Well Connected

Book excerpt: Achieve your goals by selectively engaging the right people and connecting well with them Smart executives who want to reach virtually any business goal-from raising capital to finding sales leads to finding the perfect job-know that networking is the key to their success. But traditional networking approaches-meet as many people as possible, amass huge numbers of "connections" and "friends" in your LinkedIn and Facebook networks-rarely produce more than a handful of relationships that pay off. In Well-Connected, networking maven and coach Gordon Curtis explains that the secret to building truly effective relationships is to narrow--rather than widen--your network. His proven methodology for building key relationships that deliver results every time emphasizes selectively engaging the right people and connecting with them well : First, identify a "critical enabler," someone who has access to the knowledge you need and is inclined to help you; second, unlock the critical enabler's willingness and ability to provide what you need by offering her something valuable before you ask her or him for anything. Well-Connected reveals a breakthrough approach to networking that delivers predictable, positive results Filled with success stories, the book provides an accessible action plan for all readers Networking maven Gordon Curtis has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Sunday Globe, Fast Company Magazine Well-Connected serves as the playbook for sophisticated business people who know there's a better way to connect with the right people to get things done better and faster.