“The striking thing about Andy is that he writes a book on networking that demystifies the process and shows you all the things you know you should be doing - but never really get round to. Then he surprises you by practising what he preaches! ”
Russ King, Product Manager, Monster.com
“Several people were surprised to find out that Andy didn’t work in our sector as he related his knowledge so well and confidently, which was key to getting the audience to buy into his advice. ”
Suzanne Rowse, Director, British Boarding Schools Workshop
“Andy has a can do and flexible attitude and is happy to develop and shape the content in line with the clients changing needs. Feedback from participants on Andy's workshops has been consistently very positive. ”
Una Murphy, Manager BBC Careerlink
“"In the three months since Andy delivered his sessions, I've noticed a clear change in the approach taken by everyone who participated. We have already received a number of referrals as a result." ”
Andy O'Sullivan, Head of Sales - Hospitality, Wembley Stadium
“Andy has successfully elevated networking into more of a strategic arena ...................rather than it just being a "skills" thing. ”
Phil Jesson, Director of Speaker Development Academy for Chief Executives
“Andy is an energetic presenter who quickly captured our audience's attention. The content of his presentation was excellent and fostered lively commentary and questions. We will definitely have Andy back for another session and are looking for other ways to partner with him. ”
Jennifer Rademaker, Head of Strategy Development Europe, MasterCard
“It was the best talk I’ve ever been to. Loved the content, pacing, delivery, structure. Your message was very memorable (imparting that much information can leave listeners forgetting what was said) and you managed the balance between substance, detail and memorability well. ”
Rebecca Aguilar, BBC Worldwide
“It was an absolute pleasure to work with you! Your balance of information, practical interaction and anecdotal evidence was perfect for the delegates – they seemed enthralled! ”
Tracy Johnson, Marketing Services Director, Eventia
“Andy worked with my business partner and me for a number of months as a referral and networking coach. Our business has demonstrably grown due to the new techniques and skills learned through working with Andy. ”
Dan Hall, Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch
“Andy was a guest speaker at one of European Young Professionals networking events in London in 2007. The 400 people who showed up were blown away by Andy's presentation and it was in fact one of the key reasons behind EYP London's early success. ”
Nick Jonsson, Founder, European Young Professionals
“Of all the events I've organised, I have never received so much unsolicited thanks and positive feedback as I did following this. ”
Emma Mortimore Membership Secretary, One Alfred Place
“Andy certainly made a difference on how I normally approach / perceive events such as this. ”
Ann Azzopardi, Category Buying Manager, Pret a Manger
“There are many motivational speakers on the circuit who leave behind them just a short lived glow and then there are the subject matter pragmatic, passionate presenters who can potentially change the long term way their audience thinks or operates. I’d put Andy Lopata in the latter category. ”
Trevor Salomon – Director, Corporate Marketing, IFS

Simply forget 'what's in it for me?'

20th December 11 — andylopata

When I speak to many organisations about their existing referral strategies, many of them complain that they are giving referrals to Partners but receiving nothing back. Others question whether they should pass referrals in one direction as that company many not be able to reciprocate. 

Elizabeth Asquith Bibesco famously said "“Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting.” One of the key principles of successful networking and, I believe, of a successful career or business, is the ability to offer support where you can without thinking about what's in it for you. 

The more you are able to 'pay it forward', the stronger a reputation you will build as a connector and a supporter of others. And as you develop that reputation, people want to do things for you and help you in return. It works, that is precisely how I have built my business. 

I have a simply approach, if it's easy for me to do something for you and that something makes a positive difference to you, I will be happy to do so. What's more, I will enjoy doing so.

And funnily enough, good things seem to happen to me in return. It just may not come directly back from you. 

This video puts a similar thought very well: 

Return to blog

Comments

20th December 11 — Carol Dodsley (not verified)

Great blog Andy and the video

Great blog Andy and the video is absolutely beautiful, thoughtful and inspiring ........ I regularly get asked why I give so much and told I should stop giving and focus purely on monetizing everything I do instead, but the giving comes from my heart and is who I am ----

I love to add value and help people to move forward and achieve their visions in life and find that a simple thing like sharing someones post on Facebook, about how they can help others, retweeting a message to others, showing someone how to click a button they have been searching for for ages, sharing inspiration and collaborating with others - is what it is all about and what makes the world a better place for us all too.

Far too many people refuse to give just because and are always looking for the "whats in it for me if I give you something (like a referral) , but forget that when someone receives their gift of a referral they will in all likelihood give back in the future (and if they don't then someone else will just like in the video you have shared)

When you give - it makes others and you feel good - when others give it makes them and others feel good too. It's pretty much a win win for everyone when you give just because ...... :)

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

More information about formatting options

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

By posting a message, you accept that your message and other personal details about you will be analyzed and stored for anti-spam and quality monitoring purposes, in accordance with Mollom's privacy policy. For more details see our privacy policy.