Well Connected: An Unconventional Approach to Building Genuine, Effective Business Relationships

Description

Achieve your goals by selectively engaging the right people and connecting well with them Smart executives who want to reach virtually any business goal-from raising capital to finding sales leads to finding the perfect job-know that networking is the key to their success. But traditional networking approaches-meet as many people as possible, amass huge numbers of "connections" and "friends" in your LinkedIn and Facebook networks-rarely produce more than a handful of relationships that pay off. In Well-Connected, networking maven and coach Gordon Curtis explains that the secret to building truly effective relationships is to narrow--rather than widen--your network. His proven methodology for building key relationships that deliver results every time emphasizes selectively engaging the right people and connecting with them well : First, identify a "critical enabler," someone who has access to the knowledge you need and is inclined to help you; second, unlock the critical enabler's willingness and ability to provide what you need by offering her something valuable before you ask her or him for anything. Well-Connected reveals a breakthrough approach to networking that delivers predictable, positive results Filled with success stories, the book provides an accessible action plan for all readers Networking maven Gordon Curtis has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Sunday Globe, Fast Company Magazine Well-Connected serves as the playbook for sophisticated business people who know there's a better way to connect with the right people to get things done better and faster. Well Connected: An Unconventional Approach to Building Genuine, Effective Business Relationships Contents Chapter 1: Redefining Networking for the Twenty-First Century Why Does It Look So Easy? What’s Wrong with Networking Now? What Is the Right Person–Right Approach Method? Who’s the Right Person? What’s the Right Approach? So What Does It All Mean? Chapter 2: Prep Work: Rethinking Your Networking Strategy Why Can’t We Just Get Started? Stepping Back to Move Forward: What Do You Need to Ask? What Are You Communicating? What’s Your Message? Who Is Your Audience? Who’s Your Target? How Successful Have You Been? Are You Hitting Your Target? What’s the Bottom Line? Chapter 3: Articulating Your Objective So What Is Your Objective? What’s Your Objective? Real-Life Challenge: Articulating Your Objectives Where Does Articulating Your Objective Lead You? Chapter 4: The Right Person: Identifying Your Critical Enabler How Do You Select and Engage a Critical Enabler? So What Defines Your Critical Enabler? Chapter 5: The Referral: Landing an Introduction to a Critical Enabler How Do You Manage Referrals? What Does It Look Like from the Other Side? Real-Life Challenge: Dig Ever Deeper Chapter 6: The Right Approach: Providing Value to Your Critical Enabler Where Do You Start? How Do You Know What to Offer? What Else Can You Try? What Do You Have to Offer? Chapter 7: The Right Person: Selecting a Critical Enabler Who Is Inclined, Available, and Like-Minded What Makes Someone the Right Person? What Next? Chapter 8: Putting It All Together How Do You Make the Method Work? What Does It All Mean? Chapter 9: Conclusion: Using the Right Person–Right Approach Method to Gain Clarity, Control, and Confidence Why Pursue Clarity? How Do You Maintain Control? What Does It Take to Keep Up Your Confi dence? What’s the Take -Away? Acknowledgments About the Author Index