FOOD GROUPS

Never Eat Alone is Keith Ferrazzi's latest book, which I am looking forward to diving into after enjoying Ferrazzi's feisty address yesterday at the Legal Sales and Service Organization's 2nd annual RainDance event. Ferazzi is the CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight an LA/NY marketing and sales consulting firm. He is the former chief marketing officer of Deloitte Consulting, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

Ferrazzi, who is very funny (which always gets my attention), offers practical advice on how to build more substantial business relationships. During his very interactive presentation, he had the audience try out techniques, with great results. One piece of advice: don't race out during conference breaks to check your Treos and BlackBerrys. Instead, do that discretely (with sound off, of course) during the presentations -- and use conference breaks to meet other attendees.

The book is available in hard copy or as an e-book.

Update 6/25:  I've finished the book, and heartily recommend it. Much of it is common sense, but as a friend recently said, "Why is it that everybody has so much trouble using common sense."

Even though much of Ferrazzi's advice is obvious, he presents it so effectively that it has quite a bit of stickiness -- as in, you keep thinking about it. Especially his vignettes illustrating how generosity -- good deeds done without concern about whether or not you will get a payback from them -- truly can help you.

While Ferrazzi gets JUST a bit too Kumbaya and new-age L.A. for me at times, his advice for how to get beyond small talk is great. And perhaps the most important lesson is to not be afraid to expose your vulnerabilities and ask for help, he urges.  (That's often hard for control freaks like me.) Exposing those vulnerabilities makes you more approachable, he says. And everybody likes to help -- it makes us feel good. 

That's good advice. It reminds me of what a friend once said to me, when I was bemoaning my lack of a weekend date.  "Don't be embarrassed to answer the phone on a Saturday night, when you are home alone instead of painting the town. It will make you less intimidating to a potential boyfriend."

Anyway, check it out. Even if it just reinforces what you already know (like why and how to throw great dinner parties) it's a good refresher course!

BTW,Check out Keith's blog, here.