Devora Zack, an avowed introvert and a successful consultant who speaks to thousands of people every year, found that most networking advice books assume that to succeed you have to become an extrovert. Or at least learn how to fake it. Not at all. There is another way.
This book shatters stereotypes about people who dislike networking. They’re not shy or misanthropic. Rather, they tend to be reflective—they think before they talk. They focus intensely on a few things rather than broadly on a lot of things. And they need time alone to recharge. Because they’ve been told networking is all about small talk, big numbers and constant contact, they assume it’s not for them.
But it is! Zack politely examines and then smashes to tiny fragments the “dusty old rules” of standard networking advice. She shows how the very traits that ordinarily make people networking-averse can be harnessed to forge an approach that is just as effective as more traditional approaches, if not better. And she applies it to all kinds of situations, not just formal networking events. After all, as she says, life is just one big networking opportunity—a notion readers can now embrace.
Hi! I know you'll love my books because they're practical and fun - as perfect a combo as peanut butter and chocolate. I'm a leadership consultant w/an MBA (Cornell) and BA (Penn). I have 100+ well-known clients and speak internationally at dozens of events annually. Learn more at www.onlyconnectconsulting.com.
My newest book is Managing for People Who Hate Managing. If you manage other people - formally or informally - and it drives you nuts, this book is for you! It is chockfull of useful, customized tips to match your own fabulous personality. The book kicks off with a brand new personality assessment and offers a plethora of field-tested techniques to catapult you into a whole new realm of success and satisfaction. You'll learn how to maximize your natural strengths while also learning how to 'flex your style' to best motivate and inspire others.
My first book, Networking for People Who Hate Networking, is for people who have always hated networking and think they stink at it...foolishly following techniques that drain rather than energize them. Do you believe your natural traits can be your best strengths, networking is about meaningful connections, and cocktail parties can be a blast? Believe it! I've heard from hundreds of readers around the world sharing fantastic examples of how this book has helped them not only build meaningful, lasting connections, but - more importantly - enabled them to understand and accept themselves in a new way.
Can't wait to hear your stories.
