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I received (and thought I'd share) this interesting article on the topic of networking and social networks like LinkedIn, FaceBook, et. al.  

The writer is John Lucht, an executive recruiter specializing in Fortune 100 clients.  

Although his perspectives on networking (below) are aimed at job hunters, his main comments are filled with much wisdom that is applicable to any serious networker.  Without saying so, he's pinpointed exactly why the BNI formula is so powerful and important, especially in an age of web-based social networking sites.

Enjoy!
  

David S. Brooks
SPS Group, Inc.
765 Mountain Ave; #337
Springfield, NJ  07081
[masked] x101
[masked] [FAX]

www.spsgc.com


PS:  Please join us for the next meeting of Manhattan Business Network:  Tuesday, 9/22 at 7:00 am.  You can RSVP here at http://meeting.ma...





NETWORKING x 3

Let's take a look at three very different kinds of NETWORKING ... two of which are relatively new.

FIRST, let's "GET REAL" about CLASSIC, TRADITIONAL NETWORKING.

Everyone knows it's one of the most powerful job-hunting tools. However, if you've read Rites of Passage, you know it's not as simple as most "experts" think. They overlook the HUGE difference between dealing with your warm personal contacts, who already know and want to help you, and approaching strangers, who are far less inclined to help.

Give me 30 minutes. Read Chapters 3 and 4 of Rites of Passage. Then read Networking in RiteSite University (left hand menu). A half-hour from now -- and forever afterward -- you'll get far more out of  the time you devote to networking.

SECONDLY, let's consider "MEMBERS HELPING MEMBERS NETWORKING" here on RiteSite. (It's under the green or red light on the left menu.)

Search our Identity-CONCEALED resume database. Pick out fellow job-seekers and career-builders to work with as you BOTH seek a new or better job. Send "Invitations to Network." Make it clear that you're just as eager to help as to ask for help. Send a note that you'd respond to if you received it. Paste it into LOTS of invitations. Currently, about 17% of invitations are being accepted.

WHAT DO YOU GET FROM THIS PROCESS? As Forest Gump famously said, "It's like a box of chocolates." You cannot predict how you'll benefit from additional eyes, ears and "feet-on-the-street." However, wonderful things are happening for the many members fully using this unique tool. Here's just one comment:

>John,

>I have landed a great job at age 58. I'm Chief Operating Officer of a
relatively small ($42 million) family owned company that needs me to take
over from our CEO/founder, who is quite ill. They want the company, which is
doing well and has lots of potential, to grow and prosper until the son is
ready to take over and run it. He's a college freshman. These are very nice
people, and the situation fits me like a glove. Even the location is good.

>If you hadn't added the networking area to RiteSite, I would never have
heard about this situation. I sent out 46 invitations and got 9 accepts. One
of them, lives here in this city, which I wanted to move to. She knew of the
situation and told me. She wasn't comfortable making an introduction for me.
After all, she didn't know me. But she pointed out the situation and I sent
the CEO one of my direct mail letters. He called me in and here I am.

NOTICE what DID -- and DID NOT -- HAPPEN:

What happened was that one member found another who gladly shared INFORMATION. But notice, too, what did NOT happen. NO PERSONAL INTRODUCTION WAS MADE.

Later, after these members had several mutually helpful phone conversations and really got to know each other, the member who supplied the lead might have been willing to make an introduction. But, even then, perhaps not. The family are very close friends of hers. Introducing a potential COO to them at any time -- and especially during a crisis -- has overtones of RESPONSIBILITY. Mutual helpfulness was the motivation. But it ONLY WENT SO FAR!

NOW CONSIDER A THIRD KIND OF NETWORKING -- "SOCIAL NETWORKING."

Social networks are based on the familiar "Six Degrees of Separation." In 1967 Stanley Milgrim did the pioneering study that launched the concept: Go through multiple layers of people-who-know-people. Almost anyone at the beginning of the chain can be linked to almost anyone at the end. Forget the show, "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon." Fast forward. Think computers. Think Internet. Imagine getting tier upon tier of people to input their address book. Bingo! Maybe here's a chain letter that CAN pay off.

