The Art of Networking (Part 3)

Always remember:  people do business with their friends.  It’s not always about the product or service but sometimes about the relationship.  Spend time making friends and you will make sales. 

Disclaimer:  don’t assume because someone is your friend that they should automatically do business with you, especially if your product/service is inferior to the competition.  Building a solid network merely increases your probability of success.  There are no guarantees.

Step 5:  Image is everything

People notice how much effort you put into your image.  This isn’t just your outfit but how well you take care of yourself, the quality of your marketing collateral and even the design and content of your online media.  In today’s society, there is so much competition that we often only get one chance to make a first impression and then it’s on to the next option.  When you attend networking events, you have to be polished from head to toe as well as have a clear and concise message because you are setting the standard for the type of businessperson you are.  This also holds true for your online content.  If you have a lot of suggestive content on your Facebook page then it may be best to keep it private because people will make judgments about you and your business capabilities based on what they see, which may or may not be what they will get.

Step 6: Personable vs. Personal

It amazes me when I attend a networking event, start talking to someone and before the conversation is over, I have heard their entire life story.  I am not sure if I should feel honored that they feel comfortable enough sharing so much with me or confused because I have no idea where the conversation will lead.  There is a difference between being personable (approachable and easy to talk to) and personal (revealing details of your personal life).  I am an advocate of having a public and private person.  Your public person should be taken to work, networking events and professional gatherings while your private person hangs with your friends and family.  There are some things that your public person should never say or do that your private person might do on a regular basis.  Having this separation of person does not mean that you are not “keepin’ it real” it does, however, mean that you understand that there are boundaries in life. 

Networking requires that you be personable – someone that others feel comfortable approaching and engaging in conversation with.  You should take some time before you go out to catch up on current events, even if it’s just reading the latest headlines so that you have an awareness of what is happening in local and world news.  Also, have about five standard small talk questions that you can use to start a conversation.  They should be open-ended questions, ones that don’t result in a yes or no answer, and should be an attempt to find common ground with the person you are engaging.  Even if you don’t share your life story with others, you can still leave a lasting and memorable impression as a good conversationalist.

Step 7:  The more you go, the more you grow

No matter how many great networking tips and strategies you receive, you have to go out and use them.  I have become a good judge of networking events just based on their descriptions and time of day. 

Serious networkers come out for breakfast events.  They are very efficient networkers and don’t like to waste a lot of time.  They also seem more committed to building a lasting relationship and will meet more consistently.  I like to network over breakfast because the meetings rarely run over since most people are anxious to get to work and start their day and they are more budget friendly.

Lunch networking events tend to cost a little more but attendance can be less consistent because there is always a chance that someone will get caught up at work and have to cancel at the last-minute.  They can seem rushed because people are trying to eat, cover any business that is related to the event and get back to work within an hour.  Lunch events are good if you are attending to hear a presenter because the presentations are usually short and to the point but there isn’t always a lot of time to get to know the attendees unless you count talking while eating.

I have almost given up on making business contacts at after work networking events because little to any business is done.  They are usually great for making social connections but by the end of a business day people are tired of talking and thinking about work so they just want to relax.  This obviously will depend on the group hosting the event but if there is alcohol involved, prepare to have fun and be pleasantly surprised if you make a business connection.

You will be successful at networking if you approach it with the mindset that it is work, it is more of an art than a science and it is all about the relationship.