So what did he do to create trust so  quickly. Here is an overview of his philosophy:

1. Talk more about “who” you are and “what” you stand for rather than “what you do” Christian began by very quickly telling me what matters most to him–his children, helping kids who are disadvantaged getting books and learning to read, getting healthy (he wants to keep to his established exercise schedule and forming an alliance network of people who have similar and complementary values and skills
2. Asked what mattered most to me. In Networlding we call it “The Exchange.” It’s not about just giving. Givers end up actually with less than they intended usually. It’s also certainly not just about taking. Takers end up with lots of connections but poor or mediocre opportunities on an ongoing basis. Exchangers get the most out of their work by spending time exploring “mutually beneficial” opportunities. It’s not an easy thing to do but the results are so much more effective. So when Christian asked me what my five top goals are this year, we were then able to talk about our mutual synergies–where we could work together and where we might refer or introduce one another.
3. Deliver a “WOW” offer. I will never forget our first meeting as Christian’s “WOW” offer was to give back what he calls his 10X. Take a look at his social networking article on this offer that he has now turned into a signature offer of his that differentiates him greatly from thousands of others I have met.

What signature offer have you created to differentiate yourself from others? How can you both make a living AND make a difference? Who do you know who has made a WOW gift to you like Christian did?

STEP NUMBER 1:

Create Your Values Foundation.

We all have values, but what are your top four and, if you can, what are they in level of priority?

Carol had been what we call in Networlding “baseline networking” for years. She was at the top of her game working as Director of HR for a large organization. However, the long hours and an intense travel schedule left Carol feeling that her personal life lacked balance. From layoffs and career changes to being sought out for competitive executive positions, Carol had been through all of the ups and downs of corporate life.

As she began thinking about what she wanted her future to look like she thought more about her childhood dream of being a physiologist. Carol appreciated valued-based business and aspired to start an individual psychology practice of her own.

With these goals in mind Carol took the first step in Networlding and identified her top four values:

• Spirituality
• Connection
• Making a difference
• Achievement

With these values in mind, Carol decided to leave her six-figure salary and return to graduate school. By understanding her values Carol will not lose sight of them through her process. With her values in mind she is more apt to meet others with similar values and build a network of people around her that will help maintain these values. She will also vocalize her values more often and make requests to be introduced to people who hold similar and complimentary values.

Following is an overview of these tools:

Website Grader – Useful tool for measuring the marketing effectiveness of your
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MarketingProfs – A great resource for case studies, insights, and best practices from
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HubSpot Internet Marketing Blog – Articles about business strategy and inbound Internet
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CrowdSpring – A site offering custom designs that you choose from actual custom designs, not bids. The average project gets
a whopping 80 entries. They have a money back guarantee
25 entries or a full refund, including the small fee for the services. The site boast over 46,000 creatives.

Zmags – The next generation in online publishing. The site is great. Take a look at my ZMag! For more information, view the zmags blog.

What do you think? What are your top ten or fewer favorites of the year?

I. Chapter One – November 11, 2011.  Reminiscing about our beginning days in the Innovation Center that opened the year before on October 10, 2010…  What did we set out to accomplish?  What were our motivations?  What resistance did we encounter?  Who encouraged us?  What people were instrumental to our early success?  What role did networlding play? What was it about the Innovation Center concept that truly caught people’s interest and passion?  How did we leverage outside ideas and our blogosphere community to help enhance our vision and accelerate our progress?

II. Chapter Two – A day in the life of the center as it is “today” (11-11-11) – The user experience.  What are the key differentiating attributes of the user experience?  How are people using the Center?  What value are they generating/receiving?  What makes the Center so successful?  How has this changed over the last year?

III. Chapter Three – Opening Day October 10, 2010.  What did the beginning structure look like the day it opened?  Did we have all 30 kiosks in there?  What was our business and revenue model?  What initial mistakes did we make? What fortuitous events helped make it happen?  What was the initial public reaction?  What near-disasters did we finesse?

