The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships

Named a Best Business Book of 2021 by Soundview Magazine

Reclaim the power of genuine human connection

Networking is often considered a necessary evil for all working professionals. With social media platforms like Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at our disposal, reaching potential investors or employers is much easier. Yet, these connections often feel transactional, agenda-driven, and dehumanizing, leaving professionals feeling burnt out and stressed out. 

Instead, we should connect on a human level and build authentic relationships beyond securing a new job or a new investor for your next big idea. To build real and meaningful networking contacts, we need to go back to basics, remembering that technology is a tool and more than just a means to an end. We need to tap into our humanity and learn to be more intentional and authentic.  

As a “serial connector” and communications expert, Susan McPherson has a lifetime of experience building genuine connections in and out of work. Her methodology is broken down into three simple steps:

•  Gather: Instead of waiting for the perfect networking opportunity to come to you, think outside the box and create your own opportunity. Host your own dinner party, join a local meet-up group, or volunteer at your neighborhood food pantry. 
  
  
• Ask: Instead of leading with our own rehearsed elevator pitches asking for help, ask to help, opening the door to share resources, experience, contacts, and perspectives that add diversity to your own vision.
  
  
• Do: Turn new connections into meaningful relationships by taking these newly formed relationships deeper. Follow through on the promises you made and keep in touch.

Woven together with helpful tips and useful advice on making the most out of every step, this book draws on McPherson’s own experience as a renowned “serial connector,” as well as the real life success stories of friends and clients. Filled with humor, humility, and wisdom, The Lost Art of Connecting is the handbook we all need to foster personal and professional relationships that blur the lines between work and play—and enrich our lives in every way.

Susan McPherson is a serial connector, seasoned communicator and founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, a communications consultancy focused on the intersection of brands and social impact. She is the author of The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships. Susan has 25+ years of experience in marketing, public relations, and sustainability communications, speaking regularly at industry conferences, and contributing to the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Forbes. She has appeared on NPR and CNN, and has been featured in USA Today, The New Yorker, New York magazine, and the Los Angeles Times. Susan is a Vital Voices global corporate ambassador and has received numerous accolades for her voice on social media platforms from Fortune Magazine, Fast Company, and Elle Magazine. She resides in Brooklyn.

"Filled with humor, humility, and wisdom, The Lost Art of Connecting is the handbook we all need to foster personal and professional relationships that blur the lines between work and playand enrich our lives in every way."-- Next Big Idea Book Club "One of the most important lessons we can learn in this technology-driven world." -- Soledad O'Brien, broadcast journalist and producer "Susan McPherson's depth, candor, and care position The Lost Art of Connecting as much more than a career guide; the book is a roadmap to unlocking a more meaningful life and enduring relationships. It is a must-read for all professionals." -- Reshma Saujan i, founder and CEO, Girls Who Code, and bestselling author of Brave, Not Perfect. "Susan McPherson is a super connector: she builds unusually deep relationships with an unusually wide range of people at an unusually rapid pace. In this book, she explains how what looks like a natural talent is actually a learned skill and shares practical advice on how to build it. In a time when our social skills are getting rusty, her book might be the polish that every introvert, shy extrovert, and reluctant networker needs." --Adam Gran t, New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and Give and Take , and host of the TED podcast WorkLife "We no longer live in a world where transactional networking has to be the norm. Susan McPherson, a lifelong serial connector," now shares her secrets for building meaningful business relationships that stand the test of time in her delightful and heartfelt new book, The Lost Art of Connecting. It will be a trusted guide for years to come." --Randi Zuckerberg , New York Times bestselling author of Dot Complicated and Pick Three "Not simply a tactical guide to connection, but a heartfelt manifesto about why it matters." -- Seth Godin , Author This is Marketing "Susan's insights on the power of listening, building trust, and connecting to your higher purpose aren't just necessary for deepening your network. They're keys to building an enduring business and creating massive social impact. Every aspiring entrepreneur should read this book." -- Tiffany Dufu , founder and CEO, The Cru, and author of Drop the Ball "Susan McPherson's new book offers more than a guide about inspirational networking, it brings back the value and the power of human contact." -- Financial Times

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