My Pinnacle Network

Grow Your Business Through Networking

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Thank you, 2016

We will not soon forget the year 2016 for some very obvious reasons. The less obvious will be the iconic figures who left us this year.

It started early this year with the passing of David Bowie, Prince, Garry Marshall, Muhammad Ali, Gordie Howe, Arnold Palmer, Leonard Cohen and finally Fidel Castro. Yet the most difficult to absorb might be the loss of Florence Henderson, AKA Mrs. Brady.

What’s happened with the passing of these iconic figures is we remember their contributions and express appreciation for their talents and what it meant to us (with the definite exception of the notorious Castro).

Celebrity deaths make us feel sad and remind us of our own mortality. It also makes you wish you had one opportunity to say thank you.

“Thank you” to Prince for, among other things, Purple Rain.

“Thank you” to Mohamed Ali just for being “The Greatest”.

Hallelujah for Leonard Cohen.

Happy Days to Garry Marshall.

And bless you, Florence Henderson, for being Mrs. Brady.

Every day presents opportunities for gratitude for the people in our lives, both at work and during our personal time. This year has taught us quite a lot, but thanking the people in your life is one lesson worth taking into 2017.

Thank you for listening.

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Who’s your Kevin Bacon?

In the 1990s, some college students created a game called Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. The thought behind the game was that you could connect anybody in Hollywood to the prolific star of Footloose within six steps. For example, you can connect yours truly within six steps to Kevin Bacon:

  • I attended college with comedian Dana Gould
  • Dana Gould appeared on an episode of Seinfeld with Jason Alexander
  • Jason Alexander appeared in Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts
  • Julia Roberts starred in Flatliners with, you guessed it, Kevin Bacon

When it comes to your network, who is your Kevin Bacon? Who is that person who there always seems to be a lot of activity and knows everybody? Get with him or her for a one-on-one at least on a quarterly basis.

If you’re not sure about who in your network that might, go to your LinkedIn accounts. Check out the people in your network and your shared connections. It really will not take long to figure out who that might be. Better yet, do a search on some companies who might be prospects for your business and then check your network to see who might know somebody there.

Kevin Bacon may never win an Oscar, but the guy has never lacked for work and almost always in quality films.

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My Pinnacle Network announces November b2b networking meeting in Bourne

My Pinnacle Network recently announced a business-to-business networking meeting in Bourne for November 2016:

My Pinnacle Network – Bourne, Thursday, November 17, from 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m., 550 MacArthur Blvd. (Route 28), Bourne, MA 02532.

B2B professionals can apply directly by going to www.mypinnaclenetwork.com. Only one B2B professional will be selected for each category. Those categories can be found at http://mypinnaclenetwork.com/about/categories.aspx. Prospective members are encouraged to attend a My Pinnacle Network meeting before committing to join.

If you are interested in attending a meeting in your area, please contact Steven V. Dubin at SDubin@MyPinnacleNetwork.com or 781-582-1061 to RSVP. There is no charge to visit a My Pinnacle Network meeting.

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B2B Networking Tip – Thank a veteran

Gratitude month continues this week with Veteran’s Day on Friday. If you know a veteran, give them a call or drop them a line to thank them for their service. And while a nice post on one of your social media pages is nice, how about going one step further and finding out if there are more people in your network who served?

How do you do that? Quite easy. Go to LinkedIn’s Advanced Search function. Under keywords, type in military or a particular branch of service, then check “1st Connections” under Relationships and then search. The results should turn up people in your network who served.

What next? Thank them, but also check in and see how things are going. Maybe even set up a time to get together and share some connections.

We admire our veterans for their service and their humility. Yet volunteering to serve your country is something that should be praised. This Veteran’s Day, take every opportunity you have to thank the veterans in your life. There are more than you know.

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My Pinnacle Network kicks off gratitude month

If you have attended a My Pinnacle Network meeting, you know the importance of gratitude in the meeting format. In fact, prior to a member or guest giving their verbal brand, we ask them to first offer thank you’s to fellow members for any or all of the following: new business; leads or referrals; and/or one-on-ones. In November, a month with two holidays specifically for expressions of gratitude–Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving–we are upping the ante.

