Just about all of us have, at one time or other, been motivated to raise money for charity. It could have been after being emotionally moved by some televised fundarising event, sitting in on a presentation for a worthy cause or, as is more often the case, as the result of an event that deeply affected us personally and acted a catalyst for action.

Last week, I had the privilege of participating in a one-day event that raised $100,000 to be donated to a local hospital foundation’s expansion project. In and of itself, this doesn’t compare to the massive amounts raised by the many fundraising machines that drive revenues for orgnaizations. In fact, it’s a drop in the bucket. The significance of the result lies in the fact that it was raised entirely through the efforts of a small group of volunteers, with no budget allocation and in spite of a shorter-than-normal planning schedule.

This is a relatively-unkown event in our area. The dual purpose of the Plowing Fore a Cure Legacy Golf Tournament is to increase awareness of the contribution agriculture makes to our community and raise money for the fight against cancer, specifically directed to the Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s 20/20 Fundraising Campaign.

Here are the contributing factors to our success. We were able to re-connect with past golfers and prize donors who were happy to return to what they perceived was a successful and worthwhile project. We actively leveraged each of our networks to access new contacts and donations. We hosted this year’s tournament in memory of a recently-deceased committee member, which unexpectedly brought us a five-figure sponsorship linked to his name. We benefitted from our association with the local hospital foundation to create an exponential growth factor in the funds received.

Here are five components that led to our unexpected financial outcome:

1. Belief: this volunteer group firmly believes in the foundational factors that encompass the event. The core group returns every year, believing in the value of both the tournament and its capacity to contribute to our community. It has become as much an annual reunion as it is a fundraising project.

2. Persistence: The event was created as a part of a recovery program from a less-than-successful agriculture-related event (a whole separate story) eight years ago, and has existed in its current format for six years . Each year has brought its successes and challenges, but with each one has come growth, experience and the confidence in our ability to succeed.

3. Partners: One of the critical success factors for our event has been the ability to attract and include event partners who have bought into our vision: from long term partnerships with the local agriculture associaton and our golf course partner (Emerald Links) who, year after year, has been there, to annual partners who have contributed their money, expertise or resources.

4. Opportunities: Each successive year has brought a new environment with its own unique set of circumstances. Each one has proven to hold opportunities we were able to identify and benefit from. We have started each year with new optimism, hope and the firm belief we could make a difference and, difficult as it is to believe, it has worked.

5. Leverage: represents the single most important factor that has contributed to the on-going success of the event, and the perfect storm that created this year’s amazing financial outcome. From volunteers who leveraged their networks to get golfers and prizes, to leveraging personal networks and expand on a unique “in memory of” component,  to leveraging the local business community through links with both the event and its purpose, to leveraging donations with our matching funds component to maximize the impact of money recieved.

No matter what your reasons for raising money for a charity, use these five key areas effectively and watch your project grow and succeed.

Michael Hughes is the co-chair of the Plowing Fore a Cure Legacy Golf Tournament that  in 2007 pledged to raise $100,000 over a five-year period, with all profits donated to the Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s 20/20 Fundraising Project. It is eligible for an Ontario Government matching funds component of $2.30 for every dollar raised. If you would like to make a donation, please contact info@PlowingForeaCure.ca

From the desk of Michael Hughes, Canada’s Networking Guru. Golf is the fastest growing sport in the world. It is also accepted that more business deals are now consummated on the golf course than in the boardroom. It is an excellent networking tool when used properly. Here are some practical tips to convert your investment on the links into results in the boardroom.

Have clear, written objectives. Networking and golf go together but the success of your encounter will depend on your ability to know what you want to accomplish. Invest time to decide what information you want, or whether you just want to build the relationship. 

Know whom to invite. Make sure you know the expertise and expectations of those you’re golfing with. Organize you game and your attitude around that of your golf partners. How you handle yourself can greatly impact business.  

Respect the rules. Remember that as you get to see your clients in a more social environment, they also get to see you. Be on your best behavior as everything you say and do reflects your professionalism and integrity. 

About business. Don’t discuss business before the 5^th hole or after the 15^th. This gives everyone a chance to relax and get into the game before discussing business and to end with the focus on the game. A good finish can help the 19^th hole confirm some business. 

Have a product positioning statement. Minimize wasted communication by having a short statement that identifies your target market, the top benefit of your product/service and the result of doing business with you. 

Avoid alcohol. It will not help your game and can lead to some deadly consequences. This is an opportunity for you to increase your professional image and improve your relationship. You need all of your wits about you. 

