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Keith Ferrazzi Articles

Written by: Keith Ferrazzi

What I’ve Learned from Dumpster Kids, a Buddhist Monk, and Other Wise Teachers - Click To Read Article
Lesson #1: Choose your family wisely. I saw this listed in a Bangkok gym as tip number ten to “live a long life,” but it struck me as particularly poignant as I was thinking about my trip during my last run on the beach in Thailand before going back to LA.

We’re Not Virtual, We’re Human. Today, Act Like It. - Click To Read Article
How many of you have a working relationship with someone who lives in your city that’s nevertheless been purely virtual – conducted only over email, phone, and IM?

The 15-Minute Secret to Outstanding Individual Effectiveness - Click To Read Article
Almost all of you, I’m willing to bet, have a “morning ritual.” But how many of you have created one by design? This is so important to individual effectiveness, for everyone but especially for entrepreneurs who work independently or at home.

How Do I Earn More Money? - Click To Read Article
January is the perfect time for focusing on making real change in our wealth, family, and career. Health too, but for so many people, that resolve only lasts about two weeks! So let’s talk today about wealth. Here’s the most common question I’m getting: “How do I earn more money?”

Open Doors with a Pitch-Perfect Approach Strategy - Click To Read Article
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to creating a new relationship. Custom tailoring is the only way to go. Here’s a process to develop an approach strategy for building (or rebuilding) a relationship:

Six Tips to Help Bring Out A Colleague's Inner Einstein - Click To Read Article
Think of your favorite relationships-people who make you feel really good and who bring out your best qualities. What does it do to your sense of self when someone reveals your brilliance by showing you how you are smart? You hold your head higher and feel more confident in your abilities. This creates a truly synergistic relationship with the other person. Wouldn’t you love to turn around and unlock the unique brilliance in others so they can make that same, life-changing discovery about themselves and show up brilliant wherever they go?

I’m Sending You on a Mission - Click To Read Article
Have you been participating in my “Mini Mission Mondays” on Facebook and Twitter? These are bite-sized outreach ideas that encourage you to interact with your business-critical network on a regular basis. Missions are the foundation of Relationship Masters Academy.

Creative Follow-Up Idea: Send a Helpful Video - Click To Read Article
Here’s a clever networking idea from Mike Koenigs, inventor of the video promotion tool Traffic Geyser: When you come home from an event with a pile of business cards, follow up with them immediately via a short, personalized video. This can be done in two simple steps.

Help Me Keith: My Feedback Makes People Defensive! - Click To Read Article
This week, I'm sharing one of my RMA "Ask Keith" videos. I answer the question, "How can I give better feedback that doesn't put people on the defensive?" Go check it out!

Confidence Wins - So Stop Being Tentative in Email - Click To Read Article
It’s time to inventory your email and see whether you’re communicating confidence or uncertainty with your outreach.

Watch Me Tell One of the Best Stories in Never Eat Alone - Click To Read Article
Today I have a video link to share with you – it's me telling the "Big Wheels" story from Never Eat Alone, in support of Peter Guber's great new book, Tell to Win.

Not a LinkedIn Expert Yet? We Can Help - Click To Read Article
Check out the LinkedIn tip below – it’s just a tiny taste of the free webinar being offered by our resident LinkedIn expert TOMORROW, March 21, at 12ET.

Four Surprising Things That Will Grow Your Network (and Net-Worth) Now, from Tahl Raz? - Click To Read Article
In a recent Harvard Business Review blog post, leadership expert Dr. Cleve Stevens contrasts traditional leaders with transformational leaders - leaders for whom the employee-boss relationship is more than a money-for-labor transaction.

Controversial Currency – Reactions to a Better “Your Welcome” - Click To Read Article
Let’s talk about last Tuesday’s tip, the controversial interview clip in which Guy (and by reprinting it, I) endorse replacing “your welcome” with “I would do the same for you.”

What Do Pat Riley and Steven Spielberg have in common? - Click To Read Article
What do Deepak Chopra, Pat Riley, and Steven Spielberg have in common? They’re all great storytellers, and it’s dramatically influenced each of their success. Also, they're just a few of the fascinating characters that come together in Peter Guber’s new business book Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story. The book is as entertaining (I actually couldn’t put it down) as it is informative and transformative.

Five Ways to Become More Connected Today - Click To Read Article
If you've seen me live, you may know I often give audiences a “mission” during my talk: I ask them to send a generous ping right there in the room – that is, an email to someone offering appreciation or gratitude. Sometimes they get responses back before the talk is even over.

