Customer Reviews

Make Your Contacts Count: Networking Know How for Cash, Clients, and Career Success

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This book's a "keeper." It's so good, I use it for prizes in my classes--in Marketing, in Teaching Adults, in Information Technology, and in Organization Development/Human Resources. As we change with the business environment this century, people--contacts--are our primary resources, support systems, and the source of much of the value with which we transact.

In Marketing, it crowns the experience I call "The Nifty Business Card Contest" (it's fitting). In Teaching Adults, it conveys the basic skills that should be included in a broad variety of today's--and tomorrow's--learning experiences and in "double loop" learning activities that bring the learner to truly capitalize on experience. In Information Technology, it helps readers extend and make useful their human networks--a skill not much taught in IT courses. Finally, in Organization Development, it provides a big dose of strategies, skills, approaches and techniques that are so important in organizations and for people undergoing change.

Waymon and Baber have obviously recollected their experiences well--and translated them into thoroughly useful words of guidance for readers wanting to begin or to vastly improve their networking activities. They provide examples of what to say in stressful or uncomfortable situations, how to handle a received business card and "trigger" a request for your own, and how to organize and follow up occasions where you meet people.

Perhaps the most useful information relates to how to preplan for situations in which you are to meet people--how to select and to craft your agenda and to work for its fulfillment in the people you meet. It is obvious that the greatest talents in communication and perceptivity are at play here--and those of us whose idea of networking is "Hi! I'll call you sometime" will be greatly appreciative both of the depth this book brings to the process and of the practical guidance and checklists it provides.

It is a credit to the craft of writing the authors have mastered that you can read this book from front to back, back to front, or skip around with equal pleasure and a high degree of derived value. Readers who pick this book up will almost certainly be better networkers when they put it down, whether they read a sentence, a paragraph, a chapter or the entire book. This review would be longer, but I have to go meet a few people now.

Making Your Contacts Count: Networking Know-How for Cash, Clients, and Career Success
by Anne Baber & Lynne Waymon; reviewed by Karol Taylor, Owner, Taylor Your Career (karoltaylor@comcast.net)

Does this sound familiar? Someone hands you a business card without first introducing himself. Perhaps he forces himself into a conversation and then expects you to participate. Unaware that he is turning you off, he launches into a monologue, not realizing that a dialogue eludes him. Is it any wonder that you barely respond and throw away the card as soon as he (or she) moves on? Ineffective behaviors such as these happen often enough that some individuals use them to justify their unwillingness to network, thereby rejecting one of the single most effective ways to enjoy business and personal success.

In their book, Making Your Contacts Count, authors Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon, encourage readers to incorporate effective networking practices into their everyday lives. The authors define networking as "the deliberate process of exchanging information, resources, support, and access in a way that creates mutually beneficial relationships for personal and professional success." The book provides a practical, can-do approach that leads to effective personal and professional outcomes.

Successful networking relationships begin by establishing trust. The reason the scenario in the opening paragraph was such a turn-off was that the would-be networker had not taken the time to establish a trust relationship. Trust develops over a number of interactions and conversations - the authors estimate 6 to 8 - in which you provide examples of your trustworthiness and observe your contact's behavior. As in any relationship, make sure this is one you want to nurture, and then begin establishing trust by showing your Character and revealing your Competence.

The book identifies the following ways to exhibit Character:
» Be unfailingly reliable
» Meet deadlines
» Go for the win/win solution
» Treat everyone you meet fairly
» Speak well of people even when they are not present
» Collaborate rather than compete
» When something goes wrong, make it right
» Compensate generously for your failure
» Go the extra mile
» Respect other people's time and possessions.

The book lists the following areas that demonstrate Competence. Let your developing network know you:
» Have earned the proper credentials
» Stay at the cutting edge of your profession
» Have won praise and awards from your peers
» Take lifelong learning seriously
» Are cited as an expert in the trade press or mass media
» Teach or mentor others
» Consult with others to share your expertise
» Do the job right the first time
» Handle the "little stuff" with care
» Follow through to make sure your work meets or exceeds expectations.

Ignore your internal Critic. Sometimes you're just not comfortable with the networking process. In these situations, perhaps you give yourself negative messages in which you criticize your networking attempts. By criticizing yourself you are dooming yourself to failure before you begin! The book shares ways to turn your Critic into a Coach who champions your every effort.

Start by writing affirmations such as "I always know just what to say" or "I am an outstanding networker." Speak aloud your affirmations at least three times each day, saying them over and over until you begin to comprehend their truth. Silencing your negative thoughts leads to a positive attitude, which will be welcomed at the next networking event.