Know how to play ready golf. When it’s your turn to play, make sure you’re ready to hit. Most golfers are willing to play with just about anyone regardless of their skill level, as long as they don’t waste time on the course. 

Play the best golf you’re capable of. Some people believe in playing “customer golf”, allowing the customer to win by missing some obvious shots. This is insulting and can have disastrous consequences. Use the handicap system to even the competition. 

From the desk of Michael Hughes, Canada’s Networking Guru.

Each of us faces adversity. This could come in the form of a sudden job loss, unanticipated career change, work-related challenge, serious personal issue or some other unexpected curve in the road of life. Here are some strategies I have used to deal with these difficult times.

From the desk of Michael J. Hughes, Canada’s Networking Guru.

I define networking as the process of creating and developing relationships from initial contact to ultimate outcome. My premise, and my exprience has been, is that the process is fundamentally unalterable. This means that networking online will never replace face-to-face contact, nor was it ever meant to. When the technology is used effectively, it can enhance the relationship process.

1. Accept reality. Because online networking often doesn’t include the all-important human contact factor, it can make relationship-building more difficult and complicated. Don’t misinterpret that acceptance of a connection equals a relationship. This is simply one small step towards building the relationship. You will often have to work harder to create relationships online because of this very fact.

2. Embrace the process. Relationships take time, require investment and need to be nurtured. Be prepared to invest in all three if you really want your online contacts to blossom. Keep thinking and working in terms of small steps that will build into future success for you and others.

3. Take responsibility. Many people are unsure of protocol when it comes to moving a relationship forward. Make it easy for them by suggesting a next step. Reduce their anxiety by adapting to their schedule or time line. Increase their level of comfort by allowing them to set the terms of contact. Every time you do this,you build trust as they will gain more appreciation for your sincerity and professionalism.

4. Emphasize context. An online connection occurs as a result of pre-determined context. This could be a common contact, similar interests, parallel career path or complementary needs. Use this seed as the basis for relationship growth. Relationship-building online is no different than at a networking event. In fact, it requires even more work in the early stages to overcome the inertia of non-human contact.

5. Build trust. Just about everyone today is cautious, even more when dealing with others online. Take this into consideration in your relationship-building mindset and methodology. Over-compensate when it comes to simple trust issues such as honoring commitments, disclosing agenda or sharing information. Consistenly demonstrate that others can depend on you to deliver on small promises and specific actions. This will have a huge impact in a short time.

6. Communicate effectively. This is one area that most online networkers miss. The best communicators focus less on communicating their own agenda and work harder to discover what others want and need. Taking this tact with online conversations will have others perceive you as more professional and more polished.

7. Think options. Relationships always carry outcomes. This is a simple fact of life. Take this perspective will help you keep investing in the relationships you make online until they yield results. Be prepared to allow online relationships to grow at their own pace, that way others will know you care about them and will open their minds, hearts and networks for you.

From the desk of Michael J. Hughes, Canada’s Networking Guru.

In my fifteen years of relentless research on networking, I have witnessed the ingredients of a networking success formula. Below are characteristics I have found in every successful networker (and by successful I mean at the six-figure level) I have met.

1. Courageous. This is one of the most overlooked, but necessary traits of the successful networker: the quality of being open to, and in fact seeking out new contacts, seeing them as additional assets and resources. They always take the initiative, thereby making others more comfortable and at ease with the process.

2. Curious. Successful networkers have developed their ability to be sincerely curious. This genuine curiosity acts as a beacon, attracting interest and creating a deep psychological bond with others in a short period. It is an acquired skill that immediately makes others feel liked and accepted.

3. Caring. Successful networkers have discovered the little-known secret of using networking as the basis for relationships. They see each interaction as a powerful catalyst that impacts and accelerates the relationship process. They know that by demonstrating they care about the other person, they create a powerful bond and build trust.

4. Skilled communicator. Just as a Judo expert uses an opponent’s weight to her/his advantage, successful networkers realize effective communication is the result of being a better listener and asking better questions, rather than parroting an “elevator pitch”. In this way, they allow the other person to be the centre of attention as they gain valuable information.

5. Create value. Value is a critical success factor in business and in life. Successful networkers accept that every contact has inherent value. They make it a priority to discover the other person’s value then they actively seek ways to unselfishly and openly leverage that value, either for themselves or for others.

6. Consistent. Although successful networkers understand networking is a powerful and productive ignition point for a relationship, they also accept that without further impetus and interaction, the spark will die. They take full responsibility for moving relationships forward, recognizing the process can take weeks, or even months.

