Just Say Nay

Don’t let the naysayers get to you. Have faith. Do what you know is right.

Nasty Networker – “Vomitous from the mouth”

This is a great article by a friend of mine -

Recently I asked my network through LinkedIn: “What are the visible attributes of a ‘Nasty Networker?’” I’ve boiled the answers down into some common categories ranked by the frequency of their appearance

Signs of a Nasty Networker

1. Selfish. Not interested in helping others.
2. Doesn’t ask questions. Talks too much.
3. Bashes or otherwise acts inappropriately towards competitors.
4. Uses high pressure and other bad sales techniques.
5. Abuses contact information. Sends spam and other unwanted communication.
6. Ignores business card etiquette.
7. Social climber. Always looking for somebody better to talk to.
8. Not open.
9. Naive and needs education (about proper networking).
10. More interested in the quantity of connections, not their quality.
11. Disrespectful.

In the end I think that “Nasty Networking” is driven primarily by either naivete or desperation. I saw a quote recently that suggested that the selfish type of taker networking is not networking at all, but rather Needworking. My hope is that by sharing this list we can help the naive/needworkers get onto the path of true networking.

Getting Naked at First Meeting. Is It Wrong?

I made a new business contact about three weeks ago. All of our interaction has been by phone thus far. I’m very impressed with her – she’s smart, enthusiastic and very knowledgeable in her field. We decide to set up a meeting so I can get a better idea of how I might be able to refer business and generally get acquainted.

The next thing I know, I’m naked and laying on a table.

At the time, it didn’t seem that strange to me but now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t think I’ve ever stripped out of my clothes at a first meeting. Maybe the third or fourth meeting but this seemed like we were moving too fast.

The strangest part was that our conversation was exactly the same as what you might overhear at a Starbucks on any given Tuesday morning. Soft music was playing and the lights were dim, it was one of the better meetings I’ve had in a long time.

OK, I’ll let you in on it. My meeting was with a very talented massage therapist who graciously offered to do some work on my train wreck of a spinal cord. She is fantastic and one of the most generous, “pay it forward” types of people I’ve ever met. Check her web site here: http://www.brandischunk.com

I write about being authentic and do my best to live by my belief that authenticity is really what makes relationships (business and personal) work. And let me tell you – it’s hard not to be authentic when you can’t hide behind a suit or as I prefer, a baggy golf shirt.

I look forward to adding Brandi to my list of friends and will actively look for ways I can return the favor. After all, I need to keep her on my side because she knows exactly how fat I am, that I haven’t seen the sun since 1978 and that I have the skeletal system of a 90 year old woman.

Now THAT is authenticity.