In Malcolm Gladwell’s new book on success– Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell (Hardcover – Nov 18, 2008) he talks about the 10,000 hour rule. Experts are defined as those who have at least 10,000 hours of research and development in a chosen field.  Note that the experts listed below exemplify the type of expert level you would choose if you are very serious about successful networking.

Donna Fisher
www.donnafisher.com
An introvert who learned how to network. Over 12 years ago she established Donna Fisher Presents in order to fulfill her lifelong desire to teach and inspire people to be all they can be. With her two businesses she combines her love of music and motivation.

Jill Lublin
www.jilllublin.com
Praised as a modern-day Dale Carnegie and co-author of the bestselling books Networking Magic, Guerrilla Publicity. Guerrilla Publicity contains hundreds of proven techniques and sure-fire tactics for any business, large or small, to launch an effective and creative publicity campaign.

Michael Hughes
http://www.speakersgroup.com/michael_hughes_bio.html
Michael has done extensive research on, and is a specialist in, utilizing networking as a business strategy. He is author of the 110-page special report entitled “Networking for Results: How to Leverage Relationships into More Sales and Profits”.

Michael Goldberg
http://www.buildingblocksconsulting.com
Michael Goldberg is a networking expert focused on helping sales producers and managers grow their practice. Michael speaks at conferences, runs sales meetings, and delivers dynamic programs on Networking, Referral Marketing, Sales Presentations, and Leadership.

Raeus Cannon
http://www.raeuscannon.com
Raeus Jae Cannon, CNPT, specializes in speaking to Chamber of Commerce groups. Raeus has first-hand experience of moving from shy and introverted to realizing success as an entrepreneur, trainer, author, and keynote speaker. Audiences can easily relate to Raeus’ personal stories and laugh at her experiences.

Susan RoAne
http://www.susanroane.com
Susan RoAne is the leading authority and original expert on how to work a room. She help companies and organizations successfully develop, build and manage client relationships that increase business growth.

Will Kintish
http://www.kintish.co.uk
The UK’s leading authority in Business Networking Skills training. Kintish have helped thousands of people become confident and effective networkers by offering business networking tips, techniques and training.

Bill Cates
http://www.referralcoach.com
Bill Cates, CSP, has revolutionized the way financial professionals generate an abundance of high-quality referrals. Bill has trained over 50,000 financial professionals in his proven referral system. And they are using his ideas to build their practices with quality referrals.

Heshie Segal
http://www.jetnettingconnection.com
Heshie Segal teaches her clients how to turn a business card, a presentation, and even a chance meeting into lasting business. JetNetting is an innovative and highly specific system of preparatory networking resulting in the eradication of cold calling, awkwardness and relationship tensions.

Renee Rosenberg
http://www.fiveoclockclub.com/speakers/Rosenberg.html
Renee Rosenberg has over 24 years experience in career management, counseling, coaching, and workshop training and facilitation. An accomplished and entertaining speaker, Renee regularly presents on a variety of topics including: effective intergenerational communication, and using positive thinking, laughter and optimism as career and life tools.

Robyn Henderson
http://www.networkingtowin.com.au/index.html
Robyn Henderson is a Global Networking Specialist. She has authored and contributed to 19 books (including 10 on networking and business building and 3 on self esteem and confidence building).

David Nour
http://www.relationshipeconomics.net
David Nour is a social networking strategist and one of the foremost thought leaders on the quantifiable value of business relationships. David is solving global client challenges with intracompany, as well as externally focused, Strategic Relationship Planning™.

Diane Darling
http://www.dianedarling.com
As a speaker and author, Diane Darling humorously shares her insights and techniques that can be immediately implemented helping people succeed.She is also a monthly columnist for the Boston Business Journal.

Bob Burg
http://www.burg.com
Bob Burg is a highly sought-after speaker at corporate, financial services and direct sales conventions. Combining humor and entertainment with easily applied, proven systems for personal marketing, audiences come away ready to immediately profit from Bob’s instruction and coaching.

