Many people who have loads of talent and are conscientious and hard-working, but who never achieve recognition.

What they are lacking is charisma. And yet, it’s so easy, with the right body language, to be charismatic. Charismatic people are always classy networkers and communicators.

“To make an impact you must learn how to project yourself with confidence”, says Karl Smith – founder of Business Networking South Africa.

“I didn’t get any orders”, “there were no useful leads”, “no-one in the room was interested in my products or services” are typical outbursts. The reason for this disappointment is that they are fundamentally failing to understand what networking is – and what it is not.

Networking is not a contrived Meet The Buyer session and no-one has conveniently assembled a group of warmed buyers for an event or function. “So many of us experience networking as selling, when that is a criminal way to use the first few moments of our time with one another” says Karl Smith author and founder of Business Networking South Africa.

Eight Rules of Thumb Not to Ruin Your Personal Brand at The Company Holiday Party

With the holidays approaching fast, it’s about that time when you’ll receive an invite to the office holiday party. Combine frazzled nerves with personality clashes and then add a dash (or two) of alcohol and you may well have the recipe for disaster.  One misstep can make you the talk of the office for months to come.

Living your personal brand means that you represent yourself – with personality and character – no matter where you are or what you’re doing. People know what to expect from you because you are consistent, confident and clear. Make a wrong move and you could be facing career suicide.

It’s that time of year again, the holiday season! Besides focusing on all things holiday-related, there is something else you should be doing too – networking.

Both parties for relatives and work are great places to meet people. Using the tips in this article, you can get yourself looking more polished, in better standing with your connections, and on the right path to personal success just in time for the New Year.

Avoid avoidance. Relationships are critical in business and open doors to opportunities. Networking, at its soul, is about creating relationships that grow over time and lead to personal growth, business collaborations and opportunities, and sometimes even lifelong friendships. Commit to networking as part of your road to success. Avoid avoidance; accept those invitations.

Networking is an essential skill for most business people, but especially for financial and other service professional.

Meeting with like-minded individuals can be a key source of information and support as it allows you to compare and discuss a wide range of common issues, from legal and regulatory developments, to employment matters, supplier contacts and clients services.

“By becoming an established and regular networker, you can propel your business onto the radar of other companies and industry figures”, says Karl Smith - founder of Business Networking South Africa.

Our two eyes are intended to be used for far more than the routine and passive viewing of objects, people and events.

“Making eye contact and smiling is probably the number one success strategy for initiating contact with someone”, says Karl Smith, author and founder of Business Networking South Africa. If in a business or private setting, this behaviour is a proven way to start successful conversations. Eye contact is commonly considered a sign of self-confidence and a means for emotional connection.

One of several popular definitions defines it as “meeting of the eyes between two people expresses meaningful non-verbal communication”. Besides touch, eye contact is the most powerful way of delivering personal cues. They play a critical and indispensable role in effective communication practices, building productive relationships and in proving one's ability as a leader

Co-founder of Angel Wings Aviation, Masithokoze Moyo-Thompson, now based in Manchester (UK) and Karl Smith, founder of Business Networking South Africa, first met a few years ago in Gauteng where he was a guest speaker.  “Our connection and relationship is truly a networking success story. I am humbled and honoured to share in the joy of Masithokoze Moyo-Thompson and her husband Gerry Thompson” said Karl.

Tap into the Old boys' Network Rules: Women and the Boardroom

The role of women on boards continues to evolve, as have all other leadership roles for women in business. We know that boards have not been historically women-friendly and the numbers of women on corporate boards are still incredibility low despite the strong correlation between diversity of thought and company performance. Fewer than 10% of the world's top 300 companies' board members and directors are women, according to a recent study conducted by Ricol Lasteyrie and Associates.

In today's corporate climate of increased scrutiny of board governance, boards of directors are being held more accountable than ever. Composition is being closely watched and CEOs and directors are frequently broadening their search for new board members to include women and minorities.

Companies that fish in only half of the talent pool will lose out to those that cast their net more widely. There is also evidence that mixed boards make better decisions than monolithically male ones do. When a board includes a variety of viewpoints and attitudes, the boss's bad ideas are more likely to be challenged.

Finding a job in today’s economy can be tough, yet many job seekers underestimate the importance of networking in the job-hunting process.

So Why is networking the best way to find a job?

• People do business primarily with people they know, like and trust. Rėsumės and cover letters alone are often too impersonal to convince employers to hire you.
• Job listings in newspapers and other media tend to draw piles of applicants, which puts you in intense competition with many others. Networking makes you a recommended member of a much smaller pool.
• The job you want may not be advertised at all. Hiring is always a roll of the dice, but an employer can tilt the odds in his favour by interviewing people recommended by trusted friends or associates. Networking leads to information and job leads, often before a formal job description is created or a job announced.

Job-hunters take a lot of flack on their networking prowess, usually for one of these reasons:

• They don’t network until they need a job.
• When they network, they immediately ask for job-search help.
• They request introductions from people they’re meeting for the first time.

“Don’t assume that because you’re in the job market, you’re stuck on the receiving end of the networking-assistance equation”, Smith cautions.  A common and understandable belief about job-seeking networkers is this: of course I want to talk about my job search, at every chance I get. I need a job!

The fact is that networking never works when it’s me-focused. Needing a job is a tough spot to be in, but virtually every networker you meet has an obstacle of one kind or another in his path. One person is an entrepreneur desperately in need of business. Another businessperson is stressing mightily about a website project spinning out of control. In other words, we all have our problems. The fact that you’re job-hunting doesn’t diminish the importance of everyone else’s issues.

Let's be real, real networking is about a lot more than just "linking" to other people. Networking is about providing others with assistance knowing that others in your network will do the same for you.

An effective online networker is someone who really knows their stuff and is willing to share it to help others. Success is not intrinsic in simply making contact, success is found by what you make of every contact.