40 Minutes to Great Networking
People who are great "networkers" have been actively planting "seeds" throughout their lives. They realize that networking is one of the most important self-marketing tools. For those of us who want to improve our networking skills, the good news is that learning to make "lifetime connections" can be accomplished in a short period of time.
In one of my audio programs, "40 Minutes to Great Networking", I provide the listener with networking skills that work both on and off the job. This article will provide you with highlights from that program.
Think about the people you come across in meetings, sales calls, or in a registration line at trade shows. Everyone has the potential to be an important contact. More importantly, the golden rule is: instead of looking at networking as getting something from others, think of how you can be a resource for those people.
Get out your hoe and seed bag. Here are some tactics that will help you yield a bountiful harvest in the future:
- Become aware of your environment. Learn by emulating successful networkers around you. Identify what they do that appeals to you. Your environment also includes what you read. From now on, look at the newspaper with a "networking" eye, and listen to the news with a "networking" ear. When someone interests you, send a note that compliments him or her.
- Be results-oriented and have a plan. Make networking a part of your daily routine. For example, if you're off to an association meeting, set a goal to make two new contacts and then follow up with them. Following up is the most crucial part of the process. It separates the pros from the amateurs. If you think it's time consuming to develop a relationship with the new people you meet, you're right. You'll never know in advance which "lead" will turn out to be productive unless you take the time and effort to find out.
- Find an original approach. For example, with my business, I have an easy-to-read newsletter that I mail to customers, prospects, and people with whom I want to network. It is also mailed to people I meet at trade shows. Written on the outside of my newsletter is a short personal note. In any case, you be the one to make the first move. The person who hesitates is lost.
- Be a joiner and get involved. Sitting on the sidelines won't get you noticed. Have an active life. I recently joined a business club where I can entertain clients and enhance my own network. I immediately wrote a letter to the president of the club, and asked him how I could get involved with some of the committees. He called me back and the first thing he said was, "I like your direct approach." My networking did not stop with him; I also became friendly with the support people there, remembering them with a note of appreciation. Think about the business organizations in which you can actively participate.
- Perception is reality. People remember what they see and hear from you. Make a good first impression that never stops impressing others. Treat new contacts with special care and importance. Reintroduce yourself to those individuals who are still getting to know you.
- Have measurable tactics. Every good strategy has specific action steps that can be monitored. For example, each week call three people you haven't spoken to in 90 days. Keep a log of contacts along with the type of follow_up you used. Decide which approaches are working best for you. While you can scientifically measure results, remember that networking is an art form which is expressed by you.
What I'm talking about here and in the audio program are the keys that will help you to:
- create your own personal world wide web
- possess the confidence to network anywhere and anytime
- develop a networking strategy
- discover common interests with people
- build connections to last a lifetime
Start today and give me a call. Think of it as a networking opportunity.
