Skip to main content

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.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Website Usability and Web Accessibility

Why are Usability and Accessibility Important? The web design and development industry has undergone a number of radical shifts over the last few years - in fact, many industry experts claim that it is the most rapidly changing industry in the world. What these changes have led to though, is increased potential - "anything is possible". The inevitable side effect of this is that software and web sites have become so feature-rich and complex that they are practically impossible to use.   This matters to individual website owners because, if they are not careful, their website project or website content management solution can easily suffer functional overkill. When launching a web design project, be sure to ask yourself and your web site vendor the following questions: How does your software meet accessibility standards? How do you implement usability best practices? Can users with disabilities use my website? How readable will my website be by visitors...
Post a Comment
Read more

RFP Guidelines

An Introduction to Writing RFPs A Request for Proposal is a crucial stage of the client/supplier relationship. Guidelines for an RFP are only now starting to become standard in the relatively new industry of web-related technologies. However, an RFP can help establish a line of communication and clarify the needs and requirements of your development project. This document can help you create a RFP. The proposal that Lewis Media and other proponents will prepare in response will attempt to cover, in detail, the time line, scope, technical requirements, and budget of the project. Therefore, the initial RFP should be as detailed and clear as possible; any budget limitations and time constraints should be initially established. This will help us all be on the same playing field from Day 1. Often a client can be daunted by a perceived need to approach a RFP from a technical perspective. An RFP should define your needs - Lewis Media will then interpret these needs into te...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is Search Engine Marketing?

Tools for Building your Business Online Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is the process and strategy of using search engine results as an advertising vehicle. This may include improving rank in organic listings, purchasing paid listings, or a combination of methods all designed to increase visibility, clicks and, of course, leads and orders. Search Engine Marketing involves balancing a number of different work streams including Search Engine Optimization, Advertising Campaigns (pay-per-click, pay-per-impression, or pay-per-performance) and Paid Listings. The Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing industries have changed greatly over the last few years. Some highlights of the current state of the art are: Search engines publicly acknowledge penalizing marketers that do not adhere to recommended best practices Search engines are attempting to better engage marketers and developers Everything can and should be measured, including traffic, bid costs, conver...
Post a Comment
Read more