Posted on January 31st, 2008 by Jane in
Networking Business Networking is a boon to solo professionals and SMEs. In fact, for some of us it’s our main way of getting new business. ‘Word-of-mouth Marketing’, as they call it, is very powerful indeed.
But there’s more to effective Networking than a row of jollies in your diary. There’s a skill to learn. An etiquette you need to perfect.
The first and, in my humble opinion, the most important rule is this:
Networking is NOT selling.
It’s about building relationships and growing a network of people who you can help and who can help you. The work comes from those relationships.
There is nothing more off-putting than going to a networking meeting and having someone pin you in a corner and try and hard-sell you.
Equally irritating – and stupid – is being ignored because you’re not an obvious, immediate customer, as this story from my friend Michelle McDines, the House Coach, illustrates.
‘A guy came up to me at a networking meeting and asked who I was and what I did. I told him, and he said: “Well, there’s no point me talking to you. You won’t buy anything from me.”
‘So I stared him straight in the eyes, smiled and said, “Try me!” He gave me his spiel, and I replied: “You’re right, I won’t. But I know about twenty people who might be very interested in what you’ve got to offer. And that’s how networking works!”‘
Indeed, it is.
It’s about building up trust, being remembered and being referred. It is not about coming away from a meeting with a list of done deals.
Don’t forget, people refer people they like, respect and get on with. Michelle admits that she can’t remember a thing about that obnoxious guy’s business. ‘And with an attitude like his’, she told me, ‘I wouldn’t refer him to anyone I know, anyway.’
So, now you know.
Posted on January 10th, 2008 by Adam in
Networking You already have a network and it is probably much bigger than you at first realise. Don’t believe us? Take a few minutes and write down as many of the following as you can think of:
- Family
- Friends
- School
- Alumni
- Previous jobs and ex-colleagues
- Clubs and Societies you belong to
- Business cards you have kept
Contact as many of them as you can and tell them what your company does and ask them for referrals – the people who you should be speaking to.
Plaxo [http://www.plaxo.com/] is a fantastic online tool for organising your contacts. A basic account is free and allows you to synchronise your contacts, diary, and tasks across several computers – very useful if you have both a PC and a laptop!
Plaxo automatically updates when your contacts update their information thereby saving you hours of administration. Upgrading to Plaxo Premium, for a small annual fee, allows you to manage duplicate entries, store more than 1,000 contacts, and view your contacts and calendar on your mobile phone.
Why network?
Business is fundamentally about building relationships with people… in building a business you need to make your relationships productive.
Networking, whether on or offline, is finding and establishing relationships with people and it can be a powerful opportunity for you to find more business contacts and therefore, ultimately, to do more business and do it better.
Organised networking events are a simple way of meeting new people and making new contacts but there are some Do’s and Don’ts you should be aware of:
Do
- Attend a group at least twice as a visitor and establish if that group is right for you before deciding to join - and certainly before parting with any of your valuable marketing budget!
- Join different groups to fulfill different purposes.
- Welcome newcomers after becoming a member of a group. Remember what it was like for you to walk into a room not knowing anyone.
- Drop the “What’s in it for me?” attitude.
- Thank the person who gave you a referral, and follow it up within 24 hours.
Don’t
- Enter a room and just hand out your business card to people who you don’t know.
- Try to be all things to all people or your message will be lost.
- Think you will come out with a sale.
- Force the conversation to you all the time.
Here are some UK Networking groups you may be interested in:
RSS Feeds