Evan Polin, a member of The Training Resource Group, one of our networking partners who I have been fortunate to meet through our membership with Business Clubs America, has some valuable advice on how to network effectively. Please see below!
"Networking is the process of building and maintaining relationships. Networking isn't sales, and sales isn't networking. It's a lifestyle, not a work style. The best networkers don't know that they're networking, because for them it is a way of life." - Susan RoAne
When you imagine yourself networking, what do you picture? Most likely, it is you selling yourself and your company - and then placing a business card in someone's hand. But that is the wrong way to network effectively. Here are nine tips to help.
-
1. Make networking an ongoing behavior. As the RoAne quote states, networking is a long-term commitment and outlook, not a quick-fix solution to get a sale. Become a friendly connector in general.
-
2. Use Emerson's law of compensation: "Want more give more." Don't aim just to help yourself. Be a matchmaker, and help everyone else by getting in the habit of connecting other people. If you know someone who can help the person with whom you're speaking, connect them! This will establish your personal "brand" as someone who is friendly and helpful in general - and that will encourage others to help you as well.
-
3. Quality referrals are more important than quantity. Someone who says, "I know a great guy and a terrific lawyer who is smart, savvy, and friendly!" is much better than "I know a lawyer - perhaps he can help." Take the time to develop a smaller number of deep connections rather than a high number of acquaintances whom you have coldly approached in an assembly-line fashion.
-
4. Always acknowledge and thank those that help you. Everyone likes to be appreciated and get positive feedback on their efforts - whether in the office or in return for helping someone by giving a referral.
-
5. Don't sell when you networking. This practice is obvious, and it turns people off - network to make relationships and friends first, and then set-up meetings later to talk about business.
-
6. Know what your prospective client or referral source looks like. This is one example of learning everything you can about the prospect or referral. People gravitate towards those who have similar interests. If the prospect is a major Phillies fan, mention that you are as well (if you are - do not ever lie, of course) and tell some baseball stories. When you are learning what a person looks like, you will also learn a lot about him or her at the same time.
-
7. Learn everything you can about creating rapport and bonding with people. Social skills and graces never go out of style - and they are becoming more valuable (and rare!) today as more and more people seem to live on their computers. Read books about body language and non-verbal cues. Brush up on etiquette.
-
8. Recognize your comfort zone, but don't let it control you. Not everyone is an extrovert, so networking can be tough. Still, it is important to know in which environments you are most comfortable - perhaps chatting in a pub, watching the game on television, or speaking at a seminar - and then take advantage of opportunities in those contexts. When you are comfortable and acting naturally, you will seem more friendly and confident.
- 9. Have fun and don't take yourself too seriously. This is the best way to make networking a way of life and not a stressful business experience. The best way is to imagine yourself making friends rather than business contacts.
Thanks, Evan, for your networking tips! We've got some of our own as well in our prior posts here and here. We know that it's hard for everyone in this economy - so we always want to help our clients as much as possible!
