Many years ago I replaced the word "networking" with "enjoying life". Oh sure, I refer to it by its given label when talking to people. Mentally I'm just "living in the moment". I bask in the sunlight of another person's presence. As I listen to the person, I also ask how can I help them achieve their goals. This keeps me at ease. There's no mental prepping. There's no undue pressure to get ready to be ready to network. Each person tells me what s/he wants. Then I try to meet people at their needs, by leveraging my network.
When I took my daughter to the circus or I'm having dinner at a restaurant with my wife, networking opportunities appear or they don't. It doesn't matter. I'm just "enjoying life". My all time favorite is family gatherings. My family gets on my case about it all the time. They each hate it when they see me exchanging business cards, when it's just a simple birthday party. I've been challenged with words like "what do I have to do to make you stop giving out business cards at family gatherings"? My response is "give me a referral or give me the obscene amount of money for 1 month that I pay to rent a 4 bedroom house". So far no one in my family has met either challenge. So I continue to enjoy life.
Below are examples of everyday social interaction meeting technology. Each has its own separate value, but all have one common denominator.
People Interaction
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Formal / Business Venue
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Social Activities, Family Gatherings, Going to the Beach, Barbecues or Vacation
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Everyday Conversation or Per Chance Meeting
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Internet Category
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Business Networking
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Social Networking
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Microblogging / Forums
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Platforms
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LinkedIn
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Facebook / MySpace
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Twitter / Yahoo News Groups
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Common Denominator
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Opportunities to Network
(Enjoying Life)
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Copyright (c) 2004 - 2009 C. E. Reid, SAVVY INTRAPRENEUR
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