Cyber Schmooze Your Way To The Top!

What if I told you that there was a secret force right under your nose that could help you to be successful, if only you reached out and claimed it. Well, it's true! There are people all around you who can help you to be smarter, achieve greater success, and do incredible things with your life. So how do you identify those people and more importantly, how do you MEET them? Here are 4 simple steps for how to network your way to "King" of the Cyber Mountain!

=> Step 1. Who would you like in your Dream Network?

If you had a magic phone and could pick it up and talk to ANYONE in the world, whom would you want to talk to and why? Dream big... How you like to meet Oprah, or Bill Gates, Cheryl Richardson or even Brad Pitt? The first step to building a powerful network is to ask yourself, "Who do I want to meet?"

Take a piece of paper and write at the words, "My dream team" at the top and then jot down the names of these individuals. By writing it down, it becomes more than an intention, it becomes a personal goal. You may even want to post pictures of these people by your desk. Have fun with this. You could even draw a picture of you and your dream network all standing arm and arm like pals at a party. The key here is that if you can picture it, you can make it happen!

=> Step 2. Where can I go to meet my Dream Network people?

If you are creative, there are lots of ways to meet people. First, check if they have a web site. If they do, look to see if their contact information is listed. Another way to check is to see whom the individual is affiliated with. Do they partner with any other companies? Is their contact information on a recent press release or news article? Is their information listed in the Who Is database for their domain? Now, write down their contact info.

Step 3. What will I say to when I approach someone in my Dream Network?

If you were having dinner with Oprah, what would you talk about? Ask yourself, "Why should they care?" Remember that these people don't know you from Adam. You need to give Oprah a reason to be interested and care about what you have to say. The more you know about the your dream network individuals, the more it will allow you to have a genuine conversation with them.

Tell Oprah how much you liked her recent show on "Work at Home Success". Tell her home much you loved the latest book in her book club. Tell her how she has inspired you in your life. People love to talk about themselves. So be interested and ASK!

For example, if you read their newsletter or use their product, tell them what you like about it and why. After you engage with them, them ask, what you can offer them, how you can help them, why you like them, who you know that could help them. If you end the conversation with this, you are establishing a connection and a way that you can work together.

If you don't know much about the person, then you need to learn what they do, why they do it and what makes them tick. Below are some key questions you could ask.

KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK

A) Connect with them, learn more about them

If you say, "Tell me about yourself", people freeze up. For better results, ask them a specific question.

- How'd you hear about this event?
- How do you know the host?
- What type of work do you do?
- How did you get in this line of work?
- What projects are you working on?
- What do you hope to accomplish?

B) Ask out how they can help you

- Could I ask your advice about a particular situation you are facing?
- Who do you know that I should talk to?

C) How can you help them?

- Ask them how you could help them. If you have listened to them, you should be a to tailor an answer that offers a true way to assist them.
- Invite them to participate a project or event with you.
- Invite them to attend a seminar
- Tell them who YOU know that could help them.

=> Step 4: Make the connection.

Ready to take the plunge and make the connection? You could start by making an initial contact by email or phone. Another way is to learn if there are any bulletin boards that they frequent. What business events are they attending? It may be well worth the price of attending a seminar, if you get a chance to meet the right people. Are they a member of any groups or associations that you can join? Do they support any charity causes that you could get involved in? Why not send them a surprise? No one can resist a thoughtful gesture such as sending flowers, a book, or other small gift. Even a hand written card will make a nice first impression. If you can't seem to contact them directly, then find out who the gatekeeper is.

SUMMARY

I encourage you to start dreaming about who you'd like to meet, and how they could help you. What type of people would you like to add to your mastermind group? Who Could you add to your list of advisors? Who could you partner with? The Internet makes the world a smaller place. Now we can reach out and connect with neighbors, friends, and potential partners anywhere with the click of a mouse. Dare to start connecting today and you'll be on your way to making your dream network come true!