How to Network Profitably - Its Not About
Mingling or Working a Room

by Geoffrey Ronning

Many professionals network wrong. They race around the room handing out business cards and selling their products and services. That is unfortunate considering networking environments can be very beneficial to building your business. When you consider that in this day and age most of us are attending many events with others that can assist us to achieve our professional goals, it is important to be a skillful networker.

This article will help you to build professional relationships in networking situations that lead to profitable interactions and valuable resources. You will learn to overcome your feel of rejection and ease your worries so you can build those important professional relationships.

Many of us feel uncomfortable meeting others. We feel a strong desire to avoid interaction due to false fears. Fears such as the fear of rejection, the fear of looking bad, the fear of making a fool of ourselves. Those are natural fears that your can overcome with the strategies in this column. Let¹s look at the specific steps to successful networking.

1. Outline your objectives for your networking prior to attending your event. Consider who would be the most valuable for you to make initial contact with and with whom you should invest your time. If you know the purchaser of services or products you provide will be attending, you may seek them out. If the editor of the local newspaper will be attending and you would like to make their acquaintance for future stories, make contact with them. If you are looking for a new vendor and you know they will be attending, take this time to investigate them further. In many cases you can determine who will be attending with a participant or committee list or through your colleagues.

2. Make casual conversation to introduce yourself to other potential valuable contacts and inquire about others who may be a good match for you. You may also take this time to identify your contacts you have previously classified as your targets. For instance, if you have never met the director of a firm you are interested in working with, you can ask someone to point them out to you. While making conversation, keep your ears open and listen for opportunities which you can act on at this event or future functions.

Once I was directed to a individual that was in desperate need of my services. I immediately begun working for this individual three and a half years ago and now work with them several times a year. I probably never would have met them any other way. You must consider networking to be a marketing activity.

3. When your target is alone, take that opportunity to approach them. Introduce yourself. Be sure to be completely focused on them and provide them with your full attention. Nothing is worse then making a bad first impression. Engage them with questions and explore how you can bring value to the relationship.

For instance, if they explain they are having a morale problem with their employees offer to share a book, website or article with them you found effective in that problem. If they are looking for a new vendor, suggest someone you know that does good work. The key is to find out what you can do for them to continue the relationship, not take this time to sell them your product or service. Commit to following up with them immediately in the next business day.

4. Immediately provide them with the information or resource that will help them. You may do this via phone, mail or email. Keep in mind that you are creating an image with your actions. Don¹t create the wrong kind of image and fail to deliver exactly as you promised within the specific time frame. It is much easier to create an initial positive image then correct a negative image later.

5. Seven to ten days later follow up with them to confirm receipt of the resource. Suggest other ways you may be able to assist them, directly and indirectly. This may be through offering other resources or your own products or services. A nice way to handle this is by saying ³Would it be beneficial for me to send you an information packet on our services as well?²

6. Seven to ten days follow up and ask if may be beneficial to get together and see if your product or service would be a good match for their needs. If they are open to meeting you, take the meeting and begin to establish a working relationship. If they are not interested in meeting you, ask if you may stay in touch and if they know of anyone who may be in need of the services or products you provide.

7. Stay in light contact with them via phone, email and networking events. As you grow your relationship with them you will be creating future potential business for yourself and a valuable contact that you can access and refer to others.

That is the seven steps to successful networking. It should never be about distributing large quantities of your business cards, it should be about acquiring potential clients contact information and building value. Focus on the quality of your networking not the quantity. You will be using your time wisely and focusing your efforts in the most advantageous manner. By doing so you will continually be building your business and creating profitability for yourself and your organization.

Geoffrey Ronning is a speaker and consultant who teaches clients how to efficiently create professional relationships and improve employee relations.

This knowledge creates less hostile work environments with higher output
and teaches organizations how to quickly and easily acquire trust and
rapport to develop long term customers.

You can reach Geoffrey at: (623) 476-2437 or online via the contact page.