Where’s Donna in September?

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a blog and this one is going to be all about getting back into the swing of networking. It’s been a great summer, and many of my colleagues have enjoyed shorter hours and long weekends. Now it’s back to work!

So, where am I going to be this month? And why would anyone care? Well, I’m offering everyone a chance to break a record – I posted on Guinness Book of Records that I can make more business matches in one hour than anyone else. I want you to help me set this record.

September 7th, 2011 – Durham Home and Small Business Association Cruise on Lake Scugog. For registration and details – http://www.dhsba.com

September 13th, 2011 – Ajax/Pickering Board of Trade, Networking Trade Show – details at http://www.apboardoftrade.com

September 17th, 2011 – Barrie Business Show – Help Break a Guinness World Record – http://www.barriebusinessshow.com

September 20th, 2011 – Company of Women Dinner and Networking event – Get Connected, An Interactive Networking Event  http://companyofwomen.ca

September 22nd, 2011 – Power Team Reunion – been part of my network? Then join me for a barbecue and an opportunity to reconnect and increase your business potential. The event is in Halton at Stone Ridge, a fabulous private home, that is amazing.   http://connectuscanada.com

September 27th, 2011 – This is a HAPPEN event at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre – Rogers Television will be filming the networking and the matchmaking. http://www.happen.ca

September 29th, 2011 – Leads, Needs and Good Deeds Networking event at Otello’s Banquet Centre in Oakville. – http://connectuscanada.com

Networking is the single most effective way to build your career success – the difference between not working and net working is the “e” for effort – see you at one or more of these events this month.

Want to be business matched, send me a note telling me what you need. If it’s personal, then the Barrie Business Show is actually going to offer speed dating and will try and break the record between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m.

Read Full Post »

LinkedIn Data Reveals Canadian Men are Savvier Online Professional Networkers Than Women

I was quoted in a media release from LinkedIn this morning and thought I should share the results with you. I personally think women are great on-line networkers!

The definition of a Savvy Networker is -

“A professional with a robust network of trusted business contacts who actively works toward creating new career opportunities for themselves and the people in their network. “

Men are savvier online professional networkers than women Toronto, Canada — June 22, 2011 —

LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network with more than 100 million members worldwide and more than three million in Canada, today released data on the differences between men and women when it comes to networking professionally online.

To declare a winner in this battle of the sexes argument, LinkedIn developed an online professional networking “savviness” ranking. Globally and in Canada men are savvier online professional networkers than women.

LinkedIn defines online professional networking savviness as a ratio of two things: the ratio of connections that men have to connections that women have and the ratio of male members on LinkedIn to female members.

“Making connections and building solid relationships is crucial to business growth,” said Donna Messer, Canadian networking guru and owner of ConnectUs Communications. “As a businesswoman and entrepreneur, I don’t always have time to meet everyone face to face and networking online using LinkedIn has given me visibility and credibility. I encourage women to consider LinkedIn as a place to find common ground with their business contacts and to build relationships that will ultimately lead to career success.”

That’s not to say women aren’t already teaching men a professional networking lesson or two. “My husband was thinking of going back to school so I introduced him to LinkedIn,” said Alexa Samuels, a retail strategy consultant and LinkedIn member based in Toronto. “I showed him how to use LinkedIn Advanced People Search to find graduates of the program he was applying to and so he could connect with them to get the inside scoop.” LinkedIn’s data got even more interesting when it was sliced by industry.

What you would think would be a female savvy industry (the textiles industry for example) is actually a male savvy industry.

In the shipbuilding and think tank industries, it was the female professionals that were savvier online networkers than the men.

Top Canadian industries where women are savvier online professional networkers than men

1. Alternative medicine 2. Think tanks 3. Shipbuilding 4. Writing and editing 5. Alternative dispute resolution

Top Canadian industries where men are savvier online professional networkers than women

1. Textiles 2. Glass, ceramics & concrete 3. Investment banking 4. Recreational facilities and services 5. Government relations

In Canada, men and women were equally as savvy in the following industries: “architecture & planning,” “furniture,” “market research,” “public safety” and “ranching.”