Don't Let Social Media Give You a Bad Hangover, Says Leading Recruiter - Click To Read Article
Star headhunter and author of Work It! How to Get Ahead, Save Your Ass and Land a Job in Any Economy! Allison Hemming recently walked Relationship Masters Academy members through the steps to make their brand scream "hire me!" Chief among her advice was to pay attention to what you communicate through social media. Here's her top six rules to avoid a bad social media hangover.

'Tis the Season for Holiday Networking - And Here's Your Guide - Click To Read Article
Today’s tip is a holiday resource guide – links to my favorite content on the web (some mine, some from other great experts) to help you get primed and ready to navigate this time of year. No month is as rich with opportunities and permission to deepen the relationships around you – hope these links help you take advantage of it.

An Accountability Secret Proven to Produce RESULTS - Click To Read Article
Today, I have a terrific accountability practice to share: The Daily Huddle.

When There's 118 Seconds Between You and Success - Click To Read Article
I had him. I knew it. I had been ready with my pitch and when I got him on the phone, I sold him big time. But as soon as I heard he was hooked, I stopped. I didn’t try to close the sale then and there. Instead, I tried to better position myself to take advantage of his interest and asked him for a bit of time a few days later.

Can’t Get the Meetings You Want? 10 Tips to Give Your Admin - Click To Read Article
When you take on a new administrative assistant, you train them to use your computer and phone system. To understand the intricacies of your schedule. To handle paperwork. But do you train them to help you manage your relationships?

Four Simple Prep Steps to Make Every Meeting a Win-Win - Click To Read Article
Here’s a great framework to prepare yourself for a meeting, courtesy of RMA Coach Cindy Cornell’s awesome master class.

How to Build It Before You Need It, Every Day - Click To Read Article
“Build it before you need it.” That was one of the most important operating principles in Never Eat Alone – the idea that building your network and deepening relationships shouldn’t – in fact, CAN’T – be a machine that you fire up when you suddenly need a new job. Putting time and energy into relationship building should be a lifestyle constant.

A Simple, Easy-to-Use Tool for Staying Top of Mind with the People Who Matter - Click To Read Article
Google Alerts is a free tool that allows you to keep tabs on your most important contacts’ interests as they make news across the Web.

Great Networking Tips from the Relationship Masters Academy - Click To Read Article
I crowd-sourced this week's newsletter among the RMA class by asking them for their BEST networking tips. We got hundreds, but picked the top ten for today's tip and finished the list with one of my own.

What a Pole Vaulter Can Teach You About Professional Networking - Click To Read Article
Here’s an insight about building intimacy that I shared on yesterday’s Relationship Masters Academy coaching call.

Eat Your Own Dog Food - Click To Read Article
I’m not just a coach in the Relationship Masters Academy pilot that launched yesterday – I’m also taking the program myself!

Two Hot Tools for Becoming an Instant Expert - Click To Read Article
The Internet offers so many opportunities to build and enhance your personal brand. There's no better way to let potential employers and anyone else know before you walk through the door that you're something special. Of course, to be a real expert on anything, the first prerequisite is deep familiarity and facility with your subject matter. But after that, it's all about finding ways to show people your expertise.

10 Smart Ways to Become Indispensable at Work - Click To Read Article
Just doing your job isn’t enough these days. To become a superstar in your field, it was never enough. But today, with the reality of a tight employment market, adding value beyond your job description is a must for everybody.

Understand How Work Stress Can Affect Your Body - Click To Read Article
If you are repressing your emotions, it may be affecting your physical wellness, which is an important area of life success.

Creative Recruiting and Other Social Media Ideas - Click To Read Article
Who else has been following the Murphy-Goode Winery contest? Today they’re announcing the winner of their six-month “Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent” dream job. The campaign is a terrific example of how social media marketing can generate tremendous buzz, brand loyalty, and publicity – and even some controversy. (Let me know on the blog if you’re a fan of the campaign – or the wine.)

Making Business Personal - Click To Read Article
One of the most common mistakes people make when building relationships for career success and revenue growth is treating business contacts differently than personal friends. Just think for a moment about the people you work with on a professional level who are also close personal friends. Aren't they always more forgiving when you slip up and more helpful when you're in need than new acquaintances are? Of course! I guarantee your work will be easier, more joyful, and more successful if you make more of your business relationships personal.

Inspire loyalty like great sports coaches. - Click To Read Article
Whether you want to recruit and retain dedicated, talented people for your organization or you just want to cultivate great friendships in your personal life, you can't just ask for loyalty from those around you. You have to inspire it within them.

We Don't Need No Stinkin' Vacation - Click To Read Article
It's vacation time, and as usual, everybody's worried about workaholic Americans skipping our traditional summer R&R. One often referenced study suggests that failing to take a nice long vacation over a period of years can increase your likelihood of heart disease.

