5 Ways To Signal You're Trustworthy

An essential part of giving and receiving referrals is building enough trust between you and those you network with ...

What Makes Your Customers Buy From You?

When I started marketing and selling myself, it was pummeled into me to stress what was in it for the client ...

Working with Asentiv: A Great Business Opportunity!

I ask this because I'm recruiting at present and looking for two people to come and join me working with Asentiv ...

Networking Skills: How To Get Referrals For A Second Business

In the last month, four people have asked me about how hard it is to start a second business in the same community ...

Networking Skills: The 3 Functions Of A Role Model

We humans are great copycats. We watch what other people do and then if we like the outcome we'll do the same ...

Starting Your Consultancy: A Very Common Mistake

Brand new consultants are often told not to define a target market. Just get out there and sell, sell, sell ...

Networking Skills: Why Aren't People Referring To Me?

When I started networking, I quickly grasped the concept of Givers Gain®. I give you business and you'll return the favour ...

Networking Time Management

Research shows that those who spend the most time on networking activities achieve the highest success ...

Networking Skills: Has Your Pond Dried Up?

What happens when your pond dries up? Do you give up and change groups? Good networking skills say look at yourself first ...

Networking Skills: Focus On Your Gold Dust

It makes sense to focus on your gold dust and spend your networking time with people who will bring you a return on your investment ...

Referral Marketing: Rejection Sucks, Ok?

Anyone in sales knows that rejection is part of the process. Not everyone you approach is going to buy from you ...

Networking Skills: Can I Outsource My Networking?

I got asked a question the other day about networking skills and I must say that I've never been asked this before ...

Networking Skills: It Pays To Be Patient

This series of blog posts is all about learning networking skills from the front line. Here's a lovely one with a very happy ending ...

How To Choose The Right Networking Events

We Brits love a good moan, it's what we do best. Here's one I hear all the time and have been guilty of thinking myself ...

Networking Tips. Spend Time On Your Support Network

As anyone who runs their own small business knows, being ill means no work, and no work means no money ...

How To Achieve A Spectacular Life!

Asentiv has a mission statement. Our intention is to build communities that generate amazing business and a spectacular life ...

Nurturers: Loyalty, Trust And Plain Good Manners

Two managers I worked with had fallen out after working together amicably for many years. One was a Go-Getter, the other a Nurturer ...

The Art Of Pace and Rapport

When I undertook my basic training in the RAF nursing service, we were taken out on the parade ground to learn how to march ...

Avoiding Misunderstandings When Networking

Some stories from networking are just sad. None more so than when a little misunderstanding damages a relationship ...

Understanding Referral Marketing

Not all stories I tell are true, some can be metaphors to get across a key concept. This one combines both ...

Referral Marketing: Sometimes You Can't Make A Recommendation

It's no surprise that many of my clients have the same dilemma about referral marketing. Here's a common one that arose recently ...

Engineers: Do You Hate Networking?

It's rare to see engineers at general business networking events as they supposedly hate networking ...

Business Networking Skills: The Signals We Use To Judge

The signals we use to judge someone come from our unconscious mind. Although they're useful, sometimes it's best to ignore them ...

How Trigger Words And Images Can Get You More Referrals

A favourite expression I saw on a Royal Mail advert. It was an unexpected gift arriving with a message, ''I saw this and thought of you'' ...

Closing The Sale: The Impact Of Decision Fatigue

I recently had a breakfast conversation with Natalie Pewsey (virtual PA to many consultants), about decision fatigue ...

Does It Really Take 10,000 Hours To Master Networking?

If you want to master networking, do you really need to put in 10,000 hours. Many believe that to be true ...

Some Great Tips On Giving

Giving is at the heart of the Christmas message that's on TV. The shops are full of suggestions on how to give to those in need ...

I Don't Need Training, I Know How To Network!

I recently spent the day with my Asentiv colleagues from around the UK. We meet every quarter ...

Not A Natural Networker: Lessons From The Wild

An insight into the power of camouflage came from wildlife researchers tracking herds of zebra on the Savannah ...

Referral Marketing: It's A Numbers Game

Whenever you talk to trainers about sales and marketing, sooner or later, they will tell you that it's a number's game ...

Networking Skills: Save The Detail For Your Private Meetings

''I hate networking, it's so artificial and superficial.'' I often hear that, and I do wonder why they are there if they dislike it so much ...

Networking Skills: Don't Waste My Time

One of the most precious commodities we have always seems to run out when we need it most. I'm talking, of course, about time ...

Is It Better To Work From Home Or Rent An Office?

After 15 years of working from home, I moved into my own training room this weekend. It feels like a time of new possibilities ...

Business Networking Skills: Getting To Know You In 4 Minutes

I'm indebted to Phil Burton for inspiring this blog post on business networking skills. We were practising a bond building exercise ...

Consultancy Skills: Are You A Victim Of Your Own Success?

''I've got a great new contract so I'm going to be off the scene for at least 6 months.'' I often hear this, so here's a warning ...

The Difference Between A Novice And An Expert

The difference between a novice and an expert comes down to experience and how they change your perceptions ...