Short description:

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.

Long description:

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.

Praise for Well Connected

"Is it time to develop your personal networking strategy? Learning the nuances of networking isn't easy. Read Well Connected and get ahead of the competition!" Marshall Goldsmith, best-selling author, Mojo and What Got You Here Won't Get You There

"Your network is your net worth. It is your greatest 'enabler.' Well Connected gives you a clear strategy and solid how-to's to build your ultimate business network. This book will challenge how you see networking and how you can go about building relationships. Read this and get connected." Tim Sanders, author, Love Is the Killer App: How To Win Business& Influence Friends

"Today's world demands that executives manage their time more efficiently than ever before. Well Connected provides sophisticated business leaders andnovices a unique and refreshingly actionable approach to minimize time spent while maximizing effective networking. Readers will build better businessconnections with the right people after unlocking Curtis's code and followinghis breakthrough framework." Cameron Brown, president, King Fish Media, LLC

"Well Connected teaches the art of connecting with the right people. Frompersonal experience I can tell you Curtis has a gift for this and in this book he shows you how to do it!" Bill Ghormley, senior vice president of business development, Xconomy

"Networking is a practice that requires personal transformation to be good at and Gordon will teach you how to master it in this groundbreaking book." Louis Carter, founder and CEO, Best Practice Institute

Table of Contents:

1 Redefining Networking for the Twenty-First Century 1

2 Prep Work: Rethinking Your Networking Strategy 22

3 Articulating Your Objective 52

4 The Right Person: Identifying Your Critical Enabler 73

5 The Referral: Landing an Introduction to a Critical Enabler 92

6 The Right Approach: Providing Value to Your Critical Enabler 111

7 The Right Person: Selecting a Critical Enabler Who Is Inclined, Available, and Like-Minded 151

8 Putting It All Together 170

9 Conclusion: Using the Right Person Right Approach Method to Gain Clarity, Control, and Confidence 201

Acknowledgments 215

About the Author 219

Index 221