Networking is Like Playing the Piano

           

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 Networking is Like Playing the Piano

 by: Janice Byer, CCVA, MVA

For anyone who has ever read articles I have written or asked me for helpful tips for getting their business up and going, you know that I truly believe that networking is one of the most important aspects to building a successful business. The spoken word has an awesome power for any entrepreneur.

Networking, in relation to running your business, is not just attending events that allow you to meet new contacts and exchange business cards. Networking is any time you talk about your business. Whether you are at a social event and you get the chance to bring up the wonders of being a small business owner or you bump into an old college friend and you swap stories about what has happened in your lives since you last saw each other, anytime you get to tell someone about your business, that is networking and you should jump at the chance.

Even when you chat on the email discussion lists that you belong to and use your signature line, that is networking. There are so many opportunities to network every day.

But (and I am sure some of you can relate to this) the hardest part of networking can be what do I say? How do you let them know the great aspects of your business without over doing it or sounding full of yourself?

Well, there are many contributing factors when it comes to saying just the right thing at just the right time, factors that will influence how well you impress others and whether you leave a positive lasting effect. First and foremost, what are the circumstances of your encounter? Are you at an organized networking event or are you chatting with a friend? More often than not, your attitude and professionalism will be determined by your surroundings.

You will also have to play it by ear at times. You need to get a feel of how much your listener wants to hear. If someone comes right out and asks, What do you do?, dont refrain. This is a perfect opportunity to describe your business. But, there are two things to remember one, dont over talk; and two, give your audience a chance to talk about themselves as well.

However, if you are in a situation where it is not an organized networking event but you get the feeling that mentioning your business would fit into the conversation, then be as reserved as the situation warrants. A social conversation is no the place to ramble on. A quick mention would suffice and, if you notice an interest from the person you are talking to, by all means continue on. But remember to call it quits when you get a feeling it is time to do so.

Regardless of the situation, if you have an opportunity to talk about your business, be sure that one of the first things you mention is the benefits your product of service offers. Sure, your name and the name of your business is important but it is the benefits of your products or service that are going to influence your listener and make the sale.

Also, networking is like playing the piano you get better with time and practice. Everyone feels nervous (to a certain degree) when they visit networking events, whether they are in the start up phase or even after years of running their business. But, the more times you attend them, the easier it will get. You will be able to calculate what you say that has the highest impact on your listener and mould that into the perfect infomercial for your product or service.

Networking is a vital and powerful way to promote your business. So, keep your eyes open for opportunities and fine-tune what you will say and soon you will become a master at convincing others of the benefits of what you have to offer.

Janice Byer is the founder of Docu-Type Administrative & Web Design Services (http://www.docutype.net), a professional Virtual Assistance and Website Design company, specializing in helping small business owners get ahead. She is a certified Canadian Virtual Assistant and Master Virtual Assistant and winner of the Most Successful Start Up 2000 and Home Based Business of the Year 2000 Awards

jbyer@docutype.net

Learn To Play The Piano Better By Learning To Arrange Chords & Chord Progressions

           

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Piano arranging is the process by which you take a written piece of music and rework it with chords, adding new bass accompaniment, fills, or even slightly altering the song's structure. And while it's a process that takes years to truly master, anyone with a basic education in piano and a working knowledge of a few key techniques can create an inventive, satisfying arrangement. It all boils down to one thing: chord recognition. And anyone who plays a little piano can learn piano chords to add excitement to their piano playing.

Most people learn to play the piano by playing just the written music. Playing by written music is exactly what the phrase says it is; playing the exact notation on a piece of sheet music. But playing by chord symbol is a little different. Instead of following the harmony note by note, you follow the chord symbols (i.e. C7 or F) written above the harmonies, filling in the gaps with whatever you want as long as it sticks to those chords. Of course, you'll still read the melody (it is, after all, often what makes the song recognizable) but even that is completely open to interpretation. Playing by chord symbol allows you a freedom that playing by written music simply doesn't. The freedom to create. The freedom to invent. The freedom to arrange chord patterns in the way you want.

Does that mean playing by written music is less important than playing by chord symbol? Absolutely not! The ability to play by written music is an extremely valuable skill, one that even some of the most famous musicians don't possess. And while you don't necessarily need to know the skill backwards and forwards to create great arrangements, it's a tremendous help.

Think about it this way. Some of the most revered modern artists create paintings that look very simple, very rudimentary. But the majority of those artists went to art school for years before they began creating that sort of work. They learned the fundamentals of drawing and painting, of color composition and light; they learned to draw or paint something exactly as it actually looks. Only after they mastered those skills did they move on to create the simple, yet often innovative, work that hangs in galleries and museums; work that still abides by several basic principles. They learned the craft before bringing their imagination into it; after all, you have to understand the rules in order to break them.

So after you have learned the basics of reading piano sheet music, consider learning chords and chord symbols (such as G7, Fm, etc.) and chord progressions. There are many places online where you can learn all about chords; just type in "piano chords" or "chord piano" into your search browser, and you will find several to choose from. When you can both read the written sheet music and then add chords and chord progressions to your piano playing, you have the very best of all musical worlds.

Duane Shinn is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled "Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions- Intelligent Piano Lessons For Adults Only! " with over 84,400 current subscribers.