Mitchell From

What is the quickest way to Fail at Networking?

Mitchell's Posts — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:46:18 +0000

The quickest way to fail at networking is tied to the same reason that we came out and started networking in the first place. We are typically introduced to networking through an individual, book, audio or video resource… encouraging us to grow our sales, our profits and our bottom line… through networking. While this is usually the driving force behind us getting out into the “networking world,” it puts us in the wrong frame of mind, for successful networking. Why? Because this makes us think “Sales.” I want to increase my bottom line, so it must be about how many people I can meet and present my products/services to, right? Wrong.

Networking is not about sales. Networking is about connections and lots of them. If you think about the first part of Networking, you will see the word “Net.” Just imagine a net and where each horizontal thread of the net meets a vertical thread. At each of those points, you will find a “connection.” If you want to catch more fish, you need a bigger net, right? Well, you can make a net larger by either spacing out each connection, but then the holes in your net get larger and you net is not effective. Instead, you have to have more and more connections that are closer together. This will make a larger net and one where the holes are smaller, so you have success… catching fish. It’s the same with networking. We need to build our net by creating many solid connections with the people that we meet. Here’s the rub; when we start networking with a “sales” mindset, people will naturally pull away from us. People do not want to be sold and neither do you. We can smell a salesperson a mile away and we run away from them as fast as we can. If we are trying to make “connections” in our net, then leading by selling isn’t going to work. We have to put our sales hat aside and start looking at networking as an opportunity to get to know others around us and see how you can give into their lives. By taking this approach, you will quickly begin to see your net grow and you will have the end result of increasing your bottom line, but as a bi-product of your networking, not as a result of your sales skills or prowess.

The Lost Art of Personal Thank You’s

Mitchell's Posts — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 01:01:41 +0000

The Lost Art of the Thank You Note - Give Honest Sincere Appreciation

I have learned a lot from Dale Carnegie during my life. As we start the new year off, I wanted to share a nugget that I have found very important.

Writing a sincere thank you note is one of the professional skills that can make a lasting favorable impression. People like being appreciated. One of Dale Carnegie’s fundamental human relation principles is “Give honest, sincere appreciation.” When writing a thank you note, use a plain, small card. However, the card is not as important as the effort, so if paper is all that is available, write the note anyway! Use this 6-step formula as a sure-fire method of expressing appreciation in a written note.

1. Greet the Giver: Dear Mr. and Mrs. Smith OR Dear Jamie. It seems like an obvious point, yet many people will begin a note with “Hi” or even omit the greeting.

2. Express Gratitude: Thank you so much for the book. The key is to keep it simple and specific. The point of writing the note is to create an expression of a heartfelt sentiment.

3. Discuss Use: I started to read the book immediately and have found many great ideas already. People like to know that you found their gesture or gift valuable. Sharing how you are using the item or idea makes their effort more meaningful.

4. Another Thank You: Thank them again for the gift. It’s not excessive to say thanks again.

5. Complimentary Close: Wrap it up with a close that expresses your final thought: Regards, All the Best, Sincerely, Gratefully, etc. Then sign your name.

6. Send It: Even if your colleagues and acquaintances are not of the note-writing variety, be the one who sets the precedent.

It is the mark of a true professional to become skilled at writing thank you notes in this age of email, voicemail, and text messaging.

Demonstrating business professionalism is not difficult; it just takes effort and focus. Applying simple aspects of business etiquette goes a long way in establishing our professionalism, which builds our confidence and comfort in business settings.

Carry your plate in your right hand!

Mitchell's Posts — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:27:41 +0000

As we attend networking opportunities, we find that most of them revolve around food and drink. It is true that food brings people together. Just think back to the last few social gatherings at your house and ask yourself, where does everyone congregate? In the kitchen! We are so accustomed and comfortable with socializing around food and with food, that we have allowed some bad habits to creep in.

Here’s the scenario: You’re at a networking event that has some wonderful hors d’oeuvres that look mighty tasty. Since you’re not in any big conversation, and you’re feeling a little hungry, you go and grab a plate of those hot-wings and other tasty treats. As a right handed person (which most of us are), you hold the plate in your left hand and proceed to chow down, using your right hand to grab the food and shovel it in your mouth. Towards the end of the evening, you realize that nobody has really come around and struck up any conversation with you and you think to yourself… what is wrong with these unsociable people?

What really happened is that you isolated yourself from the room. Anyone that was paying any attention to you at all, noticed how you were eating your food. Nobody wants to walk up to someone who is eating with their right hand and introduce themselves. Why? Because they know that the introduction leads to a handshake and they don’t want to shake your hand that has been all over your food and in your mouth. There are frequent times when I see someone doing this and they go even farther and lick each and every one of their fingers… to get them, clean. This individual will find the evening to be one where it is hard to connect with people. Not only will people not want to approach you, but they will not want to bring someone over and introduce them to you for the same reasons. Not only are they personally uncomfortable with your habits, but they are concerned for the person that they want to introduce to you.

The bottom line… carry your plate of food in your right hand and eat with your left. Just remember this: Protect your right hand, so people feel that you are consciously being considerate of them. If you’re going to network, network with intention and purpose and you will reap the rewards of standing out in a crowd… in a good way.

