networking

Masterful Networking Part 9

November 12, 2019 By Barry

Networking as Part of a Solid Business Plan

Truly masterful networking is only possible when you are confident and comfortable with yourself and the value of your services. The Book Good to Great by Jim Collins explains that you need to:

Be brilliant at what you do
Be passionate and enthusiastic
Be distinct… or become extinct

Have a plan for your networking activities. Think things through, decide on a goal, and work out what actions and behaviors will get you there.
Target specific industries or professions. You’re shooting a .22 rifle, not a shotgun. Establish a niche for yourself: this could be geographical (a particular city or state) or could involve the types of people with whom you work.
Have a well-practiced 15-or-30 second commercial. For example: I coach high integrity business leaders to achieve sustainable breakthrough results in their professional and personal lives. You can vary the language in different situations, saying “work with” rather than “coach.”
Have specific goals for your networking activities. For instance, “I will add five new connections to my LinkedIn profile on a weekly basis,” or “Have a one-on-one conversation with a new contact.”
Network when you’re busy and don’t need the business. If you find yourself out of work and then start networking, you networks will be brand new and it will be hard for you to get quick results. Continuously establish and build relationships.
Have a personal advisory panel of peers who can help you build your business. Try to include individuals who work with similar clients or customers to you.
Keep a list of centers of influence and strategic referral partners. More on this in a future blog.
Have a large quality network of resources to share with others. Become very well read in your area of expertise and in business in general.

Exercise

List some people you know well, in different categories, who are part of your network and with whom you can share other members of your network. Aim for 8-10 people with different areas of expertise, ideally people who are of a different generation. Consider how you could establish a regular meeting with these people.

They should be people you know, like and trust, with extraordinary capabilities in their area. You can help one another, be sounding boards for each other’s business, and be “raving fans” for one another.

You can also help each other’s clients, where appropriate. One of my clients, for instance, may need a lawyer or financial planner.

Masterful Networking Part 8

October 21, 2019 By Barry

Building Powerful Networking Habits

It is important to be consistent in your networking activities. That means forming good habits by being methodical and tenacious. Work to develop your existing skills, and to learn new ones. Make sure you apply what you’ve learned.

Network everywhere. Wherever there are people, there’s an opportunity for you to contribute, to to be contributed to. The gym, your church, and your kid’s school all count. You might not engage in business networking in these locations, buy you can gain valuable personal information (such as restaurant recommendations!).
Network with your suppliers and vendors. The people with whom you spend your money. Do they know and understand what you do?
Use non-vocational interests as opportunities to network. You can gain clients during your everyday activities, perhaps by striking up a conversation at your health club or on the golf course.
Be consistent in attending networking meetings. Out of sight means out of mind! As Woody Allen put it, “Ninety percent of life is just showing up.”
Use breakfast and lunch times as opportunities to network. We all have to eat – and eating is a modest form of intimacy which can easily be combined with networking. Breakfast and lunch are great times to exchange some social graces and get to know people.
Have a scoreboard to track your networking activities and effectiveness. You could measure: Number of events attended, business cards received, number of opportunities, referrals given, referrals received, follow-up activity.
Network with everyone. When we network with people, we’re not only networking with them, we’re networking with all their relationships. You never know who your neighbor may know! Don’t focus only on super-connectors and centers of influence.

EXERCISE Look at all your current and former clients. How did they become your clients? Did you meet them directly, or were they referred to you? Who introduced you to them? If someone engaged your services, the mechanism by which they became a client might allow you to get more clients in a similar way. If a super-connector introduced you to several past clients, are you maintaining that relationship?

Masterful Networking: Part 4

August 27, 2019 By Barry

During Events: Conversations

The whole point of going to networking events is to have great conversations. If you find it difficult to strike up a conversation, or if you are unsure how to keep a discussion going, these tips should help.

Use the other person’s name several times in your conversation – this will help you remember it! Repeat their name when you are introduced (“Hi Bob! Nice to meet you!). Use it when you introduce them to someone else.

Focus on being interested rather than being interesting.

Make sure you can answer WIIFT – What’s in it for them?

Make the first move in meeting and engaging others in conversation.

Ask them: How would I know if someone would be a good prospect for you?

Know how to escape from long-winded conversations. Put the focus on helping the other person: “I’m sure you have other people you want to meet, so I won’t take up any more of your time.”

Can your introduction pass the “So What?” test? What makes you unique? What expertise differentiates you from others in your profession? You need to be able to say something others can’t – but in a graceful, dignified and reasonably humble manner.

Masterful Networking: Part 2

July 23, 2019 By Barry

Prior to Events, and on Arrival

Do you look forward to attending networking events, and feel excited about the new contacts who you’ll meet? If you’re well prepared, you’ll feel confident – and you’ll be able to take advantage of all the opportunities that come your way during the event.

• Arrive EARLY: You can meet the hosts and sponsors of the event, and also act as a host yourself by greeting those who are arriving.

• Plan to leave LATE: This give you additional time with people, and some extended, more intimate conversations.

• SCAN The Sign-In Sheet: Learn who will be there!

• Come Prepared: Have a good pen, business cards, and other materials.

• Leave Your Phone in the car: Or at least put it on Airplane mode so you are not disturbed.

EXERCISE: Start going to more events and seminars. They are opportunities to gain shared experiences. Consider volunteering with a local organization in order to demonstrate your expertise and gain more contacts. As Ivan Misner – founder of BNI – aid, “When you network, you gotta get out of your cave.”

What two or three actions will you take this week to get out of your cave?

Masterful Networking: Part 1

July 9, 2019 By Barry

What is Networking?

Many people think networking is the development of a system of personal and professional contacts that can be used to gain information and assistance only when needed.

In reality, it is much more!

Networking is a lifelong process that can enrich us professionally and personally in ways we never imagined.

Networking expands our view of the world, helps us take risks and reach new levels of accomplishment, promotes win/win situations, and encourages bringing people together in ways that make one plus one equal more than two.

Networking provides the structure, support, skills, and strategies needed to bridge the gap between ideas and actions. It can turn strangers into friends and build a world full of people who will take our calls, give us their time, and answer our questions. Networking can be useful in helping us reach our chosen destinations, whether they be making a job change, working more effectively with customers and colleagues, or building our own business.

“We human beings are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others’ actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others’ activities. For this reason, it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others.” (His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama)

EXERCISE:

Spend a few minutes answering this question: What is networking to you?

Stay tuned for Part 2: Prior to Events & On Arrival