7. Contribution-focused. The most successful networkers contribute first, often and most. They take a leadership role in groups, at events and in relationships. They have come to realize that having the courage to contribute goes against the grain of our “me-first” society. And in doing so, they unlock the doorway to networking  success.

Michael Hughes is known as Canada’s Networking Guru. To have Michael speak at your next meeting or conference, contact him at www.NetworkingForResults.com.

From the desk of Michael J. Hughes, Canada’s Networking Guru. 

The approach of Valentine’s Day always revives the interest in, and the impact of, my good friend Cupid. For those of you who may unbelievably still be blissfully unaware, Cupid is a mythological winged cherub who acts as a catalyst for romance.

His escapades are well-documented. He surprises unsuspecting couples, stabbing them with his invisible, love-laced arrows. Once Cupid has awakened this emotion, the two parties involved see one another in a completely different light. Their mutual attraction is almost overwhelming. Is this a myth that we should simply discard, or is it fact? Let’s take a look at how life operates.

You attend a networking event. A conversation partner, whom you’ve been more or less  putting in time with until someone better comes along, mentions, almost offhandedly, that he has a strong connection with a prospect you really want to meet. Your attention snaps back to this person and you immediately see him in a different light; it’s almost as if you’ve been prodded in a “Cupid-esc” fashion to see the value in the other person.

You are about to leave your association’s monthly meeting, when a colleague you barely know approaches with another person in tow. She introduces her contact, adding some comments about an event that her conversation partner has mentioned. She is adamant about the urgency that the two of you connect, as she feels you have the perfect topic to present at their next conference. You look at her, shocked and overwhelmed by this unexpected act. Her “Cupid-esc” networking strategy has given you a sudden, incredible appreciation for her value, both as a professional and as a person.

I believe our friend Cupid is continually at work in our lives. This time of year brings to the surface the powerful effect the Cupid Factor has, when applied strategically. An unselfish act, done to support or strengthen a relationship, always leaves both people enriched. How can you put the Cupid Factor to work as you network in coming days and weeks?

-Increase your awareness of the Cupid Factor, and trust in its effect. You will immediately see 

 opportunities that you never thought existed.

-Become a Cupid by consciously investing time and effort to discover whom others want and need to

 connect with as you network.

-Create networking “Cupid-esc” connections with others. Simply setting this principle in motion

 produces unexpected and unanticipated results, for yourself as well as your Cupid Factor targets.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Want to know about Networking For Results? Visit www.NetworkingForReuslts.com.

From the desk of Michael Hughes, Canada’s Networking Guru.

It popped into my email in-basket, uninvited and unexpected, from a colleague I’ve known for a number of years. We’re not close, having only connected professionally on a few occasions, and now, after not so much as a passing note since meeting at a conference over six months ago, he was requesting I pass along his contact information and accompanying info attachments to one of my most important and valued contacts.

I sent him off a nebulous note, not wanting to hurt his feelings, but deeply concerned that his seemingly self-centered and self-absorbed request had left me with a diminished sense of professional and personal respect for him. He even replied with another update, requesting further feedback on his information, quite oblivious to the perception he had left me with.

I’m concerned that, in this difficult economy, other professionals may be allowing themselves to be pressured into uncharacteristic and uncomfortable prospecting and lead generation tactics that can be detrimental to both their client relationships and their careers.

Before sending out your next request for help or support, ask yourself the following question: have I earned the right to ask? Don’t allow your short-term economic urgency destroy the trust and credibility you have built. Trust takes years to accrue but moments to destroy, forever.

In the midst of all the gloom and doom forecasts for 2009, entrepreneurs, buyers, prospects and decision makers have never been more open-minded about new ideas, insights or opportunities. Your most productive business development success strategy is to connect with these prospective clients as quickly and as effectively as possible. Here’s a five-point networking action plan you can implement to start Networking For Results today.

1. Change your paradigm. First and foremost, stop telling yourself there is no business. There always has been, and will continue to be, a marketplace for your products and/or services. It hasn’t disappeared. You already have a network of clients, colleagues and contacts who know, trust and respect you. This is one of your major assets and your most powerful leverage point to offset the economy. Put more effort into accessing and leveraging this resource.

2. Develop a sense of networking urgency. The start of a new year represents a positive perspective for just about everyone. It acts as a launch pad for new thinking and new activity. Use this to your advantage. You will have a distinct advantage if you accelerate your networking activity level from the first week in January. Be the first to contact, visit or connect with clients and prospects. Use the holiday hangover to bridge from their positive personal mindset to a productive business conversation.

