you can always send them to me at jon@jonturino.com for inclusion in a future episode of Monday Marketing Minutes.
The tips presented during the November 23rd, 2015, episode have to do with measuring your marketing. If you can’t measure something it is virtually impossible to improve it so measuring and monitoring are part of the cohesive and comprehensive marketing plan mentioned in the November 16th episode.

There are a great many tools available to you on your website and social media platforms, like Google Analytics, Facebook Insights and LinkedIn Statistics and they will work best if you plan your landing pages to take advantage of them.

The idea is to monitor your statistics to see what is working the best and use that information to do more of what works and less of what doesn’t work. It’s not rocket science but it can make a huge difference in the level of success that your marketing campaigns achieve.

The advice presented during this episode dealt with considering the use of the Power of Free as a marketing strategy or tactic. You can use free things to build interest, build credibility and awareness and even to increase the size of your audience.

Think about it. The bakery that provides free samples sells a lot more muffins or cupcakes or pies or cakes than the one down the street that doesn’t offer them. Free trials are a great way to get people “hooked” on your product so that they will later convert to a version for which you get paid. The same goes for so-called “basic” accounts that give you some, but not all, of the full feature set of the product. These things work and they don’t have to cost a lot of money.

Today’s episode was the first broadcast to include a guest presenter — Mr. Leon Henry from WebStep in the U.K. Leon is a marketing and social media consultant who helps his clients similarly to what I do for mine.

We also had three questions from an audience member, Nana Bellerud, on the topic of business networking and those were addressed during the audience question portion of the program.

You can watch the replay of the complete broadcast here. Enjoy and please do remember to send me your questions for future episodes of Monday Marketing Minutes. You’ll find links to all past and future episodes HERE.

And, as always, please do contact me if you’d like help with your marketing plans, strategies, and tactics. I’d love to be of service to you in building your business through better marketing.

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June 18, 2015August 15, 2015

Networking Necessities, Niceties and No-Nos

Networking Necessities, Niceties, and No-Nos

If networking is part of your marketing strategy mix, and for many if not most of us it should be, are you really good at it or is it something you do because you’ve been told that you should do it – like I just did? If you are selling a commodity product, you may not consider networking as an important element of your marketing strategy. Things, after all, should pretty much sell themselves if they are useful and provide clear benefits to the buyer, right? Well, maybe… It might depend on the kind of things you are selling.

Food storage bowls come to mind. You wouldn’t normally think of increasing your sales of these via networking as an important element of your marketing strategy.

But even with the Internet my spouse had a heck of a time finding some help selecting new bowls until I met someone at a networking event who sold them. How about auto insurance? Sure you can buy it over the phone or the Internet if you don’t believe in the value that an agent you know, like and trust can add to your purchase. Having an accident, of course, can change your point of view on this and insurance agents who network know this to be a fact.

I’m a believer in networking because it works for me and for a great many of my clients. The Networking Tips topic in my monthly newsletter is one of the most popular sections. But you have to do networking right if it is going to work for you. So here are some tips on doing it right.

Necessities

The first necessity is a positive attitude. If you dread networking activities it is going to show. You are going to be more of a wallflower than a winner, you are less likely to meet as many people as you could and the impressions you make may not be stellar. The next necessity is a set of goals. How many new people do you want to meet at a networking event? What kinds of people do you want to meet? These goals will help you to select the right networking events. If you sell garden hoses, for example, a home and garden networking event will be much more productive for you than a meeting of condo owners where gardening is done by the association’s hired help.

Niceties

Once you have the necessities covered, it’s time to consider some niceties. Wear a name badge so that people know who you are when you come up to them to ask them what business they are in. Invest in a permanent badge with your company logo on it and wear it on your upper right side to make it easy for people to read as you approach to shake hands. That way you won’t spend your time wrestling with a generic paper badge that will dislodge itself several times during an event. And be confident but considerate when shaking hands. No one likes to have their hand crushed so don’t try to show your dominance of others by doing that to them.

