Networking Has Gone to the Dogs

At the beginning of the summer I started a program to try and feel better. I could barely walk up the stairs in my house without feeling winded. I began walking on our treadmill for 20 minutes and each week increased it a bit. I'm happy to report that this morning I walked almost 3 miles on a walking trail through our neighborhood and up into a different one. The first half is almost all uphill, making the return very easy as it is almost all downhill. The thing about getting out of your house to exercise is you see other people doing the same. A whole new group of people with whom to network!

Of course not everyone on the trail is there to network. Many are just walking their dogs, a few are runners, some just walked to the corner cafe to get their morning coffee and a few ride their bikes. My connections were with the dog walkers. As you can see by the photo we have a beautiful German Shepherd. His name is Grizz and he is a very sweet, very gentle 110 pound dog. He barely notices other dogs as we walk, his focus is to make sure he guards me. And he does a grand job of it. I have to say, this morning, I had the nicest, prettiest, best behaved dog on the trail.

Which makes for great conversation. And common ground with other dog owners. Isn't that the idea behind networking? Finding common ground with those you meet? The usual questions are, how old is he? (Nine) Where did you find him? (A friend needed a home for him and we gladly took him) Who is your vet? (Dr. Cocanour) Do you walk him every day? (almost) My goodness he's a sweet dog. (Yes, I Know). These are all terrific conversation starters and they work because we have already established we both love dogs. That's the best common ground you can have.

Clearly, it isn't just dogs that will help you network. I'm also happy to report that since May 16 I've lost 40 pounds and am feeling MUCH better. The stairs in the house are longer a problem. Oh. Hey! I think I just found another way to network!!

Networking is a Life Skill

We all know networking is essential to build business. However, it's just as crucial as a Life Skill.
I joined BNI four years ago and have often taught the ideas and guidelines to my family at the dinner table. I never knew how much my children were absorbing until they shared their own stories with me.

My oldest son, Taylor, substituted for me in my BNI chapter a few times, and even sat in for other members. He always wore a white shirt and tie and was very polished in his appearance. He did a great job for each person he represented.

He later gained employment at a retail clothing store. He explained that one day the corporate leaders did a surprise visit to their store. Because of his time spent substituting in BNI, he felt very comfortable walking up to the corporate leaders and introducing himself, shaking their hands, and asking them about their jobs. They provided a pizza lunch that day for the store employees and Taylor was the only one who visited with them while they ate.. He asked them the standard networking questions. Why do you do what you do? What do you like most about it? What are your business goals for the year? At the end of the day when the corporate leaders left, they sought Taylor out to shake his hand and thank him for his help. He made that store look good.

Our daughter, Hannah, attended a week long Girls Camp this past summer. She was one of the Youth Leaders for the camp and it was her responsibility to make sure the girls were actively involved and not standing on the side lines. She told me she noticed one girl who seemed shy and wasn't really speaking to anyone. She also noticed the girl was wearing cheerleading shoes. Hannah told me she remembered me saying to ask people about themselves because it helps bring them out of their shell. She asked the girl about her shoes and sure enough, there was a conversation about cheerleading. It also helped this shy gal get involved with camp and have a much better time than standing on the sidelines.

I have gained so much from being a part of BNI and I'm pleased that my family has benefited from that knowledge. There are many things we much teach our children about how to succeed in life. I think teaching them to network is a very important lesson. More and more businesses are internet based which makes the face-to-face connections even more crucial.

So, now they have it covered. 1. Learn to tie shoes. 2. Food Pyramid. 3. Networking. Success!