Would you like to know the oldest insider secret to insulate yourself from negative outside forces and become not only financially independent BUT learn to how to really recession proof yourself from any economy? Ask yourself a question, what do all successful people in have in common? If you guessed money - you're wrong. If you thought education - wrong again. However if you said establishing "win- win" relationships you get a gold star!
The ability to create and maintain rewarding relationships is the very foundation for becoming successful in anything. Andrew Carnegie - the 2nd richest man, according to "the Wealthy Historical Figures Report" is indirectly is responsible for producing one of the most popular books on the subject "Think and Grow Rich."
Now, if you think Bill Gates is rich he chimes in at the # 20 spot, while Warren Buffett shows up at # 37. As a matter of fact, Carnegie's wealth of $298 Billion dwarfs the combination of Gates's $101 & Buffets $62 billion so you should listen to what Carnegie had to say about the subject.
He revealed his secret to success to Napoleon Hill the power of networking and developing Master Mind groups. Carnegie even employed Napoleon's research to study the subject. There are numerous examples of Master mind groups in Hill's classic "Think & Grow Rich" which has sold over 60 million copies to date and has helped to create thousands of millionaires.
There have been countless books, programs & courses for people to take to learn how to implement Carnegie's secret to success.
Regardless of which author you read, the point is this - you can't do it alone and you need to leverage your ability to develop contacts. Networking is an essential skill for most business people, but especially for entrepreneurs. Do the same fundamental principles apply in today's busy world as they did in Carnegie's day? Absolutely, it's about developing and maintaining relationships. You need to surround yourself with like minded people and create your own master mind group.
The times may change and the technologies certainly change, so what can you do to "recession proof" yourself? The number one thing you can do is continually grow your network. Look at different methods and opportunities to increase your contacts.
Here are some tips and resources to help you improve your networking skills and extend your reach.
Do you have a 30 second elevator speech? Are you maximizing the space on your business cards by printing on both sides with a definite message? How often do you follow up with the people you actually exchange cards with?
Do you have a personal blog or website that has your name in it? Everyone uses email, do you have a signature file with various ways people can to contact you, -- maybe even the address of your LinkedIn profile. This leads to another question.
Are you using social networking websites and resources like LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter, Plaxo and others to help build your online contacts? If you do use social networking mediums, how active are you and do you have a strategy?
Remember, it's still about Relationships! Your net worth = your net work! How big is your Rolodex? What did you do this week to make it grow? Do you have a system or a plan for leveraging your relationships?
Not sure where to get started? Well, your in luck can grab a FREE copy of Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" to get acquainted with how mastermind groups and networking works by visiting http://www.ChrisSwainRecommends.com/Networking right now. You can find other great ideas, practical tips and easy ways to get started using social networking resources and the internet to expand your network at http://the-netrepreneur.com/blog today.
Chris Swain - Wealth Coach
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