Create a personal power grid of influence to spark professional and personal success Other people have the answers, deals, money, access, power, and influence you need to get what you want in this world. To achieve any goal, you need other people to help you do it. JUDY ROBINETT As anyone in business knows, strategic planning is critical to achieving longterm success. In How to Be a Power Connector, supernetworker Judy Robinett argues that strategic relationship planning should be your top priority. When you combine your specific skills and talents with a clear, workable path for creating and managing your relationships, nothing will stop you from meeting your goals. With highvalue connections, youll tap into a dynamic power grid of influence guaranteed to accelerate your personal and professional success.
Praise for How to Be a Power Connector “If youve ever wanted to get to the true core of successful networking without all of the fluff, from an Expert above all experts,’ look no further than Judy’s brilliant approach born out of her own incredible accomplishments by living what she speaks I can truly say that in my own career of networking and knowing others who preach it, not even one of them comes close to Judy’s insight, married with relentless practice, and has more results to show for it than all of the others combined This book wins the Oscar as the best one out there!” —Mike Muhney, cofounder of ACT! and CEO and cofounder of VIPorbit “I love the power and synergy of connecting and know that once you pick up this book and experience the know-how Judy Robinett has shared within its pages for being a true super connector you wont want to put it down How to Be a Power Connector is an absolute must-read.” —Kevin Hall, international bestselling author of Aspire: Discovering Your Purpose Through the Power o f Words “Judy Robinett has written the definitive guide on how to connect with people and develop your contacts into strategic relationships that are both meaningful and profitable You will never look at meeting someone new the same way again!” —Kathy Zader, president of Go-Givers International “Judy Robinett is amazing—with one e-mail or phone call she can put you in touch with anyone you need to know In How to Be a Power Connector, she lays out a foolproof system for finding and connecting with people who can help you, and deepening those relationships by adding value It’s the ultimate shortcut to success—I wish I’d had this book at the beginning of my career!” —Mark Burnett, executive producer of Shark Tank, The Apprentice, and Survivor “How to Be a Power Connector is about how to build a network Unlike many books in this genre, its written by a woman who has lived it Drawing on a wealth of experience as an executive, fundraiser, and advisor to boards and entrepreneurs, Judy Robinett offers guidance on how to form authentic rela tionships that bring mutual benefits.” —Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take “We give people bachelors degrees in marketing, business, and even entrepre neurship, but we teach them hardly anything about the one subject that virtually every entrepreneur says is critically important: networking and social capital Judy Robinett s How to Be a Power Connector is like an MBA in networking: an advanced course in finding and developing quality relationships with the people who can make the biggest difference in your professional success.” —Ivan Misner, founder and chairman of BNI uTalk about power! Follow Judy Robinett’s logical, straightforward, and help fully detailed advice, and you can be a ‘Power Connector yourself! Great ideas, well presented, with no wasted space’ in her argument!” —Don Peppers, coauthor of Extreme Trust: Honesty as a Competitive Advantage “Every successful person I know understands who you know is more impor tant than what you know In the C-Suite or in your personal life everything comes down to the quality of your relationships Judy’s book helps you attract and maintain the relationships that will get you what you want most Be a super connector now!” —Jeffrey Hayzlett, TV host, bestselling author, and sometime cowboy “Absolutely brilliant A step-by-step guide to building a network that will be both invaluable to you and just as valuable to those whose lives you will now have the opportunity to touch I cant imagine a more powerful book for one who truly desires to be a Power Connector.” —Bob Burg, coauthor of The Go-Giver and author of Adversaries into Allies How to Be a POWER CONNECTOR The 5+50+100 RULE for Turning Your Business Network into Profits JUDY ROBINETT Me Graw Hill Education New York Chicago San Francisco Athens London Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi Singapore Sydney Toronto Copyright © 2014 by Judy Robinett All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher 1234567890 ISBN MHID DOC/DOC 978-0-07-183073-7 0-07-183073-1 e-ISBN 978-0-07-183074-4 e-MHID 0-07-183074-X Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Robinett, Judy How to be a power connector : the 5+50+100 rule for turning your business network into profits /by Judy Robinett pages cm ISBN-13: 978-0-07-183073-7 (hardback) ISBN-10: 0-07-183073-1 (hardback) Business networks Strategic alliances (Business) Social media I Title HD69.S8R633 2014 658’.044—dc23 201400165 McGraw-Hill Education books are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions or for use in corporate training programs To contact a representative, please visit the Contact Us pages at www.mhprofessional.com To all of my friends, family, and foes, for their love, support, and wisdom Contents Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction: From Franklin, Idaho, to Park City, Utah Chapter 1: The Power of High-Value, Strategic Connections Chapter 2: