Business Opportunity Time

With the end of the year, there are some people that take the opportunity to make some changes on their professional profiles. As I have told before, LinkedIn has become a social media that allows to keep in touch with a lot of people to improve the professional activities. If you learn how this social media behaves, you can take advantage of your contacts and the information they share.

The following post will provide some ideas for you to improve your profile and become a favorite of your contacts in a fast way.

1.- Create a charming profile: Upload a professional executive picture, always remember that LinkedIn is not Facebook, so use an adequate image that remembers your professional activity. Do not use your last party picture, use the one that demonstrates the work that you do. Also write about your professional activities, or if you have little experience, write about your studies. Your contacts will read about it and identify the type of business you may do together.

2.- Participate or create groups: Make contact with the alumni associations, the news releases, professional groups, among different ones, even if you are a shy individual, this groups will allow you to make relations with more people and keep in movement your profile.

3.- Make each of your contacts counts: If you have a special interest in belonging to a group, or do some type of services you must be approachable, so contact the people that are related to your activities. The last week I received the message of one of my contacts, regarding a law initiative that he is promoting. I was interested by the information he sent and about the initiative, I hope he could reach his purpose.

4.- Become a networker: Another option to keep awareness in LinkedIn, is to introduce people that may have inter-related activities. Review their posts and if you find it adequate, do the contact of people looking for business opportunities, job search, or offering products or services.

5.- Keep in touch: With some frequency, post information, share interesting articles, use the information media to publish news in your LinkedIn wall. This will keep in movement your profile and stay in the radar of your contacts for longer time. 

Seize the season opportunities and tell us about your outcomes...

Networking Resolutions

We start our 2015 year and so our resolutions, so I share with you this Blog 2015 purposes:

1.- Have a post with sharing at different social networks: Youtube, Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Vimeo, Reddit, Linkedin, Goodreads, Pinterest

This will be a great challenge because I'll have to learn some new skills like video production, photographs, log on to some social networks that I haven't seen. This will be the digital presence.

2.- Make a Virtual Networking Event

It will need some discussion theme and a massive invitation, the technology use will be required and the distance participation for the guests.

3.- Make a Face to Face Networking Event

This is the easier resolution, because I happen to do this, but writing this Blog requires personal experiences and I have to promote by the example.

4.- Describe 5 different Networking Events.

Organizing and assisting to different events shouldn't be the core, now I have to find new ways for making networking, this resolution will be done all year long.

5.- Have 10 Blog Followers, not in Facebook...

This Blog stats show that the visits usually come from Facebook, this means my personal friends, hope to have some more impact on different people through this year.

Do you think this resolutions are achievable?

Network Use

Do you know how to use social network? Have you experiencie with the most common and what are they for?

Fernando Mol, this blog editor and my friend, send me the next thoughts that I want to share with you:

" I was invited to an event and the organizers put me in charge of the social network, they insisted that it has to have a lot of publicity over there, but neither of them has a Twitter account and their use of Facebook was only to family pictures exchange.

Young people, use the social network in a natural way, they are a little bit irresponsible, on their use, but they are really familiar to them.

I believe you have to share a tip for non-users. Tell your audience which are the ones recommended for professional use. What about the information you share on them and what you can find there. Personally I use frequently: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, Reddit, Youtube, Vimeo, Pinterest and Linkedin.

Twitter is the most popular among executive levels, but is not that intuitive and people didn't find use of it and left it behind. Facebook is seen as a family network in Mexico and a lot of people use it for fun, not to make business. Instagram is for young people, and the older people can't imagine that Youtube or Vimeo are social networks. If you say Pinterest, you may get a "Bless you" answer. A lot of people has a Linked In account, because someone told them "You should have one", but after opening that account thay never reviewed it again.

Here my advice for the social network use:

Twitter is important because of 2 scenarios, first you can get information on what is going on for an especific theme, for example the stock exchange, sport results, or in a city you can know about traffic information, weather among other things. The second scenario is about your own material production, by this mean you can self promote the information you want and engrose the information about your own interests.

The now famous # (hashtag) that you may observe on the social network, was generated on Twitter, it helps to search for tendencies, and in this blog's case you can find us when you write #networking, you may find some other authors writing about the same thing.

Fernando Mol says: "Before you speak about Facebook, I will recommend using Twitter, but empasizing on the news information and people of interest, you may learn how to use hashtags, that are the main characteristics on this network. The people may use Twitter as if it was a Facebook account, following only their friends, and that may be not as interesting as following famous people's accounts: Bill Gates (@BillGates), Richard Branson (@richardbranson), Deepak Chopra (@DeepakShopra) and Maria Popova (@brainpicker) are some examples."

