The Link System®

You cannot be considered a serious networker or be a competant “PowerPartner” without subscribing to your local Business Journal. Every community has their business publications. Here in San Diego we have the weekly San Diego Business Journal, The San Diego Daily Transcript and the quarterly Biz San Diego Magazine.  For my money, I like the weekly Business Journal.  It’s not too much…it’s not too little…It’s Just Right.
 The SDBJ is a part of my Making The Connection networking workshop.  I bring in an issue and we discuss how they can use it to:

• Be conversant in current events – Make networking conversations easier 
• Find information to share with those in your network
• Learn about the “Movers & Shakers” in your community…imagine running into someone at the next event and being able to comment of their recent article…believe me…they will be impressed and flattered
• Find events/seminars for yourself and others
• Learn of future “Awards” events and nominate someone
• Learn of future articles in their editorial Calendar
• Learn the top companies in major industries And more!

For the proactive, creative thinker there are several pieces of useful information in every issue.  Did someone you know get a promotion? Send a congratulations card! Did you notice a business meeting that will pull in a certain audience demographic?  Share that information with others! When it comes to speakers, the more influential the speaker, the more influential the audience.
 
In  my PowerPartner Appoach® Trainings, we define networking as “The exchange of Ideas, Information & Resources”.  Keeping current with your community’s business news to find information to share with your network is imperative to staying  ahead of your competition.

British polititian Benjamin Disreali said “In the end, the person with the most success is the one with the best information”

What Does It Take To Be Successful? People are forever clamoring for the missing element that will turn them into a success. Elements such as the right words to say (script or sales copy), better quality leads, better tools to use, (website, computer, an assistant, etc). Now don’t take me wrong, these elements are important as well, but they not the determining factors in most cases.
I once attended a training by Darren Hardy, now publisher of Success Magazine. That question was put out to the large audience and Darren wrote down the suggestions as fast as they were shouted out: Determination, confidence, passion, persistence, integrity, high self-esteem, etc., almost 20 in all.

Darren told us it boils down to three main components: knowledge, skill & attitude. Then he took our list and noted which category our suggestions fell into. By an overwhelming majority they came under (drum roll, please) Attitude. (For comic relief, someone had offered “Good-looking” and that was determined to be a skill). All the knowledge and skill in the world will be in vain if we undermine ourselves with negative self talk and self doubt. There is a fine line between learning from our past, then growing vs. letting what happened in the past hold us back. The choice is ours.

Our daily actions are the product of the thousands of thoughts going through our heads every single day. In fact, many of those thoughts are repeated over & over again. Now, are those thoughts positive and encouraging? Or are they negative and limiting? How better would our lives be if we took 10 minutes a day to feed ourselves strong, positive, uplifting & educational “food-for-our-thoughts” every day? What could be your potential if your thoughts were all positive? Think about it, then act.