Top 5 Networking Strategies

I thought it might be prudent to lay down some information on networking and proceed with some laboratory experimentation in networking, either through social media or through direct contact or any other method that works.

Before we move on to the list what one must do is figure out who it is that they are attempting to network with and map out those people. Have a plan essentially. Be prepared to give, both of your time and of your self. Do this strategically and don’t wear yourself out in the process. But with patience and hard work, anyone can become a networking genius. So here it goes:

1. Know the food chain

It’ll be tough to go straight to the top and start there with your networking plan. You will most likely have to work your way up. Generally you will not have immediate access to the rich and famous or whoever you wish to network with.  Most of the time these A-list type individuals take advice and deal with those who are close to them, who have advised them or worked with them in the past. It is much easier to build a relationship with those who are farther down the food chain. Start a mapping strategy and begin your ascent to the elite. With time and effort you can make it there.

2. Add Value

So this is where the giving begins. We want to set ourselves apart from everybody else and we can do this by offering our services and adding value to the persons project or product that we are trying to network with. It’s a simple matter of asking, “How can I help?”

Most A-list types are used to people who want something, who are takers. Surprise them by giving, become a contributor. Become known as a person who adds value. People like to give to those they trust and respect, put forth the effort to become that person.

3. Promote other People

Make opportunities to promote other people. You can make an impact by promoting other people to second and third level individuals in your network map. Generally, these people are less known and appreciate the help. Tweet and retweet or use whatever platform you wish to sing others praises and help promote them. This will build valuable relationships and foster an environment of people helping people.

4. Engage People on Twitter

One of the best ways to talk to and have access to the people you have targeted for your network is to engage them in conversation on Twitter. You can help yourself stand out by first developing relationships with the people they follow and communicate with. When they see you communicating with people they know this will help lend credibility to what you have to say and they are more likely to respond to your tweets.

Ask meaningful questions that can be answered simply. Also modify re-Tweets to grab their attention, again, you are trying to add value and you can do this by showing interest in the person and the products that they are attempting to promote or sell.

5. Complete the Circle

Now that you have begun to form connections and relationships with other people it is time to complete the circle by connecting your connections with each other. This again will add value to you when others see how connected you are. When a person expresses a need and you can tell them, “I know someone for that,” you show that you are someone who can be very valuable as a connection and resource. When you can inform someone that you “know” some A-lister, this will continue to build your credibility as a real Player, a networking powerhouse.

I owe much of this information to the hard work and generosity of my man Dave Navarro. Check him out at http://www.rockyourday.com/ for more highly useful information on topics like this one.

Field Report #1 – Positioning

We’ve got our first Field Report coming in….

For some time our main man Isaiah X aka “The Prophet” has been hard at work, putting in long hours of hi-tech scientific field research into the study of  The Game and how creating relationships affects success. There is no telling how many quarts of rum he went through, nor how many women he had to fondle to get these results. Much respect.

One of the keys to success is putting yourself in the right position. This applies to anything you hope to accomplish. Any time you are around people, whether it is online or in person, presents an opportunity to network and market yourself and positioning is key. So, The Prophet set out to put these methods to the test.

And there he was, in the heart of San Francisco,  somewhere within a ten mile radius of Fifth and Mission. The destination was random as were the patrons who were present. He had to be sure that the methods he employed would work with anyone, and not with certain groups. Here is his report:

  As you know I have been heading out to the city every chance I get, to get some sociological studies accomplished. Sometimes when we are out, we are money and we open conversations left and right, but then sometimes we are ice cold and end up holding up the wall talking amongst ourselves. Why is this, we ask ourselves? After careful consideration we concluded that it was because of where we were standing or positioning ourselves. If we stood near the corner where we could easily talk to the bartenders and get drinks, we got little action, but if we stood in the middle of the bar, bingo we were money. Of course we put this to the test and our assumptions were correct.

   We stood in the middle and opened up set after set without fail. We met doctors, psychological students and many others. When I woke up in the morning I looked through my phone and had many pictures of me and young ladies that I really did not even remember. All in all we had a good night.

  I asked him if the copious amounts of booze or other strange drugs would have any effect on this outcome. Could these techniques work completely sober? He replied:

   The amount of booze made no difference and what we summarized was that in the corner we are only accessible to the few to the side of us, but in the middle we are accessible to all. Also, it might be a subconscious show of dominance or strength. The weaker of the herd migrate or are pushed to the outside of the group and the most valued are safe within the middle. It may also show a sense of comfort with being where everyone can see you, out on display so to speak.

  He intends to expound on what he discovered in more detail later and I will continue to post these updates as they come in. Stay tuned for our next segment of the Field Report- Openers.

And follow the action on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/playamonk

Why Fat Birds Aren’t Afraid to Fail

Feed me something!

There is an interesting fact known in the animal kingdom and it so happens that all animals do it, even primates, and that means you and me. We’ll try not to ruffle any feathers so we’ll focus on our aviatory friends- the bird.

Have you ever been to the beach or down to the local park and found the place packed with gulls or pigeons or some sort of annoyance such as this? They gather round you looking for handouts. You could throw down bread, or chewing gum, or a bottle cap, or ex-lax and they’ll gobble it up without a second thought. Even though the bird has had plenty to eat and is nice and plump, it will still continue to eat, anything and everything.