To celebrate the month of gratitude, we would first like to thank our members and people who have attended My Pinnacle Network meetings over the past year. We have built something special over the past four years and we are grateful to each and every one of you.

Over the course of November, many people show gratitude in a variety of ways. For example, our partner Joe D’Eramo will be participating in Movember, growing a moustache and raising money for men’s health issues, including prostate cancer. As part of our November meetings, we are asking that members and guests share those stories in addition to your thank you’s for business.

What are appropriate thank you’s? Pretty much anything. Has somebody provided you a service this year that you truly appreciated and want to recognize? That’s perfect. Is there somebody you’ve been meaning to write a recommendation for on LinkedIn but haven’t gotten around to it? Again, that’s another something that would be perfect. When it comes to saying “thank you,” you really can’t go wrong.

So if you have made it this far in the e-mail, thank you. We look forward to hearing from you in November.

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My Pinnacle Network announces November 2016 schedule of B2B networking meetings.

My Pinnacle Network recently announced a full slate of business-to-business networking meetings for November. My Pinnacle Network meetings are as follows:

My Pinnacle Network – Westborough, Tuesday, November 1, from 8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m at Digital Federal Credit Union, 18 Lyman Street, Westborough, MA 01581.

My Pinnacle Network – Mansfield, Wednesday, November 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., 20 Cabot Blvd., Suite 300, Mansfield, MA 02048.

My Pinnacle Network – Marshfield, Thursday, November 3, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., 165 Enterprise Drive, Marshfield, MA 02050.

My Pinnacle Network – Newton, Thursday, November 10, 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. at 29 Crafts Street (Aflac offices), Newton, MA 02458.

My Pinnacle Network – Braintree Third Thursday, Thursday, November 17, from 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. at 100 Grandview Road, 3rd Floor Conference Room, Braintree, MA 02184.

My Pinnacle Network – Bourne, Thursday, November 17, from 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m., 550 MacArthur Blvd. (Route 28), Bourne, MA 02532.

Only one B2B professional will be selected for each category. Those categories can be found at http://mypinnaclenetwork.com/about/categories.aspx. Prospective members are encouraged to attend a My Pinnacle Network meeting before committing to join.

If you are interested in attending a meeting in your area, please contact Steven V. Dubin at SDubin@MyPinnacleNetwork.com or 781-582-1061 to RSVP. There is no charge to visit a My Pinnacle Network meeting.

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Listen: It’s not who you know, but what you hear

Think about the referrals you have passed. What was the genesis of that referral? It involved your listening skills more than anything else.

First, you probably heard a friend, colleague or peer talk about his or her business what their needs. If you were truly listening, that registered in your memory on a certain level.

Next, in your travels, be it at your place of business, networking group, coffee shop, etc., you heard somebody express a need for a certain product or service. You interject and say, “I know somebody who might be able to help you…”. And that is how a lead/referral is born.

So, if you’re in a networking group and you’re wondering why you have not received a referral, perhaps you’re not asking the right question. Maybe you should be asking, why have I not passed a referral?

While clearly there are exceptions to this rule, but when it comes to referrals you have to give to receive. And the only way you can give is to know what people want or need. That, you can only do by listening.

There’s probably not one of us who has paid attention to every single word every person has said at a networking meeting. We should, but we don’t. Fortunately, it’s an area where you can improve quite easily.

Make it a point to listen at your next networking meeting. Bring a notebook and be sure to write down at least one type of referral for each member as they give their elevator pitch. You would be surprised how much registers in your memory when you put it in writing. From there, all you really have to do is listen…

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Keep networking e-mails short

What’s the one comment you hear from people about e-mails? Typically, it’s about how many they get, that they just can’t keep up and about how much time they spend deleting. Now, you might think if you are in a networking group or have met somebody at a networking gathering that they will give your e-mail a bit more attention. Think again.

Typically, people will read the subject line and perhaps the preview pane if using Outlook. If it’s not something they are actually looking for or something they really want to read, they will click delete.

