Ivan R. Misner Ph.D. - The 29% Solution: 52 Weekly Networking Success Strategies

52 Weekly Networking Success Strategies

IVAN R. MISNER, PhD

and Michelle R. Donovan

Published by Greenleaf Book Group Press
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Austin, TX 78704

Copyright 2008 Ivan R. Misner, PhD

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Michelle Donovans photo by Jason Hewitt
copyright Jason Hewitt
http://www.jasonworx.com

Design and composition by Greenleaf Book Group LLC
Cover design by Greenleaf Book Group LLC

Publishers Cataloging-In-Publication Data
(Prepared by The Donohue Group, Inc.)

Misner, Ivan R., 1956

The 29% solution : 52 weekly networking success strategies / Ivan R. Misner,
with Michelle R. Donovan. -- 1st ed.

p.; cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN: 978-1-929774-84-5

1. Business networks. 2. Success in business. 3. Social networks. 4.
Interpersonal relations. I. Donovan, Michelle R. (Michelle Rose) II. Title.
III. Title: Twenty-nine per cent solution

HD69.S8 M576 2008

650.1/3 2008923310

Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper

13 12 11 10 09 08 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First Edition

(One You Should Really Read!)

WHAT DO SANTA CLAUS, THE EASTER BUNNY , and six degrees of separation have in common? Answer: People all around the world believe in them.

Now, were not going to do an expos on Kris Kringle or the egg-laying rabbit. We dont want to stir up trouble. What we do want is to take issue with the six-degrees thing.

Youve heard that there are six degrees of separation between you and anybody else on earth that you would like to meet. Right?

Amazing, isnt it?

Aint true.

Sorry, we hate to burst your bubble on such a lovely idea, but its one of those urban myths that have grown from a small kernel of truth.

The legend originally stems from several small world experiments conducted by Stanley Milgram in the 60s and 70s. These experiments involved sending letters from a group of people in one part of the country to a specific person (whom they did not know) in another part of the country. The participants were told to get the material to someone who might know someone who would know the individual to whom the material was to be delivered. This process formed a chain of connections linking the people together.

It was, in fact, found that the letters that eventually arrived in the right persons hands took, on average, between five and six connections, or degrees. This part is true; however, if you look closer, you will discover the problems that exist within the blanket statement that we are all connected by six degrees.

First off, though the average number of links for people who got the material to the final contact was five or six connections, the majority of the connections made ranged from two to ten. This means that roughly half took more than six and roughly half less than six. Well, you say, thats the average, and we would agree that theres nothing wrong with addressing this concept by the average, but theres one small problem: the overwhelming majority of people in all of the small world studies never got the material to the intended recipient at all!

In Milgrams most successful study, 217 chains were started and 64 were completeda success rate of only 29%. Thats righta success rate of less than one-third of the participants! This means that 29 percent of the people in Milgrams most successful study were separated on average by six degrees from the final contact person. However, it also means that 71 percent were not connected at all!

But wait, were afraid it gets worse. This was Milgrams most successful study. In another of his studies, only 5 percent of the participants completed the chain, which means that 95 percent of the people in the study never made the link to the person with whom they were to connect at allever!

Dont shoot the messenger, but we must tell you that we are not all connected with everyone in the world by six degrees of separation. Were just not... not all of us. But why would the authors of a book on networking be telling readers about the Achilles heel of this iconic concept upon which a lot of networking pros hang their hats? There are two reasons.

First of all, we believe this myth creates complacency. The thought that everyone is absolutely connected to everyone else on the planet by six degrees gives some people a false expectation, lulling them into the impression that the connection is bound to happen sooner or later, no matter what they do. Second, and most importantly, the studies findings indicate clearly that some people are better connected than others. We believe thats important, because it means that connecting is a skill that can be acquired. With reading, training, and coaching, people can develop their networking skills, increase their connections, and become part of the roughly 29 percent of people who are, in fact, separated from the rest of the world by just six degrees.

With reading, training, and coaching, people can develop their networking skills, increase their connections, and become part of the roughly 29 percent of people who are, in fact, separated from the rest of the world by just six degrees.

Milgrams work was revolutionary, to be sure. It opened up a whole new world of discussion and understanding. It has also, however, been romanticized. The mythical version of his findings does no good for anyone. It gives people a false sense of security and/or an erroneous worldview from a networking standpoint.

We do believe that we live in a small world that is becoming smaller and smaller; we also believe it is possible to be connected to anyone in the world by only six degrees. We just dont believe that we are all connected by six degrees, and Milgrams own findings support that.

The good news in all of this is that it is possible to be part of the 29 percent through education, practice, and training. We can be connected to anyone through the power and potential of networking. In fact, by understanding that, we can set ourselves aside from our competition by knowing that being able to make successful connections is not an entitlement. Instead, it is a skill that only some actually develop.

We believe that you would like to be a part of that 29 percent. Why? Because you want to improve your networking skills, thats why! Its a no-brainer. The smaller the number of phone calls, letters, e-mails, lunches, and road trips between you and someones ideal client somewhere in the world, the more value you bring to your networking partners, and the stronger and more prosperous your business networking becomes.

Thats one reason you need to read this book. Heres another:

A survey of more than 2,200 businesspeople at BNI.com revealed that 87 percent had never had a college course that even mentioned networking. Were not talking about an entire course on the subject (they are outnumbered by unicorns); we mean any course that even brushed on the topic. Yet, in another survey of more than 3,800 businesspeople worldwide, 73 percent said they got most of their business through networking!