Currently Browsing: Traditional Networking

DON’T BE SHY

Posted by David Sher in Traditional NetworkingMar 1st, 2010 | 3 Comments
Play this two minute podcast I have to admit my first instinct was to go hide in a corner where no one could see me. The social media club meeting had just ended and I was looking for some help with a computer problem.  I looked around the room to see if there was anyone who could answer my question. I spotted a friend who knows about technology and so I asked him what to do.  Unfortunately he had no idea how to fix my problem.  So what did he do? He turned around and shouted out a description of my problem to everyone in the room. The room went quiet for a second, and then someone came over...
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ARE FACEBOOK AND THE INTERNET GOOD OR BAD?

Posted by David Sher in Facebook, Internet, Social Media, Traditional NetworkingJan 25th, 2010 | No Comments
Play this two minute podcast   She grimaced when she warned me of the risks of teenage girls being on Facebook.  I was attending a birthday party for my three year old grandson, Eric, in Atlanta.  The woman, who works with abused children, is a friend of my son.  She explained that older men get on Facebook, prepare a bogus profile pretending to be a teenage boy… gain the girl’s trust and make arrangements to meet…putting the girl at risk.  I guess this is what we see on Dateline NBC’s To Catch a Predator.  She said she would never allow her children on Facebook. A few minutes earlier...
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THE BEST NETWORKING PLATFORM…NOT WHAT YOU THINK

Posted by David Sher in Traditional NetworkingDec 28th, 2009 | No Comments
Play this 2 minute podcast   I walked into the board meeting of Operation New Birmingham…looked around the room and saw the usual suspects.  I’ve been on the ONB Board for a really long time so I know most everyone.  However, when I glanced towards the front of the room, I saw a man I’ve never met talking to the ONB President.  I walked up and introduced myself.  He told me he was a banker who works for a large bank that had just taken over a bank headquartered in Alabama.   He told me about his banking career and the other banks he had worked.  We then exchanged business cards and...
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DON’T BE A JERK

Posted by David Sher in Traditional NetworkingDec 21st, 2009 | 3 Comments
Play this two minute podcast   He sat down next to me at lunch at the convention…a young fellow in his mid to late 20’s.  He pulled out two cell phones…one was an IPhone…and some other small high tech contraption.  I had never seen anything like it before, so I asked him, “What is that?”  He said it was a recorder that shoots videos and uploads them straight to YouTube.  He asked me if I had an IPhone.  I said no, and showed him my Blackberry.  He asked if I texted.  I told him I didn’t text…that I thought it was a generational thing.  He said, and I quote, “the problem...
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ARRIVE TEN MINUTES EARLY & STAY TEN MINUTES LATE

Posted by David Sher in LinkedIn, Traditional NetworkingDec 14th, 2009 | No Comments
Play this two minute podcast   I got to the meeting about ten minutes early and the first person I saw was a LinkedIn friend of mine. The reason I say a “LinkedIn friend” is he is a person I only sort of knew before I asked him to join my network on LinkedIn.     I talked to him for a few minutes and then he  introduced me to the fellow sitting next to him.  We shook hands and he mentioned he was a practice administrator at a gastroenterology group located here in Birmingham. I wished he had worked in a different type of medical practice because I can never pronounce gastroenterology.  At...
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WHY SOME PEOPLE ARE SUCCESSFUL & OTHERS NOT

Posted by David Sher in Traditional NetworkingNov 16th, 2009 | No Comments
Play this 2 minute podcast   Let’s go back ten or eleven years.  I got a call from Michael Calvert, the President of Operation New Birmingham…the economic development organization for our city center.  At the time I was Chairman of the Board.  A national consultant was in Birmingham meeting with all the economic development groups to gain support for building a dome stadium.  Michael wanted me to attend. When Michael & I arrived, there was a young man with the consultant.  I remember being impressed that such a youthful man had such an important job.  I figured he must have been...
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THE FOUR MOST COMMON NETWORKING MISTAKES

Posted by David Sher in Facebook, LinkedIn, Social Media, Traditional NetworkingOct 19th, 2009 | No Comments
Play this two minute podcast   Oh no!  I looked down at my shirt & I had spilled cereal on it.  I was running late for an 8 o’clock business meeting & I had to make a decision…change my shirt and be late or go to the meeting with a glaring round milk stain.  I decided to go directly to the meeting and just keep my arms folded.  Of all the podcasts I’ve done, the one on being late has gotten the most comments.  It makes people crazy when you don’t come on time and don’t call…so having made that post, I sure couldn’t afford to be late myself.  I’m going list what I...
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IF RALPH CAN EAT WITH STRANGERS, SO CAN YOU

Posted by David Sher in Traditional NetworkingOct 5th, 2009 | No Comments
Play this two minute podcast    I was sitting at a table eating lunch at the National Speakers Association national convention when a man with no arms sat down at our table.  He sort of muttered under his breath, “Now it’s time to watch Alvin eat.”   Then he put his feet on the table and began eating with his feet.  Now, I have to admit my first thought was one of extreme uneasiness.  Quite frankly, I had a difficult time dealing with this emotionally and aesthetically.    Now it’s not unusual to see people at NSA with various disabilities.  I saw an extremely tall man, way...
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HOW TO BE A SUPER STAR NETWORKER

Posted by David Sher in Facebook, LinkedIn, Social Media, Traditional NetworkingSep 14th, 2009 | 1 Comment
Play this two minute podcast.   I was going up the escalator and there he was…shaking hands left & right.  People were coming up in droves…so fast he could hardly keep up.  I’m talking about Hatton Smith, the President of Royal Cup Coffee—a very successful company headquartered here in Birmingham.  I usually don’t mention names in my podcast, but Hatton is such a super star networker…that he deserves the mention.  We belong to the third largest Rotary Club in the world.  We have close to 600 members and Hatton is our new president.  The first day of his presidency, he stood...
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HOW MUCH NETWORKING IS TOO MUCH?

Posted by David Sher in LinkedIn, Social Media, Traditional Networking, TwitterAug 31st, 2009 | 1 Comment
Play this two minute podcast   All right…this is my third and last post about my house painter friend who has avoided the recession and actually grown his business using traditional networking and social media like LinkedIn.  Unless, of course, he comes up with another brilliant idea I feel compelled to share with you.  His name is Ben Zito from Cherokee Hills Painting Company.  I’d been asked to speak to the Homewood Chamber of Commerce on How to Use Social Media to Build Your Business.  The best way to illustrate what works is to give a real life example.  What better way than to invite...
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