No-Nos

This list could get pretty long but here are the top first few. Mostly talking coupled with little listening is a no-no. How will you find out how you might be able to help someone if you don’t find out what they need? And why waste your own time talking to someone who might never need what you offer. Don’t interrupt an ongoing conversation between others. It’s rude. Wait for your opening while listening to the conversation. You never know – you might learn something! Don’t monopolize. A networking event is not the place to present your entire company and product or services story. It is a time to establish enough rapport so that you can arrange a meeting at a later date given that it makes sense for both parties.

Photo credit: Phoenix Lotus Productions, APACC Mega-Mixer.

New! Your Personal Networking Consultation! Watch the video!

Book NOW at jonturino.youcanbook.me !

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Article credit: The A to Z Blog Book and Inspiration Now! (both by Jon Turino and available on Amazon and Kindle).

February 15, 2015February 15, 2015

Presenting Yourself Properly

Networking is Business!

At recent networking events, I’ve been seeing men standing up to introduce themselves and I’ve actually felt embarrassed for them. Dressed in dirty jeans. Wearing ratty t-shirts. Belt tails hanging down. Shirt tails hanging out. Day old beard growths.

Not standing up straight. Looking almost apologetic for being in the event. Mumbling when introducing themselves. Being inarticulate when trying to say who they are, what they do and who they might be able to help. If someone would want help from someone like them.

OK, I get it. This IS Portland, and lots of people want to keep Portland weird. But, c’mon, guys — get it together! And yes, I’m picking on guys in this post because the women, although some of them can be inarticulate, apologetic or painfully shy, are usually at least dressed properly for a business event. Usually, but not always. So just because you are female doesn’t mean you can ignore the advice that follows.

I’m not going to pull punches here. If you want to be presenting yourself properly at a networking event, or any other business function for that matter, you must follow some basic rules, even if you think they violate your personal freedom to look like a street person or a wanna be actor in LaLaLand.

Bathe! Yes, I mean wash! Comb your hair! Shave! Show some respect for the people who have made that effort.

Wear clean clothes! They don’t have to be fancy. But they ought to be clean. I certainly don’t want to even shake hands with people who looks like they’ve slept in a dumpster. Do you want to repel potential clients during your first impression? It couldn’t hurt to pass an iron over something that’s extremely wrinkled, either.

Wear appropriate clothes. It doesn’t have to be a suit or even slacks, a nice shirt, a nice tie and a sport jacket. Although that would be nice. It could be just nice slacks and a nice shirt. Not a t-shirt. Not a muscle shirt. Not something with inappropriate sayings or images on it. You might be able to get away with a “brand” look like Steve Jobs’ trademark turtlenecks or Jim Teasley’s trademark Hawaiian shirts that his wife makes for him. Depending on the way you carry yourself. Some people can pull if off; others can’t. Know yourself!

Speaking of which: Stand up straight! Put your shoulders back. Try to look like you are awake, alert and ready to interact with people instead of slouching over with your shoulders hunched as if you aren’t worth being paid attention to. Move with at least the appearance of purpose. Posture counts.

Speaking of speaking: Speak up! Let people hear you. Speak clearly. Practice what you are going to say at each event so that it is relevant and will attract potential partners to you. If you stand up straight you will find it easier to speak up. If you are wearing something nice you’ll find it easier to stand up straight because you’ll feel more like you are worth something when you are wearing something that says you have some self-esteem. And some respect for others.

Respect event formats and time limits. If the moderator or meeting leader says 30 seconds, do 30 seconds — or less, not more! You should have “canned” 30, 60 and 120 second self-introductions if you are serious about business. You should know your “elevator speech” by heart. You should articulate why someone would want to meet with you after your self-introduction. Trying to cram your complete life, company or product story into a self-introduction is counter-productive. That means that it won’t work, so don’t try to do it!

Don’t apologize! As it says in my book Inspiration Now!, never think that what you have to offer is insignificant. There will always be someone out there who needs what you have to give. Make yourself attractive to those people at every opportunity.

Follow the advice I’ve given here and I’ll look forward to meeting you. Ignore it at your own peril. There are others out there who feel as I do! :-)

For more on networking, please see Networking Necessities, Niceties and No-No’s on LinkedIn. And if you haven’t read the book yet, what are you waiting for?