3. Create a 90-day networking plan. Commit to a written two-pronged networking plan that includes prioritizing your highest-value relationships and leveraging access to new ones through your networking group involvement. Commit to staying with this plan for a minimum of 90 days. Base it on three outcome areas: results (sales, referrals, etc.), clients confirmed and contacts made. Review it every 30 days. There has never been a better time to use networking as an effective marketing and sales strategy.

4. Intensify your networking activity. Pick the networking group that is best aligned with your target market or ideal client. Join it if you’re not a member and, if you are, make it a point to attend every event in the next 90 days. Set yourself new-contact goals for every event. Strive to make yourself more visible to the members via a presentation or contribution area. Invest in positioning yourself as a resource. Share your knowledge and your expertise. This will separate you from the competition and have others want to associate with you. Follow up on every contact that you feel has potential.

5. Focus on delivering value. This is the single most powerful anti-recession tool you possess. Think in terms of bringing, adding or renewing value to every person you know or meet in the next 90 days. Others will be amazed that you are willing to do this. They will remember you and recommend you to their friends and family. The critical success factor in having this strategy pay dividends for you is to confirm that your service or contribution has value for them. Do this by either asking before doing it, or confirming the value with them after you’ve made it. An unselfish, unrecognized act has no value.

Are you serious about using networking as a business strategy? Join the NFR Network today.

As a networking specialist, I make it a point to maximize networking opportunities. Conferences are an ideal setting to exponentially drive network growth. But I have found these to be a unique and challenging networking environment. Why? Because conferences are to networking what marathons are to running. The key to success is managing energy and enthusiasm over the entire conference.

Conference specifics: every year, over one thousand speakers, trainers and coaches attend the National Speakers’ Association Annual Convention.  This year, this U.S.-based organization chose New York City as their Conference location. The Big Apple is always a busy place and a logisitics hiccup forced me to use an off-site hotel, creating a unique wrinkle.

P.S.: my wife accompanies me on these trips. She’s an equal partner in my business, deserves the chance to see these exotic locations, is officially in charge of shopping and sight-seeing, and keeps me grounded.

Conference pre-planning: When I previewed the programming, a number of sessions offered information I thought could be of benefit and I always meet a number of new American colleagues. Checking the registration list, I saw that over one hundred Canadian speakers were registered. I knew I would re-connect with a number of old friends since I had registered for a Canadians-only dinner. And finally, I contacted some international colleagues, advising them I had registered for the Global Speakers Network event being held at the U.N. Headquarters building. All in all, a busy few days loomed ahead.

Day 1: we arrived at the Convention site early in the afternoon, a few hours before the official start of programming. I find that leaving myself a few hours to de-compress from travelling is always a good idea. After checking into our hotel, I walked the short distance to the Conference hotel, picking up the registration kit, confirming session locations and scouting out the different areas of the hotel.

Arriving for the opening evening ceremonies, I noticed the energy that is always present on the first day of Conference.   Attendees are excited, anticipating the upcoming events and activities. Travelling through the hotel, I find others are checking name badges, have a huge grin and offer enthusiastic greetings. I wandered around until I found a group of Canadians and decided to stay with them. There seemed to be a special appeal in being with friends on this first evening. Or was it too much anxiety about this large group of people, most of whom I did not know?

Day 2: An early start today with an opening plenary session followed by breakout sessions, and the same schedule in the afternoon. I have found the key to success on the first full day of a Conference is to initiate conversations and get a business card. Most attendees are running on adrenaline and won’t stand still long enough for a deep or extended chat. The morning breakout session I wanted to attend was full when I arrived (after chatting too long in the hallway). Fire regulations meant no one was allowed to stand, so a number of us were unceremoniously kicked out. There is something to be said for being early. This resulted in a chance conversation with a colleague who has just accomplished a life goal I am pursuing. He gave me great input. There is something to be said for being late.

One brief interaction at the conclusion of an afternoon session was with a speaker from Ireland. We exchanged cards and moved on. But something told me he was a pretty interesting guy (Check out Sean Weafer). To close out this first day, my wife accompanies me to the Canadians-only event where we re-connect with a number of friends, most of whom we only see at this event.

Day 3: This is the final full day of the Convention. There is a noticeable decrease in energy as attendees start to feel the pressure of extended exposure to new connections and information. I skip the morning breakout session, deciding to wander through the Convention hall with no particular destination in mind. I strike up a conversation with another attendee. We have a wonderful ten-minute chat that leaves us both re-energized. A missed lunch connection leaves me sitting between two corporate trainers. What a serendipitous contact. At an afternoon session, I end up re-connecting with my Irish friend. It turns we both know the same speaker in the U.K. We develop a strong bond in the five minutes before our session begins. The final event of the day is the closing banquet, where we sit with a couple of our closest friends and join the after-banquet party. We leave the event exhausted but very happy.