Friends, Allies, and Power Connectors Chapter 3: Make Your NetworkWide, Deep, and Robust Chapter 4: The Right Ecosystems Will Determine Your Success Chapter 5: The Power Connector Mindset THE POWER CONNECTING SYSTEM Chapter 6: Phase 1: Prepare to Power Connect Chapter 7: Phase 2: Target, Connect, and Engage—Maximize Yout vi CONTENTS Chapter 8: Phase : Reconnect, Assess and Activate, and Multiply Value 127 Chapter 9: Phase 4: Connect Your Connections for Added Success 147 Chapter 10: Power Connecting Strategies for Social Media and Conferences 165 Chapter 11 : Connected Women: Building Success One Relationship at a Time 183 Chapter 12: Power Connections Are Connections First 195 Afterword: Top 10 Tips from the Titanium Rolodex 207 Notes 209 Resources 219 Index 221 Foreword Harvard Business School (where I received my MBA) is all about network ing and connecting people—but I never enjoyed that part of my time there Im not the most outgoing person in the world, nor am I the “life of the party”; the thought of going to a cocktail party or networking event with people I didn’t know was painful But the other reason I used to find net working so difficult was that my concept was flawed Most people approach networking with a very specific purpose in mind: to reach someone they need to know But that’s a superficial view Building a network isn’t simply exchanging business cards and eventually picking up the phone and calling people when you need them Today I think of networking as getting to know people that I enjoy and genuinely taking an interest in them I didn’t really learn about the power of a network until I started running a start-up business called Skullcandy There I quickly discovered that every thing we accomplished happened through other people, through a team, and through a network Whether it was being able to pick up the phone and say, “I need to reach the CMO of Target,” or “I have the following issue with a supplier, and I need someone in China who can help me work through it,” everything got done through my connections Recently I was looking for people for two executive positions in my new business, and I chose to cast a broad net: I put postings on our company site and on Linkedln For two posi tions I must have received a hundred resumes, among which there were some good quality candidates, but ultimately, I had to go with recommendations from my network I’ve learned from hard experience that if I reach out to my network and have them endorse someone, it produces better results It’s not just about how good you are It’s about the people you know and how you’re willing to stay connected to them Picking up the phone and cold-calling is just not the way the world works anymore I don’t know if it ever did Anything of great value in business is going to come from someone vii viii FOREWORD you know and trust Without a great network, your success will be capped A deep, strong network is a necessity In business, unfortunately, the typical way to build your network is to find people who have something to offer you For example, you come out of business school and decide that you want to work for McKinsey & Co., so the first thing you is to contact all your B-school alums, or undergrad alums, or acquaintances from whatever club or organization youve been part of, and you try to find people who might help you But thats a difficult way to build a network A more effective way is to put yourself in places where you can get to know people personally and figure out how to help them before you ask them for something Networks are first and foremost built upon basic, human, interpersonal interaction—enjoying people, finding moments where you don’t need them or they don’t need you, moments that aren’t about passing out a business card but about genuinely connecting You need to create a bond first; otherwise, you may get a halfhearted effort or an outright refusal But if you first look to be generous with the people you know—if you something for them simply to be helpful, not looking for anything in return—they appreciate it and can’t help but reciprocate The more people you know, the easier it is for you to access circles that you may not be able to reach otherwise The person you need may be part of the network of someone you knew in school, or someone you met at an event, or someone who lived in your neighborhood For example, I called a friend who runs a real estate investment fund in Silicon Valley I had invested in his fund at some point, but I was really just calling him to catch up He asked what I was working on at the moment, and I told him, “I’m on the board of this technology company, and we’re trying to find a new board member But you’re a real estate guy, so you probably don’t know anyone, you?” He answered, “Let me give it a little bit of thought, and I’ll call you back.” A day or so later he called and said, “I know this man who lives nearby, but I don’t know his technology background Let me see what I can find out.” A week or so later, my friend saw the man on the street, and they stopped and chatted It turned out the gentleman had made $800 million in Silicon Valley, and he ran in the exact circles that we were looking to tap ... capital you have And the more social capital you have, the greater your opportunities 17 18 HOW TO BE A POWER CONNECTOR Social capital is based on both formal and informal relationships Formal... 0-07-183074-X Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Robinett, Judy How to be a power connector : the 5+50+100 rule for turning your business network into profits /by Judy Robinett pages cm... cant imagine a more powerful book for one who truly desires to be a Power Connector. ” —Bob Burg, coauthor of The Go-Giver and author of Adversaries into Allies How to Be a POWER CONNECTOR The 5+50+100