Do Your Homework (Really) - Click To Read Article
Before I meet with any new prospect I've been thinking of introducing myself to, I make damn sure I do my homework. And when I say homework, I mean more than checking to see if the company has a website by typing www.amazon.com to do research on a marketing executive at Amazon. Sure, you should be up-to-date with the major news about the prospect's company. But what you really want to know is more personal. Think of it this way: A good salesperson does research on companies; a great salesperson does research on people.

You can choose the kind of relationship - Click To Read Article
you have with anyone, even people you must work with for only a few minutes. Tom Peters writes of a losing his luggage recently and how the following lesson he learned from former Texas governor Ann Richards helped him choose the kind of relationship that produced both the best results and more joy in life:

What To Do When You Feel Insecure - Click To Read Article
All great people have some level of insecurity that drives us to be successful.

Great Storytellers, Great Leaders - Click To Read Article
Recently I had the pleasure to join an outstanding group at the home of my good friend Peter Guber, one of Hollywood’s greatest moguls, most innovative thinkers, and finest storytellers. In the room were Oscar winners, top business execs, and even one of America’s top engineers, all united by their ability to tell great stories.

How to Stay Energized in Your Job Search - Click To Read Article
Several people have written me recently asking the same question: How do I stay energized and keep my confidence up while I'm looking for work? I know it can be hard, but try to focus on the idea that a period out of work is an opportunity - a time to home in on what's important, both personally and in your career journey. To help you (or someone you know) with that, I've put together some relationship-centric tips to help job hunters stay proactive.

Talk to Your Boss about Your Next Job - Click To Read Article
Guess what? If you've built a strong relationship with your boss, you should be talking to him or her about your next job. It's stupid to pretend you will be at your current job forever when everybody's thinking about their next move.

Nepotism Pays - Click To Read Article
Ever heard that hard work leads to success? Apparently, that's wrong.

Build Rapport Quickly with Mirroring - Click To Read Article
People like people who are like them – it's built-in to the most primitive parts of our brain. Here’s how to get past this reptilian tic: mirroring, observing your conversational partner’s body language, tone, and level, and mirroring it with your own behavior.

Five Tips to Instantly Warm Up Meetings and Interviews - Click To Read Article
Never ever, walk into a meeting cold. Because cold is how you'll leave it.

Why Getting Head Lice Is the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me - Click To Read Article
Thanks to donations from my readers, seven Guatemalan students will go to high school, three villages have school supplies, one has a new refrigeration system for soy milk, 60 villagers ate meat, and 140 kids got ice cream. I also think I have lice, but I couldn't be happier!

Remember Why You Do What You Do - Click To Read Article
I once had an interesting conversation with a woman on a flight to Minneapolis. We were both flying for business reasons, so we talked shop at first. Then the conversation took a more philosophical turn. We were talking about what motivated people to go into work every day, whatever it is they do. I asked her what motivated her personally.

5 Ways to Make Someone Say “WOW, I Want to Be Your Client” - Click To Read Article
The objective: To jog potential clients, colleagues and new contacts from the “business as usual” frame of mind that gets in the way of making true connections.

What You SHOULD Have Done Last Time You Were in Line at the Grocery Store - Click To Read Article
A common reaction I get when I teach people my relationship system is, “My schedule’s already busy! Now you want me to fit in all these pings and calls and meetings and dinners and…?”

Your Vulnerability Is Your Strength! - Click To Read Article
At conferences and trainings, we're always trying to get people to have deeper, more meaningful conversations, to let their guard down and share their vulnerabilities and passions -- the stuff that makes us all human! I've heard so many touching stories recently from people who had the courage to try it. Two examples:

Your Actions Always Tell The Truth - Click To Read Article
I know what it's like to feel broke. I grew up that way.

Zip it! - Click To Read Article
Admit it: You like to gossip. Who doesn't? Gossip is popular for the same reason that shows like Desperate Housewives are hits. It's cheap entertainment that lets us escape into someone else's problems rather than confront our own. Gossip is often a form of schadenfreude - delighting in someone else's misfortune.

Your Built Environment - Click To Read Article
I've always been the architect of my own happiness. Whether that meant virtually ignoring my initial job description as a young consultant at Deloitte, or creating my own company culture as a CEO (a work that's always in progress), I've aligned my career and my environment - the people around me - to my own personality and values system.

You Cant Get There Alone - Click To Read Article
It's About Results!

Who Tells You the Things You Don’t Want to Hear? - Click To Read Article
Today's tip is a crash course on one of the key ideas in the new book - lifeline relationships.

When to Walk Away - Click To Read Article
Last month at TED2006 I had dinner with a leader of a major technology company, and we discussed the Big Task Summit my firm is hosting in April. On behalf of our clients Kaiser Permanente, Safeway, and Dupont, we’re inviting leaders from 30 other companies to share in some significant research focused on reducing corporate healthcare costs and increasing employee wellness funded by these companies. This executive suggested I invite one of her co-founders, saying,"He really does care about these issues."