Download our infographic and get more details on LinkedIn’s battle of the sexes on the LinkedIn Blog: http://lnkd.in/men-vs-women. Press contacts

For press inquiries, please email press@linkedin.com About LinkedIn Founded in 2003, LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.

With more than 100 million members worldwide, including executives from every Fortune 500 company, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network on the Internet. The company has a diversified business model with revenues coming from member subscriptions, marketing solutions and hiring solutions. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, LinkedIn also has offices across North America, as well as throughout Europe and Asia and in India and Australia.

Read Full Post »

Me to We” – That’s the message “Leads, Needs and Good Deeds” brought to the audience!

“Me to We” – That’s the message “Leads, Needs and Good Deeds” brought to the audience!   The message I received loud and clear at the Leads, Needs and Good Deeds event was all about the Power of Relationships. The people in the room were business owners, entrepreneurs, financial experts, healthcare professionals, recruiters, and not for profit organizations, all people willing to share who they knew. I talked briefly about turning the mindset in the room from “Me to We”, and that is exactly what they did!   The networking and relationship building that began with this event MUST continue! The message was inspiring and motivating. People came from everywhere. John Huard, came from Pembroke. He volunteers on the streets of Toronto each year in December – his main objective is to make sure young kids living on the street, get into a safe house, get food, shelter, perhaps reconnect with their parents, or in some cases find work.   The ConnectUs Career and Business Café that was introduced at the event was very busy, Lee Koren, our resident expert was on hand to answer any relevant questions. The Café is an incubator for anyone in career transition or in start up mode with a new business.     There was a buzz in the room, and it was great to watch as everyone in attendance as they tried to meet as many people as possible. Everyone did their best to find “common ground” and I know they will soon turn that first meeting into a relationship that will result in business development. Below is the best way to measure the results of the event.

Maximize Your Leads, Needs and Good Deeds   Mentorship – Find a mentor – find someone who can help you grow simply by spending time with them.    Boards and Volunteering – Consider donating your time to a good cause. By joining one of these groups you can create new bonds and that could help your business or your personal growth.   Alliances/Partners/collaborations – Relationships mean that both sides benefit. Join forces with others and open yourself to new markets and revenue streams.   Networking – This is the single most important and measurable way to grow. Using ConnectUs and our systematic process works! Networking is about developing relationships, it’s being “We centered, not Me focused”. It’s about taking time to learn about others and sharing what you learn.     “We” Team – Don’t own a business? You still need to be part of team! Share your expertise; it’s great to have a 3rd party referral. I invite you to be part of a “Success Team” – this is a ConnectUs driven, mastermind group – where you network with inspiring people, you create a goal and everyone on your team assists, inspires and motivates you to think and reach beyond your comfort zone. Check out the ConnectUs Career & Business Café – it’s both an incubator and an idea factory!   Donna

Read Full Post »

Women in Food Industry Management – When you Network you Get Work!

Today’s Blog is all about Women in Food Industry Management. The Director responsible for marketing the association has asked me to post the details on my Blog. One of the reasons is to encourage you to come out to the Networking event I’m hosting on Sept. 22^nd, 2010 at the Toronto Sheraton Airport Hotel.

If you’re in the industry, please consider joining us, not just on the 22^nd, but for all the events listed below. Remember, when you network, you get work!   

Hello WFIM Members and Friends!

It’s that time of year again!  It’s back to school and all the busy activity it brings, including the signs that signal fall is approaching. It’s been a great summer, but it’s time to focus on what’s going to happen over the next couple of months. www.wfim.on.ca

WFIM has a great line-up of not-to-be-missed events for you this fall. Be sure to mark your calendars for the following:

September 22, Opportunity Knocks! Networking to Get Work, Career 2.0 Donna Messer shares her wisdom and provides tools for taking networking to the next level, incorporating Social Media to achieve your objectives and build your personal brand. Sign up here.

November 18, Academy Leadership Roundtable Get tips for career development and advancement from a fantastic group of high profile, senior women. This is a great opportunity to network while learning from their experiences, wisdom and insights.

December 9, Holiday Gala Join us for fun and festivities as we close the year at our annual WFIM party. Networking and share some cheer in the beautiful, unparalleled setting of The Old Mill.

