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Now that you’ve learned some of the techniques of networking, be sure to check our your January issue of COUNTRY GUIDE for tips and recommendations on how to target your efforts for specific results, and how to assess their effectiveness.
Every adult knows an average of 240 people,” says Diane Helbig, president and founder of Seize This Day Coaching in Cleveland, Ohio.
Then Helbig gets right to the source of the secret power behind successful networking: “When you’re meeting someone you know, you’re meeting everyone they know.”
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It may sound at first like empty newspeak, agrees Donna Messer, president of ConnectUs Communications Canada, a consulting company in Oakville, Ont., but there is science and strategy behind it.
“By establishing a rapport and a common interest, people become confident,” says Messer, nicknamed the “queen of networking.” “When that confidence is returned — they buy, they hire, they sell and they respond in a way that makes both sides winners.”
This isn’t something that happens overnight, Helbig says. “You’re looking to build long-term relationships.”
It begins by seeing that networking opportunities are everywhere. Then it turns those opportunities into realities by accepting that effective networking ing doesn’t just happen.
When you go to an event where you are hoping to connect with people, go with a plan, says Helbig. “Go prepared with open-ended questions, create a conversation and get to know them.”
Messer agrees that you should do your homework before you got to an event. For example, are you ready to talk about current affairs? What’s going on that you should talk about? Who will be there? Will you get food?
Networking etiquette
Good etiquette is essential to successful networking. Don’t dominate the conversation or bore those with whom you wish to network. “A good networker asks the right questions, listens to the answers and knows how to look for common interests,” says Helbig. “The ability to ask questions and to listen to the answers is the foundation stone of good networking,” agrees Messer.
“Don’t hand out your business card unless asked but ask others for theirs,” recommends Helbig. Making a note on the back of the card will help you remember the person after the event.
What should you wear to a networking event? Be comfortable but well-dressed, advises Messer. “Image matters. It’s what people see,” she emphasizes. She also recommends wearing a jacket with pockets. “Keep your business cards in your right pocket and those you get from others in your left. That way you won’t accidentally give out someone else’s card.” She also advises putting your name tag on your right side which makes it easier for people to see it when you are shaking hands. Smile and have a firm handshake, she adds.
“Everyone needs to have a business card,” says Michael Berger, founder and president of Plan B Services, a company focused on business and personal coaching in Chilliwack, B. C. “This legitimizes you as a business owner,” he says.
Messer goes one step further. Everyone should have a business card plus a website, she says. “The business card doesn’t need to be fancy. It should have your name and a website address.” And your website should be functional, even if it’s just one page that describes who you are and what you do, states Messer.
Messer also recommends being prepared with a brief infomercial. This is a simple explanation of who you are and what you offer to others.
