I told the long version of this story in one of my seminars and received one the biggest laughs I’ve ever had.

Larry had a tough childhood and still has that air of Brooklyn about him, but with a soft heart and kind soul. I think you would like him.

Networking That Works

“Expand your network by one quality person a day, forever.” Mark Victor Hansen

The purpose of networking is to know more people and to get more pe

How it happened is very funny. Could it happen to someone else? It’s so far out, who knows? But, it’s a great example of the power of networking, which is my subject today. More on that in a moment.

In seminars and writings, I talk a lot about networking. The most spectacular example, for me, had to do with Larry King, whom I’ve long admired. Here’s the very short version and then some practical tips for personal and digital networking:

After finishing a speech, I had lunch with several attendees. One of them mentioned that he would be going to a dinner that would be hosted by Larry King. Whereupon I said, “Please tell Larry that Tom Justin said to say hello.”

He asked if I knew Mr. King. I said no, but if I can get enough people to tell Larry King that Tom Justin said to say hello, he’ll think it’s his fault that he doesn’t know who I am.

The man laughed, said he’d do it. Two weeks later he called and said that he told Larry that I’d said hello. I asked what Larry’s response was, and he said that Larry said, “Oh, thanks.”

It was just a silly statement, right? Within a couple of weeks after that someone else I’d just met happened to mention that they would be at a fundraiser where Larry King would be the MC. I told him the story and he agreed to say hello to him for me.

The odds of what continued are so far out, I might not believe this had it not happened to me. Three other such encounters took place in the space of months. each person agreeing to tell Larry that Tom Justin said to say hello.

On the fourth time, from a friend of his I’d just met, I asked what his response was when she told him Tom Justin said hello. She said that he replied, “How is Tommy?”

A few weeks later I was invited to a Friar’s Roast in Beverly Hills where we met and he invited me to lunch. I just shook my head in amazement.

I don’t mean to name drop, but since then, we’ve had many great lunches and meetings, and we’ve done a small bit of business and almost wrote a book together. The latter never moved forward due to contractual problems. In the meantime he’s introduced me to others who’ve become friends and acquaintances.

I told the long version of this story in one of my seminars and received one the biggest laughs I’ve ever had.

Larry had a tough childhood and still has that air of Brooklyn about him, but with a soft heart and kind soul. I think you would like him.

Networking That Works

“Expand your network by one quality person a day, forever.” Mark Victor Hansen

The purpose of networking is to know more people and to get more peo

After finishing a speech, I had lunch with several attendees. One of them mentioned that he would be going to a dinner that would be hosted by Larry King. Whereupon I said, “Please tell Larry that Tom Justin said to say hello.”

He asked if I knew Mr. King. I said no, but if I can get enough people to tell Larry King that Tom Justin said to say hello, he’ll think it’s his fault that he doesn’t know who I am.

The man laughed, said he’d do it. Two weeks later he called and said that he told Larry that I’d said hello. I asked what Larry’s response was, and he said that Larry said, “Oh, thanks.”

It was just a silly statement, right? Within a couple of weeks after that someone else I’d just met happened to mention that they would be at a fundraiser where Larry King would be the MC. I told him the story and he agreed to say hello to him for me.

The odds of what continued are so far out, I might not believe this had it not happened to me. Three other such encounters took place in the space of months. each person agreeing to tell Larry that Tom Justin said to say hello.

On the fourth time, from a friend of his I’d just met, I asked what his response was when she told him Tom Justin said hello. She said that he replied, “How is Tommy?”

A few weeks later I was invited to a Friar’s Roast in Beverly Hills where we met and he invited me to lunch. I just shook my head in amazement.

I don’t mean to name drop, but since then, we’ve had many great lunches and meetings, and we’ve done a small bit of business and almost wrote a book together. The latter never moved forward due to contractual problems. In the meantime he’s introduced me to others who’ve become friends and acquaintances.

I told the long version of this story in one of my seminars and received one the biggest laughs I’ve ever had.

Larry had a tough childhood and still has that air of Brooklyn about him, but with a soft heart and kind soul. I think you would like him.

