First, an update on donations for Guatemala: Last week we asked you to help us raise $3200 so that we could fund every child from our trip. The balance as of Jan. 13, the day I'm writing this: $3367! I couldn't be more grateful.

Ready for this month's myGreenlight master's mission? John Hagel and John Seely Brown wrote this week's tip to help you diversify your network to expose you to the broadest range of ideas and opportunities. These simple tips will strengthen your safety net – try it! -KF

It is no surprise that we instinctively seek out those who share our interests. This is especially true in times of increasing pressure and uncertainty. We have an understandable tendency in such times to seek out the familiar and comfortable as a buffer against the unforeseen changes around us. In so doing we can inadvertently put ourselves in a cage of similarity that narrows our peripheral vision of the world and our options. The result? We may be even more vulnerable to being blindsided by events and trends coming at us from new and unusual directions.

The Internet compounds this narrowing by invisibly removing subjects and people from our online searches and even our casual exploration of websites, explains Eli Pariser in his new book, The Filter Bubble. Worse yet, we tend to become more extreme and entrenched in our beliefs when we become involved in a tight-knit group that shares them.

The bottom line: the choices we make and the technology we use can progressively narrow the range of experiences we have. To counteract the potential stultifying effects of the filter bubble we will have to overcome our natural instinct to seek out the comfort of those who are most like us. Here are some suggestions:

1. Audit and re-shape your social network. With the advent of online social network platforms we have an increasing visibility into the make-up of our personal social network. Whom do we interact with most frequently? How similar are they to us?

Scan the periphery of your social network and explore those "weak ties", the people you may have met briefly and who come from very different environments. Who are some of the most diverse people on the periphery of your network that you might benefit from getting to know better? How could you use online social networks to reach out to people you have never even met but who are engaged in arenas adjacent to your own interests? Each week, resolve to introduce yourself to a friend of a friend on an online network who seems to be the most interesting and most different from you.

2. Revise your conference calendar. How many conferences do you go to each year? How many of those conferences are in fields that you are deeply familiar with and draw people that are very similar to you?

Commit to attend at least one conference every year in a field that may be relevant to your interests but where you have very little experience. Spend some time at the conference trying to understand the key issues that are engaging the participants. Find at least one issue that has some potential relevance to issues that you are confronting and start conversations with people at the conference to explore where and how these issues might intersect.

3. Get more out of your social gatherings. At any reception or party you go to, no matter how similar the others might be to you, there are usually a few people who are from a very different mold. They often stick out like a sore thumb, looking very alone and uncomfortable. Seek those people out before settling in to the comfort of your friends and colleagues.

Early in the conversation ask, "What's of most interest for you here?" Ask open-ended follow-up questions to get closer to their core interest.

"Oh, and why's that fascinating for you?" Or ask the universally helpful question to get others to open up: "Tell me more about that." In so doing, you invite three opportunities for fresh insights: what that person tells you, how you react, and how they respond to you.

4. Act out diverse facets of yourself. Seeking novelty in your life? Why not tap into a long ignored passion and carve out some time to re-engage with it. Often our passions are far removed from the comfortable lives we have settled into. By re-connecting with these passions, we are likely to encounter people that are far removed from our daily experience. These new individuals are very likely to provide us with new insight about ourselves and what we have to offer.

Each of us has many selves. With strangers ‹ especially those who are different than your usual crowd ‹ you can project a different part of your personality. As you act differently, so will others in response to you, often leading conversations in new directions.

5. Share an experience in an unfamiliar situation. Because George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have quite different beliefs and temperaments, they probably learned more from each other during their joint visit to earthquake-stricken Haiti in 2010. They could observe different ways of interacting with people as well as of collecting ideas about how to help the situation. Seek out opportunities to share an experience with others who have different talents and ways of operating in the world. You'll learn more and you might also discover a hidden or atrophied talent or interest within yourself.

With each of these approaches you can burst constraining bubbles of limited viewpoints and experiences that lead to an ever-narrowing life view. Instead you invite in unexpected encounters with people that can trigger new thoughts, adventures and ways of engaging with others. Rather than diminishing the potential for serendipity, one of the by-products of filter bubbles, you can increase the number and quality of those unexpected encounters. In other words, you can shape serendipity to your advantage. You can create more options from which to live a richly varied life.

