By Jamie Turner, Founder, 60 Second Marketer

What follows is an installment from our weekly e-newsletter which goes out to thousands of marketers around the globe. If you like what you read below, you might consider signing up so you can have free tips like these delivered to your in-box.

I have a new friend named Phyllis Khare. She’s the author of Social Media Marketing eLearning Kit for Dummies and the co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies (affiliate links).

We got to know each other a few months ago when I started something called the Author/Speaker Hangout.

Our Goal Was Pretty Simple. We wanted to use a Google+ Hangout to connect with other authors/speakers. As someone who writes and speaks professionally, I figured it would be great to meet other people in the industry and learn from them.

My experience with the Author/Speaker Hangout has been so successful that I wanted to share how I put it together so that you can do the same.

If you’re a consultant, a small business owner or simply someone who needs third-party advisers to help brainstorm new ideas for your business, this technique is perfect.

Here are the steps:

1. Sign up for Google+. If you haven’t done this already, just click here to get started. It’s easy.

2. Contact 9 Business Associates. Explain to them that you’re interested in sharing business tips and techniques with a select group of people. They’ll be cautious/reluctant at first, but ask them to come to the first meeting to try it out.

3. Add These People to Your Circles. In order to do a Hangout, the people you’re inviting will need a Google+ account (see step 1). Then, you’ll have to add them to your Circles. Once you’ve done that, you can invite them to a Hangout.

4. Invite Them via Email. Schedule your Hangout about 2 weeks in advance. Then, a few minutes before the scheduled Hangout, go to your Google+ page and click the “Start a Hangout” button on the right-hand side. Type in the names of the 9 people in your group and they’ll be notified that the Hangout is starting. (Side Note: Google only supports Hangouts for 10 people or fewer.)

5. Moderate the Hangout. Have everyone introduce themselves. Then, kick things off by asking something like, “What was the smartest/dumbest thing you did in business?” or “Who do you most admire in business?” By the time you’re done with introductions and your first question, you’ll have plenty more to talk about. Trust me.

I’m a huge fan of this approach to information-sharing. It’s been very beneficial to my own business development. I suspect after giving it a try, you’ll embrace this technique, too.

And remember, don’t be shy. After all, what do you have to lose?

Saturday, August 18th, 2012, 12:37 pm   |   Google  |  RSS feed |  Respond  |  Trackback