Read This Book

Over time, you will see lots of books mentioned here. I am a book addict. If I don't read at least 2 books per week, one fiction, one nonfiction, I still to feel very uncomfortable...ill at ease. Thankfully, this addiction has served me well over the years and I think it will serve you also.

This week I read, or actually I listened to "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell. He is more famous for "The Tipping Point", but I thought I would start here. Excellent read / listen. The book explores in wonderful story rich fashion the history, training, uses and pitfalls of intuition...hence the name "Blink". I would make a point of reading or listening to this one. Malcolm reads his own work here and does and excellent job of it. The section on "Priming" alone is worth many times the price of admission.

Malcolm will be one of the featured speakers at The New Yorker Conference / 2012: Stories from the near future. May 06 +07, 2007 in (of course) New York City. This would be a great conference to make! www.conference.newyorker.com

Joe Girard and Followup

I get many questions about how to stay in touch with a new contact...how to gracefully move from those initial meetings to mutually beneficial referral relationship. You can spend lots of mental effort here, but my suggestion is to keep it simple. Years ago, when I was first struggling to learn the process of selling, I had the good fortune to run across a book by Joe Girard. Joe is an amazing person in many ways and I encourage you to learn more about him. This excerpt is taken directly from his website: www.joegirard.com : "For 12 straight years Joe sold more cars and trucks than any other salesperson. More as an individual than most dealers sell in total. No other salesperson has ever attained this title for more than one year, and not for both cars and trucks. During his fifteen year selling career, he sold 13,001 cars,all at retail - no fleet, wholesale or used cars*. Most of his time is now spent writing books, giving lectures, and sales rallies."

He still holds at least one world record in selling. So, why do I mention Joe? According to more than one source, Joe sent out a note each and every month to every person that he met. Month after month, year after year. And what was the secret message that he put into these notes, the secret that helped propel Joe into a completely different life and then keep him there?

"I like you!" Every note said the same thing, every month, to every person: "I like you!"

Simple enough? Don't get caught up in what to say. Say something and stay in touch...bye for now...Jack

The Magic of 8

So when does networking start to really pay off? You have been meeting people. Learning about them and giving them the opportunity to learn about you. Will you get business right away? Sometimes and rarely. On rare occasions, you will meet someone at the exact instant that they need you or know someone that needs you. This is rare and foolish to depend on.

Much better is to plan on staying in touch, letting your new relationships naturally mature and move into mutual top of mind awareness and like and trust and having faith that business will come. And it will come! When will it come? Usually sometime after your 8th contact with a new person. I don't even consider someone to be in my SOI, my Sphere of Influence, until after our 8th contact. From this point forward, after the 8th contact, I can predict with great accuracy how many deals or referrals I will get, over time, from my SOI and so can you!

Bottom line, unless you plan on staying touch, don't even bother to get in touch....bye for now...Jack