Bio: Bob Burg is an entrepreneur, highly regarded conference speaker, and author/coauthor of a number of books with combined sales of well over one million copies.

They include Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts into Sales, as well as (coauthored with John David Mann), The Go-Giver, Go-Givers Sell More, and the recently released, The Go-Giver Leader.

Connect with Burg and subscribe to his Influence & Success Insights at www.burg.com.

Location: Jupiter, FL

Current Role: Speaker/Author, Burg Communications

Why do you network?

To me, networking is both the most pleasant and most productive way to build a business. It’s important, however, to define networking correctly because if seen as the stereotypical “slick-talking hustler just handing out business cards and soliciting business” parody that far too many think it is, well, that’s not productive at all. And, it’s very incorrect.

My personal definition of networking is: “The cultivating of mutually beneficial, GIVE and take, win/win relationships.”

And the emphasis is on the “give” aspect. When networking correctly, with a focus on the other person, this is how great relationships start.

How has networking changed?

While technology has provided additional ways to connect and build relationships, the basic core principles remain the same.

The person who networks by continually asking themselves, “how can I add value to this person’s life?”…that’s the person who networks successfully. That has never changed, and I don’t believe it ever will.

What is your networking philosophy?

“All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like, and trust.”

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received about networking or business relationships?

In terms of networking itself it was to not concern myself with immediately doing business with the people I meet but simply finding ways to connect with them, and look for ways to add value to them.

In terms of the best business advice I ever received, it was 35 years ago and a wise man at the company where I worked as a salesperson said, “Burg, if you want to make a lot of money in sales, then don’t have making money as your target. Your target is serving others. When you hit the target you’ll get a reward. That reward will be money and you can do with that money whatever you’d like. But always remember that the money is only the reward, not the target itself. The target is serving others.”

Wise advice. Focus on providing value, and communicating that value as that person understands it to be of value, and the sale (and resulting referrals) is much more likely. This is also why we say that, “Money is an echo of value.”

How do you start building trust with key people in your network?

You build trust when everything you say and everything you do effectively communicates to that person that you have their best interests at heart. It’s why we say – in The Go-Giver – that your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.

There is no faster or more powerful way to elicit the feelings of know, like, and trust toward you than to be genuinely and authentically “other-focused.”

Can you recall a “magical networking” moment that had a major impact on your life or career?

I’d been networking with a gentleman; a very influential center of influence, always looking for ways to provide and add value to him, including referring his excellent services to others.

At one point, when I asked him for direction and guidance regarding a huge company I was looking to obtain as a client, it turned out he had worked with them before and he personally introduced me to the decision-maker.

It turned out to be a very lucrative client. This was a direct result of networking.

What apps, software, tools and/or social media sites do you use to grow and nurture your network?

Twitter and Facebook are the two social media platforms I use most. I’m beginning to be more active on LinkedIn. Social media in fantastic in the way it allows us to connect with others in a much easier way, and be able to build deep relationships with.

Yes, you can absolutely build fantastic business relationships via social media. Just always remember that it’s not the computer that they need to know, like, and trust, but the person at the computer.

In other words, it’s still about focusing on them, and providing value to them.

What networking habits do you wish you would have started earlier in your career?

Like many people, when I first attempted to network, I was much too self-focused. Fortunately, another great teacher came along and set me on a much better path.