What’s taped to your mirror? - Click To Read Article
Got a note from a guy in the audience of one of my recent conference talks.

When women leave the workplace - Click To Read Article
Many women who leave the workplace to raise children become isolated and depressed. As you might have read in my article in Reader's Digest, my friend Jennifer is different. She realized that having a community, preserving her relationships, and making new friends was going to be as important to her happiness at home as it was to her success at work. And she is rocking!

Where It Comes From - Click To Read Article
I was recently asked, "What do you think it is about life that you love so much as to make your life about bettering it and bettering the lives of other people?"

When You Say The Wrong Thing - Click To Read Article
Recently I hosted a dinner with a great group of friends and people I wanted to meet. One of my guests was a particularly good friend, a guy I care about and respect deeply. Until recently, this guy was a high profile CEO. But due to politics, he was let go - despite the fact that everyone knows he's a total superstar, both in his performance at that company and in every position prior.

We need more Antonio Lucios in this world - Click To Read Article
Antonio Lucio, PepsiCo's Senior Vice President of Insights and Innovation, sent me this brief list of beliefs after reading Never Eat Alone.

Using Your Currency - Click To Read Article
Hi, Roman posting here today. I do web consulting and developing for Keith, and he asked me to share how I used his principles to make that happen.

Use Math to Create Loyalty - Click To Read Article
This week's tip comes from my friend Chip Conley, author of the new book "Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow" and CEO of Joie de Vivre hotels. Many people have told me and Chip that we were separated at birth in terms of our approach to business and life.

Use Examples to Encourage - Click To Read Article
It's well established that good leaders praise their employees, but there are different ways to go about it. As a manager, one thing you can do is to point out to the whole team how well an employee does a certain task. Then others can follow that best practices example.

To Be Known, Or Unknown - Click To Read Article
Share your expertise with the world to raise your profile and your business's brand recognition.

Tools of the Trade: LinkedIn - Click To Read Article
In most of my speaking and writing about building relationships for success, I focus on helping people acquire a relationship mindset through understanding and practicing four fundamental principles.

Tip of the Week - Don't Take a Summer Break from Your Job Search - Click To Read Article
Here is a snippet from my most recent Tip of the Week Tip 79 - Don't Take a Summer Break from Your Job Search

Tip of the week - Great recruiting takes great relationships - Click To Read Article
When people are considering new job opportunities, I always tell them "Make sure you consider who you'll be working with, who will be mentoring you, and who you can get access to because of this job. Usually that's more important than the money or even the work you'll be doing because it's the PEOPLE that will make the biggest impact in your career and your life."

Tip of the Week - Reaching Out to Former Bosses - Click To Read Article
Here is a snippet from my most recent Tip of the Week Tip 80 - Reaching Out to Former Bosses

Tip of the week - It's never too early to start connecting - Click To Read Article
In the latest tip of the week, I shared some passages from young entrepreneur and connector (and Never Eat Alone fan) Ben Casnocha's new book

Tip 106 - How to Thank Your Valuable Employee - Click To Read Article
Your greatest asset is the people who work for you. While bonuses for a job well done are nice, so is showing your appreciation with a few words to let your employees know that you care about their successes. But don't just say, "Hey, thanks." Go deeper.

Transform Your Career With Peer Support - Click To Read Article
Peer support should be institutionalized in every company, but you don't need a corporate mandate to get started. Today, I want you to reach out and find one friend at work.

Three Steps to Getting Your Goals Back on Target - Click To Read Article
We're more than a month into 2009. Is anyone experiencing goal drift? Here are three steps to get yourself refocused and enlist your network to help you.

The risk of business relationships being personal - Click To Read Article
A young woman came up to me at a talk I was giving last weekend in LA and asked "What if you try to treat business relationships as personal relationships and people use personal things about you against you in business?"

The Secret to Finding the Three People Who Will Change Your Life - Click To Read Article
That’s the crux of the Who’s Got Your Back message, the vital need for a handful of deep, trusting relationships with people mutually invested in your success. Now: How to find them?

The No-Time Networking Plan - Click To Read Article
Now that we're past the seasonal rush that seems to make our schedules so crazy from late November to New Year's Day, we should have plenty of time to act on our resolutions to "develop more meaningful relationships" in the new year, right? In our dreams. We're still as busy as ever.

TED: Finding Balance - Click To Read Article
Another TED presentation to share: I spent four days at the annual TED Convention (March 7-10) in Monterey, CA. It was an amazing collection of people, including President Bill Clinton, venture capitalist John Doerr, producer J.J. Abrams, singer Paul Simon, Nobel prize winner Murray Gell-Mann, NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and a whole slew of politicians, executives, investors, and celebrities.