Ivan Misner
http://www.bni.com
Dr. Ivan Misner is the Founder & Chairman of BNI, the world’s largest business networking organization. BNI was founded in 1985. The organization now has thousands of chapters throughout every populated continent of the world. Each year, BNI generates millions of referrals resulting in billions of dollars worth of business for its members.

Julia Hubbel
http://www.principlednetworking.com/index_alt.htm
Julia Hubbel is a professional speaker, seminar leader and prize-winning journalist who specializes in creating lasting, collaborative relationships. Her approach allows anyone to meet and mingle easily and with confidence, forming long-term business and personal alliances.

Andrea Nierenberg
http://www.nierenberggroup.com/index.php
Andrea R. Nierenberg, bestselling author and world-renowned business authority, is the force behind The Nierenberg Group. Called a “networking success story” by The Wall Street Journal, Andrea Nierenberg is founder and president of The Nierenberg Group.

Liz Lynch
http://www.networkingexcellence.com
Liz Lynch is author of Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and Online (McGraw-Hill, 2009) and a sought-after speaker who brings a practical and insightful perspective to networking that has connected with a global audience.

Melissa Giovagnoli
http://www.networlding.com
Melissa is one of the world’s leading experts on the development of individual and community leadership networks as a means of growing and accelerating brand loyalty and performance improvement inside and outside organizations.

Andy Lopata

www.lopata.co.uk
A Vice President of the Professional Speakers Association of the UK and a Director of the online network Word of Mouse, Andy is the co-author of two books on networking. His second book ‘…and Death Came Third! The Definitive Guide to Networking and Speaking in Public’ received worldwide acclaim and reached number 2 on Amazon.co.uk on its launch.

Donna Messer
http://www.connectuscanada.com
Donna Messer has been networking for the past 20 years. Donna Messer is President of ConnectUs Communications Canada, one of North America’s largest and most effective business matching companies.

Scott Allen
http://thevirtualhandshake.com/home.html
A 20-year veteran technology entrepreneur, executive and consultant, Scott Allen is the Entrepreneurs Guide for About.com. Scott has offered training programs in conjunction with business networking sites LinkedIn, Ryze, and others, plus courses on creating a powerful personal presence and growing your personal network on the internet.

Don Gabor
http://www.dongabor.com
Don helps professionals from all disciplines grow their revenues by starting profitable conversations with people in business and social situations.  e is the author of the bestseller, How to Start a Conversation and Make Friends, (Fireside/Simon & Schuster) and ten other books and tapes on interpersonal communication skills.

Mike O’Neil
http://www.integratedalliances.com
Founded in 2003, Integrated Alliances (IA) is a world leader in LinkedIn-related training with classroom workshop education (offline), web-based educational webinars (online) with both public and private sessions plus a rapidly expanding coaching and consulting practice.

Neen James
http://www.neenjames.com
Neen specializes in helping people within organizations to achieve amazing results by improving productivity in every aspect of their operations. Author of several books including Strategic Networking, Network or Perish, How to Run a Home Based Business, as well as many articles, e-zines and audio programs.

Daphne Medik
http://www.dmmcommunication.nl
Marketing communication and sales strategy, training and coaching. Inspiring ideas, practical solutions.

Thomas Power
http://www.ecademy.com
Thomas Power is the founder of ecademy.com. Helping business people thrive is what Ecademy facilitates.

Gerard De Gier
http://www.biocareerevent.nl/page/122
He conducts yearly a large number of training sessions in the fields of networking, creative business thinking (under the heading of “New Ideas on Your Command”), senior management and marketing. He also wrote several books on creative thinking (in collaboration with Professor Roger de Bruijn) and on networking.

Patrick Carney
http://referrals.ducttapemarketing.com/
Patrick Carney is a professional artist, networker, speaker and referral training consultant. He owns the Referral Institute – San Diego. In each of these roles, his focus is showing business professionals how to harness the power of referral marketing.

Jochem Klijn
http://www.netwerken.nl
Jochem Klijn has his own Business Network (www.netwerken.nl), travels throughout The Netherlands giving Network -training, -seminars and -courses and sells his English version eBook and AudioBook all over the world through his website: www.thelawofnetworking.com.