Facebook (an account for sure you have)... will gave you the opportunity to review different business scenarios, I have a lot of invitation to events from this social network, some of my friends make promotion on their products and services, and you may have restauant reservations or different opinions from the service. This blog, is related to a Facebook page and has more visits from this network that from the Blog per se.

Instagram is a lighter version of Facebook, but you may modify your pictures, integrating special effects that may lead you to perform as a professional, you may share them with # and review what other people is doing at some point. I haven't seen a lot of people above 40 using this network, but I have met a lot of youngsters, that are photograph amateurs using this resource to improve their selfies.

I'm going to skip Youtube, Vimeo, Reddit and Pinterest to write about them on another Blog post, I think this networks deserve special information, and because its a little bit harder to understand them. So lets go to Linked In.

This is a business social network, please be aware of this, it doesn't matter your age, postition, if you are not well prepared to do business, do not use this network. You have to be able to promote yourself as a professional searching for business opportunities, if you are a housewife, I don't recommend to make a profile, unless you have a business proposition. Please don't ask for cooking recepies, news about entertainment or publish information not related to business. This social network is perfect to have an approach to different companies, job search, providing services, meeting professional groups.

The social networks present enormous possiblitites, and the younger generations have some more interactional elements, gave yourself some time to perform with some experience and use them carefully, in the next 10 years you will be reviewing this networks as a megatendency.

Networking importance

Why is so important to have a solid networking?

When we create social connections we refer to each people we know that can be helpful once in our lives. A network allows to handle a lot of different elements, we can relate to neuronal connections, information technologies, transports, telephonic, social among several others.

When you take time to construct a network, you take base on your personal values, expectations and accomplishments, the history that precedes your performance and the results you get.

Great leaders have a lot of useful connections that allows them to innovate inside their companies. Reid Hoffman, linkedin co founder, consider this ability as a must and it's one of the mail elements on this social network. Robert Kiyosaki (Rich father, Poor father) expresses that the investors and visionaries construct network that allows them to see beyond what it's evident.

How many contacts do you have on Facebook? Do you keep a certain level of communication with them? If you have the need to ask for a favor, do you have the level of confidence to ask for it?

Taking care of our friends and contacts translates in little details, likes at their publications, eventually organizing a sort of event to promote the bonding. It's easier to have a business encounter with a person you know and have permanent contact.

Keep in touch

You are visiting a city or a friend of yours came to visit, what do you do? How do you contact him?...

As I have told before, I have the opportunity to have friends that travel a lot and what I consider really interesting is the way we keep in touch. For this reason, my friends know that if they look up for me, they will find me. Skype, email, Facebook, Whatssapp, Linkedin, any social media is good enough.

One of the most important things related to Networking is the availability, when I have needed information from some people, I like to get answers really soon, and because I like to have this type of fast response, I always, always, always try to do my best and answer really fast too.

Innovación

 When I have traveled to Monterrey, if I have some spare time between events, I find the way to visit my former neighbors, the past 2 times I have commited with a friend to go for lunch to catch up, and the second one I visited my Innovation friends and get an invitation to a congress.

 Some of my former students know where my new office is and they had make some time between events to visit my office, or send me messages to meet at some spot in this city. It's very flatering to know they remember you and that they get some minutes to catch up.

Aldo

Viaje a Xochimilco

Another way to keep in touch with your friends and colleagues is given by the different events and promotional tours we have. The past week I was promoting at the MBA Tour and in my 5 minute break, I identified the stand of a different institution. I went by to say hello, take some pictures, and send greetings to our common contacts. Because of this fast track meeting I got some other invitations to different events at this city, this means more networking.

Jeff

So, here come my advice to get better and maintain your Networking:

1.- Make sure you know where to find your friends, and if possible visit them at their working places, a fast hello visit is always well recieved.
2.- If you have more spare time, make plans to have lunch or dinner, the people like to have special attentions from their friends, and also this little things can make you get forward on your personal proyects.
3.- If possible, make arrangements with time, so you won't surprise your friends and the contact will get better.

Convenience Networking

Hello!

A few days ago I stopped at a convenience store and when I get in, I recognized Adrian, a young man than I've met when promoting a Masters degree program. There has been a while since we last see each other and although he recognized my face, he wasn't sure from where.

Adrian has a very open personality and when you met him you realize that among other qualities, public relations is one of those. He has a pretty good touch when meeting people is needed. In fact when I approach him, he was speaking to the teller girl, that by the way was in trouble because the computer has no system at that moment, and he was trying to make her life a little less overwhelmed.