Do you find yourself limiting your relationships to people who are more like you when you're feeling insecure or uncertain, as the Johns suggest?

See the original post in HBR.

…in our research at more than 50 large companies over the past three years, we identified “observable candor” as the behavior that best predicts high-performing teams. But asking people to be candid in the absence of a supportive organizational culture is a challenge. We believe that forthrightness should not just be encouraged but required. We’ve developed three techniques to help coworkers at all levels interact more directly…

Visit HBR to check it out!

How are the candor levels in your office (if you work in one), and in particular, in meetings?

As today's post, I give you a taste of the new book with Harvey's ABCs of Selling – I encourage you to tweet one of these, or make it today's mantra!

A - Availability for your customers is essential, so they can reach you with questions, concerns or reorders.

B - Believe in yourself and your company, or find something else to sell.

C - Customers aren't always right, but if you want to keep them as your customers, find a way to make them right.

D - Deliver more than you promise.

E - Educations is for life - never stop learning.

F - Follow up and follow through. Never leave a customer hanging.

G - Goals give you a reason to go to work every day. When you reach your goals, set higher ones!

H - Humanize your selling strategy by learning everything you can about your customers.

I - I is the least important letter in selling.

J - Join trade organizations and community groups that will help you both professionally and personally, such as Toastmasters, Chamber of Commerce or Junior Achievement.

K - Know your competitors and their products as well as you know your own.

L - Listen to your customers or they'll start talking to someone else.

M - Maybe is the worst answer a customer can give. No is better than maybe. Find out what you can do to turn it into a yes.

N - Networking is among the most important skills a salesperson can develop. Someone you know knows someone you need to know.

O - Opportunities are everywhere. Keep your antennae up.

P - Price is not the only reason customers buy your product, but it's a good reason.

Q - Quality can never be sacrificed if you want to keep your customers satisfied.

R - Relationships are precious: They take time to develop and are worth every minute you invest in them.

S - Service is spelled "serve us" in companies that want to stay in business for a long time.

T - Trust is central to doing business with anyone. Without it, you have another word that begins with T: Trouble.

U - Unlimited potential is possible whether you sell computers or candy. You are the only one who can limit your potential.

V - Volunteer: It's always good to give back. You'll probably find that you get more than you give, and there is no shortage of organizations that need your help.

W - Winning doesn't necessarily mean beating everyone else. A win-win situation is the best of both worlds.

X - X-ray and catscan your customers so that you know everything about them - so you can serve them better.

Y - You is a word your customers need to hear often, as in "What can I do for you?"

Z - Zeal is a critical element in your presentations, service and life in general. Let your enthusiasm shine!

Share your own sales tips with the community.

Can you give us some examples of the most elegant exchanges, introductions or meetings that you've encountered?

Watch my answer and share your own tips for making networking seem easy.

Today's quick hits:

Sales Intel: InsideView, a service that mashes up social data for enterprises to increase sales productivity, just raised a whole bunch of money, according to TechCrunch. This seems to be a tool to "Do your homework" on prospects, trawling online and social media for info.

From the company web site: InsideView’s award-winning sales intelligence application, InsideView for Sales, discovers sales opportunities across both traditional editorial sources and social media and can present them directly within CRM applications for optimum impact. Leveraging Sales 2.0 technology where traditional data providers have toiled with editorial staff, InsideView for Sales continuously aggregates and analyzes the ever-growing personal, executive, and corporate information available in social networks, websites, and subscription-based sources to uncover new customer engagement opportunities.

Curious to how it's different/similar to Gist. Built to interface with CRM instead of Outlook, for one. What else? Anyone, anyone? Also, as someone who primarily works in editorial, I am amused at the disdain for "editorial staff," who apparently create a lot of toil. So true.

