- Be interested - Showing sincere interest, remembering details and offering solutions to problems are some of the most powerful ways to build trust with people.
- Be interesting People respond favourably to only good feelings. Enjoying what you do will be evident to others. Passion and enthusiasm can be infectious.
- Keep in Touch - Building relationships is something that needs to be worked at. So, this is about making an effort and keeping promises.
50 Top Tips
General
- Arrive 5 – 10 minutes early at a networking event
- Build rapport by subtly matching someone’s posture, pace of speech, energy and find some common ground.
- Take an active role at networking events (e.g. volunteer to distribute badges).
- Limit the time you speak with a person to no more than 10 minutes. Politely end the conversation (e.g. “I’m really pleased to have met you…”) You can always talk in more depth later.
- Aim to speak to approximately 6 people an hour
- You can comfortably close a conversation by introducing the person you’ve been speaking to, to someone else in the room
- Become a Speaker (that way, everyone in the room gets to know you and hear your message!)
- Introduce yourself to the Speaker
- Answer open questions posted by the Speaker
- Introduce yourself to someone who asked a question that interested you.
- Say goodbye and thank you to the Event Organiser. Tell them what you gained from attending the event and that you’d be glad to put your comments in writing for when they promote the event again
- Get the Event Organiser to help you find “useful” people to meet
- Offer a free report or article
- Don’t think of yourself as a “networker”, but a Problem Solver. Look for similar traits in others
- “Make friends”!
- Ask new contacts for information or help
- Ensure you network with other professions as well as your own
- Identify the “movers” and “shakers” in the group. These are the people who know everyone else and can introduce you to others
- When going to a networking event with someone you know, ensure you sit with different people
- If you work with a group of people, ensure you join different network groups
- Be a Contact Resource by exchanging information, ideas, experiences and contacts
- Form strategic alliances
- Refer people to each other
- Pick the spot in the group that looks good
- Introduce and/or refer people to each other
- Set yourself goals before attending an event (e.g. How many people do you want to meet? Any specific professions you need to get to know?)
- Become a better listener – learn to look interested. Find out what they are celebrating and what they are struggling with
- Help others to be interesting by asking open questions such as:
i. “So (use their name – it helps to build rapport), what’s the thing you find most interesting about your work?”
ii. “How did you get started (in your line of work)?”
iii. “What’s the most successful and satisfying way you win business?”
- Have a “hook” statement to introduce what you do (so as to “hook” their interest)
- Have a variety of short sentences to describe the benefit of your business to your clients
- Be convincing by describing your business with passion and enthusiasm
- SMILE “Enthusiasm and passion will attract people to you” (Nigel Risner)
Business Cards
- Have Business cards with you at all times, even at the gym! You never know where you may find a business opportunity
- Keep your business cards in a holder so that they do not get damaged
- Present your business cards confidently
- Ask for two or three business cards: one for your file and additional ones for you to pass to other interested parties. (You’ll probably get asked for two or three of your cards)
- Remember your new contacts by making a note on their business cards of:
i. Date and name of event where you met
ii. Brief content of your conversation
iii. Follow up actions (such as promises you’ve made)
- Develop a system for filing your business cards e.g. A for Accountant, Z for Zoologists. You are more likely to remember a person’s profession first rather than their name
Following Up (Keep In Touch)
- Decide and agree a method of follow up (e.g. phone call, email, fax, postcard)
- If sending an email, put a suitable title in the subject line to ensure it doesn’t get deleted
- Send emails during normal business hours
- Follow up a first meeting within 3 days
- If you are not able to email, have professional business postcards printed and stamped so that you can write a brief message and send within 3 days
- Keep your promises e.g. if you say you’re going to send an interesting article, send it
- Stay in touch. Don’t just go to someone when you’re desperate!
- Make sure any “keep in touch” messages are of benefit to them rather than being a sales pitch about you
Remember:
- You can never know too many people – “everyone is somebody’s someone”
- Take advantage of informal networking opportunities (e.g. friends, family, holidays, travelling, hobbies, ex-colleagues etc.)
- It’s a small world, so don’t burn your bridges!
- The more you give, the more you get
Wendy Gannaway
Wendy Gannaway is Managing Director of Onwards & Upwards Ltd, a qualified Training Consultant, accredited NLP Practitioner and expert in accelerated learning. Clients benefit from her uniquely engaging style gained from a background in the performing arts. She developed her passion for helping others progress their potential following a career that has included Customer Liaison, Account Management and Training Management. Her enthusiasm for her own continuous learning ensures that her clients receive leading edge development and continuously improved results.
Onwards & Upwards ltd
Tel: 01268 286675
Email: info@onwards-and-upwards.com
Web: www.onwards-and-upwards.com