IV. Chapter Four – The first week.  What happened during that first week of the center being opened?  What did we learn?  What did we commit to fix?  How did it change our assumptions or operating models?  What would we have done differently from the beginning of only we’d known…

V. Chapter Five – The early months.  What happened within the first 90 days?  What were our first 3 major initiatives?  How were they germinated?   how did we get them to the stage of moving to engagement with design engineers from a couple of the companies in the center (check out www.inventright.com or www.edisonnation.com for examples of companies).  Who were our first corporate sponsors?  What made them decide to participate?

VI. Chapter Six – Crisis!  What unexpected event happened ~ 4-6 months later that nearly caused the Center to collapse?  (A little dramatic effect that occurs in every good story…)  How did we rescue it?  What help did we get from an entirely unexpected source?  What sacrifices were we forced to make that turned out to pay huge dividends later?  What seemingly unrelated sub-plot first mentioned in the prologue and carried along at a low level of intensity in Chapters I-V suddenly emerges as an unexpected, vital component of our success?

VII. Chapter Seven – The Center – 2nd Generation.  How did the Center emerge better, stronger and with more innovative impact as a result of the events in Chapter Five?  How did we know that the Center was now completely out of danger and would be an extraordinary success?

VIII. Chapter Eight – Events in the Center.  What kinds of things went on during that first year – especially those that could only have taken place in the unique environment of the Center?

IX. Chapter Nine – Impact of the Center.  What tangible, measurable results has the Center produced in its first year?  What additional kinds of activities are there underway that will yield even greater impacts an dividends.  Where did we create unexpected value?  What didn’t we expect that happened?

X. Chapter Ten – What’s Next?  Having spent the first nine chapters in reflection mode, now we pivot and look to the future.  Sister Centers are now in various stages of opening in San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, London, Prague and Milan.  Interest has been expressed from unexpected sources – DARPA, DOE and other leading-edge US government agencies want to develop a similar concept to help drive early-stage innovation on government projects.  NASA wants to build a Center dedicated to establishing a manned base on Mars.  The World Bank and Gates Foundation want to fund the establishment of local Innovation Centers across Africa to help foster self-help solutions to the daunting problems of Aids, energy, food and tribal feuding — from the same people that these challenges affect the most.

———————————————————–
So, beginning with Chapter One, what ten companies do you think should be part of the center?  Would you choose any of the companies from this list of the twenty-five most innovative companies identified most recently by Business Week? Who would be your ten and why? Please comment and get your colleagues to comment. We’ll let the majority rule and off we go! Check out Business Week’s 50 Most Innovative Company list for 2009 to help with your choices.

Anyway, Chris has come out with a new book called Trust Agents. It’s all about the power of social networking. With many case studies and loads of practical advice Chris offers his readers more insights into what it takes to create trust and influence in the “Age of the Network.”

But let’s focus on how Chris is faring with his marketing using social networking and following what we would say at Networlding are great relationship-building strategies. What does this look like? Twitter, Facebook and blogs mostly. LinkedIn has to be next.

So what do the numbers look ike early on?

He has started adding elements of Trust Agents to his speeches and has also sent out email blasts.

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,104 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories:
#49 in Books > Computers & Internet > Business & Culture > Manager’s Guides to Computing
#60 in Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Systems & Planning

What’s interesting is that Chris posted these stats this morning and, now, by the end of the day his book is now gone up in its ranking to 15,000. Nice climb in hours!

So this book that is all about the power of social networking is showing in its marketing efforts in one day the power of the network. Network thinking become network actions and network actions create real outcomes such as increased revenues and more powerful way of creating brand adoption.

Congratulations Chris!

Note Chris. Other terms to add to your social networking lexicon:

1. Link Boosting: It’s what my friend and top Chicago food blogger, Laura Hansen, at www.bestofthebestdiningchicago.com calls it when you boost someone else through your words, written or otherwise. How often do you Link Boost!
2. Transference of Trust: What happens when you have influence and you refer someone you know to someone else who does not know the person you know.
3. Peripheral Talk: What happens when you talk to someone and then add in other commentary and side topics to see if the person your talking to can keep up with you and broaden the opportunities you co-explore to add in new one quickly. Being able to interject peripheral talk into your social network enables you to create more opportunities for yourself and others more rapidly. It’s like “Pop-Up” bubbles that emerge on channels such as AMC. I really love watching movies with those bubbles but some people hate them.

