Third Generation Networking Podcast

Networking can feel a little vague at times. You may feel like you aren’t getting a lot out of your efforts despite doing a lot of networking. Here’s the question: How much networking are you actually doing? Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some way to measure your current level of effort? It sure would make your decisions about where to spend your networking effort a lot easier. Greg and Debby ta...

Many people join large networking organizations such as a local Chamber of Commerce, trade association, or business group. That’s great! The problem is, they don’t know the techniques they need in order to be successful in those venues. The end result? They either actually quit or they emotional shut down and even when they show up, they don’t expect to get anything out of their membership. Join G...

Are you really getting in the networking you want with the people with whom you need to connect? Sometimes those events just aren’t there. Especially now, in the time of pandemic, even if a group is a good potential match for your needs, it might not be creating actual opportunity for networking. Join Greg and Debby as they discuss the option to create your own networking venue. Mentioned in this...

We all want to be valuable to our networking connections, but finding referrals for everyone can be a tremendously challenging process. After all, it’s hard enough to find opportunity for our own businesses and careers, let alone finding the same for someone else. Join us as Debby reveals the sneaky tricks she uses to find the referrals her network needs. Mentioned in this Episode: - Matthew Utter...

Bad News: Calling them up to “Check In” may sound innocent enough, but many people translate that phrase into “Do you have anything for me?” If you aren’t careful people might stop taking your calls. Join Greg and Debby as they discuss the best way to put yourself back in someone’s path with various activities to be of service. Thank you to Cory Dunham, Kristin Meyer, and Colleen Tankoos for askin...

Networking is about relationships and relationships require communication. When it comes to that activity, we need to understand more than just the language. We need to navigate the specific etiquette and protocols inherent in that communication. If you’d like you words and actions to convey the message you intend, join Greg and Debby as they discuss the why’s and wherefores of networking communic...

Each of us might experience temporary or permanent personal limitations that impact our ability to network. These don’t have to stop us altogether, however. Debby and Greg discuss their own limitations (mild hearing impairment) among others and offer ideas on how to work around the challenges they might present. Thank you to Linda Sattler for sparking the conversation. Thank you to ConvoSparker: -...

Not all networking relationships work out. If you are in one of these situations where you seem to be taking the connection more seriously than the other person, it may be time to jump ship. Greg and Debby discuss how and why you might dial back professional relationships from brief acquaintance to formal referral partnership. Thank you to David Bodner for the question that sparked the conversatio...

Are you finding the people you need to meet when you attend your networking events? If you aren’t or you simply aren’t finding enough of them, maybe you are looking for love in all the wrong places. It all starts with knowing who you want to meet. Join Debby and Greg as they discuss one of the most crucial concepts in being a skillful networker – selecting your target market. Thank you to good fri...

It’s happened to all of us. You are at a networking event and someone walks up to you. You know the face, but you couldn’t say their name to save your soul. What do you do? Join Greg and Debby as they discuss the challenges they’ve faced and some of the solutions they’ve found that seem to have worked for them. Thank you to Kristin Meyer and Colleen Tankoos of the Maumee Chamber for the ideas that...

You don’t need customers, so you don’t need to network, right? Wrong! Our network is for much more than just generating sales and we forget that at our peril. Join Debby and Greg as they discuss why you should be networking for more than just the bottom line. Thank you to Linda Sattler, the DungeonMomster for the question that sparked this conversation. Thank you to ConvoSparker: - Linda Sattler,...

Even during the best of times it's easy to let your networking contacts slip through the cracks in your memory. Guess what? If you aren't thinking about them, they probably aren’t thinking about you either. How can you stay connected? Join Greg and Debby as they discuss the techniques they use to keep themselves relevant in the minds of their networking contacts. Thank you to Kathy Harper for the...

You’ve worked so hard to build your network. You’ve attended the meetings, made the time for coffee or lunch with new and old connections, gone to the effort to pass referrals, recommendations, and value to the members of your network. Why would you try to destroy it? Join the Networking Guru and the Reluctant Networker as they discuss the mistakes they’ve seen that can really put the kibosh on yo...

