I am honored and highly appreciative that the first three reader reviews on Amazon.com of my new book, 31 Days to Networking Event Mastery were so positive and strong. All three reviewers saw fit to give the book 5 stars!
Here are the reviews (each quoted in its entirety):
"Bruce Brown has created a true and easy step by step bite-size guide to "Networking Event Mastery." This is small enough to keep with you and meaty enough to make a real difference. Applying one action step daily will truly take your business networking to the next level and today business is all about relationships. This book is packed with nuggets from a master networker who knows that it can be intimidating to the uninitiated and overwhelming to those of us used to online networking. Real time, face to face is essential to every business person's success. Brown has assured your success when you follow his lead." - Melissa Galt "Prosper by Design", Atlanta, GA
"31 Days to Networking Event Mastery, by Bruce Brown, is a simple and straightforward guide to maximizing the networking experience. Each tip is practical and often obvious, but using this book as a complete guide, the obvious becomes masterful. He provides everything for you but a ride to the event! Although he gears the tips towards business, most apply to any networking you do. The author is gifted at having a pulse on the process. Brown lays out his tips with such a common sense and encouraging tone, you finish it feeling you have the tools to network your way through any crowd with ease." - Anne Levine, Westport, CT
" As a person with more than forty years of experience in owning and building small businesses, I have read and studied hundreds of self-help/how-to books. The ones I value most, get quickly to the point with a minimum of fluff and filler, thus conserving my most precious asset, time. It is my opinion that in today's business climate, effective networking may be the most cost efficient way to grow a business or profession. Bruce Brown has provided a small, concise, easy to read book about networking that reminded me of techniques and strategies that I already know, but sometimes forget and some new to me (social media/blogs etc.). But perhaps more importantly, he weaves throughout the book the "why" of networking that is crucial to understand, whether one is a novice or seasoned veteran in his or her chosen field. I can't think of another book that gave me so much hands-on value and yet required from me so little in time and money." - Doc Hamm, North Carolina
As most of my blog readers know, I wrote this book to provide newbies and old pros alike with an easy-to-read reference to tips and strategies for getting the most from live business networking events. Networking and relationships have always been a major part of business but in our present 'interesting' times, finding and building new trusted customers, clients, and referral sources has never been more important.
Networking isn't rocket science, which is good for me since I'm clearly not a rocket scientist. Networking is a great place to meet new people and touch base with folks you already know. And yeah, it is social, and can be fun, but when it's done within the context of making and building business relationships (and when the other attendess understand that as well), these events can be very effective for finding and keeping customers and clients.
You could just show up at one of these events and see what happens. I believe, however, that many if not all of us in business today don't have the luxury of random efforts and waiting to see what the results are. So that's why I wrote 31 Days to Networking Event Mastery, to give people tools, tips, strategies, and a system for making the most from these ever more important marketing opportunities.
The primary objectives were to keep it short and keep it affordable. Each tip needs just one page - I left out as best I could lengthy explanations, loads of examples, and theory and just give you the tip with no more insight or exposition than fits on one page. This book is for busy business people who are better off out networking than spending long hours reading yet another weighty exposition on simple points.
We've also priced the book at $9.95, so it's affordable. I make about $2 per book at this rate, but that's fine - I'd rather sell a lot of them and help a lot of business people than make a bundle on each book and only help a few people.
I also did my best to make each tip readable, human, and occasionally a bit humorous. I tried to have some of my own personality and love of networking and people come through.
You can network. You can do it successfully and it will bring you more business. I believe both of these statements fully. I also believe 31 Days to Networking Event Mastery can help you start right if you've never been to a business networking event or do it better even if you've been attending them for years.
So buy the book. Read it and pass it on to someone in your company,in your family, or among your friends so they can learn how to network better, too. (Or buy a bunch a pass them out, that would be pretty cool, too!)
Thanks. Oh, and one more time, here's the Amazon link:
31 Days to Networking Event Mastery
And if you live in or near Leland, NC, it's also available at RBR Books in Leland and soon will be in some other bookstores in Wilmington.
Bruce