Many people who don’t really understand the power of networks and Networlding get insight when I share with them that Oprah has built a great Networld. When Malcolm Gladwell wrote The Tipping Point he referenced the scientific reality that we can’t communicate with more than 15 people regularly at any one time.

In Networlding I make it even more simple for building a network by taking that network down to ten people and referring to it as a your “Power-of-Ten” Circle. Sociologists (which I am one) refer to this circle as your “primary circle.” So to bring your Power-of-Ten Circle to life think of Oprah and her circle. Who would be in that circle or alliance network? How about:

1. Suzie Orman - financial sage and the author of nine books, including her latest, Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan
2. Nate Berkus – Nate Berkus is a featured design expert for The Oprah Winfrey Show and a regular contributor to the pages of O at Home.
3. Lisa Kogan – 40 something columnist for Oprah’s magazine.
4. Dr. Maya Angelou - hailed as a remarkable Renaissance woman, a beloved poet and best-selling author, Dr. Angelou has the unique ability to captivate listeners through the vigor and sheer beauty of her lyrics and words.
5. Dr. Katz – nationally renowned authority on nutrition and chronic disease prevention and columnist—is here to help you digest it all. O, The Oprah Magazine
6. Adam Glassman – the creative director of O, The Oprah Magazine tells you what your best friends won’t. Adam fields questions from readers on everything from age-appropriate clothing to how to be comfortable and still look great during a long airplane flight.
7. Martha Beck – life coach and O, The Oprah Magazine columnist Martha Beck has the blueprint to stress-free living.
8. Bob Greene - Bob Greene is an exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer specializing in fitness, metabolism and weight loss.
9. Dr. Oz - Dr. Oz is the health expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show. He is chief medical consultant to Discovery Communications and has hosted several shows, including Second Opinion with Dr. Oz and Life Line.
10. John St. Augustine - He is the author of Living an Uncommon Life: Essential Lessons from 21 Extraordinary People and a sought-after speaker on human potential and purpose. Now, John’s hosting his own show on Oprah Radio, interviewing some of the world’s most influential thinkers, leaders and experts on personal empowerment. (Networlding Note: John was connected to Oprah through someone from Networlding and that is how he made the great connection. He is one of my favorite people and the best talk show host. I met John years ago when I was on his radio show after writing Angels in the Workplace).

Of course there are others, but realistically there is still the phenomenon that exists in the science of networks called “The Law of the Few” which essentially states that it will be the few people you know that will really make the difference in your life. Gladwell refers to people as “sales people,” “mavens” and “connectors.” In Networlding I say that people can have all three abilities. When they do I call them “Networlders.” Also, note that I believe people can also learn and build these skills. Of course some people won’t be as good as others but then they can always surround themselves with a Power-of-Ten Network or Networld as Oprah has.

Playing out this real power network even further by folding into it the element of values-based networking, you don’t have to wonder too much whether the above ten people in Oprah’s network have similar and complimentary values which is what I have found is needed to leverage a successful network. From what I know of the above ten they are all true leaders and create additional value by being part of Oprah’s network and vice versa.

So now ask yourself who should be in your Power-of-Ten Circle? Want to start a circle yourself? Email us at info@networlding.com and we’ll help you get started.

Contact: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Melissa Giovagnoli
President, Networlding, Inc.
312-421-4213

March 2, 2009 (CHICAGO) – Social media and networking guru, Melissa Giovagnoli, plans to add another book to her roster of 11 published works including four best-sellers, but this time she’s looking for your help. The “Could You Be The Third Author?“ contest seeks out the best and brightest among public relations experts and speakers to join Giovagnoli and visual design expert Kerry LaCoste in co-authoring what’s sure to be another best seller.

Giovagnoli’s twelfth book, “101 Ways to Better Social Networking,” focuses on the merging of media with the internet and social networking, as well as with other technologies and fields like television, music, and entertainment. The “Could You Be The Third Author?” contest seeks social media or online public relations experts with highly successful track records, and who may have spoken publicly on the topic of social networking and social media but have yet to publish their own book.