Adrian

 Consider this, when we stop at a convenience store, we want to buy one or two articles go to the counter and get out in less than 5 minutes. Now you can imagine our situation, 3 customers waiting for the system and it was working slowly. Adrian applied his joyful personality in this situation and made us laugh. The teller and the other customers felt relaxed.

Getting into the point, when I recognized him, we start chatting, although we had about a year that we haven't talked. As I told you, when he saw me, he didn't remember my name, so directly he told me, your face I know it quite well, but from where we met? When I told him, we catch up on the rest of the students and friends we met a year ago. Before I leave the store, we had exchanged our email, facebook and twitter, we promised we will keep in touch.

So I share with you the recommendations to behave when we find people in a 5 minute basis:

1.- Seize the downtime to make networking, any place, any where, any time is perfect to connect with other people.
2.- If you do not remember someone reaching you, it doesn't matter, make as if you recognize her and then ask directly, from where I met you? Your new acquaintance will be thankful if you can relate friends or activities in common.
3.- Take it easy, make from each situation an opportunity, if you can have a great time, why don't you do it? If life gets you lemons, make lemonade.

Big Brother and Networking

Hello!

Now that I'm making some experiments with this virtual presence called Blog, I've reached some peers from my office and friends (closer and farther) that have their own opinions about what I'm writing. First of all, I'd like to thank all the people that have visited this Blog for the reason they had, specially those who had the time to read my content, for your effort, thank you!

On the other side I'd like to tell you something related to Big Brother, this means that when people is watching you, and you do not have any idea that they are observing. Sometimes they are acquaintances or friends that have told me: "I've read your blog", and then they give me some feedback, outside the virtual space. Also I've realized that there are some other people that I have not had the pleasure to meet and that have taken the time to share with me their own proposals.

Let me tell you some of my reflections, when one is introduced in this communication virtual spaces, has to always remember that the information that is shared, is public, it means that anyone with internet and a browser could find the information you are sharing.

I can always understand that my friends have found my information, I shared it through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and Linkedin, it should be expected. But when the remote readers appear, people with whom I have never had contact, the issue is some kind different, is like I was trying to explain, Big Brother but global.

Big Brother Publicity in Australia

Nowadays I have some followers on Twitter that I have not been able to identify, each of them following me until the blog appeared. Some other followers have subscribed specifically to the blog (thanks a lot) and which I hope to have sooner or later some virtual contact. The reflection I want to share with you with this information is:

1.- Everything you publish on internet, could be reviewed by anybody, so take care on the format, the content and the information you want to share.
2.- Remember that your family, friends and acquaintances, could be related in your publishing process, if you are worried that they get some attention, do not mention them.
3.- Seize the advantages of the distance and the virtuality, I've always taught that we can meet a lot of people in this world, with similar or different points of view, but they can provide to our lives new knowledge, get the best on this type of spaces to improve your networking. 

Linkedin Networking

Hello!

Another tool to make Networking is the social network, Linkedin. Unlike Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, this social network is basically constituted by professionals that seek to promote their professional achievements and the activities they do. The type of comments that are posted in this network have to do with job trends, events, education, among others.

I become a Linkedin member some years ago, but haven't make much progress on it, first because I wasn't informed about its use, and second because the insecurity made me get out of some of my social networks. Now I can tell that the insecurity issues can be limited in this virtual world, just have your security issues well known.

About one year ago, I reactivated my accounts, and payed much more attention to Linkedin about six months ago. In my research, I discover that the people that use this social network conforms 3 different groups:

a) Human Resources people, recruiting and posting job offers.
b) People searching for a job or a switch on their careers.
c) People offering services like training or consulting, directly linked with the other two groups.

Each individual can have a lot of contacts among his web, the interesting side is to choose wisely which people is suited to be in contact with you. If your intention is to look for some job opportunities, you may want to have contact with some HR recruiters.

If you want to have networking contacts, in the search of new business opportunities, maybe at another country, then the recommendation is that first you look for a direct contact on the city you like to make business and then start your search.

A day ago, one of my students asked me to contact him with a friend of mine that lives in the United States, he was looking for a contact at a specific city and I think he didn't know anyone over there. Then another advantage arose, when you don't know directly someone that you're interested to contact, Linkedin review your contact web and relate to other contacts you may have in common, as my student realize he and my friend had me in common.

Finally, this network also allows you ask to your contacts that recommend your posts, review and check your skills, and also you can apply directly to specific job positions that are suited for your professional profile. The final reflection is, take advantage of the networking to improve your personal contacts, having global acquaintances always be a competitive advantage for you.