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Networking Tips
from The Networking Gurus
'Tis the Season to be
Networking! Create
a Plan of Action to Stay in Touch with People You Meet 5
Simple Steps to Choosing Networking Groups How to Build Your
Network Without Leaving Home Where to Go to Grow Your Network Three Techniques for Keeping a
Conversation Alive 3 Easy Ways to Follow-up With
People You Meet Strategies for Starting Networking
Conversations Making the Most of Your Networking
Time 'Tis the Season to be
Networking! Although many people think that not much happens business-wise over the holidays, The Networking Gurus disagree. We think this is the most wonderful time of the year to be marketing your business through networking activities. The myth that not much happens over the holidays is just that, a myth. If we take a moment
to look at The Universal Marketing Cycle from the Get Clients Now!TM program, we see that "All marketing
and sales operates on a predictable cycle, with four separate stages, filling the pipeline, following up, getting presentations, and closing sales." What does this marketing cycle have to do with you and the holidays? It can help you
diagnose where to best focus your marketing efforts. This is probably not the time to focus your attention on scheduling presentations and closing sales as people tend to be busy with shopping and other holiday activities and may wait until next year to make business decisions. On the other hand, the holiday season is filled with opportunities to network and meet new people to fill your pipeline. It also offers a perfect reason to contact and follow-up with everyone else. In fact, it may be
the best time of the year to network! To fill your pipeline, say Yes to all invitations! Okay, you don't have to say yes to everything, but if you need to fill your pipeline with new people, you can meet them by accepting invitations for everything from the neighborhood open house, to the office party, as well as those special holiday business networking events. Attending parties is also a good way to follow-up with the people you already know, such as your clients, business acquaintances, associates, referral partners, and friends and family. And of course this is a perfect time of year to send cards, letters, emails, and newsletters.
And don't forget to call! Here are Ten Tips to help you fill your pipeline and follow-up while enjoying this season's holiday events: 1. Be prepared for each event you attend. This means bring
your business cards! And your pen and
calendar so you can schedule follow-up meetings in the
moment. 2. Have your 30 second introduction handy for people you don't know. 3. Be outgoing and friendly. 4. Focus on other people. 5. Get the conversation going with some prepared questions: How was business
this year? What plans do you
have for next year? What kinds of
clients are you looking for these days? How's the family? (Be prepared to
answer these questions as well!) 6. Keep the conversation brief and upbeat. 7. Dress appropriately. 8. Send the host or hostess a thank you note. 9. Follow-up with people you meet. 10. Have fun, but don't eat or drink too much. Enjoy the season! You can find more information on networking skills such as Working the Room or Following Up with People You Meet in our Articles or Tips pages located at http://www.thenetworkinggurus.com. For more information on upcoming Get Clients Now! Programs with The Networking Gurus go to http://www.thenetworkinggurus.com/classes.html Create a Plan of Action to Stay
in Touch with People You Meet What are you doing to stay in touch with the people you meet? In
our previous newsletters we've talked about how to meet people - picking events, preparing for events and working the room once you're at an event. But what do you do after an event to follow
up and stay in touch with all the people you meet? This month's tip
will show you how. Decide Who to Stay in Touch With The first thing to do when you get back from an event is to sort through the business cards you collected and decide who you want to stay in touch with. Just because you got a card from someone doesn't necessarily mean you want continuing contact with that person. Capture Information Then, enter the people you have identified as good relationship partners into your contact management system. Ideally, you will enter some brief information about how you met and what you discussed, so you will remember it two months or a year later. While entering the information, decide in that moment how often you want to follow up with the person - once a week, once a month, once a quarter, etc. Enter that into the system as well. Follow Up Follow up immediately with the people you met. Here are some ways you can follow up: * Send a hand-written note saying how nice it was to meet them and mentioning something from your conversation. * Send an e-mail. * Make a phone call. * Set up another meeting. * Send an item of interest. Follow up again when your contact management system tells you it's time. You can use any of the follow-up techniques listed above
for your second follow-up. Calendar Your Next Follow-Up Decide when you want to contact that person again. Enter that into your contact management system. Repeat Keep repeating this system over and over again. Once you put a system in place, you will find that keeping in touch with people is relatively effortless. This month, we challenge you to create and commit to a plan of action for your follow-up activities. Here's a sample plan: Every Day: * Enter new contacts into your contact management system. * Send nice to meet you notes or emails within 24 hours of
meeting someone. * Call one person you have not been in touch with recently. Every Week: * Schedule lunch or coffee with a new contact or with a friend, colleague or client you have not seen in awhile. * Send a card to someone just because you're thinking of them. Every Month: * Review and update your contact management system with any
changes you need to make. * Create a list of people you want to connect with in the coming
month. 5 Simple Steps to Choosing
Networking Groups Just this week we were at a networking event and someone asked, with so many networking events to choose from, how do I decide which ones to go to and how many should I go to? What a great question! Yes, there are a lot of networking opportunities and events to choose from and all of us have limited time, and money, to spend on our networking activities. So, how do you best choose the events for you? Here's how we work with our clients when they choose the strategy of networking as part of their marketing mix. 1. Narrow Your Choices a. What's your goal or purpose in networking?
