The Frog and Prince -- book to read

Title	The frog and prince : secrets of positive networking to change your life / by Darcy Rezac with Judy Thomson and Gayle Hallgren.
Published	Vancouver : Frog and Prince Networking Corp., c2003.

1/ you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince

Kiss more frogs: embrace it, enjoy it, give others a chance to meet and know you.

2/ discovering what you can do for someone else, eg introducing friends

3/ introduce yourself by name, always carry business cards and give them out. make it a habit.

if you don't have a job, you really need a business card (meishi in japanese).

the four E's - establish eye contact, extend your hand, exchange business cards, engage in conversation

when you receive a meishi, have a look at it first and say something admiring before filing it away

Three times Ribbit to help remember a person's name, use the person's name 3 times, say their name when you meet them, and find occasions to use it twice later

... and if you forget the name, ask it away ASAP or retreat for now, hope you remember it again, or ask someone else then return

4/ treat everyone as equals

Howard Schultz -- founder of Starbucks

Don't have a friend to bring to a party, then bring a guest to get to know them better

An agreeable companion on a journey is as good as a carriage

networking is an essential business skill, part of your job if you want to be successful, you can't get out of it so get into it

to attack the The Big Sweat, use enthusiasm or join Toastmasters (build confidence)

when you meet a snob, don't take it seriously, lighten up, move on, it's their problem not yours

a word about confidence, "you don't get what you want, you don't get what you deserve, you get what you get" you aren't Bill Gates or Julia Roberts, so don't beat yourself up for what you are not, you are who you are, if you treat people right, you'll be respected, liked and remembered.

5/ Give everyone permission to network, let them in to your network

6/ Learn the positive of asking questions and use it, step outside your comfort zone, Socrates was famous for it.
Put yourself in their place, if you presented something, you would want someone to ask a question about it later, shows their interested, before asking a question at a conference, introduce yourself and remember to speak up