Customer Reviews

Little Black Book of Connections: 6.5 Assets for Networking Your Way to Rich Relationships

5 star:		(73)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I have three of Mr. Gitomer's books and although they all provide some useful information, I just can't help feeling like they are regurgitations of Mr. Dale Carnegie's work. This book (like his 'Little Red Book of Selling') is filled with "Red Bits" or "Git Bits" which are keywords he uses in his books; when you come across one of these keywords you are asked to visit his website where you can enter the keyword and get more information, but in order for you to do that you have to register with his website, which means guess what? Yep, a weekly email from Gitomer filled with pictures of him and his crew asking you to buy his products. I think his best book is 'The Sales Bible' and if you want to spend your money on one of his books it should be that one, otherwise, go to the originals such as Dale Carnegie, Earl Nightingale and Napoleon Hill.

"Little Black Book of Connections: 6.5 Assets for Networking Your Way to RICH Relationships" is a must-read for all who are involved in professions which consist of networking in any regard.

Gitomer starts the book with a riveting question: "How lost would you be if your list of contacts vanished? Let me give you the answer: You'd go beyond lost and into the realm of panic." This book focus on connections and connecting, as his past books focused on selling and so forth. This one is all about the significance of networking.

The 6.5 Assets in this book are:

1.) Who Do I Know?
2.) What Do I Want?
3.) What Do I Do?
4.) How Do I Connect?
5.) Who Knows You?
6.) The Secret Power of Connections
6.5) The Value of Connections

Your new blood type: N+ (Networking Positive) - pretty cool way to look at it!

Gitomer writes with flair and humor. It is this very writing style which makes for an enjoyable read. The book is relatively quick to read - approximately 200 pages - and is not your average book format.

I'd recommend this book to anybody and everybody who cares about their careers and networks.

I would not be surprised if suddenly I discovered that all the 5 stars reviews are product of Jeffrey Gitomer's connections, friends, fans or family. When I read that if you want to meet a CEO, don't use the telephone and give him a "cold-call", you better send him a daily fax for 5 consecutive days with a lead or contact of a customer interested in his company (?!), and THEN call him and tell him you are the guy who sent him these great referrals! Wow, I just wonder if the sales team of this CEO did take Jeffreys sales seminars and got nothing while you, a simple mortal, got 5 great customers in one week for them! It has more like this, like "call all the people you know and ask them: What can I do for you today?", etc. On the other hand, it opens your eyes to really think seriously about your connections, but I suppose you already do, otherwise you wouldn't be reading these reviews and looking for a book like this. Keep looking and if you find nothing, then think about buying this one, it is not that expensive.

This book could really be summarized as this.

1) Establish yourself as an expert by speaking, writing, attending networking events thus making yourself known.

2) Be a gracious and generous person, thereby attracting friends and potentially valuable relationships.

3) Give to others... this positive Karma will result in beneficial relationships and opportunities.

There, saved you some money.

Black is good but Red is better. The fundamentals of networking have already been discussed in both of Gitomer's Red books. Black beefs up the subject matter a little bit but not enough to warrant an entire book. I like it, I'm glad I read it, I'm still a huge Gitomer fan but this did not live up to my expectations.

Gitomer's book fell into my hands and I am glad it did. Although I am not in sales, we ALL sell in one form or another, and who among us couldn't use to sharpen our networking skills?

The book's format makes it a quick read and easy to digest.

I have added it to my desk reference books for future perusal.

Jeffrey Gitomer's writing style is very good for busy people. His books are concise, well illustrated, easy to read, and always contain information from which even a seasoned sales professional will learn new ideas. This book shows a person how to successfully network and build working relationships in a sincere and polished manner. Like all of his books, there are some exercises and questions for you to complete that will personalize your learning experience. This book is so key to excellent selling, it might be one that your read every year or so to sharpen your skills. There 7 sections in approximately 200 pages and they are covering all aspects of networking; climbing the ladder, earning respect of a powerful mentor, building relationships, associating with powerful people, connecting with powerful people, saying the right things, and maximizing the benefits from these relationships. If you are in sales, this is probably a "must have" along with some of the other books Gitomer has written.

Who do you know, how well are you connected, do you know how to make a connection and who knows you? Why ask these questions? Because, "All things being equal, people want to do business with their friends." "All things being not quite equal, people still want to do business with their friends."

"Dedicated to connections and connecting," Gitomer's third "Little Book" walks through how to make connections and position yourself as an expert. It also covers what not to do.

Completing the work Gitomer gives you in the book and applying his suggestions will work for you. No question. Gitomer's methods are ultimately very simple: do the work and you will get results.

This is a nice follow-up to the two Little Red Books of Sales and a good intro to the Little Yellow Book of Yes!Attitude. Buy them all. Skip them at your peril.

This is an excellent book. I thoroughly enjoyed the 6.5 capsules of knowledge.I liked the phrase "Its not who you know, its who knows you" immensely.This book is a must read for individuals who want to keep in touch with their existing connections and explore new horizons.

-- Chandra Vadamodula

I'm a HUGE Gitomer fan. I have several books, get his enewsletter, have seen him speak, met him and give his books out as gifts to colleagues and clients. This one is too thin on content and too redundant. It feels more like Jeffrey decided it was time to publish a book than that he had a slew of good content. I'd highly recommend his Little Red Book of Selling far and away over Connections. I just find the latter uninspired and basic.