Networking Articles (Brenda's BLOG)

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Networking is like dating; you don’t ask your guy or girl to marry you on the first date, so why then do people expect to make a sale or gain a new client the first time they meet? Effective and productive networking is about building relationships and ‘win win’ scenarios. To ensure that your networking is highly effective consider my top ten tips:

 

1. Don’t look for a sale; look for a list. Consider this – isn’t it more productive to create a ‘win win’ scenario where you can both market to each others lists? That’s a far more productive way to network then trying to get a customer or a client.
   
   
2. Be curious – Ask lots of questions. The more you know about the person you are talking to them the more relevant you can be when it’s your time to chat.
   
   
3. Be interesting – No one likes a bore. If you are feeling a little crappy, leave it at home. When you are networking be a person that others want to meet and get to know.  Talk about things that are relevant and interesting.
   
   
4. Don’t become a member of any particular networking group unless there are huge benefits and a variety of people who attend. It is better to attend a variety of events so you get to meet a broader group of people.
   
   
5. Volunteering at events helps you to raise your profile to the group. i.e. on the door, product sales etc.
   
   
6. Give as much of yourself as you can.  Become known as a powerful resource for others. People will remember to turn to you for suggestions, ideas, etc. This keeps you visible to them.
   
   
7. Remember people’s names. This sounds really obvious but it’s amazing how many people don’t do this. Think about how impressed you are when a person remembers your name.
   
   
8. Ask people who their ideal referral or customer would be and see if you know anyone who you can refer to them.
   
   
9. Follow up – The majority of people do not follow up after an event. Here are my tips for effective follow up.
   
   
10. Don’t waste your time having coffees or lunches with people simply because they called and asked you to. Instead, have a phone chat about what might be possible and then decide if it is worth taking it to the next step.

 

 

Want to use this article in your e-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Ludwina Dautovic is the director and founder of The Red Tent Woman, an organisation supporting women in small and home based businesses. They host networking events, offer business mentoring and provide online and offline resources.

The Red Tent Woman is the 2008 MCEI National Marketing Award Winner for the ‘Women in Business’ Category.

If you are looking to start your own small business or have been struggling with your existing one, then go to www.theredtentwoman.com.au now and get your free gift valued at $97.

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