Surface chats at B-school - Click To Read Article
Dawn Morrow, an MBA candidate at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, wrote this to me after I spoke there recently. Great observations about the surface chats that happen at B-school and everywhere else.

TED: Being Lucky - Click To Read Article
Another TED presentation to share: "HOW DO YOU BE INCREDIBLY LUCKY?"

Thanksgiving Special - NEA's Top Tips for Generous Relationships - Click To Read Article
One of the best ways to give thanks year round is to be perpetually generous in your interactions with others. In prep for Thanksgiving next week I put together a list of the top five Generosity tips inspired by or lifted from Never Eat Alone.

Some are naturals, but everyone can get better - Click To Read Article
We were recently doing Relationships for Revenue Growth training for some of the sales force of a large technical company, and throughout the day, we had great discussions about the power of turning business relationships into personal relationships.

Something you have, not something you do - Click To Read Article
I'm always trying to find ways to stop saying "Networking." (It's about RELATIONSHIPS, folks!) Never Eat Alone reader Chad Cheek gave me some simple but powerful ammunition.

Slash Your Marketing Budget - Click To Read Article
As CMO at Deloitte and then Starwood, I hated it when other marketers measured themselves by the size of their budgets.

Saying Thank You - Click To Read Article
Tami L. Conner, one of my senior trainers at Ferrazzi Greenlight who recently presented a course at ASTD called "Building Deeper Relationships" wanted to share this with you....

Seven Tips for Networking Through the Holidays - Click To Read Article
Use your holiday merry making as an opportunity to connect with people that can help make you a success. These networking strategies should help get you started.

Save Yourself from a Missed Opportunity - Click To Read Article
Presence. Persona. Personality. 'Tude. Whatever you call it, we all have our own unique way of interacting with the people around us. Being aware of how your "way" differs from others can help save you from a bad first impression sinking what might have become a powerful relationship for you both.

Referrals: Now They're Asking and You're Making - Click To Read Article
As entrepreneurs and salespeople, referrals are our lifeblood because they jumpstart the trust-building with potential customers, partners and suppliers. In my last column I wrote about the oft-forgotten sales and networking tactic of asking our customers for referrals. Now, let's switch hats for a moment. What happens when we're the ones receiving the request? It's certainly a familiar situation, because we're as well-connected as they come.

Q&A: Dealing with an anti-NeverEatAlone workplace - Click To Read Article
A great question from a Never Eat Alone reader:

Q&A - Problem with a mentor - Click To Read Article
Here's a tough situation a NeverEatAlone reader is having with his mentor (and that's the first problem -- only having 1 mentor!). My quick two cents follows. Also check out Chapter 29 in Never Eat Alone, "Find Mentors, Find Mentees, Repeat."

Reach High-Profile Targets Quickly: Five Steps to the Artfully Manage the Gatekeeper - Click To Read Article
Last week's tip about breezing past the gatekeeper at events brought out tons of interesting comments - you guys are using your street smarts to meet everyone from ZZ Top to Swedish choir directors to George W. Bush.

People You Don't Like - Click To Read Article
I’ve been asked many times, “How do I build a relationship with a person I just don’t like?” And typically, we’re talking about the workplace – a customer or boss or associate. My answer is usually, “Not everyone is going to be your best friend, but if you’re forced to deal with a person, why not make the relationship more personal and real? Wouldn’t you want a better relationship for the sake of success, mutuality, and most importantly, less angst and more joy?”

Polo with Friends - Click To Read Article
Time is a scarce thing and I do my best to steal as much as possible.

Pinging that Cuts through the Clutter - Click To Read Article
This week, I'm going to share a tip from a friend, a press secretary for one of the presidential campaigns.

No business cards? No problem. - Click To Read Article
From the way some people tell it, you'd think meeting someone and not having a business card with you was worse than getting caught in a blizzard without a coat.

My family thinks I want a jet - Click To Read Article
When I was at Starwood, I shared a corporate jet with a group of folks. And when I worked for Mike Milken, I traveled a lot with him on his jet. I always enjoyed it as a nice perk, but I couldn’t help but think how silly some people were to say things like “I need my jet.”

No Fear of Referrals - Click To Read Article
People are often worried about being put in an uncomfortable situation in which someone they just met is asking them for a business referral -- particularly if their new acquaintance is a salesman asking for a referral to one of their friends who could be a potential client.

Opening doors with genuine admiration - Click To Read Article
This story is, indeed, a great example of the "power of genuine admiration to open doors and start relationships." From Yalie Miles Lasater, another co-founder (recently mentioned Sean Glass was also) of Higher One, which provides financial services to institutions of higher education...