Most people might be under the impression that birds are very greedy or extremely hungry animals. This is false. The fact is that when birds are confronted with limited food supplies, they will actually be more wary of potential food sources, the hungry birds will only eat what they are familiar with even if they are starving- no gum or ex lax for these guys. The reason is that the hungry bird must be more cautious, because if he were to eat something that were bad such as ex- lax then the chances that the bird could recover in its hungry and weakened state would be slim. However, the fat bird will eat anything because it does not have to worry about potential complications- the bird is well fed, fat and sassy. It has a better chance at recovery from eating something bad, so it has the luxury of freelancing with it’s food choices.

All animals have the tendency to do this, even primates, that means us. This can be applied to other areas of human life. We will find this same game playing out everywhere you look. If a company’s sales have declined, the tendency is for the company to start becoming miserly with their expenditures, even with their marketing budget which is the last thing they should do, or in some cases, the top execs will start laying people off to “save the company”. A company whose sales have gone through the roof on the other hand, will most likely be quite frivolous with their budget, just throwing money at potential problems like it was a pole dancer, without a care in the world and what’s more is that in most cases that company will continue to expand and thrive, attracting success like flies to feces.

Or seagulls to ex-lax(note: never feed seagulls ex-lax, it is illegal)

The lesson here is being able to understand and identify these situations when they occur in our own worlds. In most cases the fat bird at one time or another was a hungry bird. Something happened in that birds world that changed it’s fortunes. At some point it had to take a calculated risk. Likewise, the same can be applied to our own game and the only way we can be a fat bird is by taking some risk, to put us in a position where the numbers favor the results we desire. Sometimes that may require us to go outside of our own comfort zones, outside of the norm, and outside of the box as it were to gain the success we desire.

Sure, you might accidentally gobble down some ex-lax and you might suffer some discomfort, but then again, a little risk and you may claim your prize. Do not seek the middle ground. Remember,  The Game is not for those with weak stomachs.

A calculated risk!

The PlayaMonk

 The Playamonk seeks to combine those characteristics and qualities present in the player and the monk. We are all part of the game. We are all players. We seek to play the game and win. We control the game, we seek to further define it. We know the rules, we break the rules, we re-invent the rules, the first thing one must learn about the game is that there are no rules, everything is permitted.

  With this in mind the Playamonk continues to build strategically, working on all levels of his existence in order to perform in any arena that the game may present at the highest possible levels. The Playamonk is ready to play the game at full speed, full contact, 100% involvement. He lives it, breaths it, sleeps it.

  The Playamonk stays focused on the now with an eye on the future. The Playamonk knows that what is happening at the moment is what shapes any future outcome. Thus, the Playamonk moves to shape the moment and in so doing shapes the future.

  knowledge is a key element to the Playamonk’s existence. Continuing to improve ones skill set is imperative. Wherever one can gain insight, keep informed and learn to read and understand information will put them in a position to succeed. Knowing when the time is right to seek new information or knowledge is key. A Playamonk practices this in order to be able to adapt when it is needed.

  Further, the Playamonk draws the right circumstances and people to him through proper use of gifts or giving. In a prudent yet graceful way one is able to influence people and events through strategic use of giving. At the same time, one is not overly attached to their possessions so that when it becomes necessary to make major decisions with large amounts of resources or capitol, the decision will be made with clear thinking.

  Of course, balance is essential for the Playamonk. If one works hard then one plays equally as hard. Do everything that your heart desires, investigate everything, open up your mind. If the Playamonk decides to do something but does not then he is doing something wrong. Nothing should be out of reach for the Playamonk. For the Playamonk-anything is possible. We are a combination of opposing forces, but it is these contending forces which produce the energy to drive one forward.

 The Playamonk then, knows that every quadrant of his very being is important. He gives equal attention to his mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well being. He continues to expand his very being out into the world until he is as big as the world itself. I am the temple.

  This is the fundamental premise behind the Playamonk philosophy. It is not a religion, it is not a set of rules to follow. It is a choice. A choice to take control of oneself and the world around them. To live the lifestyle of their own choosing, not burdened down by the past or the future. Now, focused completely on playing the game like it was meant to be played.

The Player

  How could one be a monk and a player all rolled into one? True, the idea of a player/monk would seem like an oxymoron to some because the connotations that exist between the monk and the player seem to be at odds with one another. But is this truly so?

  There are many ideas as to what a player is. Many feel a player is one who seeks to manipulate people in order to get what they want at the exclusion of all else. However, these are just activities in and of themselves and the actions needed to support those activities, they are elements of the game but not the game itself. These are basic activities and pale in comparison to what can truly be achieved by playing the game properly. All elements must be incorporated to be truly successful for any length of time. When all elements are factored in-then the game that is being played becomes Life.

  When looking at life as a game one may feel that the importance of life and all that goes with it is being diminished in some way. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. When playing the game of life you cannot seek middle ground, you cannot afford to lose, the only option is to win. We play to win the game, period. From this viewpoint, we can see that we are not talking about a contest that is there to win or lose, but one that is to be played regardless and at the highest level possible. One must realize that they are in the game whether they like it or not. Since you are playing you might as well win right?

  So a Player from the standpoint of a Playamonk is someone who is playing the game of life. A player seeks to win and realizes that there is no option for losing, because this means life. The player puts into practice whatever methods necessary to achieve that goal. In some cases it will require methods to influence women, but also men, bosses, financial institutions, anything and everyone, in order to achieve what is needed. The player builds upon success and develops strategies based on that success to continue it indefinitely. The important thing is that a Player is able to do these things and do them very well, which puts the player a step or more ahead of everybody else. The player knows the game and plays it well.