Attending a networking event, whether in-person or remotely, can be fraught with discomfort for even the skillful networker. Listen to Debby and Greg discuss simple techniques you can use to make your time at the next business gathering be more efficient and effective. Sometimes it’s merely a matter of knowing what to do when. Big thanks to Doug Stout and Nicole Dietrich for their questions which...

Attending a networking event, whether in-person or remotely, can be fraught with discomfort for even the skillful networker. Listen to Debby and Greg discuss simple techniques you can use to make your time at the next business gathering be more efficient and effective. Sometimes it’s merely a matter of knowing what to do when. Big thanks to Doug Stout and Nicole Dietrich for their questions which...

Greg (the Reluctant Networker) and Debby (the Networking Guru) pull back the curtain on some of the many networking mistakes they’ve made over the years. Misplaced names, forgotten faces, and private information publicly revealed. It’s all part and parcel of decades of a networking practice that sometimes doesn’t go as smoothly as you would like. Mentioned: - Keith Hafner’s Karate, https://karatei...

What is success in networking? Is it coming home with a signed contract? Is it showing up for the Chamber of Commerce networking lunch? Something in between? It turns out, the measurement of achievement is something more personal. Join Debby (The Networking Guru) and Greg (The Reluctant Networker) as they respond to listener Ken Rates about how we can determine success in our networking practice....

Does size really matter? Our listener, Marcy Bell asked us whether large or small events are fundamentally better for new networkers. Greg and Debby discuss a number of different aspects of networking events that can contribute to networking success. Check in to see whether the events you're attending are the ones that are going to work for you. Thank you to ConvoSparker: - Marcy Bell, President,...

When the person sitting across the table (or Zoom call) asks the all important question, "So, how can I help you?" are you ready? Most people don't have a good answer and most people aren't getting what they want out of their networking. Take a few moments now to create a long list of possible requests. To make it easy, follow the 5 S's.

Our good friend and listener, Ernie Lewis, posed our question of the week. It's a topic that is probably on the minds of a lot of people. "With the pandemic still going on, is it too early to go back to networking?" The short answer is, of course "Yes and No". If you'd like to hear more about what that means and why networking is still important, check out this week's podcast. Also featured: Debby...

How do you get the conversation past the simple query of name and title? Debby and Greg (The Networking Guru and Reluctant Networker, resp.) discuss different approaches to the process with the focus on creating a strong opening to a potentially mutually beneficial connection. Listener Asandi Connor offered the question that sparked the discussion. Thank you to ConvoSparker: - Asandi Connor, CEO o...

Penny Rosema poses another question for Debby and Greg (The Networking Guru and Reluctant Networker, resp.). How do you network with your trade association (or any business group, for that matter) when they are cancelling and postponing all of the in-person conferences? What can we do as networkers and what can the organization leaders do to maintain member engagement? Thank you to: - Penny Rosema...

What's up this week on the Third Generation Networking Podcast? It's all about rewards! Inspired by a conversation with Lauren Givan of Dynamic Discoveries, Debby and Greg (The Networking Guru and Reluctant Networker, resp.) discuss how you can ethically express gratitude for referrals from your networking teams and the benefits and disadvantages of having a formal reward program. Thank you to: -...

Thanks to a question from listener Mike Robbe, Debby and Greg (The Networking Guru and Reluctant Networker, resp.) discuss the challenges and techniques of extending your networking into a new location. These same techniques work for anytime you have to network remotely or virtually, like when you are in the middle of a global pandemic, just as a hypothetical situation. Thank you to: - Mike Robbe,...

You can use partner networking to extend and strengthen your networking reach (event in a virtual world). Debby and Greg (The Networking Guru and Reluctant Networker, resp.) various strategies and missteps with having a networking "wing person". They also discuss how you can use some of these same strategies in a virtual setting. Comments: https://www.facebook.com/TheReluctantNetworker/ https://ww...