“I truly believe in the benefits of collaboration, and working with someone else who really understands social networking will only add more value for readers,” said Melissa Giovagnoli, president of Networlding. “Plus, it’s great for the person who co-authors the book. Being a published author really makes a difference for someone’s business, not just financially, but also socially and emotionally.”

For more than a decade, Giovagnoli has coached hundreds of successful professionals and executives helping them publish and market their own books. LaCoste, a sixteen-year creative director and designer specializing in corporate communications, has experience in all aspects of graphic design and production, including annual reports, branding and positioning, promotional campaigns, and more. He founded LaCoste Design, Inc., a communications design firm, in 2005.

If you are interested in achieving author status, email info@networlding.com no more than a one-page list of reasons why you think you should be the third author for “101 Ways to Better Social Networking.” All entries must be submitted by March 20. The winner will be announced on March 30, and will receive 30% of the book’s net revenues.

About Melissa Giovagnoli

Melissa Giovagnoli is a social networking guru, keynote speaker and bestselling author, who founded Networlding in 2000, based on her seventh book on the science and practice of social networking. Networlding is a marketing and management consulting firm helping individuals and organizations achieve a “network effect” in their marketing, communications or sales initiatives.

Networlding conducts extensive research on the best strategies for utilizing social media to reduce costs and increase top-line profits. Her team of both corporate and Entrepreneurial leaders delivers world-class solutions to companies large and small, including AT&T, Disney, UBS, Motorola and Hewitt as well as hundreds of entrepreneurial organizations.

Giovagnoli has published 11 books, including best-sellers Networlding: Building Relationships and Opportunities for Success, and The Power of Two: Rethinking and Reforming Strategic Alliances; The Chicago Entrepreneurs Sourcebook, rated one of the top 10 small business books in Chicago; 75 Cage Rattling Questions that Change the Way You Work; Another one of her books was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She is a frequently sought-after speaker on the topic of social media and social networking, and has appeared as a guest on WGN, CNBC, and the Today Show and was named “Outstanding Woman of the Decade Award” by The University of Chicago Women’s Business Advisory Council.

#

Like all businesses, social networks will soon have to confront the balance sheets. However, if they can weather the economic storm, the future could be extremely prosperous. The real social networking boom may still happen.

By Dave Lee, Technology reporter, BBC News

Click Here for more.

I believe that if social networks continue to build the audience and create useful ways for their members to give information and get information, the dollars will follow.

Michael J. Wolf is a former president and chief operating officer of MTV Networks.

Click Here for more.

My bottomline is that social networking is a trend that is going to evolve for years, not a fad that will end anytime soon. The real trick is focusing on creating One-Degree or Two-Degree relationships grounded in trust with qualified prospects. Whether you have an organization in the B-to-C or B-to-B space you can grow larger networks than ever before much faster as you collapse what used to be more of a Tertiary Network of loose ties. Monetizing those relationships is just a conversation or two away than five or six or even seven cold calls.

Melissa Giovagnoli
CEO, Networlding

I do call a lot of us in this country “consumptionholics.” I also found myself playing this role at times. But not today. Not this month. Not in the near future.

What would you do? If you don’t have an answer I’ll give you some of my own.  For those executive at AIG and, in fact anyone who gets a bonus this year, think of giving some to those in need. There are so many food pantries that need extra food. There are so many children who need clothing. There are so many places to volunteer.

And if for some reason the bonus monies have not left the corporate coffers yet . . . stop. Don’t give out bonuses for “retaining top talent.” As one of my colleagues said, “Why would these companies be afraid that these people will go elsewhere? Where is there to go? Who is hiring?”

So, Tom Peters. I’ve watched you over the years. I always said I would like to be more like you. I appreciate your thoughtfulness in this time and there is no question you have a great heart. Now, even though this economic bust has already occurred, please continue to use your influence next year to help people wake up and walk out on the craziness that this year has seen. Keep promoting the idea of giving and social responsibility–especially to companies that don’t seem to get that consumers CARE what goes on inside the corporate walls–between cubicles and departments and inside and outside of boardrooms. Keep promoting strategies that show companies how to “do well by doing good.”