Sabine Tobback
http://www.culturaldetective.com
Sabine founded a training and coaching institute devoted to intercultural management, personal skills, human resources management, and leadership. She has developed programmes on virtual team effectiveness.

Jan Vermeiren
www.networking-coach.com
Originally Jan labeled his way of working “Marketing and Networking Coaching”. Due to the spectacular success of the networking activities, the marketing aspect has disappeared, though it is still Jan’s second passion. Now the company is primarily known under the brand name Networking Coach.

Our next Great Networker in history has received numerous awards including The Margaret Sanger Award, a Nobel Peace Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He is one of only four leaders who have a federal holiday to honor them individually.
A champion of Civil Rights, Martin Luther King, Jr. used his skills as an orator to infuse crowds with passion. He also used his skills as a networker to bring people and organizations together, rallying them around a similar mission. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the original value-based networkers.

Born to Martin Luther King and Alberta Williams in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15, 1959, King was born into a family of speakers. Both King’s father and grandfather were Baptist ministers and skilled orators.

King skipped several grades in elementary and high school, eventually earning his B.A. in Sociology from Morehouse in 1948. After attending Crozer Theological Seminary, King completed his doctoral studies in Systematic Theology at Boston University.
While studying at Boston University, King met Coretta Scott. They began dating and married shortly after graduating in 1953.

In 1955, while King was the pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks ignored the Jim Crow laws and refused to give up her seat to a white man. This action resulted in her arrest and one of the largest movements in American history.

In response, King led the Montgomery Bus Boycott during which the black community refused to ride city busses. Along with leaders such as Fred Grey and Joann Robinson, King organized carpools and fundraisers to make sure the community had transportation. The news that King was arrested for “hindering” a bus brought the movement to national attention. After 382 days, the boycotters succeeded in causing serious economic distress for the city transit system.

In November of 1956, the Supreme Court upheld a federal district court’s ruling that Alabama’s racial segregation laws for busses were unconstitutional.

During this time, King also met Bayard Rustin who counseled King on Mahatma Gandhi- inspired forms of non-violent protest. The two would remain good friends until King’s death.

With assistance from Rustin, Joseph Lowery, Ella Baker, and T.J. Jemison, King founded the SCLC, the Southern Christian Leadership Council. This group would organize marches, boycotts and protests that focused on creating a non-violent and civil community.

Throughout the remainder of the fifties and early sixties, King continued to effectively bring people together to demand basic civil rights for the black community. During this time King, along with the SCLC, Roy Wilkins of the NAACP, Whitney Young, Jr. of the Urban League, and A. Philip Randolph of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, were organizing their largest march yet.

On August 28, 1963, over a quarter million people joined the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.” Once everyone convened at the Lincoln Monument, King delivered one of the finest speeches in American history. It was this day that King uttered the famous words “I Have a Dream.”

Walking off the stage, King was met by John F. Kennedy who shook his hand and repeated back to King “I have a dream.”

In March of 1965, King and the SCLC had organized a march from Selma to the state capital, Montgomery. The first march had to be aborted because of mob and police violence that caused the day to be named Bloody Sunday. To avoid a reoccurrence, King met with Lyndon B. Johnson and attempted to delay the march.

The march carried on anyway and turned out to be a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement, because footage of the police brutality against the protesters was broadcast extensively, arousing national public outrage.

King soon turned his attention to the North. In 1966, King and his family moved to the slums of Chicago. Aided by Ralph Abernathy, King went to educate, support and show empathy for the poor.

He teamed briefly with a seminary student named Jesse Jackson while in Chicago. When King left Chicago, he left Jackson in charge of keeping the Movement alive and progressing.

Shortly after giving his prophetic speech “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top,” King was walking on the balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, when he was shot in the throat. He was pronounced dead at 7:05pm at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Next in our series of Greatest Networkers in History is a cultural icon. Not only does she have the number one rated talk show on television but she also runs two magazines, produces other talk shows, host a radio program and organizes a on-line charitable organization. She has interviewed countless celebrities, presidents and important dignitaries. People Magazine voted her into the top 50 most generous people and Time Magazine has called her the most influential woman of her generation.
Can you guess who it will be.
Check in soon to find out.