October 30, 2012February 5, 2013

The Marketing Seminar/Workshop – Encore Edition

The Marketing Seminar/Workshop – Table of Contents

A live encore presentation of The Marketing Seminar/Workshop will be held on January 24, 2013, in Northeast Portland. It has been produced and will be presented by Jon Turino, an award-winning speaker and one of Portland’s premier marketing strategy consultants. Here’s the Table of Contents for the session:

Helping Businesses Grow Through Better Marketing Strategies

Jon Turino Marketing Strategy Consultant Portland, OR

Our Agenda for Today
- A short presentation by Jon
- Workshop session
Where Is Your Marketing Plan?
Why a Plan?
The Process Flow
Elements of a Marketing Plan – 1
Elements of a Marketing Plan – 2
Elements of a Marketing Plan – 3
Who Are We Trying to Reach?
What Message(s) Are We Sending?
What Message(s) Are We Sending?
What Media Should We Use?
Social Media Considerations
Converting Leads to Customers
Other Elements to Consider
Other Tools in Your Arsenal
Your Networking World
Some Networking Tips
What’s In It For You?
Let’s Get You A Plan! – Workshop Session

Registration information will be forthcoming soon.

Link to Event Page with PayPal Registration Here.

September 27, 2012September 28, 2012

Midnight Musings

A networking night to remember.

Bruschetta. Layered dip. Gourmet crackers. Poppy seed & almond and “B52” miniature cupcakes. No host bar for drinks if you wanted them. Great food available if the munchies weren’t enough. A bunch of people who want to do business with you and who want to let their connections know what you do so that they can do business with you.

All this and more was present at tonight’s $5 at 5PM event, hosted by the Portland Small Business Network, at the Chameleon in Portland’s Hollywood District tonight.

We had some new folks and we had some regulars. Lots of photos will be popping up on Facebook since we had two professional photographers at the event. We were a large enough group to have some real diversity in professions and a small enough group to really be able to get to know each other. Some real connections were made as were some appointments for later 1:1 meetings. All in just a few hours at a great venue.

Could your business benefit from this kind of exposure? My guess, if you are in the B2B world, is that the answer to that question is “yes.” And since many of our business visitors tonight also sell to consumers, there were lots of B2C opportunities as well.

Networking can be hard work. Or it can be fun. Or it can be a combination of both. It’s a chance for you to get outside your normal comfort zone if you don’t do it very often and a chance to nurture relationships if you do. It costs very little, except for your time investment, and it can pay big dividends.

There’s really nothing else like networking to establish relationships with people who you know, like and trust. And those are three key elements to doing business with each other and referring each other to our extended circles of contacts.

If you weren’t with us tonight I think you missed a great opportunity. We’re going to do it again in another month and the date, time and location will be posted on my calendar so please do join us for the next one.

Comments, as always, are welcome.

March 23, 2012September 19, 2012

Marketing with Face Time Not Facebook

As the online marketing gurus implore us to put more time, effort, and money into marketing via websites, blogs, ad words, and social media, we sometimes lose sight of the value of face-to-face networking for building our businesses.

There are even more opportunities to meet other business people now than before online networking existed, but you have to take the leap from online to offline marketing. Social media can be a valuable tool for establishing initial contacts with people whose talents and interests match your needs or your clients’ needs, but its relationship building value is easily overestimated.

How efficient is social media in establishing real relationships? The core of any marketing effort is a plan to build trust, and the most effective way to build rapport is through a handshake and eye contact. Social media is, ironically, inherently not social. It puts us behind a computer screen, and away from human contact.

Let us get together, away from the screen. It could be breakfast or lunch, an after-hours mixer, an open house, a business leads meeting, or any number of venues. You can learn more about a person in a five-minute conversation than they would ever post on a social media profile. If you have not already made in-person networking a core part of your marketing plan, you will be amazed at how productive and fun these meetings are.

Groups on social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Meetup, are facilitating an increasing number of face-to-face meetings in groups as diverse as you could imagine. While there are literally hundreds of them, the good news is that they are searchable, so you can find the right groups for you.

What kinds of groups and meetings do you find most valuable? How do you make time for face time? Where do you find the groups that you attend and people you meet? Please post your comments and share what works for you.

If you would like more information about groups that might be of interest to you, please let me know. I will point you in the right direction.

Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for your comments.