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Bill Lampton Ph.D.
Yes, hello. Welcome to the biz communication Show. I’m your host Bill Lampton, the biz communication guy, once again bringing you tips and strategies that will boost your business. Today we’re very fortunate to have a highly resourceful, highly successful guest that I’ve had the privilege of knowing for many years and respecting all that time and learning from as you will today. I’m talking about Ricky Steele, who comes to us from the Metropolitan Atlanta area. Ricky is the ultimate rainmaker has a long history of developing new business, expanding the brand marketing, public relations and community engagement for clients across many industries, and March of 2020 Ricky Steel joined talent 360 solutions as their Chief Development Officer, the results were immediate. In the next 18 months, 10 new companies became clients, including a $40 billion international firm. Ricky is a published author, with his book The heart of networking, the third edition published in the year 2022. I’ve had the privilege of posting a video review of that book on Kindle. Ricky and I are going to be discussing this terrific book. He’s been featured in many prestigious publications including the Wall Street Journal, and meetings and conventions magazine. Ricky has a passion for serving his community. And those of us in the Atlanta area are very well of his not only active leadership, but his participation and very active participation and philanthropic organizations and charitable organizations. The Aurora de Kamp award in him, its lifetime Community Leadership Award. That’s among many civic awards that he’s received. Ricky currently serves on the Carter board of ambassadors, and the Atlanta Food Bank Board of Advisors clearly, for decades, Ricky Steele, has been a leader in business and in life. And so I’m privileged now to welcome Ricky Steele, to the best communication show. Hello, Ricky.
Ricky Steele
Good morning, Bill. Hope you’re having a great day. I kept trying to figure out who you’re talking about during the introduction. That guy sounds better than than I’ve ever been. But nonetheless, thank you was very gracious. And somebody you’d like to meet. Right? Amen. Amen.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
Well, fortunately, many people have gotten to meet Ricky Steele. I didn’t mention in the introduction, but in my review of his book, I did mention that in 1979, Ricky steel moved to Atlanta, Georgia, from Columbus, Georgia. And after a while you think it is the best thing that can be said about you? Was it you know, everybody with Rick is still, a corporate leader eventually said, everybody knows Ricky Steele. He is a masterful network. I’ve been with Rick In fact, I met him at networking events, and we have been at numerous events together, even events where the other one was speaking, his book, The heart of networking, the third edition, Ricky the first question about the book is the third edition, I had read and reviewed the other two editions. And so when a reader looks at this third edition of potential reader and buyer, they might ask well, Ricky, why do you need a third edition? You said it twice. So what what has changed? What what did you add? What What was it that compelled you to do the third edition?
Ricky Steele
That’s great question Bill. I’ve asked myself that a timer to the first the last second book came out in 2011. And of course, technology changes on an hourly basis. So a lot of the things I shared are no longer relevant. So I wanted to make some additions. But But the big reason that changed in 2007 or wrote another book is in 2017. We lost our middle son, and the empathy of the out Pouring of love and kindness and compassion from people in the business community was very, very powerful. And I believe now today, empathy, love and compassion are words that sometimes they’re not shared very often in a business communities, sometimes they’re even shunned, I think they should be celebrated. So that was the first beginning of the new book. And the second was COVID-19. Everybody has experienced loss, everybody has experienced being out of the office, everybody has experienced being holed up in a room with a computer and books and a laptop, and etc, etc. And I feel like now that we’ve gotten to over the roughest part of it, and still, just getting back into the social networking and face to face networking, that maybe an update was, was necessary. And the update consists of some ideas that I’ve learned and some things that I do now that I did not do 1011 years ago. But again, it goes back to that whole concept of, of love and empathy and compassion and doing unto others and trying to make everyone’s life a little bit better, and not trying to sell anything to anybody. I’m a sales guy, I have to sell to eat but but in the end, it’s not about selling, it’s about creating relationships that will then last an entire lifetime.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
