NEGATIVE VERSUS POSITIVE NETWORKING

For too long networking has been viewed simply as an activity—turning contacts into sales. That’s the traditional, hard sell networking—transactional networking. Let’s face it; this kind of networking gets a bad rap.

In WORK THE POND! we introduce you to Ned. He’s Alota Networker. Ned (or Nelly) is the person who takes your business card, looks at it, decides you aren't important enough to talk to and drops you like a hot potato.

Ned is a ‘darter’. While talking to you, his eyes are darting around the room looking for his next victim. And, ask him what he does and he gives you his ‘infomercial’. The next day he sends you the Dreaded Drive-By, a form email stating how great it was to meet you and his sales pitch. Ned’s goal is to find people who can help him. Sorry Ned, but you've got it wrong*.

*This is a zero tolerance book when it comes to negative networking. Sorry, there's no excuse for networkers behaving badly. We’ll even tell you how to deal with those mercifully rare toads that you may encounter in the networking pond.

Our brand of networking is different. Positive Networking is not all about you. It’s discovering what you can do for someone else. The magic is that if you start networking this way it will take all the pressure off. People stop selling themselves, start listening and focusing on the other person.


Guy Kawasaki (CEO Garage Technologies) in his most recent book, The Art of the Start, says:

”Rezac’s outward, what-can-I-do-for-you attitude is the key to building extensive, long-lasting connections.”