Never Eat Dinner Alone: Here's a fun new way to meet new people, and try new food. For a great price, you sign up for a group dinner at a local restaurant. In theory, it's brilliant, because you can read the profiles of people and see if you think they'll be interesting to eat with. So... If you sign up, fill out your profile! I'm definitely going to do one of these, but I've stopped just short of signing up so far because the profiles are still mostly empty, so you have no idea who you'd be eating with. Should I sign up for one anyway? I do like a wild card.

Become an Expert: I think I'm a little late on the bandwagon, but Bloomfire is incredible. All the tools you need to create a living, breathing learning community. Except expertise, of course. You'll need to supply at least a little of that. (D'oh!)

Has anyone used any of the above? Your comment in the comments, please.

Email me if you own/use/hear about any cool new apps or products geared toward better relationships and management thereof so I can feature them here. sgrace at relationshipmastersacademy.com.

This online event is going to be a must attend for any business professional!

Join us on Wednesday March 16th as thought leaders Keith Ferrazzi, T.A. McCann & Craig Elias share insights on how to build your network to learn of the hidden opportunities that can take your career or your business to its highest level.

During the 60 minute webinar you will learn:

1. How to connect with those you want
2. Who you want to connect with and why
3. How to leverage the technology to make it happen

You don’t want to miss this FREE Online Event at 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM PDT on Wednesday, March 16, 2011. Click the link below to sign up now!

https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/827499566

But often, people say, “Great – but how am I going to get myself to do this every day?”

The answer: Build missions into your schedule! On Facebook, I’ve started posting Monday Missions to get you thinking. Here’s a few recent ones; these are adapted from more challenging missions that are part of Relationship Masters Academy. Pick one to do today. Overachievers: Do all five!

1.  The Good Samaritan: Scroll through your Facebook or LinkedIn wall and find two people you can help. Remember, it doesn’t have to be something big. Even a cheerful “hello” can be helpful some days. But you might be surprised how easy it is to find more specific opportunities to help when you go looking.

2.  The Resume Builder I: Go to LinkedIn and write a recommendation for someone whose work you admire.

3.  The Resume Builder II: Ask a former boss whom you know appreciated your work to write a recommendation for you. Let them know one great sentence is really all you need! (I guarantee you that nine times out of ten you’ll get more than just a sentence.)

4.  The Positively Postal: Make list of people with birthdays and anniversaries in Feb. Buy cards, sign, stamp, and send. A month of goodwill created in less time than it would take to watch Law and Order!

5.  The Conversation Starter: Leave a comment – or better yet, a question – on a blog post or status update that doesn’t yet have any comments. Or… why not…. Share your favorite relationship-building “mission” with the community here.

Strategy is important – but sometimes, action trumps all. Get connected today.

What is your biggest networking jerk pet peeve?

Click thru for the guide.

Holiday Etiquette and Business Entertainment:

• Keith’s Soup-to-Nuts Holiday Party Guide
• Some Great Ideas on How (and How Much) to Party with Your Boss
• Tools and Tips: How to Work a Cocktail Party
• How to Party Hardy, Alcohol Free
• Five Steps to a Holiday Party That Will Put YOU on the Map
• Double Your Network (And Your Fun) with a Co-Host
• Business Entertaining for the Frugal Entrepreneur
• Dos and Don’ts for Both Hosts and Guests
• Holiday Job-Hunting Tips

Gift Giving:

• Chris Brogan’s Holiday Book Ideas from 2009 Are Still Great Gifts
• Managers – Recognize Your Employees During the Holidays
• Twelve Gifts for Cash-Strapped, Recession-Weary Workplaces
• Top Ten Holiday Gifts for the Unemployed
• How to Choose a Holiday Gift for Your Staff
• Friends of Tech Lovers – Look No Further
• For the Person that has Everything – Custom Gifts
• What’s on the Wishlist of your Favorite Entrepreneur?
• A Guide to Savvy Gift Buying

Holiday Stress/Time Management:

• Skip the Stress with Holiday Savings Strategies
• Don’t Become a Victim of Wrap Rage
• 15 Tips to Reduce Holiday Stress

Gotta great holiday-networking link to share?

Question for you: if you had the right connections to make something like this happen, no matter how outrageous, what would you do?

I really want to know -- 'cause it just might happen. Leave me a comment.