No One Is a Lost Cause - Click To Read Article
As you try to build stronger, more intimate relationships in your professional and personal life, you may come across some people who have a hard time trusting others. You may start to think they're "lost causes" - guarded, shut down, and not worthy of your efforts.

Never Sell Alone - Click To Read Article
Sales can be a lonely game. During an economic downturn, sometimes it can be downright depressing. One of the best ways to keep morale high is being able to look around and know that you're dealing with the tough times as a team. You don't have to weather the storm alone.

Me and 85 Broads - Click To Read Article
I'm told it was more like 75 young women in the room, but the potential and energy I felt there was certainly much much more.

Moments with an Artist - Click To Read Article
I really do feel that the world conspires to bring you amazing things if you are open to them.

Mix it up! Please! - Click To Read Article
Someone said to me recently, "Gee, I only have one night in New York. It's too bad I can't see client A because I should really see client B, instead."

Mistakes Were Made, Now Recover - Click To Read Article
William F. Buckley Jr. passed away this week. I was lucky to know him and he taught me some important life lessons.

Making Customers More Than Your Top "Priority" - Click To Read Article
Recently, my firm was conducting training at a regional sales meeting of a big conglomerate. Our goal was to establish cross-divisional lead-sharing as a part of the company culture and to get everyone to understand how big of a win-win that practice can be.

Look for the Loose Brick - Click To Read Article
I hear salespeople say that speaking to a particular prospect was like "hitting a brick wall." The prospect's guard was up in full force. The prospect seemed to get bored or, worse yet, to actually become defensive or offensive, as the case may be, every time the salesperson mentioned a product benefit or feature. It pains me to hear this, as I've known exactly what it feels like to be in such a position.

Make Change Stick with the Dial Up/Dial Down Game - Click To Read Article
At my company we have an exercise we call "Dial Up/Dial Down." We use it to push each other to constantly develop our strengths and improve on our weaknesses. We introduce it to clients too. You can use in your own office, in your family, with a buddy, or in any kind of group that cares about each other's success. You can do it alone, of course, but it's not nearly as effective when there's no one to hold you accountable.

Lessons from the Green - Click To Read Article
Want to know how to make it to the top of your game? It's easy, if you throw out many of the things you've been taught over and over. Throw out all that John Wayne rugged-individualism. Throw out that prideful "I don't want anything I don't earn myself" B.S. (I've been told I can't say bulls**t in here). The biggest lesson we need to internalize is you cannot get there alone.

Just like a small business should - Click To Read Article
John Jantsch at Duct Tape Marketing has a great post about Espresso Dating, the new partnership between Starbucks and Yahoo! Personals.

Kick-Start Your Priority Focus - Click To Read Article
At a conference earlier this year, I was handed a copy of Les Hewitt's "Power of Focus" workbook, an awesome little spiral bound book that contains dozens of exercises to help individuals FOCUS in on goals, and not just any goals, but the right ones. Hewitt is the co-author with Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen of The Power of Focus (more info at thepoweroffocus.ca).

Instant Intimacy - Click To Read Article
Whether your goal is to sell more widgets or make more friends, you'll be more successful the quicker you can connect with people. And of course, the more intimate the connection, the better. So let's discuss how you can capitalize on the many brief interactions at your next conference or social gathering.

Inspirational Email - Click To Read Article
I'd like to share an inspiring email I received from Zameer, whom I recently met....

Improve Your Public Speaking - Click To Read Article
At some point, persuasive public speaking is going to be vital to your personal success or the success of something you care about. It may be in a boardroom, a church, or a town hall. It may be in front of a camera. In these days of video-podcasting and YouTube, it's not just celebrities who need to know how to look good on TV. If you want to put yourself out there as an expert or advocate, you'd better be ready.

I Need to Read My Own Book - Click To Read Article
I wanted to let you all know that I’ll be on CNBC’s Millionaire Inside Saturday night 5 p.m. PDT/8 p.m. EDT and again at 8 p.m. PDT/11 p.m. EDT. So why the late notice?

How to Surpass 95% of your Competition with One Simple Gesture - Click To Read Article
I’ve learned that a great meeting means nothing – it may as well have never happened – until you do the one thing that few successful people manage well: Follow up!

How to Handle Your Toxic Boss - Click To Read Article
Many people have asked me what to do about their toxic bosses. You should know that while 50% of people seem like jerks, only 10% actually are.

How To Hit The Clutch Shots - Click To Read Article
I've known Jim Citrin for a number of years, and he is truly extraordinary as is his newest book, The Dynamic Path. Jim is one of the most powerful headhunters in the world and the most caring and generous of souls I have the honor to call a friend. A real Renaissance man. An athlete and a scholar, Jim gives us the formula for transitioning from struggling individual to legacy-creating professional and society contributor. In my own life, I have truly seen the wisdom of Jim's words. Now you can, too.