Reportedly, there are more than 50 of these operations worldwide. The best known have grown huge in the past few years. FRIENDSTER.com, the pioneer, claims over 5 million registrants. MYSPACE.com has captured the imagination of teenagers (with tragic results for several) and now is #8 most viewed site on the Web.  Google has an entry called ORKUT.com. Others are FRIENDZY.com, SPOKE.com, TRIBE.com, RYZE.com and LINKEDIN.com. Besides its public version, SPOKE is also sold as enterprise software enabling a business to mine the contacts of its employees.

LINKEDIN.com is probably the most interesting to us [executive recruiters], because (1) it attempts to focus on business, rather than social, contacts And (2) it seems to have captured the attention of more of our members than any other. Linkedin supports searching of up to 4 layers of connections. However, although it displays a person's name and description, it does not reveal their email address. You have to look that up on the Internet or ask LinkedIn to make a "connection," i.e., send a request to the person you "know" to get that person to introduce you to his/her contact who interests you. You repeat that process until you reach your target. A side benefit is that you see the contacts of everyone along the way and some of their contacts may be people you, too, know but have lost touch with.

CLEARLY, HERE'S AN INTRIGUING PHENOMENON YOU MAY WANT TO EXPLORE. 

However, the long-run success of these sites remains to be seen. VCs have poured many millions of dollars into them. Yet virtually all, including LinkedIn, are still young ... mainly vacuuming up critical mass, and developing business models that enable them to charge for their activities. Also, even though some, like LinkedIn, urge you to link only people you have utmost respect for in a business context, in practice that is NOT -- and likely cannot be -- enforced. To prepare for this article, I read about 50 pages of articles referred by Google. There were thousands more I didn't read.

One person's quote stood out: "I suspect that LinkedIn, Orkut, and Ryze are merely a fad, and that we will eventually move on to other hobbies." His reasoning: "I simply don't think any of us can maintain the discipline needed to keep our networks honest (and therefore useful). After all, wouldn't you choose to weaken an on-line network rather than risk losing a friend?" (He has sponsored anyone who asked him to, including "Crazy Louie.") When it comes to introductions, here's a typical comment: "I refuse to introduce any stranger to a valued business contact."

ALL OF WHICH BRINGS US TO THE EXAMPLE I CHOSE TO ILLUSTRATE OUR "MEMBERS HELPING MEMBERS NETWORKING" on RiteSite.

There was rapport, helpful reconnaissance, and a very happy outcome. But there was NO INTRODUCTION. The willingness -- even eagerness -- to help did not extend to risking a close personal relationship. The practical question is, "How far will one newly-acquainted person go in support of another? A writer I found on Google pointed out that his contacts range from "somebody in my address book," to "someone I'd call to bail me out of jail," to "the person I'd donate a kidney to."

Clearly, there's plenty of mutual interest to fuel the surging growth of our "Members Helping Members Networking." Clearly too, there are advantages -- though different ones -- to LinkedIn and its siblings. 

THE BOTTOM LINE

We live in an age of electronic connection.

THE TAKE AWAY

Don't ignore it. Use it. But realistically.

Warmest regards and very best wishes,

John


"Memos from John" and "Insights" are weekly services to members of http://www.RiteSi... John Lucht, author of Rites of Passage at $100,000 to $1 Million+ and Insights for the Journey helps RiteSite members to defeat their competitors for jobs and promotions. Read all prior memos on RiteSite.

This e-mail was forwarded with permission.  Copyright, RiteSite.com Inc., New York, NY. All rights reserved.




You are receiving this e-mail because you are a current member of "Manhattan Business Network", a.k.a. BNI Chapter 2 - Manhattan.  If you prefer not to receive these e-mails, reply "unsubscribe" to this e-mail or visit your profile page at www.meetup.com and remove yourself as a member of Manhattan Business Network.