was certainly one of the things that impressed me when I read the book was the boldness and the courage that it takes to open up and describe what you talked about with your family loss. As you know, over three years ago, I went through a severe family loss as well. No question. And you’re you’re so right, Ricky, that this is when you find it’s so easy in life to get cynical about people. There are many reasons that we can, there are many experiences, or many encounters or many disappointments, and yet, at a time of great personal need, and sometimes even great professional need. There are people who come to our assistance. And you could have just rewritten the book and not included that. But as I read the book, I was captivated by the fact that everybody, unless they’re extremely lucky, unless they’re extremely blessed, everybody is going to have some huge personal disappointments in life, it might not be the loss of a family member, it could be extreme illness, it could be as you said, job loss, it could be the industry downsizing. And the fact that someone of your well known stature, professionally, will open up. Personally, to me, this was most impressive. And in my review of the book, I mentioned that and this, this is a second reason that people need to purchase the heart of networking, the third edition. Now you talked about the changes that had taken place you referred to that and then, you know, we don’t have to have our eyes very wide open to know that the last five years or so have been catastrophically changing. So my question to you, Ricky would be and you also mentioned technology. There many people I think, who find it more comfortable to network online than they do to network and person. You don’t have to go anywhere. You don’t have any particular pressure on you to impress anybody at least you don’t know that at the moment. So I want to know from you a career networker. What’s the what’s the relevance still? Of? I think you called it shaking hands and face to face networking. What’s the relevance of that still, when we can reach 1000s and potentially millions of people just sitting in our computers?
Ricky Steele
Nearly Have you ever had the opportunity of shaking hands with a computer so far? Have you ever had a hug or a kiss on the cheek from a computer? I think not. That would be weird. That would be we will see some odd things on computers especially if you go into some particular sites or another but that was standing. We are human beings. We have a desire and a passion and a need to be with other human beings. People who need people are the luckiest people in the world saying Barbra Streisand back in. Funny Girl in the 60s early 70s Dionne Warwick said what the world needs now is love sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s joy Too little love. So I believe that face to face networking is where I get my strength and my energy and joy, the joy of seeing another human being who may be doing sensational, and you’re sharing in that, that joy with them, or they may be having a very, very tough time. And you could be the person that changes their day or changes their week, or maybe changes their life, because you’re there to listen, you’re there to level them, you’re there to hear whatever is going on in their life. And, you know, perhaps they’re looking for a job, and you can introduce them to someone within your network, perhaps they are looking for a contact to make a sale to somebody or another. And you can make that contact, perhaps they’re looking for a good idea. And you read something on the internet a day or two earlier, that could change the trajectory of their entire career. If that doesn’t make you happy, if that doesn’t give you joy, then I think you need to check into a local hospital and have your heart checked out, not as if it’s beating correctly. But if you have one, and I believe we all have a heart and and I believe that we exercise it by sharing our heart and our love with other individuals. A lot of the things in the new book, especially the personal stories about pain and suffering and losing a child and some business situations that did not turn out as I had hoped or, or wanted to share those kinds of things. And you, you wonder why you do it and his heavy thing to do with networking, and Will anybody else think it has anything to do with networking. But I discovered after writing the book and editing it over a couple of months time period, that it has everything to do with networking, because networking, people think networking is boozing and schmoozing and patting each other on the back back and, and this that the other playing golf going to a concert or movie or whatever the case might be. That’s the last thing networking is it may be a small component. But networking is about being available being close to another human being and creating a relationship not to sell something or not to make some money, but to just enjoy their company. And more often than not, that conversation or that relationship will develop into perhaps a piece of business one day, a longtime relationship, a golf buddy, whatever the case might be. But if your only attempt to meet someone new is to make a sale, you may make some you will make some sales, but I’m not sure there’s a great deal of joy. I think the last cold call I made Bill Clinton was President. You know, when you immerse yourself when you commit yourself to spending quality time and getting to know another person intimately. They don’t look for price. They don’t look for contract terms. They call you when they have a need, and you’re able to fulfill it for them. That’s to me the best way to be in life and the best way to to have a career in sales and marketing.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
