Networking Musts
Posted on November 04, 2009 by David Thompson, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.
The musts are actions that true networkers will perform in order to achieve the highest benefit from the time spent.
You must have a plan when you are going to a networking event. Doing without a plan of what you want to accomplish is the same as cutting up boards without having any idea of what you intend to build. Make the plan simple, “I want to set two appointments for later in the week or next week to get to know two people better. Don’t be to quick to judge the true potential of a contact or the size of their wallet.
You must mingle and meet with people you don’t already know or know well. There is a saying that people do business with people they know, like and trust. Can you see that the first step is to get to know them. As indicated above the “know” can be extended to really get to know them.
You must sit with people that you don’t know or know as well. A method that I use is to put my stuff on a chair as soon as I arrive, then walk away, allowing others to choose seats, most of the time I end up sitting next to my next friend. Hint: be vague if a friend asks where you are sitting, point in the general direction.
You must use your mouth in proportion to your ears (2/3 listening, 1/3 talking). People like to talk about themselves, ask questions, “What do you do?” “How’s it going?” “Who is your competition?” It is sometimes like a hard to start lawn mower, but once started it will run and run and run.You must use your ears, things will be said that can be important in later conversations. Take notes on the back of their business card. By recalling this fact later people begin to get a feeling that you care, which translates into like.
You must use your time wisely, don’t dominate a single person. Remember they may have had goals for this event also. Two to five minutes per person should be adequate, if you feel you need more time, ask for an appointment where you can get to know them and their business better.
Lastly, to achieve the top networking plateau, you must ask them how you can help them in their business. What type of business are they looking for? Who is their ideal client or customer? What will be said in a conversation with another that I should be listening for in order to recommend them as a potential solution to a problem?
