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As entrepreneurs and salespeople, referrals are our lifeblood because they jumpstart the trust-building with potential customers, partners and suppliers. In my last column I wrote about the oft-forgotten sales and networking tactic of asking our customers for referrals. Now, let’s switch hats for a moment. What happens when we’re the ones receiving the request? It’s...

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Recently, my firm was conducting training at a regional sales meeting of a big conglomerate. Our goal was to establish cross-divisional lead-sharing as a part of the company culture and to get everyone to understand how big of a win-win that practice can be. We devoted a big chunk of the day to active and...

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Since I’ve had some extra time on my hands, I finally got around to reading Alison Stein Wellner’s piece in Inc.’s March issue: “Let’s Be Friends: It seems nuts. But new research says that CEOs who become pals with their rivals do better than those who don’t.” I’m so glad to see that the research...

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Whether your goal is to sell more widgets or make more friends, you’ll be more successful the quicker you can connect with people. And of course, the more intimate the connection, the better. So let’s discuss how you can capitalize on the many brief interactions at your next conference or social gathering. Someone recently asked...

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Two weekends ago was the 7th anniversary of the death of my father, a man I loved deeply, and one who probably loved me even more. But with all the hustle and bustle of leading my growing company, delivering keynotes and training seminars, promoting my new book Never Eat Alone , and trying to fit...

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My new book — Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time — was recently released by Currency/Doubleday. In Never Eat Alone, I expose many secrets behind the success of so many accomplished people. Most of these secrets involve the power of relationships and how we all can succeed best...

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Need a little entertainment — and a jolt of advertising inspiration? Check out Adweek’s BestSpots, a monthly listing of some of the most creative television commercials, according to the editors of Adweek. One of December’s picks, a PBS commercial called “Bedtime,” features a father reading Little Red Riding Hood to his daughter. During the story,...

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Use your holiday merry making as an opportunity to connect with people that can help make you a success. These networking strategies should help get you started. Bring back the pre-party! Whatever inspiration you want to draw from your crazier college days is up to you, but the idea here is that if someone else...

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I was recently teaching first-year students at the UCLA Anderson School of Management how to build relationships for career growth. As in my recent column on Inc.com’s Sales & Networking Resource Center, I discussed “currencies,” or the unique knowledge, talents, interests, connections, etc., that each of us possess, things we can give to others to build...

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