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| EFFECTIVE NETWORKING |
| PART 4 Are you targeting the right people? Let your networking be defined by your personality and life style, not by your work. You are not trying to only reach the person you are speaking to, you want to have access to all the people they have an influence over. Try to find people in the room that have similar interests such as hobbies and interests to you. This is how the “old boys network” developed for years with business being done on the golf course. Business happened as an afterthought. You do things for others because you genuinely like them and see this as a long-term partnership, not a short-term business venture. Think of how many things you buy or do because a friend has recommended them to you. Talk to "the enemy"? Absolutely. As you hone your networking skills, you're bound to meet other women and men in your field. Don't give away trade secrets, but don't be afraid to strike up a conversation either. Watching non verbal clues will give you some insight into whether to discuss certain issues You can learn a lot from the competition, especially those who have been on their own longer than you have. Many remember what it was like starting out and are happy to share their wisdom. “How can I help you” In networking situations, learn about the other person's business. If you know a potential client or customer, offer to call that contact on their behalf. Make sure that your co-networker is crystal clear about what you do and the kind of business that you want to attract. Do not be afraid to ask them to call someone on your behalf and if said informally it can sound totally without pressure. One goal of networking is to get referrals, but how do you ask for names? You can be too direct and put others off. You can be too vague, and come away empty handed. So what do you say? In general, it's better to be subtle and indirect rather than blunt. "Can you give me the names of your friends?" might put your host on the defensive; the answer may be no. "Who else should I be talking to?" is far less threatening and will elicit the names of friends and key contacts anyway. If you add “in the group” then this will give you the perfect opportunity to move on to another individual if you wish to or rather than approaching the individual solo enlists your newfound mutual acquaintance to give an introduction. “An intro is like an implicit endorsement, and the next time you meet, there will be that association and that context.” Develop a connection pipeline: In the process of networking, a business connection pipe must be established. For example, members can link to each other's websites by links. The first step is to identify business categories that you want to build relationships in. The trick is to meet these people and build a relationship BEFORE you need their help. Draw up an inventory of our skills, abilities, talents of our contacts and that of your fellow net workers and look to see how they could cross-reference. Include information such as our name, type of business, specific needs and desires as well as their talents, abilities, contacts, memberships and so on. Some of the abilities, which could be valuable to others in your network, may have absolutely nothing to do with business Closing the conversation. Spread yourself well. Spending all of your time with one individual will restrict your networking ability. Aim to spend 75% of your time with people you don’t know and set targets on how many people you wish to talk to in the given time. If new to the group it is tempting if you have found someone to talk too to stick to them like glue. Nod which communicates "I hear you, I acknowledge you." And reflect or validate what the other person is saying, e.g., "It sounds like you have a fascinating job." If you are "working a room" and have many people to meet, after two to three minutes, disengage from the conversation and move on to meet another person. Give the other person "unconditional positive regard," in other words, your undivided attention. Don't just walk away if you see someone more interesting. ALWAYS make a closing statement before moving on, e.g., "Please excuse me. I see someone I've been do have to speak to." Or, "It was really a pleasure to meet you. I'll look forward to seeing you again soon." Learn how to express closing statements. Summarize what was said, " I wish you good luck on your project.' If graceful disengagement doesn't work and the other person doesn't get the hint that you need to leave, be more direct: "I see it is really getting late and I really must go", then back up physically. As a last result, say a parting statement while you are shaking hands to say good-bye. How to end. When appropriate, establish a next step: a phone call, follow-up meeting, something to be mailed. If you end with no next step, you miss the chance to involve this person in your campaign--possibly a big mistake. Tell people you value their suggestions and plan to take action on them. Say, for example, "I'll call the people you recommended and read the articles you suggested. Then I'll check back in a week or so to let you know what happened." This approach lets the person know you take them seriously. It cements the relationship. In addition, it makes this person a more permanent part of your network, not just a passing Take advantage of "tricks of the trade." Even if you can't afford to exhibit your products or services, simply attending a trade show or organization puts you in the right place at the right time to do some heavy-duty networking. It seems that a large number of women business owners have already figured out the value of trade shows. According to the American Express survey, 43 percent of women small business owners already use them to grow their firms versus 23 percent of male owners. You go girl! Contact The Chamber of Commerce for details of their Business exhibitions www.mk-chamber.co.uk or by phone 01908 259000. Be resourceful. Don't discount good, old-fashioned "word of mouth." Carry your business card with you to the grocery store, shopping mall, gym . . . everywhere. You never know where your next client or customer will come from. Get featured in business publications by writing articles of interest. Mentor and be mentored. As you network, you'll form contacts who will prove extremely beneficial to you and your company. Some will send new business your way; others will share the lessons they've learned so that you don't have to make the same mistakes they did. Don't ever take this support for granted. You can create formal or informal mentoring opportunities, but establishing these relationships will benefit you both professionally and personally. Make sure to follow up as promised Don't make commitments that you can't keep e.g., finding that phone number or article unless you know you have time to be helpful. Unkempt promises don't make a positive first impression. Go through your business cards once a week, using notes on the backs of cards for reference to follow up. Send a "nice meeting you" note and/or material on your company if requested but don't SPAM (inundate the other person with more information than they could ever need or want). DON'T send unsolicited attached files. Many recipients are nervous about viruses in attachments and simply delete them. If you want to forward an attachment, its best to ask permission DO make sure your signature file is up-to-date--it's free advertising on each e-mail you send! Include a six- or eight-word mission statement about yourself, to help differentiate yourself from the crowd Make follow-up phone calls and remind people where and when you met them. Of course using good data base software, such as "ACT," is very helpful to track information regarding people you meet. We hope that you have found these articles useful and have picked up some hints and tips to use when you are next networking. |
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