KnowJunkie.com

Do you have the experience of being hanging around with the
wrong people? There is a strange feeling of known you are not
in the right place. Even if everything looks fine, you are not
satisfied enough. You are forced to go into activities you actually
don’t want to just because your friends do.

What an uncomfortable feeling!!

Something that truly helps you to make your life simple, fun &
efficient is your peer group. You could create one or join one.
Before you join one you must answer some questions.

You cannot choose your family, and your options to chose your
friends from childhood are very limited. Thus, you can choose
your Peer Group.

Looking into the dictionary “a peer group is a group of people
of approximately the same age, social status, and interests.
Some groups are socialized by peers rather than by their
families or conventional institutions. They define themselves as
a gang.”

Well, forget about the gang. Concentrate on the same interest. I
must recognize it will be easier if they are of approximately
the same age and social status, but those are not mandatory. In
fact, new rules are broking those walls.

Here we will focus on three main questions you should consider
before to join or promote to a peer group. I will talk you about
other interesting aspects of peer groups in others articles.

Three Questions to choose your Peer Group:

What are your peer group goals?

The mean of a peer group is give and receive support, advice,
understanding, resources, etc. You want to be in the right
place.

The right peer group is going to demand you as well as give to
you.

Before to join a peer group you should consider if your goals
are lined up with the goals of the peer group.

What do you want from your peer group?

There are a great variety of peer groups. You will find them
under a huge variety of labels. Not all of them have the same
structure. Some have not formal structure at all.

Clarify your needs and wants before to look for one. Ask to
current and former members. Look for an outside point of view.

Do you look for support? Are you asking for advice? Do you try
to get references?

Be honest. You could lie even to yourself. But you don’t want to
waste your time and resources. Soon or later, true will come
out.

What is the level of ACTION that your peer group is currently
having?

Is this group still alive? Or is just a name on a wall?

You are looking for an objective measure. Do you have access to
their program of the last six months?

What the annual program? What are the activities they are doing?

How are they supporting each other?

This could not be easy to find talking to non-structure peer
groups. Sometimes rules and program are not written. Thus, you
could ask for testimonials and reference in an informal way.

Dear reader, may be you are not conscious of the important of
the right peer group yet. I just wish you to be aware of this
matter before is too late to choose.

We will talk about how to create a peer group next time.

I wish you the best.

Fernando Manzano

(http://www.growandwin.com) is committed to improve
your life and your personal growth. Fernando is teaching to
hundreds how to take control over life and get financial
freedom. Now you can learn from the master. Author of several
articles about personal growth and how to make your life simple,
fun & efficient and the book “What you should know going into a
Coaching Process”, coming soon. He will put you on ACTION.
http://www.growandwin.com

Networking, schmoozing, making connections. Call it what you want, it’s something that is a necessity if you want to do business today. Many of us either love it or hate it. Personally, I wasn’t too fond of it in the past. Although I’m a outgoing person, I just hated starting conversations with people I had no idea what to say to. Oh yes, my friends reading this will laugh out loud. “Yeah right, Simone, shy? She can talk anyone under the table!” Ha ha, very funny, but that is beside the point. Many folks, even extroverts, avoid networking for the simple fact that they don’t want to talk to strangers. Some feel that they don’t have anything to offer, or don’t feel like going to a pick up joint disguised as a networking event. Yeah, you know the ones. I actually went to one last week and I was asking where the ‘networking’ was as I looked at the dance floor full of executives doing the electric slide (I kid you not! The electric slide!) I thought, “Darn! Foiled again!” Hey, we all love to have fun, but if it’s a party, just say it’s a party! Come on!

So, you see why I got fed up and started my own event, “Give ‘N Take Network”: http://www.giventakenetwork.org? There’s still hope for us all…we can make networking work if we really think about the benefits and plan for a successful outcome.

The things that can arise from networking are amazing. Most of my best contacts are people I met at business conferences and networking events. I actually make it a point to tell my clients to schedule in at least two networking events a month that target their audiences. Being seen and heard will increase your chances of success! Not only is networking good for business, but also for your personal life!

Business Benefits:

… Expand your customer base
… Get a new job or referrals
… Promote your business

Personal Benefits:

… Meet new friends
… Build your self-confidence
… Have fun!

Four Easy Steps to Working a Room:

1. Be prepared
2. Introductions
3. Sealing the Deal
4. Follow Up

Be Prepared

… Have a positive attitude

… Go with a purpose! What would you like to accomplish at this event?

… Bring plenty of business cards. Have a cardholder for easy access and also have a place to put cards of people that you meet.

… If you come with your buddies…make sure they know you aren’t joined at the hip. The worst thing you can be that night is a clique. When you get to the event, make it your goal to split up. That will encourage you to network even more. I know it’s hard, but you gotta cut the cord sometimes.

Introductions..Don’t be shy

… Walk up to someone and introduce yourself. Make eye contact and give them a firm handshake. Okay, let me be clear: please, no Incredible Hulk grips! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had my ring imprint make me want to cry from one of those shakes. What are you people trying to prove with those grips? LOL. However, you must by all means avoid the wimpy damp-palm handshake that just collapses within the other person’s hand. If you do that, you come across just like that -wimpy or even worse, like you’re royalty and you want them to kiss your hand.

… Say your first and last name while introducing yourself. Once they tell you their name, here are some tricks to remember it!

1. Listen for the name and repeat it, “Nice to meet you, Nadine.”

2. Use the name in your conversation.

3. Play name association games to remind yourself, such as Nadine from New Jersey or Navy Nadine (because she had on a navy blue suit.) This is my personal favorite since I have the memory of a 90-year-old sometimes!