Give Clients What They Really Want - Click To Read Article
Build real personal relationships with your clients--so they'll reveal to you what they really want, what could really drive their decision but can't be written in an RFP.

Go Get Your Goals in 2008 - Click To Read Article
It's a new year and 2008 is going to bring you what you want, I promise. How can I make that promise? Because I promise you are more likely to stick to your resolutions WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS.

Go Green, Live Rich - Click To Read Article
There are seven aspects to my personal success wheel: health & wellness, spirituality, job & career, intellectual & cultural pursuits, finances, deep relationships and, very importantly, giving back.

Getting Face Time - Click To Read Article
Put yourself in the right place at the right time to get in front of that elusive someone.

Get Strong by Getting Vulnerable - Click To Read Article
Recently I wrote about how trusted advisors can - should, must! - be on hand if you want to achieve your wildest dreams. But how do you take friends and relationships that may have so far been superficial - "my work's great, just great, but more importantly, how's that new skinny latte?" - and turn them into true compatriots who will not just support you but help you course-correct when you need it?

From Tupperware to Bookkeeping - Click To Read Article
On a flight to Florida this week I sat next to an incredible woman who runs a conservancy for primates - chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, etc. -- who told me the most amazing story about her mother, a story that would have been in Never Eat Alone's chapter 4, "Build it before you need it," if I had heard it sooner.

Four Tips to Make New Connections Fast - Click To Read Article
Today I've culled some of the best relationship-building tips I've come across recently in books that have made the rounds on my nightstand.

Four Tips to Keep a Company Dinner on Positive Footing - Click To Read Article
These are unstable times. Though that may not be cause to celebrate, it is the perfect time to invite coworkers into your home - to brighten each other's spirits, find refuge from stress, and - because there's nothing wrong with being pragmatic - save on a giant restaurant bill.

Finding Your Currency - Click To Read Article
"What if I don't have much to offer?" You know, I'm shocked and a bit sad by the number of people who ask that when I explain that to build strong relationships -- the kind that will consistently grow sales, boost your career, or just pack your social calendar -- you have to give, give, give, and not keep score. (Click here to read Keith's "Don't Keep Score" column.

Feeling Out Of Your League - Click To Read Article
We’ve all felt it from time to time – the anticipation of getting an autograph from a childhood hero, the nervous energy before making a sales call with the major industry player, the one-of-a-kind rush and paralysis that comes from feeling just a bit out of your league.

Fathers Day Insight - Click To Read Article
I want to share with you this bonus Usable Insight from Dr. Mark Goulston's blog. Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

Feeling Beautifully Connected in My Isolation - Click To Read Article
Got into Monterey late Monday night and went to the restaurant and read some interesting research while I ate alone! I kinda felt naughty, it was fun, wondering if any of the other diners were going to see me the next day and say, "Hey..."

Enough? Enough! - Click To Read Article
"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but no matter -- to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther... And one fine morning --- “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." -- F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby

Even George Washington Almost Got Canned Once - Click To Read Article
Did you know that in 1777, there was an effort to force George Washington to retire from the military service? I didn't -- until I took a look at Mark McNeilly's George Washington and the Art of Business: Leadership Principles of America's First Commander-in-Chief.

Don't Keep Score - Click To Read Article
Hey, with the national political process well underway, wouldn't it be cool if you had grown up with the President-to-be and he owed you a big favor? WRONG! (Sorry, trick question.) As tempting as that may sound, this kind of thinking will actually lead you to real failure in life on so many dimensions.

Drive-By Flattery - Click To Read Article
If someone you know has done amazing work, don't just thank or compliment the person. Tell his or her boss. I call this drive-by flattery and do it all the time.

Coyote - Click To Read Article
Met a young man by the name of Coyote who works at the hotel in St. John's. He told us all the cool places to visit downtown. Coyote is interesting to me because he announced to me that he has no ambition, no desire to achieve anything other than climb rocks for the rest of his life. So he goes around from state park to state park and gets odds and ends jobs to give him just the means to work the rocks in the area.

Dinner at Ron's - Click To Read Article
I recently had the pleasure of participating in a dinner at Ron and Miri Gutman's home in San Francisco. Ron is the Founder & CEO of Wellsphere, and he and Miri were the perfect hosts. I had a BLAST cutting wood before the dinner. I went for a great run and came back to find a stack of wood, which Ron caught me chopping. It felt like when I was a kid and dad and I used to do it back home.

Do Not Hide from Unhappy Clients - Click To Read Article
Customers and clients can be a great source of feedback and insight. But it's not going to be smiles, smiles, smiles all the time.

