Lorraine Ball

Sometimes the very best business relationships start from very unlikely connections and chance occurances.  My relationship with Eric Schneller, owner of Crew Property Improvment Specialists. is a great example.  With no common customers, and no need for each others services there was no need to meet, but we did.. and today, we own a building together.  For more on how this unlikely event occured, view the video!  

Sometimes the best relationships are not the most obvious.  In this humorous tale, Lorraine Ball shares how she first met, the person who would ultimately become a business partner!

Lorraine Ball shares a look at a lesson we can all learn from Post-it-Notes.  Your best word of mouth marketing, may come from unexpected individuals. 

Many thanks to Pinpoint AV for the production on this video

Sometimes what the world needs are a few crazy people.  Lorraine Ball shares her ideas on where all the crazy people have gone!

Very often children are our best teachers.  In this light-hearted presentation, Lorraine Ball shares an unusual networking lesson, from a child’s perspective

As a networking junkie I thought I had seen it all, till Ron Sukenic sent me this funny example of truely bad networking!

 Thanks for the laugh Ron -  http://imseminarschedule.com/?p=18

As a confirmed networking junkie, I am always looking for my next fix. My new fix is LinkedIn.   An on-line social network, Linkedin is often described as FaceBook for professionals.  With an emphasis on career history, educational background and association membership, Linkedin has millions of members, with thousands more joining each day.

What wins at Wimbledon wins at your local chamber. Watch a tennis match; the goal is to make contact with the ball and knock it back over the net !In tennis if the ball remains on one side of the net too long, there is a greater chance it will dribble off to the side and the opponent will score the point. In networking conversations, the same is true. The longer you are talking the greater the risk your listener will become bored.  And just as the ball will roll off the court, so will your business opportunity.   

So How Do You Win a Networking Volley?   – Keep the image of a tennis match in your mind and use questions to “return the serve.”  Almost any open ended question will keep the conversations rolling. Here are a few of my favorites:  What do you do? – How did you get started?  – What is the most interesting project or customer you have worked with recently?  – Who would you like to meet?  Use these questions to gain a sense of their business, key clients, and to identify points of common interest.   

Don’t Sell at a Networking Event - Many people make the mistake of trying to “sell” at a networking event. People can tell when you are in selling mode, and will try to end the conversation quickly. When you are in selling mode, you are more likely to keep talking and miss the cues which will help you identify the very best prospects. Networking conversations are introductory conversations; the more you learn about the other person in a short conversation, the easier it will be to decide if this is someone with whom you want to have a longer conversation!  In networking if you can really make a great connection; you’ve won the match.  Want to learn more about networking?  Order a copy of Confessions of a Networking Junkie by Lorraine Ball

You return home after a networking event and empty your pockets, putting the business cards you collected onto the desk. What comes next?  If you are one of those people who organize them in neat piles, tied with a rubber band and a promise to get to them someday, just toss them in the trash!   Why – because people have a short memory.

What did you have for lunch? Be honest, do you remember what you had for lunch three days ago?  I bet you don’t.  And yet the interaction you had with you lunch was significantly more intimate, than the conversation you had at the networking event. So if you can’t remember what you ate three days ago, how can you expect someone to remember you a week later? When you come home from a networking event, you have 24 – 48 hours to follow up.  After that it is too late!  No one said this was easy.  Networking is work!  

Choose a few Great ConnectionsIf you have met quite a few people, sort through the cards, select one or two with whom you want to follow-up. Send an email or better yet a hand written card within 48 hours.  The note does not have to be long.  It should however, remind the person where you met, and open the door for a future conversation.   When evaluating with whom you want to follow up and stay in touch, think about what you can do for them.  Be fair, if you can’t see yourself ever referring any business their way, don’t waste their time or yours cultivating the relationship.

What Makes Good Follow Up? If you were asking good questions and really listening during your brief networking conversation, you probably have a few ideas.  Consider an article on a topic of interest or an electronic introduction to someone you think they should meet.  Do not use this first contact after a networking event as an opportunity for a sales pitch:

“Hi, I enjoyed meeting you and by the way if you are looking for____.” That not-so-subtle approach says “I am not really interested in you, unless you want to buy something.”  An experienced networker knows it may take a few conversations to move to the sale mode, but when you get there, you have a greater chance of success.

Want to learn more about networking?  Order a copy of Confessions of a Networking Junkie by Lorraine Ball

The Network of Women in Business, Indianapolis’ oldest and largest locally based women’s organization,  announced the recipients of their prestigious 2007 Networker of the Year and Businesswoman of the Year Awards. Bridget Gurtowsky of Arbonne International was named the 2007 Networker of the Year and Lorraine Ball, owner of Roundpeg, was named the 2007 Businesswoman of the Year. The awards were presented at the Network of Women in Business’ 4th annual Gala held at the Ritz Charles in Carmel on Friday, September 21, 2007.

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