You see, you have already you have already moved ahead to another question that I had. And that that’s something you do in life, Ricky, you anticipate what people need that that’s the story of your life. But you have moved ahead, I was going to ask what really? Do you consider the purpose of networking, or the heart of networking, you talk about it in the book, you’ve you’ve put it very plainly here. It’s not on and you go totally against the traditional. And the I guess I would say time honored purpose of networking, which many people think is to go and get something but your your entire approach for decades has been? How can I build relationships? How can I help people, I have to tell you about an incident that happened with me at a networking event. It was at least 10 years ago, but I remember it very vividly because it’s such an example of how not to network at this Chamber of Commerce. Business after hours. There was a man who I didn’t know who came up to me handed me his business card. The next time you want Da da da dun I’m the guy to call. He walked away. He never asked me who I was. He never asked anything about what I did, what I needed, what my interests were. And I saw this guy circulate the room. He probably handed out 50 business cards that night. You and I can guess that the next day. This man sat by his phone wondering why it didn’t ring. After all, he told everybody how great his services were. But your approach, Ricky is that it’s it’s not about what I can get. It’s what I can contribute and as you say in the book, if eventually out of those relationships business develops. That’s a plus, am I interpreting that right?
Ricky Steele
No question about it. I’ve got a large network, as you already know, and been very blessed to meet people from all walks of life all across the country and some in other countries. And early in life, you’re taught in sales. If you want a career in sales, a lot of people are taught the ABCs of selling the ABCs of selling and you remember the Glengarry Glen Ross, that particular movie, it was always, always be closing, ABC always be closing, if that was the reason to be in sales or networking, then I would always be hungry, and never have a client. I believe the ABCs of networking and sales and marketing and relationships are always be caring, be caring about the other individual what’s going on in his or her life, and their family and their business and everything that goes on. And the intimate conversations that I’ve been blessed to have with people who were CEOs of Fortune 150 200 companies 30 $40 billion in revenue, and they open up and share Heart to Heart things, do you think that we don’t have a relationship different than they do with most every other service provider they’ve ever done business with. And probably some of those service routers do 10 times the business they do, maybe not in the sector that I’m in, but they have a great product, great service, they’re well respected, and they have a business relationship, but they’re not the one that you would consider calling at two o’clock in the morning, if you have a real tragedy. And again, you know, a lot of people are are claimed to be are introverted, and are not willing to open up and, and I understand that there are a lot of books that are that deal with being introverted, and a speaker in Atlanta that I have used to share with groups before actually hire her to speak to some of the groups because even being introverted, there are ways to break out of that. And there are certain mindsets that you can get into. And you can find this a lot of other introverted people that are looking for someone to spend time with them. And before you know it, you’ve created an entire universe of people that you may be a tad extroverted, but you have some things in common and you find a universal appeal to make the world a better place, or make the lives better, or whatever the case might be. So the long, long answer to your very short question was Bill networking is about creating relationships, caring about other people and trying to leave the world in a better situation than we ever entered it. And if we can do that, then whether we live to 30 or, or 90, we’ve accomplished what we were meant to accomplish on this earth.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
You sum that up so well, Ricky? Terrific. We’ll be back after this message.
Michael Stewart
Do you wish you felt confident about giving speeches? Do you want to deal with difficult people constructively? And what about becoming more persuasive and sales, then keep listening now to Dr. Bill Lampton, he spent 20 years in management, so he knows the communication skills you need for success. I urge you to call the biz communication guide today for a no call, but very valuable 30 minute discussion about your communication challenges. Call now. 678-316-4300. Again, that’s 678-316-4300.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
Ricky, I want to ask you now, about some of the specific tips that you give in the book, we’ve looked at the overall theme, the purpose, which is marvelous. I know some of our viewers and some of our podcast listeners would want some specifics as well, which you mastered long ago. And one of the items that I read in the book, which I thought made so much sense. Tell us the reasons why over the years when you yourself, go to a networking meeting, you don’t wait until the meeting is 30 minutes going, but you get there early, ahead of practically anybody else. What what are some of the advantages of that?