For those of you still reading, thank you. The reason you will be glad you did is the tip here is to keep your networking e-mails short—one, two, three paragraphs at the most. Don’t do a cut-and-paste of your company’s annual report. If you want to provide more information, offer a link. But if you want to establish a relationship, it’s not going to happen in one e-mail.

E-mails are really a tool to help start and continue a relationship. For example, it’s cool to e-mail an invite for a one-on-one and then a thank you for the one-on-one. It’s also fine to send a link to an article or potential prospect’s website that you think might be of interest. Yet don’t make the e-mail do most of the work.

Also, you probably want to establish some ground rules about your use of an e-mail. If it’s somebody you want to connect with, send an e-mail intro/invite and give it a few days. If you don’t hear anything, perhaps send another or give them a quick call or shoot a text if you have their cell. A third e-mail should be like the third strike. If you make a third attempt and get no response, move on.

The most important part of these ground rules is not to take it personally. You don’t know what’s going on in that person’s life. It could be a very busy time. Maybe they have some personal or family issues going on. Whatever the reason, hold no grudges.

Many times, the next time you see that person they will be apologetic and want to set something up.

Remember, keep your e-mails short and be direct about your intentions. It’s your best chance to start and continue a networking relationship.

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Be a better networker TODAY

Everyone gets caught up in the craziness of work, family and other commitments. Invariably, some things fall through the cracks. For many, that’s follow-up and follow through with regard to your networking efforts.  If that sounds like you, here’s one piece of advice: today is a new day and it’s not too late to follow up.

As a rule, when you meet somebody at a networking function or conduct a one-on-one, it’s good form to follow up within three days. This may sound like a bit of a formality, but it really is another level of the networking process. Since your meeting, that person may have thought of somebody who might be a lead or referral source for you.  A simple follow-up after your meeting keeps you front-of-mind.

Now, if this is something you have been negligent on in the past, guess what? You can be a better networker today by simply making a phone call or dropping an e-mail to those you did not follow up with. Most people understand that everybody is busy and that some things do slide, particularly during the summer. A belated follow-up might rekindle the networking and lead to new business.

The most important thing about networking is consistency. Attend a certain number of events per month. Conduct X number of one-on-ones per month with people you meet at events or those who are part of your networking group. Then follow up with those individuals within three days. Yet perhaps as important as doing all those things is NOT beating yourself up too badly if you don’t.

It may sound rather Pollyanna, pie-in-the-sky, but today is another day. You can spend that day being ticked off at yourself for not doing your follow-up or setting up one-on-ones or you can send out that follow up note and apologize for not doing so sooner. Better yet, give that person a call. The fact is you can be a better networker today by forgiving yourself for what you should have done and taking action today. Simple as that.

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My Pinnacle Network announces October 2016 schedule of B2B

My Pinnacle Network recently announced a full slate of business-to-business networking meetings for October. My Pinnacle Network meetings are as follows:

My Pinnacle Network – Westborough, Tuesday, October 4, from 8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m at Digital Federal Credit Union, 18 Lyman Street, Westborough, MA 01581.

My Pinnacle Network – Mansfield, Wednesday, October 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., 20 Cabot Blvd., Suite 300, Mansfield, MA 02048.

My Pinnacle Network – Marshfield, Thursday, October 6, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., 165 Enterprise Drive, Marshfield, MA 02050.

My Pinnacle Network – Newton, Thursday, October 13, 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. at 29 Crafts Street (Aflac offices), Newton, MA 02458.

My Pinnacle Network – Braintree Third Thursday, Thursday, October 20, from 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. at 100 Grandview Road, 3rd Floor Conference Room, Braintree, MA 02184.

My Pinnacle Network – Bourne, Thursday, October 27, from 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m., 550 MacArthur Blvd. (Route 28), Bourne, MA 02532.

Only one B2B professional will be selected for each category. Those categories can be found at http://mypinnaclenetwork.com/about/categories.aspx. Prospective members are encouraged to attend a My Pinnacle Network meeting before committing to join.

If you are interested in attending a meeting in your area, please contact Steven V. Dubin at SDubin@MyPinnacleNetwork.com or 781-582-1061 to RSVP. There is no charge to visit a My Pinnacle Network meeting.