The one skill you want to master ( Part 2)

I hope the you read the previous post regarding the skill you must master, and also get visited Keith Ferrzzi’s website at www.nevereatalone.com. Here are the summaries for two chapters.

Chapter three: Turning connection into Compatriots.

• The only way to get anyone to do anything is to recognize their importance and thereby make them feel important. That’s everyone’s desire.
• In your initial conversation with someone, find out what motivates them and follow up from there.
• 80 % of building and maintianing relationships is just staying in touch.
• You can be more successful in two months by becoming really interested in other people’s success than you can in two years trying to get people interested in your success – Dale Carnegie.
• Learn to become indispensible by start thinking about how to make other people successful, e.g when someone mentions a problem, try to think of solutions.

Chapter four: Trading up and giving back.

• Be interesting…..people tend to hire people they like and they think can make them and their companies successful.
• There is no better way to learn something and become an expert at it than to have to teach it.
• Identify the people in your industy who are successful and try to connect with them.
• Develop a niche. Preferrably an area that is underserved and/or unattended.
• Consider writing articles for your publications.
• There is no substitute for personal initiative

Hope you enjoy the summary. I will be several posts referencing this skill set and I hope I have nudge you in the direction of learing more about it.

Best,

Andy G. Rodie

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I though I had enough PC skills.

I came across this article on a friend’s blog about the 30 must have PC skills and I found out I did not quite measure up. I thought I should share it to see where you rank yourself.

Best

Andy G. Rodie

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To be or not to be common / extraordinary.

I am a firm believer in daily motivations.
Here is one of my regular read. A very inspirational one for any aspiring entrepreneur including myself.

I do not choose to be a common man,
It is my right to be uncommon … if I can,
I seek opportunity … not security.
I do not wish to be a kept citizen.
Humbled and dulled by having the
State look after me.
I want to take the calculated risk;
To dream and to build.
To fail and to succeed.
I refuse to barter incentive for a dole;
I prefer the challenges of life
To the guaranteed existence;
The thrill of fulfillment
To the stale calm of Utopia.
I will not trade freedom for beneficence
Nor my dignity for a handout
I will never cower before any master
Nor bend to any threat.
It is my heritage to stand erect.
Proud and unafraid;
To think and act for myself,
To enjoy the benefit of my creations
And to face the world boldly and say:
This, with God’s help, I have done
All this is what it means
To be an Entrepreneur.
–
(Excerpt from Common Sense, written in 1776 by Thomas Paine)

Best,

Andy G. Rodie

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Networking – got to share this tip I recieved in the mail today

The buy one share tactic and it is a classic. This is from an individual who finds a unique to way to meet his inspirational contacts. Here is his strategy. He started buying single shares in companies not for investment purposes, but to gain access to some his inspirational contacts, people he wanted to engage in mutually beneficial relationships.

Once a year, these public companies holds an annual shareholder’s meeting, and even with one share, you gain access to the main event, gaining access to some of the most influential people in the world. Of course no one knows how many shares you own and won’t even ask and you get treated with respect.

One point to keep in mind, most of the big companies will draw a crowd, but the smaller companies, only a handful of shareholders do bother to show up.

He used this tactic to meet two high level executives, who were previously on his list of inspirational contacts.

As you might be thinking about the types of people you need to surround yourself with to achieve your goals (whether it is to change jobs, attract investors for your startup, or simply to be your mentor), this might be another tactic to use.

Kudos to the guy for sharing this brilliant idea.

Best,
Andy G. Rodie

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This is one skill you want to master.

After reading “Never eat alone” by Keith Ferrazzi, I was absolutely convinced how important building relationships in life are to your success. I think the quality of the your network is also inevitable. Here are some key points from the book your your success. They will more key points in subsequent posts. Stay tuned.

Chapter one: The mind-set.

• When you help others, they often help you, success in any field is about working with people.
• Instead of thinking “How I can you help me?” think “How can I help you”
• Start finding future clients before you have anything to sell them, get to know them as friends, not potential customers.
• There is genius, even kindness, in being bold, people with low tolerance for risk, whose behavior is guided by fear, have a low propensity for success, besides the worst any one can say is no.
• Being liked can be the most potent, constructive force for getting business done.

Chapter Two: The skill Set

• Before you meet someone, find a point of common ground that is deeper and richer than what can be discovered in a serendipitous encounter.
• Try to make the gatekeepers your allies, never get on they bad side. Always respect the gatekeeper’s power and treat them with dignity they deserve, and when you do, doors will open to even the most powerful decision makers. Also, don’t forget to thank the gatekeepers later with a simple phone call or personal note.
• Alway show gratitude.
• Try to connect with super-connectors, people like Entrepreneurs, Fundraisers, politicians, Public Relations Specialists, journalists, you get the point. These people can improve your network dramatically.
• The best icebreaker is often a few words from the heart.

I hope you begin to see the benefits here, stay tuned for subsequent posts.

Best

Andy G. Rodie

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Courage and why it is important. Part 1

This will be the first of many posts about courage to come.

A very interesting word that comes from the latin root cor, which means “heart”
So to live courageously is to live with heart.
I will try to shed some light on courage because it is one of those qualities I would like to develop more of and to share with you my findings.There are a lot of things you can’t do if you’re not courageous. You cannot be truthful, loving, trusting and even live a full life. It appears as courage first and everything else follows.

Courage is basically risking the the known for the unknown, the familiar for the unfamiliar, the comfort for the uncomfortable. Fearlessness is the ultimate experience of courage. The person who goes into the the unknown in spite of all the fears. I once heard a quote by a young entrepreneur who made this quote “everything we want in life is on the other side of fear”. Now think about that for a second. It is one those statements you hear and you know instantly it is true.

What would our life be if we could act with a little more courage. Think about that for a second.
You would go after that job you really wanted, start that business you’ve been thinking about starting, forgive that person you’ve been meaning to forgive and whatever you have been meaning to do but are afraid. Ponder this until next time

Peace
Andy G. Rodie

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