Places for networking include membership organizations (such as the Society for Technical Communication), conventions, "plugging in" to technology, building and mobilizing informal workplace networks. People to network with include past and present coworkers and bosses, current and former classmates, neighbors, volunteers you have worked with, college professors or continuing education instructors, leisure time acquaintances, relatives, people who provide services to you, and people and groups with similar interests as yours.

In order to feel okay about a network experience, the authors suggest developing a "give and get" agenda. Items on your "give" agenda might be ideas, expertise, phone numbers, and/or introductions you want to offer. Baber and Waymon emphasize the need to "give first and give freely." Your "get" agenda might include things you want to locate, connect with, create, understand, learn, and/or to know about. "Get" items might include tips on growing tomatoes, a child care provider, a convenient summer day camp for your child, a publisher for your book, a good plumber, handyman, doctor, lawyer, dentist, accountant, etc.

The authors also advocate for "listening generously." Actively listening is hard work that takes concentration and focus, which the authors call "exercising your ears." Readers are encouraged to take turns talking, to be "seriously curious" about what the other person is saying, and to understand the benefits of knowing when to be quiet.

Share your business card when you have found a connection. The authors say: "Approach conversations by asking yourself - `I wonder what she needs that I can provide? Let's see if I can figure it out.' Or `I know what I am looking for today. I wonder if I can find someone who has the information I need.'" Using this approach can place you in a thoughtful conversation which leads to an exchange of cards. When you find a reason to exchange cards you have extended the relationship beyond the immediate event.

Although the title of the book appears to target consultants and private practitioners, the book contains advice that, if put into practice, can work for anyone. Incorporating the strategies shared in the book could prove to be a short term challenge that leads to long term rewards.

As a career and life planning coach, I have refered hundreds of clients to the business books written by Baber and Waymon. Make Your Contacts Count is their latest book about building business relationships through strategic networking. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to stay employed and/or maximize his/her professional contributions.

The authors make the important point that building professional relationships can not be left to chance because the quality of our business relationships directly relates to employability, career advancement and overall professional success. The premise of the book is networking efforts must be ongoing and planned, but for many the thought of having to talk with strangers, pitch a product or service, or even answer the envitable "What do you do?" is difficult. This book anticipates people's fears and resistance and helps the reader to explore ways to comfortably begin to increase visability and impact inside and outside their organizations.

The layout of Make Your Contacts Count is engaging and interactive. It is easy to skim and bold faced "tips" highlight many pages. This is a "how-to" style reference book that will stand the test of time, buy it as an investment in your future.

The "people Skills" of management have never been more important. Yet many leaders I coach lack the fundamental skills of leveraging their networks--by building and maintaining appropriate contacts and networks with people in their industry or profession. That's when I recommend MAKE YOUR CONTACTS COUNT. Lynne Waymon and Anne Baber are at the top of their game.

Baber and Waymon offer sound advice for putting your best foot forward when networking in search of new clients or a new job.

Thankfully, this is more than one of those simplistic books that merely lists 101 tips and provides no insights into the strategic perspectives of networking. Along those lines, pay particular attention to Chapter 14, "Follow Up Effectively." It is precisely this type of advice that separates the networking pros from the amateurs.

This is a very helpful book. It gives a lot of practical examples of how to increase your networking efficiency. It outlines a lot of beliefs that people have that limit their effectiveness, and how to change your thinking. It has a lot of good role-playing exercises to assist you in your development. A very practical, hands on book. Introverts and people who are not "natural salespeople" will get the most from it, but accomplished sales people will certainly get tips to improve.

Cool! This is really a smart book. I liked it because my resume (no matter how sparkling I thought it was) seemed to just get lost in cyber space and I couldn't seem to get any face time with employers.

If you're looking for a job or have a friend who is, I would highly suggest this book (particularly for recent grads). It's a clever way to make the most of the contacts you have now and empowers you to make more in the future.

This book is an excellent introduction to networking for success which is an essential skill in today's job market and for running any kind of business. There are other reviewers who did a great job of summarizing the strengths of the book, so I consider my review an addendum to what they wrote.

I share the view that character, competence and a willingness to communicate are the keys to success. This book explains these principles and how to work them into your daily life.

Sometimes the tone of this book sounded manipulative to me, but that doesn't change the value of the principles. I don't endorse manipulative approaches to networking, sales or any other pursuit. However, if these principles can be sincerely incorporated into your life, they will make a difference in your business or job pursuit.

There are many good ideas in this book and you will learn a lot from reading it. If you only take two or three of the best of these ideas and incorporate them into your life, they will pay for this book many times over.

I love this book. I had read it myself and when my son lost his job, I gave it to him. He said it really helped him figure out how to use his contacts and do the kind of networking that paid off. Also, I love the way the book is laid out. It's easy to go through and pick out what is particularly relevant to you. Easy reading yet filled with solid information, the kind of help that does pay off. I highly recommend.