Do Not Undervalue Yourself - Click To Read Article
Generosity and working for free when you're first changing careers is one thing; undervaluing yourself is another.

Debunking The Time Myth - Click To Read Article
I always hear people say that they don't have the time to look for a new job or consult with a personal board of advisors or make that extra call to an important contact. BS, let's get real.

Create a Genius Factory - Click To Read Article
A recent New Yorker article about the wild success of Nathan Myhrvold's company Intellectual Ventures got me thinking on the blog about group problem solving -- an incredible tool for innovation and rapid progress. Group problem solving can help out in the workplace or in those great peer-to-peer networks that I believe are instrumental to success.

Connecting with Connectors - Click To Read Article
My new book -- Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time -- was recently released by Currency/Doubleday. In Never Eat Alone, I expose many secrets behind the success of so many accomplished people. Most of these secrets involve the power of relationships and how we all can succeed best in business and in life by contributing to the success of others. The mindset and techniques that have helped me meet and connect with so many amazing people, all of which have meant everything to my professional success and personal joy, are distilled into 31 simple and fun chapters that are easy to read and to follow.

Connecting With Speakers - Click To Read Article
Mark Goulston writes: When following a presentation by an important person at a convention there is a call for comments or questions and there is dead silence, the last thing that speaker thinks is that he or she has been profound.

Connect for the Success of Your Child - Click To Read Article
You attended Back-To-School Night and you're on helping-with-homework duty, but that's not all you should be doing this new school year.

Collaborate or Die! Me, Seth Godin and John Jantsch - Click To Read Article
Here are two great tips on collaboration – a major theme in WGYB – from marketing whizzes Seth Godin and John Jantsch. Seth and John will be joining me in the first of several FREE teleseminars – go here to sign up for the call, June 8 at 12ET. To see the list of other great authors involved in the WGYB calls, visit my blog.

Boola Boola - Click To Read Article
I got a funny email from Stephanie, one of my employees, today. The subject line was “connecting at Whole Foods.”

Birthday Thoughts - Click To Read Article
It was my birthday on Saturday.

Build Your Foundation - Click To Read Article
My biggest issue has always been my lack of focus, so one of my New Year's resolutions is to step back in so many places, particularly my businesses, to assure I have the solid footing and grounding I need.

Beware of Snark-Infested Waters - Click To Read Article
Kaira Sturdivant Rouda is not just a good friend of mine, but someone I deeply respect as a brilliant marketer who walks everything that I believe in. During our recent conversation on real estate, personal branding and passions, we even discovered that we both had "Spazz" as a nickname. Here's some advice from her new book Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs:

Ask Yourself Seven Questions - Click To Read Article
To be successful, you need to ask yourself some tough questions. Here's a great exercise to get you thinking about your dream job or business. Commit to your answers by writing them down. These Seven Steps to Success come from Dr. Mark Goulston, author of Get Out of Your Own Way at Work.

Be Grateful - Click To Read Article
I do try to consciously practice gratitude every day, but certainly Thanksgiving is a reminder to us all.

Beating the Blame Game - Click To Read Article
Whom do we blame when we fail? The short answer is "everyone but ourselves." Extensive research in psychology (Jones & Harris 1967, Ross 1977) has shown that when we fail, we tend to attribute the cause of our failure to reasons outside of ourselves: The market was weak. The inputs were poor. The weather was bad.

A good father - Click To Read Article
From leadership expert Jim Citrin's new column at Yahoo! Finance... "Just about everything we do in both our personal and professional lives is dependent on other people. And how you interact with those people has a direct effect. Even such seemingly "non-relationship" things as learning from a teacher in school or getting a ticket from a police officer are directly affected by your relationship skills."

About time we heard what the aging population can DO together - Click To Read Article
Seems like everyone's always talking about the market opportunities emerging because of America's aging population. It's about time someone stopped talking about their buying power and more about their DOING power!

A lesson from fanmail - Click To Read Article
I get all types of messages from people who've read and enjoyed NEVER EAT ALONE.

A Rose By Any Other Name - Click To Read Article
Here is something different for milestone Tip 100. I hope you will forgive - actually, appreciate - the personal nature and length of this message. My dear aunt passed away last week and the experience taught me a few life lessons I'd like to share with you this holiday season:

10 Tips to Banish Your Public Speaking Fear for Good - Click To Read Article
Last week’s tip, Three Steps to Kick Social Anxiety, broke traffic records on the web site. No doubt about it: Meeting new people puts us out of our comfort zone! You guys had a lot to say about public speaking. In fact, there were so many good tips in the comments, many from professional coaches, that I used them to create a new post: 10 Tips to Banish Your Public Speaking Fear for Good.





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