ATLANTA – With the holidays now here, many people are finding themselves without work.  So what are some ways you can look for a job and give back in the spirit of the season?

Networking expert David Nour stopped by the FOX 5 Studios Wednesday to offer some helpful advice.

Hands on Atlanta is a great starting point to plug in, if you’re looking for opportunities to volunteer. For more information, go to www.handsonatlanta.org

Howard Ko got inspired from the World Cup and created this fun video – hope you enjoy it. David

Have you noticed a recent trend of business executives trying to explain their companies’ sudden failure resort to the perfect storm metaphor?  Give me a break!  Its amazing to think how many people actually buy into this nonsense.  Isn’t it interesting that what a ship went through in an extremely rare and unusual collision of three weather systems has become an excuse for poor judgment, lousy leadership, and abuse of the facts?

Not to mention a complete disregard for their most valuable asset  their portfolio of relationships, their reputation capital and professional net worth.

In 2010, one of our fundamental recommendations to clients of varying sizes and industries is to Get Creative!

    * Get creative in how you engage current prospective clients
    * Get creative in your suite of products or services and particularly the perceived value-add you deliver
    * Get creative in where you identify great talent and the creative manner in which you put that talent to use

One way to encapsulate enormous amount of creativity is to focus your efforts on reinventing your business model.

In the current economic climate  in any economic climate for that matter, its tough to sell to business customers.  Budget cuts, diminishing client relationships, more diligent often committee review of your proposals, an elevated decision-making process and roles within organizations, are all making prospecting, proposing, negotiating and closing business that much tough for everyone.

The only saving grace: this too will pass.  Deals are getting done by astute leaders.  How?  By elevating the conversation and the value of their unique solution as a must-have, not simply a nice-to-have!  In short, you must excite or disturb your current and prospective clients to create movement.

Networking is one of those necessary evils for most of us.  We want more or better clients.  We need to find or expand our portfolio of suppliers.  We could always use a better job, more pay, or even for some of us, upgrade in the friends department!  But at what cost?  We keep attending functions, meeting & greeting others for coffee, lunch and after work drinks.  But are you seeing any results from all this busy work?

That’s why in this session for GaMPI, David Nour, author of Relationship Economics is sharing his practical, pragmatic advice on the Top 10 Reasons Most Networking Doesn’t Work and Why!  “When it comes to ‘networking’, I’m often amazed at how many people confuse vibration with forward motion,” says David and in this highly interactive session, he brings his independent perspectives and unique insights on what we all do and then wonder why we’re not seeing the results from all of our activities.