In the end, the more people who speak out against greed like you have done the better off we will all be. Thanks Tom.

If your job depends on making business decisions based on analysis of unstructured data, you probably thought immediately of SAS, the leader in business analytics. And once you connect with this company in one way or another–by visiting their web site or blogs, talking with them by phone or reading one of the many articles written about their award-winning corporate culture, the company and its employees will stand out in your memory.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing David B. Thomas, SAS’s new social media manager. I was connected to Dave by Steve Polilli (a cool 6 degrees story) when I put up a blog post a week or so ago on the organization. Within 3 minutes I received an email from Steve thanking me for showcasing the company’s socially responsible initiatives and asking if I would be interested in interviewing Dave. Of course I said yes and below you can find answers to several questions I had as to their online user experience. I hope you enjoy it as much as I had fun interviewing Dave.

What three things would you want people to have done to optimize their user experience on your site(s)?

First, take a look at our blogs at blogs.sas.com and see the collection of thought leaders we have writing about the big issues in healthcare, banking and risk, performance management, business intelligence and business analytics, and more.

Second, take a look at our customer success stories and videos and see how companies and organizations partner with SAS. No matter what industry or field someone is in, they will probably see a company with similar goals and challenges who has used SAS software to accomplish their goals.

Third, visit not only www.sas.com but some of our affiliated sites, like http://support.sas.com and www.sascommunity.org , a collaborative online community of SAS users worldwide. You’ll get an immediate understanding of how much our users love and value our software. They are our best brand ambassadors.

Let’s focus on the your users. What do they look like?

You’ll find SAS users and evangelists at all levels of an organization. They could be a CMO talking about how SAS software helps them meet their marketing goals, a CFO talking about how SAS helps them make money in a difficult economy or a CIO, IS or IT manager, a statistician or analyst or a programmer talking about how SAS software helps the people on their team get their jobs done faster or more efficiently.

What brought you to this position?

I’ve been in marketing communications in the technology industry for about 13 years, and a professional communicator for the past 20. I started with SAS in May 2007 in the corporate public relations group, supporting our overall corporate message and working with journalists who wanted to know more about our corporate culture and the company as a whole. If people don’t know anything else about SAS they know we are a great place to work.

We’ve been listed on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in America since the list began. We had onsite daycare beginning in 1981, for instance. We have an onsite health care center providing primary medical care free of charge to employees and covered dependents. We also have a 66,000 square-foot recreation and fitness center, miles of walking trails, onsite massage therapy and yoga, personal trainers and more.
Jim Goodnight, our founder, started the company in 1976. He has always said that if you treat employees as though they make a difference, they will make a difference. That philosophy permeates everything we do.
How does having a great workplace translate to growing a successful business? There is a feeling of dedication to the customer I have not seen anywhere else. It is a very positive working environment. People come in and write better software and treat customers better as a result.

What’s one thing you would like to see happen going forward?

I would like to see SAS employees contributing more than they already do in the many places on the web where the people are talking about SAS. I would like our employees to get involved in the conversation and provide insight and support. Some are doing that now. I would like to see it become even more widespread. Our employees are so passionate about the company and the software, and so knowledgeable, that the more they get out and communicate the more people we can reach and assist and impress.

What are you doing to get people more involved?

We’re working on a company-wide communications plan to let people know how they can – and should – be communicating in Web 2.0 and social media channels. We’ll be sharing our guidelines and recommendations and then encouraging them to get out and communicate.
If there is one thing–the 20% that a company can do to yield an 80% return to create a great online user experience, what would that be? Make sure you have great content and make it easy for people to get. It doesn’t do you any good to have a great white paper on your web site if no one can find it. Have a presence in the places on the web where your customers and prospects are already interacting.
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To me, the bottom line with SAS is that because they have taken time and have accomplished developing great people they created a wealth of human and social capital and now are mobilizing that capital, encouraging further investment through online communities and dynamic conversations. Stay tuned for Dave’s new external blog.