|
Harvey Mackay's
Column This Week
Networking
is a contact sport
By Harvey Mackay
On any given week, I receive five to ten books or book proposals
from authors asking for an endorsement, an opinion, or a mention in
a column. When they are really good, the answer is yes. When they
are really, really good, I want to share them with the world.
I'm known as something of an expert on networking, having written
books of my own on the subject and speaking about it to Fortune
1000 companies all over the world. I can recognize a winner from a
mile away.
Such is the case with Networking is a Contact
Sport, a new book by Joe Sweeney, who built his career by
"combining his love of business and his passion for sports." The
title doesn't refer to hard hits or banging bodies -- it's about
staying in contact with folks whose paths cross yours throughout a
career.
Joe is eminently qualified to write this book. His resume includes
owning four manufacturing companies, serving as president of the
Wisconsin Sports Authority, and founding a sports marketing agency
that specializes in assisting and representing coaches and
athletes. He is currently a managing director of an investment
banking firm that brokers business transactions and raises capital
for middle-market businesses.
But Joe claims his networking abilities were developed at a very
young age, long before he got his start in business, being raised
in a family of nine boys and one girl. An early example he shares
is his meeting -- at age eight -- with then-Notre Dame football
great, coach Ara Parseghian. He was hoping the coach would provide
a football scholarship for his older brother, a walk-on at Notre
Dame. (For the record, his brother was awarded a football
scholarship for the following year.)
Another insightful chapter tells about how Joe "drafted" Bob Costas
to speak at the Wisconsin Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony in
1995. He didn't know Costas, didn't even know how to contact him
(this was pre-Google, after all).
But working his network, and shipping bratwurst and Secret Stadium
Sauce from Milwaukee's County Stadium to Costas, a ballpark food
aficionado, scored big points for Joe. As Joe says, "If my
experience with Bob Costas proved anything, it's that networking is
a contact sport. Sometimes you get pushed aside or knocked down,
but if you persevere, remain focused, and look for ways to engage
people -- ways that are fresh, clever, and persistent -- networking
will make things happen and take you where you want to go in
life."
The book is chock-full of personal stories and great examples of
situations that anyone can relate to. Even more helpful, I think,
is the "recap" at the end of each chapter that reminds readers of
the most significant lessons.
Joe encourages readers from the beginning to take this approach to
networking: "When you truly give to others without any
expectations or strings attached, you will receive much more than
you ever could have expected."
He stresses ten points for effective networking:
- Be clear about your objectives and outcomes.
- Do your research.
- Don't be afraid to ask.
- Get comfortable with traveling outside your comfort zone.
- Try, try, try -- and then try again in a creative way.
- Do your best to connect the dots.
- Seek out in-person contact -- there's no substitute for the
personal touch.
- Take 100 percent responsibility for your networking.
- Treat others as you would want to be treated.
- Present an offer to help others before you ask for
anything.
Joe also has advice for networking to find a job, especially timely
advice in this economic climate. (Another area I can highly
recommend, having spent the last two years writing a book about job
searches.)
He shares insights on networking personality styles, identifying
traits on both sides of a networking relationship. He shows you
how to choose the best approach to connect productively with many
kinds of people. "Business is not about managing money," Joe
says. "It's about managing relationships and personalities."
Mackay's Moral: If networking is a contact sport,
make sure you get in the game.
|
|
|
|
|
New
York Times bestseller, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and
Amazon
...highly recommended for job seekers and career changers
at all experience levels...
|
|