… With a little dash of confidence and charm, share with your new acquaintance who you are. Make sure you smile and maintain eye contact with them. Plan your 30-second introduction beforehand. Your intro is just your tagline. Basically, it’s a couple of sentences of who you are, what you do to get them interested, and start the conversation. Make sure you ask them about themselves as well.

… Small Talk: A little small talk makes folks feel comfortable and at ease. Try not to brag, or impress, but just act natural. You will already have something in common since you are at the same event, so why not start by talking about that. Common interests can be excellent conversation starters. Understanding your similarities takes the edge off.

eg : So, you’re an enterprenuar too? How long have you been in business for yourself?” or something like
“Nice to meet you too! First time at a National Squirrel Lovers Convention?” (just making sure you are awake…I crack myself up, excuse me.)

As suggested by Networking Guru, Susan Roane, try using the OAR TACTIC.

1. Observe
2. Ask
3. Reveal.

It’s a great way to break the ice and begin an engaging conversation. Remember…being a good listener is key!

Seal the Deal:

So, you’ve had your small talk, found out how you can help each other and have exchanged cards. Make sure you LOOK at the card when they hand it to you. Don’t just shove it in your pocket. That’s just rude! Looking at the card will help you remember their name as well. After you walk away, you can write on the back of their card what you are going to do for each other, or some tips to remind you who they are, I.e.: Guy in the black hat who was friends with Bill. Has a client that needs my service.

Follow up:

You might want to end the conversation like, “I’ll send you an email tomorrow regarding blah blah blah.” Or “I’ll call you on Tuesday”. Oh yeah, following up is not only the best part, but the MOST important part of networking.

I get on my members of Give ‘N Take Network about this, because like I always say: Talk is Cheap! If you don’t follow up, you just wasted precious time shooting the breeze.

Hope these tips will help you work that room at your next event. Happy networking!

Simone Kelly is CEO and founder of Gots To Have It, Marketing, a firm that specializes in marketing and empowering entrepreneurs with a series of workshops and networking events. Please view her company web sites here: http://www.gotstohaveit.com and http://www.giventakenetwork.org

When it comes to quality, how do you choose
the group that matches your expectations?

Defining a quality group is not as easy as it looks. You first need to conduct the research into meetings, type of attendance etc. The next thing you want to know is the size of the group. Size does count as a smaller group will not often have enough leads for each individual. You should also make sure that the level of the person belonging to the group is at the appropriate place. By level we mean: is the person belonging to the group an influencer on decisions or are they the person that makes the actual decisions? Often with these groups, it is the salesperson that attends, and they can only suggest something to the decision makers. The decision maker does not necessarily need to be the CEO, but it is likely that they are part of the administrative executive. Do not waste your time with groups that do not have access to the decision makers.

Influencers can have some effect, but in the long run, if they cannot get you in front of the decision maker, you are most likely wasting your time. Be picky about the quality of the group you may eventually join; if you are to bring leads in and they are to offer you leads, make sure the quality of the group is where you need it to be. For example, do not expect high level consulting business from a printer-paper salesperson. It is not likely they will know who you need to know.

Even though quality is important in a group, quality can be found in various types of groups that you will come across. Quality may be defined in several ways. First is the quality of the attendees and the level of decision making they have in an organization. Second is the quality of the leads that are generated by the attendees. The leads need to be of some value and they need to include an introduction to the company needing your services. Let’s take a closer look at some of the types of groups that could possibly fit your needs.

Group Survey

Name of the group

______________________________________________________________

Where does the group meet?

______________________________________________________________

Day and time of meetings (is it weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly?)

______________________________________________________________

Group Size ___________________________________________________

How many people do you know in the group? __________________

Group Focus _________________________________________________

Decision Making Level of the participants

______________________________________________________________

Are there exclusivity requirements? ___________________________

Number of Leads expected:

Receive in a month __________ Give in a month ________________

Further Comments

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite, She decided to find the best ways to get people’s attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the “Networking Queen”.

Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in June 2005. For more information visit http://BlueprintBooks.com

Gaming notebooks were once only for those who had cash and not for the mainstream buyers. In the past the lack of sales was made up by the profit margins. Surely I would positively say everybody desired one though. Perhaps they weren’t the most functional however I still think they were the best laptops. Even though they did get everybody excited I do not think they sold in quantities because not many people actually buy laptops that are costly. Sales will increase though now that well known companies are coming into the sector.

Price wars are not typical is this sector so global companies could be scooping lots of markup. These days the usual laptop margins are extremely small so it presents the opportunity for them to regain the gross margins. With their gigantic marketing budgets I am certain they can get anybody to buy laptops like these. I am wondering what the the reaction from littler manufacturers will be. I am already noticing some price cuts. I think once it becomes marketed to the masses it will lose some of the desirability. I guess the uneducated automatically feel safe by purchasing from a company they are aware of.

Surprisingly, the notebook computers they’re producing are a handful of the best laptops to present. This is a prime opportunity the littler retailers should utilise to their advantage. Being able to buy exactly what components they desire is a large factor for most people who are considering purchasing a gaming laptop. Normally a lot of comparisons of the specifications will be carried out and the techies can decide what the superior notebook actually is. In my view I reckon consumers worry more about the power rather than appearance.

All of this is very good from the customers standpoint. In the end it will drive prices down even further and make the latest technology even more obtainable for gamers. Its difficult to predict what will happen really because the market is a fast moving one. Technology is always evolving and the latest notebooks should always be expensive initially. We will discover what we can anticipate from the gaming laptop sectors giant brands.