Networking That Works

“Expand your network by one quality person a day, forever.” Mark Victor Hansen

The purpose of networking is to know more people and to get more pe

It was just a silly statement, right? Within a couple of weeks after that someone else I’d just met happened to mention that they would be at a fundraiser where Larry King would be the MC. I told him the story and he agreed to say hello to him for me.

The odds of what continued are so far out, I might not believe this had it not happened to me. Three other such encounters took place in the space of months. each person agreeing to tell Larry that Tom Justin said to say hello.

On the fourth time, from a friend of his I’d just met, I asked what his response was when she told him Tom Justin said hello. She said that he replied, “How is Tommy?”

A few weeks later I was invited to a Friar’s Roast in Beverly Hills where we met and he invited me to lunch. I just shook my head in amazement.

I don’t mean to name drop, but since then, we’ve had many great lunches and meetings, and we’ve done a small bit of business and almost wrote a book together. The latter never moved forward due to contractual problems. In the meantime he’s introduced me to others who’ve become friends and acquaintances.

I told the long version of this story in one of my seminars and received one the biggest laughs I’ve ever had.

Larry had a tough childhood and still has that air of Brooklyn about him, but with a soft heart and kind soul. I think you would like him.

Networking That Works

“Expand your network by one quality person a day, forever.” Mark Victor Hansen

The purpose of networking is to know more people and to get more pe

On the fourth time, from a friend of his I’d just met, I asked what his response was when she told him Tom Justin said hello. She said that he replied, “How is Tommy?”

A few weeks later I was invited to a Friar’s Roast in Beverly Hills where we met and he invited me to lunch. I just shook my head in amazement.

I don’t mean to name drop, but since then, we’ve had many great lunches and meetings, and we’ve done a small bit of business and almost wrote a book together. The latter never moved forward due to contractual problems. In the meantime he’s introduced me to others who’ve become friends and acquaintances.

I told the long version of this story in one of my seminars and received one the biggest laughs I’ve ever had.

Larry had a tough childhood and still has that air of Brooklyn about him, but with a soft heart and kind soul. I think you would like him.

Networking That Works

“Expand your network by one quality person a day, forever.” Mark Victor Hansen

The purpose of networking is to know more people and to get more pe

I told the long version of this story in one of my seminars and received one the biggest laughs I’ve ever had.

Larry had a tough childhood and still has that air of Brooklyn about him, but with a soft heart and kind soul. I think you would like him.

Networking That Works

“Expand your network by one quality person a day, forever.” Mark Victor Hansen

The purpose of networking is to know more people and to get more people to know you. This is true in business or in relationships of any kind. We’ll stick with business today.

Let’s take a look at two kinds of networking; personal and digital.

Personal: A minister friend of mine said once that there are billions of people in the world. If you’re lonely, it’s your fault!

If you have business and opportunities to present or to find and you’re not filled with at least possibilities–well, that can change now.

The obvious is that we have to get out more. If we want to meet people we have to go where people are. I know, you already know that!

Go to a big city mall where there are hordes of people. You might get run over before you can start a conversation. Although we do train salespeople to go to places like that and create contacts (called The Magic Bean Technique), however, the best way is to find like minded people in comfortable surroundings.

Most papers have listings for special interest groups and meetings. From women’s and service clubs to places of worship. The easiest places to build familiar relationships are where you find others like yourself.

Any meeting, group or function that is attractive and interesting to you will yield others who will relate to you. I don’t suggest that these are the so called networking groups where everyone is blatantly trying to sell something. If you’ve read the book or seen the DVD, you know my feelings about those.

Here’s what I’ve found to be helpful. If you aren’t shy, introduce yourself to whoever is standing still. Ask a question, such as how long they’ve been a member or how they like this group, etc.

If you ask someone what kind of work they do, they will tell you and then ask what you do. Most people think they need to sell themselves when the most impressive thing they can do is show an interest and curiosity about others. they will like you better for it and not know why.

Never ask for a business card, offer to exchange cards. If this is someone whose information you want, the use of the word exchange creates a sense of fairness. You’re handing over your card, if they don’t have a card, you can offer them a small pad (