Wednesday, September 21, 2005

The 10 Secrets of a Master Networker (not named Rudy)

"'I got one of the best educations America has to offer,' Ferrazzi says today. 'Starting with elementary school, prep school, on to Yale and Harvard -- it would never have happened if my father hadn't believed that it never hurts to ask. The worst anyone can say is no. Not many people believe that. Embarrassment and fear are debilitating.'" Link.

Rule 1: Don't network just to network. Rule 2: Take names. Rule 3: Build it before you need it. Rule 4: Never eat alone. Rule 5: Be interesting. Rule 6: Manage the gatekeeper. Artfully. Rule 7: Always ask. Rule 8: Don't keep score. Rule 9: Ping constantly. Rule 10: Find anchor tenants. Feed them.

"What about the manipulation, the gamesmanship, the using of people? Doesn't he ever feel uncomfortable, like a phony? Well, no. This is simply who Keith Ferrazzi is. And I can see that he's is a little disappointed in me, a little saddened that maybe I haven't completely understood."

It's a provocative read. Crass at times, but an insightful case study of what Tipping Point calls a classic "Connector.:

"What he does, he'll say, has nothing to do with quid pro quo, with a running equation in which you give just so you can get. For Ferrazzi, networking may be the power tool for somehow, someday, dislodging that heavy chip. But it's something much more: a way of engaging with the world. For Ferrazzi, networking is about making a difference, exploring, learning, connecting. For Ferrazzi, it's the conscious construction of his life's path."

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