How
to Network Profitably - Its Not About
Mingling or Working a Room
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.
Letıs 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. Donıt 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: (425) 712-1976 or online via the contact
page.
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