One of the keys behind a successful business is the networking connections it has with other businesses. Business networking is simply a method which people use in order to interact for business purposes on both a formal and informal basis. Having the ability to connect to the right people and market your services effectively as one of the best in the industry, is a skill that many lack to master in the field of business networking.
In the current financial crisis, lacking the ability to network with other enterprises effectively and efficiently can mean the difference between business survival and prosperity. Below I have mentioned five networking tips that are proven to increase your business prospects regardless of the current financial crisis:
Get into a Goal-Oriented Mindset
One of the most important aspects of business networking that individuals are known to lack is: having a firm goal set in their mind. Many fall under the trap of either setting no goal or to set unrealistic goals which are unachievable. The purpose behind a goal is that unless you know where you are headed you are more that often going to wonder off where you actually want to be.
In a business networking situation, an example of a goal could be getting to know 5 to 10 people sufficiently enough to raise some interest in following up with an informal meeting with you sometime in the next two weeks. Or at least have them agree to be kept on your information mailing list.
You are more likely to achieve something from networking situations, if you start off having some goals in mind.
Delivering the Punch-line
Another networking tip one should always keep in mind is honing your "Elevator Pitch". You want to be able to provide concise and professional answers that don't seem too textbook-like and at the same time not to casual. When asked: "What do you do?", you should have a memorable Elevator Pitch that puts up owner benefit statements and your Unique Selling Proposition well. Can you imagine tripping over words and missing out on opportunities to present yourself well?
Dress for the Occasion
The third networking tip is making sure that you are dressed suitably in order to create the best impression possible. According to studies of human interaction, it takes only 8 seconds to formulate a first impression. A significant amount of that come from the visual impact. You must ask yourself questions like are your business cards up to date? Are you in fashion? Does your wardrobe need an update?
Follow Up is Everything
Another important networking tip that I feel is essential, is the follow through process after the initial contact. It is great to have won over your audience over but you must keep in mind that after first impression, you have to continue to build mind-share. Some simple rule of thumb is to follow-up with an email or text message not more than 24 hours after the contact. You can set separate campaigns to send different groups of contacts updates or information that they might find useful, so as to keep in contact. A good guide is once every 2 weeks, and providing a permission-based list for unsubscribing to your mails, which brings me to the next point.
Building Mind-Share & Expertise
The final business networking tip that tends to be over looked is educating your audience. It is important for you to be able to relate well to the type of client you are looking for. Your value-add as a long-term partner or service provider must be made apparent. You can achieve this goal by practising methods of expressing your expertise via online (e-newsletter, emails etc) and off-line (brochures, letters etc) methods. Allow for two-way communications, so you can sieve out interested buyers and maintain at least a presence with those non-responsive ones. After all, the buying cycle must meet the selling cycle before a sale can happen.
This part of communications require some thought into building that personal brand, unique selling points and marketing your value-add.
Brendan Yong is passionate about business networking, and has been in leadership roles to develop business networking skill into a fine art. He served 3 Leadership terms in BNI Renaissance and was instrumental in making the BNI Chapter the largest in the region.
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