Ricky Steele
Well, there’s a lot Bill, one of those that deal with Atlanta traffic on a regular basis. If you time it so that you’re going to get there right on the nick of time, and you’re going to walk in when the meeting begins. More often than not, you’re going to walk in 30 minutes later. And you’re going to be at least in my case, you’re going to be your heart’s going to be racing a bit you were to be there on time you had somebody want to say hello to so traffic alone will make you have crazy in Atlanta. already big metropolitan city. So one, if I can arrive 1015, sometimes half hour early, I get in the meeting and I’m relaxed, I have a chance to view the room, see who the early players are. Often, I find that the meeting planners or the registration staff are just getting set up themselves. And I offered to help, could I alphabetize, the name badges or whatever the case might be. If you’ll help someone else be successful in what they’re doing, they’ll look for ways to help you be successful also, their second, or third thing is, when I alphabetize, those names, I get a chance to look at every single name and think about, oh, my gosh, Bill Smith, from Coca Cola, or IBM or Delta Airlines is coming to the meeting, I’m gonna make a really hard effort to spend some quality time with him. I realized there’s some people there that maybe I don’t want to spend a great deal of time with not because they’re not good human beings, but because they haven’t learned the art of brevity, which I struggle with a great bit myself. But the other thing is that a lot of meetings, especially in association world, I was at one last night, the Board of Directors of the board of advisors has a meeting before the actual meeting. So they get there an hour or two earlier, there’s a story in my book about a dear friend of mine by the name of Mark Hirsch, who read my book many, many years ago, the first edition 2006 Or seven, five or six, I guess, and and Mark read the part about getting there early, et cetera, et cetera. He got to a meeting early one day, and found out that the governor of Georgia was the guest speaker that day, and his staff had given him the wrong time. He had a one on one with the governor of Georgia for about 1012 minutes before the board meeting broke up. And everybody started gathering and what have you, the governor, in his remarks about technology to this Technology Association, turned around and said in the q&a portion of the program. I don’t know a great deal about that. But Mark Hirsch, the guy in the big yellow shirt does know about that you want to talk to him after the meeting is over with because he and I’ve already chatted about that a little earlier in the evening. Well, Mark vodien won the lottery, everybody came up afterwards, he picked up cards, he gave out cards, and he decided to establish some relationships. So to me, it’s worth going to is worth going to own time. And it’s worth being prepared. If you go to a meeting and you’re not prepared to be there, then stay at home, work a little longer on whatever you are working on. Be prepared. And that requires work networking, what is the key part of networking, it’s work. I know a lot of people that say I’m not afraid of hard work. And when I hear somebody say that I realize the reason they’re not afraid of it is they’ve never done any, doing hard work is hard work. But if you’re not willing to do it, how successful you gonna be in life.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
Talking about hard work. I would like for you just to share something that you tell in the book about what a maybe a typical day during the height of your networking career, what a typical day would involve, you know, many of us think of networking, and we think, Okay, I’ll go to one event a week, I have a very successful friend who launched a new business Ricky about seven or eight years ago. And he he became instantly successful. He told me later that he went to 10 networking events a week many people don’t go to 10 networking events in their life. So as I read in your book, what what would be maybe kind of a typical networking day of breakfast and lunches and receptions, what what might be that day look like?
