In 2012, Keystone Search Partner Marcia Ballinger and researcher Nathan Perez wrote a book called “The 20-Minute Networking Meeting” that has become a great tool for anyone interested in becoming a more efficient and effective networker. Last October I posted a short blog on my web site summarizing key recommendations from this book, and I am expanding on that blog this month. A few weeks ago, I heard Marcia present at an executive forum, and would like to now share some of her latest thinking on networking.
For the past year I have been giving a copy of this book to each of my new clients, and several other career transition firms are doing the same. If you don’t own this book, I suggest you buy it now and use it for both the shorter and longer versions of your networking meetings. Try some experiments where you stick firmly to the “20-minute rule”, and if your circumstances allow more time, you can use the same format and principles and expand the session. It works very well either way. Read more…