The ability to network is one of the most crucial skills anyentrepreneur can have. How else will you meet the clients andcontacts necessary to grow your business? But many people are putoff by the idea of networking, thinking it requires a phony,glad-handing personality that oozes insincerity. Nothing could befarther from the truth.
Think a moment. What does a good networker do? How does he orshe act? What is his or her basic attitude? You’ll probably besurprised at how much you instinctively know about the subject.
You may decide, for example, that a good networker should beoutgoing, sincere, friendly, supportive, a good listener or someonewho follows up and stays in touch. To determine other skills aneffective networker needs, simply ask yourself “How do I like to betreated? What kinds of people do I trust and consider goodfriends?”
Now that you have an idea of what attributes a good networkermust have, take an objective look at your own interactiveabilities. Do you consider yourself shy and regard networkinggroups as threatening? Do you tend to do all the talking in aconversation? Do you give other people referrals and ideas withouta thought to your own personal gain? Can people count on yourword?
Many people go to networking events, but very few know how tonetwork effectively. Networking is more than just getting out andmeeting people. Networking is a structured plan to get to knowpeople who will do business with you or introduce you to those whowill.
The best way to succeed at networking is to make a plan, committo it, learn networking skills and execute your plan. To make thebest plan, ask yourself: What do I want to achieve? How many leads(prospects) do I want per month? Where do my customers andprospects go to network? What business organizations would benefitmy business? How can I build my image and my business’s image? Whatwould I like to volunteer to do in the community?
Make a five-year networking plan listing your five bestcustomers, five targeted prime prospects and five targetedorganizations. Next, set goals for involvement in eachorganization, determine how much time you will need to commit toeach organization and prospect, and decide what kinds of resultsyou expect.
Now that you have a plan, get committed. Tell yourself that youwill devote enough time and effort to make it work. Half the battleof networking is getting out there and in the swim.
The other half of the battle is learning to network effectively.Typically, ineffective networkers attend several networking groupsbut visit with the same friends each time. Obviously, this behaviordefeats the entire purpose of networking. If you stick withfamiliar faces, you never meet anyone new. And since most peoplestay within their circle of friends, newcomers view theorganization as a group of cliques. This is one reason people feargoing to new organizations by themselves–they’re afraid no onewill notice them.
The trick with networking is to become proactive. This meanstaking control of the situation instead of just reacting to it.Networking requires going beyond your comfort zone and challengingyourself. Try these tips:
- Set a goal to meet five or more new people ateach event. Whenever you attend a group, whether a party, amixer or an industry luncheon, make a point of heading straight forpeople you don’t know. Greet the newcomers (they will love you forit!). If you don’t make this goal a habit, you’ll naturallygravitate toward the same old acquaintances.
- Try one or two new groups per month. Youcan attend almost any organization’s meetings a few times beforeyou must join. This is another way to stretch yourself and make anew set of contacts. Determine what business organizations andactivities you would best fit into. It may be the chamber ofcommerce, the arts council, a museum society, a civic organization,a baseball league, a computer club or the PTA. Attend everyfunction you can that synergizes your goals and customer/prospectinteraction.
- Carry your business cards with youeverywhere. After all, you never know when you might meet a keycontact, and if you don’t have your cards with you, you lose out.Take your cards to church, the gym, parties, the grocerystore–even on walks with the dog.
- Don’t make a beeline for your seat.Frequently, you’ll see people at networking groups sitting at thedinner table staring into space–half an hour before the meal isdue to start. Why are they sitting alone? Take full advantage ofthe valuable networking time before you have to sit down. Once themeeting starts, you won’t be able to mingle.
- Don’t sit by people you know. Mealtime is aprime time for meeting new people. You may be in that seat forseveral hours, so don’t limit your opportunities by sitting withyour friends. This is a wonderful chance to get to know new peopleon either side of you. Sure, it’s more comfortable to hobnob withfamiliar faces. But remember, you are spending precious time andmoney to attend this event. Get your money’s worth; you can talk toyour friends some other time.
- Get active. People remember and do businesswith leaders. Don’t just warm a chair–get involved and join acommittee or become a board member. If you don’t have time,volunteer to help with hospitality at the door or checking peoplein. This gives you a reason to talk to others, gets you involved inthe inner workings of the group, and provides more visibility.
- Be friendly and approachable. Pretend youare hosting the event. Make people feel welcome. Find out whatbrought them there, and see if there’s any way you can help them.Introduce them to others, make business suggestions or give them areferral. Not only will you probably make a friend, but puttingothers at ease eliminates self-consciousness. A side benefit: Whatgoes around comes around. If you make the effort to help others,you’ll soon find people helping you.
- Set a goal for what you expect from eachmeeting. Your goals can vary from meeting to meeting. Someexamples might be: learning from the speaker’s topic, discoveringindustry trends, looking for new prospects or connecting withpeers. If you work out of your home, you may find your purpose issimply to get out and talk to people face to face. Focusing yourmind on your goal before you even walk into the event keeps you ontarget.
- Be willing to give to receive. Networkingis a two-way street. Don’t expect new contacts to shower you withreferrals and business unless you are equally generous. Follow upon your contacts; keep in touch; always share information or leadsthat might benefit them. You’ll be paid back tenfold for yourthoughtfulness.
