I love to look at company websites. There’s a great deal of value to be found from web surfing that you just can’t get from many other places. You can become educated, entertained, smart, motivated, or even happy. Heck, you might even get all of that from one website! Read more

We hear over and over that the holidays are a slow time of year for doing business. Don’t you believe it! With all the holiday parties, events, and family visits, the holiday season provides some of the best networking opportunities of the entire year. Read more

LinkedIn is the largest professional social networking site online with over 74 million users in the U.S. and over 200 million users worldwide as of January 2013. Using LinkedIn as a networking tool can help expand your network of contacts, clients, leads, and referral partners. And just like networking in person, when networking on LinkedIn, first impressions count. Read more

Lately, everywhere we look, from the in-flight magazine in our seat pocket to the Sunday Style section of the Denver Post we notice an article on networking: the right way to network, the wrong way to network, what it is, what it isn’t, how to, how not to, and more. Read more

Savvy independent professionals know that referrals are the best way to land new clients. But getting those referrals can sometimes be a challenge. When referrals don’t come easily — or the ones you get seem to be off track — it’s tempting to forget about building referrals and spend time on cold calling, boilerplate letters and emails, or advertising, even though you know those approaches aren’t as effective in the long run. Read more

“Relationship marketing.” “Word-of-mouth advertising.” “The future of marketing is one-to-one.” “People like to do business with people they know, like, and trust.” You’ve heard these adages many times before. But what does it really mean to build relationships with people in order to sell something? Read more

It’s the end of the year and you’re likely reflecting on what this year brought, as well as what next year holds in store. If you’ve got some curiosity about what the next big thing in business and life is for you, these questions can help get you moving. Read more

If you’ve been networking for a while, you most likely have a long list of people you want to connect with on a regular basis. There’s the initial follow-up you do after you first meet someone, but what are you doing to ensure that people will remember you months or even years from now Read more

We all want more people to refer clients to us, and one way to encourage more referrals is offering to pay for them. By offering cash instead of merely our thanks or a small gift, it’s possible to increase the number of referrals you will get. However, this practice isn’t appropriate in all circumstances, and may have some unintended consequences. Read more

The end of each quarter is the perfect time to review what you’ve accomplished so far this year, what you have learned, and where you would like to go next. Set aside some time each quarter to conduct a review of your life, career, or business with this thoughtful exercise. Read more