Fascinating Authors

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?

Author: I think more and more people worldwide are realizing the importance of networking and developing emotional intelligence and they are noticing that there is a great void as far as the availability of classes on the subject in colleges and universities.

I am excited about the fact that networking is finally being codified and structured and it looks as though business schools around the world may soon begin to wake up and start teaching this curriculum. Schools, like any large institution, are bureaucracies, so it’s unlikely to happen quickly; however, for those schools with vision, foresight and the ability to act swiftly (sort of the way business professors claim that businesses should act), they will be positioning themselves as leaders in education by truly understanding and responding to the needs of today’s businesses. These schools will be on the cutting edge of business education to better serve their students while positioning themselves as a leading institution for entrepreneurs.

Word-of-mouth marketing works. Social capital is critically important. And networking is the mechanism to develop both. As more universities and colleges open their doors to professors who want to include this strategy with their marketing instruction, we’re going to see a major shift in the business landscape. We’ll see emerging entrepreneurs who’ll be equipped with another strategy for success in business. We will see networking utilized at its fullest capacity, and we will see business schools actually teaching a subject that the business practitioner says is important.

FASCINATING AUTHORS:How long did the book take you from start to finish?

Author: Two years.

FASCINATING AUTHORS:What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?

Author: Setting aside the time to write was probably the most challenging aspect of writing this book.  However, writing any book is not nearly as time consuming as marketing a book.  Most people have no idea that this is the biggest part of the process.  Implementing the strategies that will make a book a best seller takes a lot of time and dedication.

FASCINATING AUTHORS:What surprised you the most about the book writing process?

Author: This was my 12th book so there really weren’t too many surprises.  However, I will say that I was pleasantly surprised at how immediately and naturally the individual contributions of all three of us co-authors intertwined and how, as a result, the entire process of co-authoring this book was not only relatively stress-free, but also consistently enjoyable to dedicate time and effort to.

Co-authoring a book takes even more commitment, dedication, and effort than going it alone since co-authors have to blend ideas with one another in a way that moves the book forward and creates cohesion throughout the entire text.  Sometimes though, accomplishing that does not come easily, to say the least—especially when there are deadlines to be held accountable to.

For this reason, the ease of collaborating with David and Brian was perhaps my biggest surprise—and it was definitely a good one.

FASCINATING AUTHORS:Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?

Author: As I mentioned before, collaborating with my two co-authors was a great experience.

I very much enjoyed being able to interact and converse with David and Brian and it was truly a great opportunity to be able to share with each other and integrate our experiences into a book.

FASCINATING AUTHORS:What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?

Author: I am hopeful that by reading Networking Like a Pro and applying the strategies outlined in the book, readers will gain a crucial skill set that is currently not offered in colleges and universities.  I want readers to gain practical ideas that they can apply in the real world and use to further their success.

FASCINATING AUTHORS:What projects are you currently working on?

Author: I am currently working on a book about gender and networking.  More specifically, it addresses the different ways in which men and women statistically approach networking and how networking results vary based on those approaches.

FASCINATING AUTHORS:Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do?

Author: I am the Founder & Chairman of BNI (www.BNI.com), the world’s largest business networking organization, and I am the Founder of the Referral Institute (www.ReferralInstitute.com).

FASCINATING AUTHORS:Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?

Author: Networking Like a Pro was very much based on experience.  I have been in the business of networking for over twenty-five years and my networking organization, BNI, is the world’s largest business referral network.  Over the years, I have accumulated a wealth of knowledge about networking through trial and error and my goal is to share my firsthand experience with others so they can do what gets results and avoid what doesn’t so they can be as successful as possible.

FASCINATING AUTHORS:How did you come up with your title?

Author: One of my co-authors and I have used the expression in some of our previous articles.

FASCINATING AUTHORS:What books have influenced you the most?

Author: Inside the Magic Kingdom, In Search of Excellence, Solutions Focus

FASCINATING AUTHORS:Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?

Author: Entrepreneur Press was my publisher and I chose them because I absolutely love working with them.  They say what they’ll do and then they do what they say.  They are a company that has proven to be a class-act operation through and through and they are a true pleasure to work with.

To learn more about the book and Author, please visit – http://www.ivanmisner.com/