Hive Book Bingo Category: A Book With Red On The Cover
Title: Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Black Book of Connections
Author: Jeffrey Gitomer
Published: 2006, Bard Press
Pages: 220
Topics: Non-Fiction, Communication Skills, Networking, Business Relationships
Something a little bit different this time - a book on networking and making connections. I purchased this book about 14 years ago while working on my career. I thought it would give some good tips on how to network effectively (and it did). I found it the other day getting dusty on the shelf and remembered that there were one or two really good tips I took away from it the first time I read it, so decided to do a quick re-read.
The book itself is a small format hardback with a cloth cover and gold embossed text. It feels good and solid in the hand. The pages are of good quality and slightly glossy. There's a thin red ribbon bookmark to keep your place. It was part of a whole series of business books by the author.
The book is aimed at making business connections and sales contacts and this purpose is very strong throughout. That said, most of the points can be applied to consciously building relationships in general and the author does state this at the beginning.
Some of the information is a tiny bit dated for today's world but easily converted to a modern equivalent. For example the emphasis on business cards, telephone numbers and email addresses. Today it would be social media profiles and usernames. You'd likely pull out your smartphones and connect on the spot.
One of the things I took away from the book on the first read was the question "Who can you call at 2am?" Who could you call in a crisis, who can you count on. The reverse is also important - who could call you at 2am? This struck me as a really useful gauge at how well you were doing in life, not just with regards to connecting with people at a business level, but also on an everyday social level. As someone who tends to withdraw, not reach out and not be overly social, it was a good reminder that I need to put in the effort and care for all the relationships in my life to maintain that 2am group. This one little question has really stuck with me over the years.
Another point the book makes is about giving value and helping without expecting anything in return. Rather than trying to connect with people because of what you think they can give you, instead look at what value you can give them. How can you make people better as a result of connecting with you? As the author says, people will remember the value you added, especially if it's personal, and as a result, remember you. It's about flipping the saying on the head - it's not about who you know, it's who knows you.
I can see a lot of value in this being applied to Hive. For example, instead of chasing a Whale asking for a juicy vote, first look at how you can add value to the Whale's experience. This could be as simple as participating in a program or event they're running, or becoming involved in the discussion in their comments section. Don't expect anything from them in return, however by adding value to the Whale's experience you've also added value to your own reputation.
In closing, it was a good little book with a number of useful points. I think it would be a highly useful read for anyone here on Hive, particularly those like myself who find that the social connecting thing doesn't come naturally.
Until next time,
@Sammie
Hive Book Bingo
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My previous Hive Book Bingo posts:
- Introducing Hive Book Bingo
- An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
- A Field Guide To Urban Gardening by Kevin Espiritu
- Junkyard Cats by Faith Hunter
Until next time,
@Sammie
Original content created by @Sammie.