Is your goal to find new business? Become known in your industry? Are you looking for a group to join and get
involved with? Are you wanting visibility? Skills to
increase your confidence? b. Who do you want to meet? Are you looking for clients? Prospects? People in your industry or a related one? Are you looking to form referral alliances? 2. Create a List of Groups that Suit Your Purpose For a list of Networking Organizations: http://www.thenetworkinggurus.com/resources.html For an article on Networking Groups: http://www.thenetworkinggurus.com/articles.html For Networking Events, see the events listings in The Networking Gurus News. 3. Gather Information You can read the event descriptions in The Networking Gurus News, contact the groups directly or visit their websites. Find out: Where do they meet? What time? How often? Cost of attending and/or joining? What kind of people attend? What is the usual structure? How much time is there for actual networking? How many people typically attend? What other activities does the group participate in? What are the groups' goals or mission? Age range? 4. Create a Plan Schedule one or two visits per week into your calendar until you have visited all the groups on your list. This may take a few months. When you find a group you like, visit 2-3 times before
joining. 5. Evaluate and Join! When you're at an event, look around. Do you like the people? Are they interesting and interested? Are you made to feel welcome? Are there ways to meet people, both formal and informal? Do you like the group's mission and what it stands for? If you're going to take the time and expense to join an organization, make sure it's a good fit for you, your profession, your interests, your time and your budget. Also make sure it
will help you meet the people you want to meet while meeting your networking strategy goals. Our challenge this month is to use the 5 simple steps above and create a plan to find the networking groups that are best for you. How to Build Your Network
Without Ever Leaving Home! In last month's tip you learned about the four main types of events you can attend to grow your personal and professional network. This month, we focus on a different method for growing your network, on-line business networking sites. Although nothing beats face-to-face contact, using on-line networking allows you to expand your network in ways that just aren't possible in person. For example, you can search from
among thousands of people world-wide for individuals who meet whatever criteria you have established. For business networking sites, you create a profile that is searchable by others. You can also search the network for people
you want to know. These sites allow you to see who your connections know, which can help you find clients, start business relationships, or engage in a job search. You can also search
for others who share your work history, alma mater or interests. Here are 5 simple steps to using these sites. 1) Visit a number of business networking sites and pick the one that most appeals to you. Below is a list of groups to get you started. The one we use and therefore know the best is LinkedIn.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com Ryze Business Networking: http://ryze.com Ecademy: http://www.ecademy.com OpenBC: http://www.openbc.com ZeroDegrees: http://www.zerodegrees.com Soflow: http://www.soflow.com Knowmentum: http://www.itsnotwhatyouknow.com 2) Prepare Your Profile A key factor of on-line networking is that you will have a profile posted that others can access. Think of your profile as being
like an on-line resume, only it presents you as a currently employed person, rather than someone looking for a job. Some people will use key word searches to find you, so think carefully about what key words you include in your profile. Present yourself in the best light possible and include as much relevant information as you can. 3) Search for People To Connect With Look for people who you want to be part of your network. Each
site has a search function that allows you to search using various criteria. An easy way to start is with colleagues from current
or former jobs, or former classmates. After you find them, you
invite them to become part of your network. 4) Expand Your Network Once you start connecting with people, you will be able to see their connections. The simplest way to use those connections is
to see who you know in common and invite those people to be part of your network. 5) Be Professional Be just as professional when you are networking with people on-line as you would be in person. Edit your messages carefully for content, spelling, and grammar. Look first for what you can do
for others, not what they can do for you. Don't over-promote
yourself or your business. This month, pick one on-line networking site and create and post a profile to it. |