Day 4: This Convention has a unique schedule leaving a couple of events for this morning, almost as an afterthought. I decide to skip them (and find out later that one of speakers was the best one) as I am attending  a post-conference event at the U.N building. This is one of my most-anticipated Convention events and, although I am disapponted in the facility, the event and banquet are quite productive, allowing me to meet a  number of international speakers.

Day 5: This our last day in New York City, we have purposely delayed our departure until evening so we can take full advantage of some of the unique items the city has to offer. We visited a number of tourist attractions, got lost in the subway and found that, even though New Yorkers can be very intransigent, there are some very friendly and helpful people there too.

post-conference activities: One of the most common mistakes of conference networking is NOT following up with contacts. I invested, about two hours upon my return (the first morning, in fact) to send personalized follow up messages to every contact I made and many of the colleagues I re-connected with. Most were pleasantly surprised at my speedy follow up. Where appropriate, I offered to supply information or support and, in every case, I offered a sample of my FREE weekly email networking tip (about 95% agreed). I have three contacts that represent serious business opportunities and two people that I sincerely feel strongly about staying in contact with.

Conclusion: I find that conferences represent unbeliveable opportunities for network growth and diversity. I keep my mind open to the (seemingly) random contacts they supply and take full responsibility for growing them into the strong relationhssips I know they can become.

P.S.: What are some the conference experiences you have encountered. Click on the comment button above to leave a message.

Michael Hughes, THE Networking Guru.

I’ve heard it said that we don’t find books, they find us. I think this was the case when I was browsing through Chapters recently, and stumbled upon The Back Swan - The Impact of the Highly Improbable, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

The topic seemed far removed from my chosen field of networking for results, but for some inexplicable reason, I ended up walking out with it in my bag.  On top of that, I couldn’t wait to start reading it. The attraction was almost overwhelming.

A Black Swan is a highly improbable event that has three attributes: rarity, extreme impact and retrospective predictability (meaning that, in retrospect, we think we can explain it).  These random events, though few in number, have (and have had) the ability to affect world outcomes.

 There are two different types of Black Swan events. Negative  Black Swan events (like 9/11, unforseen financial disasters) are sudden, unexplainable and catastrophic. The author focuses much of his work on their effects and how they impact our world and our lives. Positive Black Swan events are equally unexpected, unpredictable and carry consequences. However these are pre-disposed to deliver positive outcomes.

Although much of the author’s documentation and emphasis is on the effect of negative Black Swan events on a global basis, the information he shares has a practical application in daily activities and their effect on future outcomes.

I must admit that I was naturally attracted to the positive Black Swan analogy, seeing in it much of my philosophy and methodology. As I read Taleb’s (or NNT, as he refers to himself in the book) Black Swan strategies, I couldn’t help but smile as I recognized what I intuitively have been doing while networking. Here are his “tricks” to maximize random Black Swans:

1. Make the distinction between positive contingencies and negative ones. There are positive Black Swans and negative ones. Know which is which. Seek out positive networking connections and quickly move away from interractions where you don’t resonate with your conversation partner.

2. Don’t look for the precise and local. Don’t be narrow-minded. Business networking often carries a pre-disposition to qualify and close. This short-term thinking short-circuits the more important relationship-building potential of networking. Seek instead to use these as opportunities to enhance personal context and explore professional value areas that can lead to future contact.

3. Seize the opportunity, or anything that looks like an opportunity. Positive Black Swans have a necessary first step. Networking is a relationship initiator and accelerator, but you must take responsibility for nurturing this contact into outcomes. Ask for a business card, follow within 24 hours and create more contact to further stimulate contact and communication. Therein lies the secret strategy I have cultivated for the last ten years.

4. Beware precise plans by government. Don’t put your future in other people’s hands. Beware of those who push too hard or move too fast. Take charge of your life and your networking strategy. Know your strengths, your value and your business cycle, and manage the process.

Author’s note: all the points above have one thing in common: assymetry. Put yourself in situations where favourable consequences are much larger than unfavourable ones. Find the right network, participate actively and build strategic relationships. Then watch as these seemingly random Black Swans evolve into options and opportunities for success.

now, go work your network,

Michael Hughes, The Networking Guru.