Networking: Truth or Delusion by Martin Arnold

Do you really understand what networking is all about? Take this truth or delusion test to find out.

Anyone in business knows about the value of networking. While the word itself is overused, until a better term comes along, networking defines a valuable tool for business and personal success.

Expert in networking Dr. Ivan Misner, founder of BNI, the world’s largest and most successful networking organization, writes about the many delusions that surround the subject.

Label each one of Mark Misner’s 10 statements below “truth” or “delusion, and see the bottom for how well you did.

1. Networking is a fad.

2. If you provide good customer service people will refer business to you.

3. Word-of-mouth advertising is always working.

4. The best way to ensure referral success is to follow the Golden Rule: treat your referral source the way you would like to be treated.

5. It’s best to limit the number and types of networking groups to which you belong.

6. When you give referrals to others, you can expect them to give you referrals to you.

7. When one of your business relationships passes you a referral that means the prospect is ready to hear a presentation on your product or service.

8. If you join groups and organizations and become active, the members will get to know you and refer business to you.

9. It’s not what you know, but who you know.

10. You can network at any time, even at a funeral.

Top 5 Myths of PR by Tori Brown

It seems like people always have an excuse on why not to do PR. So we’ve taken the top “five” biggest myths- and debunked them all.

1. Only the connected get press
This is probably the most common misconception in PR. Yes, it certainly helps to know an editor or producer, but a big part of successful PR is timing, rather than connections. It’s much easier to piggyback your publicity on events that are already happening and attracting media attention, be it a holiday, event, or news story, rather than trying to create “news” and generate interest. You should work to cultivate relationships with the media, so that over time, they’ll come to you when a story breaks.

2. Money buys media attention
PR is actually very cost-efficient, especially compared to other marketing activities, like advertising, since you don’t pay a media outlet for PR placement. It is true that some PR-related activities, like events, can get a bit pricey. Yet an event may generate interest from media outlets that you couldn’t afford to advertise in so in the end you can come out ahead.

Marketing Myths By Melissa Wall

We are all subjected to multiple marketing messages during a day and everyone has an opinion about advertising. But does that make everyone a marketing expert? Marketing is not just about advertising. Advertising is only one component of the promotional toolkit and promotion is only one of the four “Ps”…. product, pricing and place being the other three. All have significant bearing on a successful marketing program.

This is marketing 101 to professional marketers but many business owners do not understand the scope and process of marketing. Here are some common statements:

1. “I want to build a brand”. Brand building takes heavy dollar investments. It can’t be done on a shoestring budget or talked about in the same breath as guerilla marketing. Think Procter and Gamble, Nike, Monster. Think millions. Think consistency and long–term.