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Networking Secrets

Building Your Business Through Networking

The best way to build your business through networking is....network! Half the battle is just showing up at the networking events. Of course showing up and avoiding interaction won't do much for your business either. The second half of winning with networking is making sure that people remember who you are and what you do. Some people think this means pushing into every conversation, and repeating their "elevator speech" a thousand times to a bunch of disinterested people who are desperately doing the same thing. Good networking does not work that way.

Here are three tips for making the most of your networking activities and ensuring that people will remember who you are and what you do.

1. Be consistent
  • show up regularly
  • wear only one "business hat" with the same group of people to avoid confusion
  • share a consistent marketing message
2. Be aware
  • know who your ideal target customers are and how to identify them
  • know what pain your customers experience and how your product or service fixes it
  • be able to quickly share this information with someone who wants to know more
3. Be a receiver
  • Start by listening, because we all remember the people who listen to us. Take your finger off the transmit button and hear what your fellow networkers have to say.
  • Once they notice you are sincerely listening, they'll want to find out more about you. When they ask, be ready to offer your information quickly, then ask to know more about them.
  • Provide some back up information on paper (one page handout) or by follow up email - this lets you stay in "receiver" mode while networking.
When everyone goes home, the people you listened to will remember you as interesting and easy to talk to. They will have your written material and/or your email follow up that reminds them who you are and what you do... and they will keep it because you showed an interest in them.

When they need what you provide, you will be the networker they call.
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