Ricky Steele
Well, it’s 70 years old. It’s not what it was at 30 or 40 years old. I’ll be quite honest about what it is what that’s Amen to that. A lot of people talk about great musician or an artist of some sort, being an overnight success sensation. Garth Brooks is sells out arenas all over the world for date multiple days at a time. I first started saw Garth Brooks at the buckboard Saloon in Marietta, Georgia, in front of a crowd of about 125 people. He paid his dues to be able to be who Garth Brooks is today, right? And Springsteen or anybody you want to name has paid their dues to get there. I had to pay my dues as well. In the early days. I think the last the craziest day I think I ever had is I met I used to have a restaurant and I have a different one now that I go to on a regular basis because if you go to a place and establish a relationship with the servers with the folks that work behind the cashiers Should the whole nine yards, you’ll have a partner in your business relationship. This particular restaurant was open 24 hours a day. And I showed up one morning at 615 in the morning, and I did not leave until 330. In the afternoon, I had seven back to backs breakfast with one coffee with another breakfast with one coffee with two more lunch. And then I think I ended up with 230 or three o’clock with with a gentleman. And we had a hot fudge Sunday, which was delicious, by the way. But a lot of people think well, that’s just nuts. But I was able to get seven different groups of people and it was one on one a few times. But most of the time it was a young entrepreneur trying to raise some money. And sitting next to us was sick Mosley, the godfather of angel investing in Atlanta, Georgia in the southeast, it was me introducing sick to them, or me introducing a young technology company to John Yates, the king of networking in Atlanta for all practical purposes. And the guy who has helped more early stage companies like ISS and others become successful because of the legal advice he was able to give. So I wasn’t selling my products or services at all. I was putting two people together. And after they scored and they swapped money. Who do you think when they needed my services did they call probably wasn’t a yellow page directory as to the services they were looking for. They didn’t try that. They called me on my cell phone and we got together and, and business was consummated. So again, at one point, the Atlanta Business Chronicle, they’re the new business newspaper of Atlanta. I had a new technology writer, and the publisher, the paper asked me to show him the ropes because he was new to the city. And after the second or third day, the publisher called me and said, You got to let up on him. He’s worn out he can’t do his work. 45 At that time, or maybe 50. And he was 25 or 26, but was following me around. I was a young fellow out because it was a breakfast meeting. It was a lunch meeting. It was a two o’clock meeting. And then that night, we went out to a networking function for the Atlanta CEO council or Technology Association of Georgia, and shook hands and did whatever, until 10 o’clock. And then I said, I know one more event we can go to and he said, No, no, no, I’m out. I gotta, I gotta go home. So again, you know, I don’t do that anymore. I did last night, walk in at 1130 and tell my wife, I gotta slow down the rest of this week. It’s been a rough one. I had the opportunity, of course, seeing you earlier this week. I was at three meetings yesterday. So some weeks are different than others. But having written this book and wanting to share the story, I’m probably working harder today than I have, since COVID. Was was kind of over with the three to four or five meetings a day are not happening like they were before COVID. But they’re getting back to that direction. And, and I love it. But also, my 70 year old body can’t do what my 40 year old buddy, did.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
You have capsuled for us your schedule, which makes us re examine our own networking schedule now that we can get out and about again. And it it proves something you said a few minutes ago. And that, that is that networking is work is not just sipping cocktails and saying hi to a few friends and and going home early. No, it is well, Ricky. This has been as I expected. A fascinating informative, entertaining and highly beneficial conversation. So I know there are people who want to contact you. Give us please your contact information. Certainly, Bill.
Ricky Steele
If you want to buy the book, anybody interested in the book, it’s www heart of networking.net as opposed to.org I figure if I’m in networking, I better keep a.net as the as the email address, or the web address. Personally you can find me at our steel Ste L E at talent 360 solutions.com I joined talent 362 young guys and very, very smart. We’re in the IT Engineering, accounting, finance, staffing industry. And so it’s kind of what I’ve been doing the last 10 or 12 years, we’re having a lot of fun. They’re smart, they’re young, and one of the partners actually went to school with my high school with my oldest son. So it’s a generational thing and and I hope that I’m helping them see the business world in a little different basis. So that’s my email my phone number, which is the cell phone number right here. 404-427-2699 I’ll be happy to talk to you. answer your questions. Give you an idea. If your spam or you’re selling me an extended warranty of my automobile, please don’t call good, gosh, I’m busy.
