You are invited to a chamber networking event, a cocktail reception
or a business luncheon; you walk in and see only strangers. Do you say
to yourself, "What an opportunity! I don't know a soul"? Or
do you desperately look around for someone you know?
Many people are uncomfortable at events where they
don't know anyone. In today's business environment, however, being an
effective networker is crucial. Here are some tips to help you network
your way to great connections.
Plan Your Presence
To network effectively, you need to know why you are doing it, and the
benefits you hope to gain. Those benefits vary from function to function;
they may be personal as well as professional. Is your purpose to fulfill
an obligation, to reconnect with business associates, to be an example
for your employees or to enhance your career opportunities? Are you
attending to have fun, meet new people, learn new information or find
a good Italian restaurant? By identifying your purpose for attending,
you will spend your time wisely.
Pick organizations where those attending are your potential
customers, or people who come into contact with your potential customers.
For example, if you do business with attorneys or mortgage brokers,
do you belong to organizations that they frequent? On the other hand,
if you do not market your services to homemakers, joining the local
PTA might not advance your career.
Project a Positive Attitude
Why do people have so much trouble working a room? They are uncomfortable
talking with strangers, they don't know how to start a conversation
or they are secretly hoping someone will introduce them to others in
the room.
Networking, however, is simply about the sharing of
information. We need to remember that we have just as much to share
as the other person. One way to overcome shyness is to redefine the
word "stranger": think of strangers as friends you have not
met yet. With those positive attitudes in mind, you'll be more willing
to introduce yourself.
Practice Your 10-Second Commercial
Every time you meet someone you have an opportunity to promote your
business in a creative way. You want to say something so that people
will remember you. Most people introduce themselves by saying, "Hi,
I'm Mary from CSE Bank." To make a lasting impression, you need
to have a tagline or a 10-second commercial attached to your name. Say
something about yourself that will get their attention and provoke them
to ask a question about what you do. When I introduce myself, I give
my name and company and say, "I teach professionals the skills
to outclass the competition." They usually reply with, "How
do you do that?" Their question is an invitation for you to explain
what you do. Ask what they do and you have started a conversation.
Plunge In
Once at the event, you need to have a system to maximize your networking
opportunities. Don't sit down, don't monopolize someone's time and don't
go for the sale. We all know people who have made those etiquette blunders.
To make mixing meaningful, be sure to mingle. It is
too easy at these networking events for us to seek out the people we
know and spend the whole cocktail hour with them. Resist the urge. Say
hello to friends and acquaintances, but use the event as an opportunity
to meet new contacts.
A good way to get the conversation rolling is to use an opening line.
The easiest is simply to smile and say "hello." An opening
line could also be a statement, a question or a self-revelation. "The
weather is lovely" is an example of a statement. A question could
be, "Is this your first conference?" And "I always drop
something on my tie at these cocktail receptions" is a self-revelation.
Use these conversation starters to help you feel comfortable, so that
you can circulate the room with ease.
After you have talked awhile with a new person, it's
OK to end the conversation and move on. Set a goal to meet at least
five new contacts and spend no more than 10 minutes with each person.
The best way to exit a conversation is to say, "Please excuse me.
I need to mingle."
As you mingle, you need to have a strategy to meet
new people. Act like a host. A host's job is to introduce others so
that they can start a conversation together. If you have trouble remembering
people's names, be sure to use their name three times in the conversation.
Apologize if you forget, and ask someone to repeat his or her name.
Find loners to rescue; they are probably uncomfortable
with the situation and will welcome the opportunity to talk to someone.
Look for groups of three to five to join. At some networking events,
I go up to a group that I want to join and say I am part of the "unofficial
welcoming committee." Even when there is no "welcoming committee,"
it is a great excuse to talk to strangers.
Pursue Consistent Follow-up
After you meet new business contacts, it's important to keep your name
in front of them. One of the first things you should do after a networking
event is to send a little note to those you met. Thank them and mention
that you enjoyed meeting them. If these people are prospects, create
a tip-sheet for your industry and mail it to them or send newspaper
articles and magazine clippings that relate to their business. You can
attach a little hand-written note mentioning that you thought they might
be interested in reading this material. If you see that they have an
article in the paper or have been recognized for something in their
industry, cut out the article and send it to them. Everyone likes to
be acknowledged for things that appear in the press. If you meet someone
that could be a business lead for them, be sure to pass that name along.
Is your net-working? The above strategies
can help you make those networking events profitable. Use these
tips to start conversations, build rapport and network your
way
to great connections.
Are
you interested in discussing what we can do to help you?
Contact
us for a free 1/2 hour
consultation today!
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Juanita Ecker, President of
Professional Image Management, provides corporate training on meeting
and tradeshow etiquette, dining etiquette, business decorum, networking
skills, telephone manners, professional image and business casual. She
can be reached at (518) 279-9388,
by e-mail at image3@nycap.rr.com,
and via the Web at www.professionalimagemgt.com.