WFIM News:

• Have your say! In the coming weeks, you will be asked to participate in a Survey. Please take a few moments to complete the survey and share your thoughts so we can make YOUR organization the best it can be.
• Our Membership is growing! 52 new members have joined since January 2010 – that’s a 50% increase. WFIM is about connecting and developing relationships that produce measurable results. Come out and meet someone new at the next event.
• Did you know your WFIM membership allows you to connect with other members on-line? Find people you want to meet in the Membership Directory after you’ve logged in. Other member benefits include our Job Board and a FREE Dinner Event when you sign up 3 new members.
• WFIM Donates 20% of our Golf sponsorship to Second Harvest, plus any raffle money collected each year. WFIM is committed to feeding the hungry, and to that end we put our time and fundraising efforts to support Second Harvest. In addition, WFIM donates to various charities throughout the year on behalf of our event speakers.
• Join the conversation online! Share your thoughts, industry news, questions and comments by joining our WFIM Linkedin group here.
• We have made some updates to the WFIM website. It’s a good idea to change your password frequently, so as a security measure we are requesting that members change their password. To access the Member Login, go to your personal profile and “Edit Your Details.”  Enter your new password under Contact Info. Then select Portrait and select UPDATE to save your information.
• We need volunteers! Get involved in shaping your association by donating your time. It’s an enriching experience and a great way to meet new people. As the saying goes… you get out what you put in. Whether you have a few hours a month or more, we welcome your help in the following areas: Marketing, Membership, Sponsorship, Events, Social Media, or Administration. Please send me an email at Director_Marketing@wfim.ca indicating what area you wish to get involved in. We need you!

I’m looking forward to catching up with you at the next event.

Gina Conte

WFIM Director, Marketing and Sponsorship

Read Full Post »

Power of Leverage

Power of Leverage – It’s what you need!  

Breaking into main stream marketing and reaching the decision makers is tough. Using a little leverage, can make it can happen!  

 According to Archimedes, all you need is a lever long enough and a place to stand and you can move the world.

 Effective networking is all about using that leverage. It’s whom you know, and who they know that will get you where you want to go. 

I’m a story teller, and I’m going to show you how to accomplish what you want through leverage. 

In the book One Minute Millionaire by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert Allen, they use a formula that I’ve found works every time, it’s – “Leverage = Speed = Goals”. 

This article is all about the Power of Leverage 

 

I had the opportunity to speak to an Ethnic Media conference recently. The people in the audience were all from print, television or radio. The purpose of attending the conference was to find additional ways to reach more advertisers. They wanted to expand their horizons to include mainstream advertisers in their reach.

I was the kick off speaker and my role was to get them to think outside the box, and to use “leverage” when searching for that new client. I worked the room in advance of my speech and found plenty of common ground. I asked each person that I introduced myself to – who they were, and what I could do to help make their attendance at this conference profitable. It almost every case, I found a way to introduce them to someone or something I knew that would give them a connection to that “mainstream” they so desperately wanted to reach. 

By using my network ethically, I could leverage who I knew that might benefit from being introduced to this powerful group of Ethnic media.

When I began my talk, I referenced the people I’d spoken to in advance. I gave each of them a key contact “outside” their current reach. Within seconds, the audience all wanted my business card and I wanted theirs!  

Through a simple strategy that basically is “how can I help you?” I was able to show by example how to use leverage that can produce measurable results quickly.  

The media en masse approached me after my speech, they took pictures, requested articles and asked me to come and speak at their events. I felt like a Rock Star! What was the secret to the success of the presentation? It was leverage – I used without abuse, the people in my network would benefit from an introduction into this powerful sector.  Everyone in the room will be able to measure results, simply by taking the time to build rapport with each introduction. From my perspective, I’ll hold each person accountable, asking them to “keep me in the loop” to let me know what develops. That way, I can measure the results of my leverage.

If you want to know more about the Power of Leverage – check out the ConnectUs website. We share our success stories!

Donna Messer is an international speaker, trainer and coach. Her network includes men and from every country. www.connectuscanada.com

Connectus Communications Canada©

Read Full Post »