But if you got some personal I’ll be tickled to death to share whatever ideas I can share to perhaps help you a bit.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
Regain, do us a favor and give that phone number one more time I pick it sort of bleeped out there for a minute. All right,
Ricky Steele
404-427-2699. And you can find me on Facebook, you can find me on LinkedIn is Ricky Steele. I’m the big ugly one that you’ll find the face of on all of those places, and I don’t block anybody from anything. You know, a lot of people try to block their social media. But if I want to try to help people, how can I block them? You know, if somebody posts something that’s profane, or vulgar, or a racist, or whatever the case might be, I blocked him very, very quickly. But if you just want to have a conversation about life, or an idea what have you, I’m more than happy to help you if I can.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
Thank you for that contact information. Ricky, I encourage people to get in touch with this guy. 10s of 1000s of people are happy that they did and you will be too. And now since Ricky has shared his contact information, I’m happy to share mine and encourage you to go to my YouTube channel you will find this interview and many others and also some instructions that I give on my own. But this communication show is there in full YouTube channel just in the search bar there, type in my YouTube moniker Bill Lampton PhD. And after you watch the little introductory video, hit the subscribe button, it’s there. My website since my moniker is the biz communication guy. My website, of course, is biz communication. guy.com. And then like Ricky, I will welcome your phone calls, after you’ve looked at my website, reviewed my services for corporations and leaders, I encourage you to give me a call. Let’s talk with no initial obligation, about your communication challenges and problems and issues. And we’ll discuss how we can find solutions to them. Ricky, again, wonderful to have you with us. Any closing thoughts? could pull this all together? Well, I would
Ricky Steele
like to reiterate what you just said, I’ve had the privilege of hearing Bill speak on a number of occasions, I’ve learned a great deal from Bill, your communication skills or how people see you. And I have, I’ve never done that well in trying to ask him for business selling something. But if you get in front of an audience and share your passion, I’ve found I’ve sold millions of dollars worth of business because someone said in an audience where I shared my story, and they said he’s a reasonable guy seems like a guy that’d be fun to be around or do business with, he seems honest and ethical. And it’s resulted in millions of dollars worth of revenue for my companies over the years, you should be communicating. And Bill lepton is a person that can help you do it effectively, so that you’ll get the most bang for your buck. So again, I say that the second thing I guess to close bill is
Life is short.
I’m 70 years old, I didn’t know I’d make it to 21 was the way I live sometimes early in life but but I’ve made it to 70 I don’t know if I’ll make it to 71 or 81 or 91. But every day is precious. Spend as much time as you can with your family, with your fate, with your friends, building a better community get involved in the nonprofit in your community. I’m very active in the Atlanta Community Food bike and a number of other organizations get involved because it is our responsibility to make the world a better place. And if it’s not going to be us who the heck’s it going to be? So you and I should be doing as much as we can to make the world more filled with love and kindness, and to stop some of this bickering that we do back and forth. Just because we think it’s fun or something I haven’t figured that part out yet. But anyway, it’s been a privilege bill. It’s always great fun to spend time with you and to see you and I do urge your audience to get in touch with you for expert help in making them be a better version of themselves.
Bill Lampton Ph.D.
Thank you Ricky for those supportive words. Thank you so much for being with us today with great tips and I encourage everyone to get in touch with you and to purchase the heart of networking the third edition thanks to those of you who’ve been with us on the video portion and on the podcast. will want you to be will be with us for the next edition of The Business Communication show so that you can learn tips and strategies that boost your business and I like to say you will learn winning words and ways. Thanks. I’m Bill Lampton the biz communication guy
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