~Mitchell From

Carry your drink in your left hand, when networking

Mitchell's Posts — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:46:40 +0000

With Christmas and New Years coming fast, we will have plenty of networking opportunities that will have drinks of all kinds, available. This is always welcomed, especially because of all the talking that we do while networking. Now, whether you think that toting a drink around the room makes you look more sophisticated or whether you just need to quench that thirst, there is a definite rule that everyone should know about drinks and networking. Don’t carry your drink in your right hand.
Now, I know that most of you are complaining right now, saying, “… but I’m right handed, it’s only natural for me to carry my drink in my right hand.” Even so, we must train ourselves to carry our drink in our left hand. Most drinks “sweat” and the outside of the glass gets wet from the condensation. This means your hand gets wet. Now, if you had the glass in your right hand, this is what happens:
A perfect connection for you approaches and wants to introduce themselves to you. They say “Hello” and extend their hand to shake. You leave them hanging for a moment while you switch your glass into your left hand, proceed to wipe your hand on your shirt or pants ( trying to get it as dry as possible) and then shake their hand. You think that you were smooth, but what you just did was slime them with a wet, cold and clammy hand.
After people catch on that this is your M.O., they will stop coming up to you at events and they surely will not bring people over, to introduce to you. Carry your drink in your left hand to avoid this common mis-hap. Also take note, that with your drink in your left hand, your right hand is free to not only shake hands, but also to reach into your shirt/jacket pocket or purse for your business card. Be intentional; know how your actions will help or hurt your networking.

11:11:11 on 11/11/11 is Approaching!

mitchellfrom — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:35:20 +0000

First off, I have to say that the 11:11 phenomenon is one that I experience on a regular basis and I have to blame Leo Corley for that. Once he shared with me that he saw 11:11 all around him… I couldn’t stop seeing them. Now, as 11:11:11 on 11/11/11 approaches, I felt I had to do a little tribute and put a countdown timer on my blog for us. Here’s to you Leo!

Countdown to 11:11:11 on 11/11/11

Lindsey’s 1st Day of Kindergarten

mitchellfrom — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 01:06:12 +0000

Well, this week was my oldest daughter’s first day of “Big School,” as she likes to call it. She is a brand new Kindergartner. It was kind of surreal because we went about our normal routine… getting ready for school, etc. The only exception is that instead of going to the day care, we went down the street to the bus stop. I guess this is why we didn’t have any tears or anything; we have been doing the “school thing” for a while now. Maybe if this was the first time she was going anywhere, then we might have been a little weepy. I’m very proud of her… and of Mommy… for being such big girls. :)

Kim Lloyd’s B-Day Team Scavenger Hunt

mitchellfrom — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 04:47:12 +0000

A friend of ours had her birthday just the other day and we were invited to partake in a scavenger hunt. Kim Lloyd’s husband, Chris, divided up the people into different “teams” and were were supposed to follow all the directions that were in time released envelopes. It was very well put together and a lot of fun. Thanks Chris Lloyd, for all your hard work in putting on a fun event for your wife!

After we were all done with the scavenger hunt, I was going through all the pictures and video and as it made me laugh out loud (LOL), I felt I needed to share our fun-filled time with everyone else. You can see in the video, all the silly things that we had to do. We didn’t win at the party, but later we found out that we should have… due to the winning team not following all the directions! At least we know the truth! ;)

The First Step… is Showing Up!

mitchellfrom — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 02:19:32 +0000

Today in church, we had a great lesson from our Pastor, David Fleming. In our church, we talk about the process that we should go through as a Christian… “Know, Grow & Go!” You can “Know” God, but that isn’t enough. In fact, in the Bible it states that “even the demons ‘knew’ who Jesus Christ was”… but that didn’t get them anywhere, did it? Today, he focused on the “Grow” part of that. Max Lucado can be quoted as saying, ”God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus. ” This is the “Grow” part of the equation. What does it take to “Grow?” Watch this video and I’m sure that it will convict you. I was glad I was in church to hear this message!

Speaking @ Tomball Chamber of Commerce (8/5/2011)

mitchellfrom — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:25:53 +0000

PRESENTATION: “How to Become a Master Networker”

… at the Tomball Chamber of Commerce First Friday Networking Luncheon

I wanted to give a special thanks to Bruce Hillegeist, the staff and the board of the Tomball Chamber of Commerce for allowing me to speak to all the members and guests about “How to Become a Master Networker.” The Tomball Chamber is very special to me because this is the first Chamber that I ever joined and took part in. This chamber is an example of how a community comes together in a warm, welcoming and friendly way. I am very excited to share what I have learned over the years with all of my peers.

DATE: August 5, 2011
TIME: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

LOCATION: The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd (entrance on FM 2920 across from Concordia Lutheran High School) LOCATION CHANGE****

RSVP: $15 for members, $17 if invoiced
RSVP to: 281.351.7222 or admin@tomballchamber.org

Be Careful What You Say…

mitchellfrom — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 22:46:07 +0000

I was speaking in front of a group of business professionals recently and I shared with them the importance of watching what we say. I was sharing how, so often, I will be at a networking event and hear people gossip about one another. This is a very bad practice to be involved in. The reason why is that you never know who might be right over your shoulder. That person listening might be the one you are talking about or they might be friends with the person you are talking about. Aside from those reasons, everyone that’s around you while you’re talking bad about someone else, is going to also think less of you. Since we talk about trying to increase “Know, Like & Trust” with others… we should stay away from gossiping or talking ill of other people.

If you’re Bible reading, God fearing individual like myself, you’ll appreciate this. When I was speaking to this group, I mentioned that there was some scripture that I came across recently that fit perfectly. Ecclesiastes 10:20 is the verse that I shared with them. After I shared this verse with them, a very nice lady came up to me and said that it reminded her of this video of the military birds that will be used for surveillance. I thought that it was too cool to not share.