The Toll Men

“What me? Sell myself? You have to be joking!”

This was the response I received from one of my clients when I suggested that she needed to get out there and promote herself. She had to “network“.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines networking as “interacting with others to exchange information and develop useful contacts.”

This is how I see it. It’s not about “selling yourself” but about an exchange of information with like-minded people.

Say to yourself, “I am going to do research. I am going to discover what other people are doing, how they are doing it, and why.”

Don’t regard meeting someone as a confrontation. Don’t get up tight. Use lines such as, “I am really interested in you and how you have succeeded in your business.”

One thing is guaranteed. The more difficult you make networking, the less success you will have with it. Approach it with a sense of ease. Have fun! You might actually enjoy it!

The same client complained, “I never get any business from these networking events. Surely if anyone is interested they would come to me?”

But why should they? What are you doing to create interest in your business? You have to engage them in conversation, ask them questions, and exchange information.

If you come from a space of enquiry, it will be much easier for people to respond to you. The conversation becomes a discussion where you are comparing and contrasting your businesses. You might talk about your staff, or your sales. Try to find some common ground.

At the end of the conversation, exchange business cards. But don’t leave it at that. This is the key to future success. Write notes on the back of the card to remind you of relevant points. If you discover a synergy, follow through.

Make contact within the next two weeks, preferably by email first, and then by telephone. Arrange to have a coffee with them. Develop a business relationship.

When I chair meetings I often set the group a task. I challenge the participants to collect five new business cards from one another. Set yourself similar goals. Be bold! Be empowered by your ability to communicate!

Through doing just this Kool Results has joined the International Virtual Women’s Chamber of Commerce. Online I can network with women all over the globe. By taking the first step along the road you too could be flying - virtually or otherwise - around the world.

Julianne Kuhlmann, founder of Kool Results Coaching, offers Leadership Coaching and Consulting services that are tailored to meet the personal and professional development needs of leaders and leadership teams. Julianne provides individual and team leadership coaching, as well as a variety of workshops on leadership development. Contact Julianne at info@koolresults.com.au, and visit http://www.koolresults.com.au

Have you ever wondered what the purpose of networking groups online are? We all know they are for getting to know others with the hopes of someday obtaining a client or referral. But don’t they have more of a purpose? Aren’t they for finding other people to build relationships with to benefit your business, your clients’ businesses, and their businesses? I think underlying to networking groups is also finding lasting relationships and friendships. Working virtually we spend most of the day in our own offices, with no contact to the outside world. While there are many blessings to this, it can be lonely. So how can you get the most benefit from a networking group online?

First, you can remember the etiquette of online communication. We all know the basics. Don’t use all capitals; that is considered yelling. Use proper punctuation and capital letters, otherwise your lack of grammar will take away from your message. What I am talking about is the etiquette of respect. I see “arguments” break out in groups because of miscommunication or someone overstepping the boundaries and trying to force their opinion on someone else. What happens to the parties involved? Most of the time, they lose the respect of the other group members. How sad is that when they spent all this time building their reputation, and in one moment, they blow it!

So, how can you avoid this happening to you? Stay out of arguments. Don’t get involved in the “office” politics online! I know that sometimes this is difficult when you see someone being unfairly torn down. Know that if you do try to step in, you are opening yourself up to being drug down. Unfortunately, there are unprofessional people on the online networking groups. You have to rise above those. Don’t let them draw you in. By showing that you are the bigger person, you are taking another step in building your reputation.

Remember there are boundaries to each networking group. Each one has established the rules they expect everyone on the group to follow. Be sure to follow what they have set up. Each group has their own purpose, and you will join each one for the purpose it serves. I know that on a lot of my virtual assistance groups, there isn’t a lot of room for debate on topics. They are established to help assist each other and ask questions about running a virtual assistance business. Because of this, someone else established a group that was for debating topics and issues that come up in the virtual assistance industry. Look at each group and see what purpose it would fulfill, and then be sure to follow their boundaries.

Networking online has a great purpose and can really help you to be successful in your business. By maintaining your integrity, following the boundaries of the group, and supporting others, you can get amazing satisfaction from a group and create some lasting friendships!

© 2005 JERPAT

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You run a small flower shop and a customer asked for a floral arrangement with a type of flower that you don’t carry. She’s visibly upset because none of the other local flower shops are even able to get this rare type of flower and you were her last hope. So you tell her that you’ll make some phone calls and see what you can do, but it might take a few days. As chance would have it, you were able to find a company to deliver it overnight! She is elated, places the order, tips you generously and leaves your shop.

You find out a few weeks later that this same customer recently referred her sister to one of your competitors with a very large order. Any idea what you did wrong? You didn’t ask her for referrals but your competitor probably did. People are generally willing to help you if you ask them, the problem is that most people forget or are afraid to ask. Make it a point to provide outstanding service and ask your customers to send their family and friends to you and your sales will sky rocket.

Jeremy L. Knauff is the founder & CEO of Wildfire Marketing Group, a full service Marketing Firm specializing in helping small companies compete with larger companies.

The festive season is a great time to sharpen and hone your networking skills. There is not a better time to start building long-term business relationships. Christmas offers a chance to meet new people in a relaxed a social atmosphere whilst maintaining a professional relationship level.

However it is important to uphold your professionalism to make optimum use of the networking opportunities. Ten common mistakes people make when networking over the festive season include;

1. Not Planning Prior to the Event

Work out what you want to achieve from going to the festive event. Is it just to relax, have fun and unwind after a busy year? Is it to say thank you to your clients, meet new people or build long-term relationships? Your approach will differ in all these situations. Have a plan prior to attending the event and try to reach set goals. An example might be to obtain three new key contacts or to reaffirm an existing relationship.

2. Running Out of Business Cards

There is nothing more embarrassing or unprofessional then someone asking you for a business card and you can’t produce one. Always carry too many rather than too few. Being prepared gives you more confidence and entrusts confidence when developing new relationships. Remember your business card is an effective tool to very easily convey contact information and its exchange may initiate of a long-term valuable relationship.

3. Sticking to People You Know

Make a goal to meet five new people at an event. Don’t try and meet everyone of the 100 or so people at an event. Making a lasting impression with a few rather than a shallow interaction with many is far more beneficial.

4. Meeting People You Know First

Most people have a great fear of walking into a room full of people they don’t know. See this as a challenge rather than a handicap and avoid going for the easy option of meeting people you know well first. Certainly, acknowledge these people but leave them until the end of the function to catch up with. This will maximise your chances of meeting new people.

5. Talking Too Much

Avoid talking too much about yourself. This is probably the biggest turn-off for prospective clients or alliance partners.

6. Not Listening

Business is all about providing solutions to people’s problems. How can you understand their problems if you don’t ask questions and listen. Use active listening skills to build rapport and gain a true understanding of their issues and concerns.

7. Hard Sell

Networking events are your opportunity to develop relationships. Avoid the hard-sell and get to know the person you are speaking with. Once the relationship has been established the business will come. Initial hard selling may have the opposite effect and drive the person away.

8. Lack of Clarity

Many people have a lack of clarity in what they do. Research shows that 95% of business people are often asked, particularly at networking function “what do you do?”

Many have difficulty articulating what they do, particularly in conveying the benefits of their position to a prospective client. Having a ‘personal branding statement’ (PBS) really helps in this situation. It helps to clarify how you or your business can solve their problems and takes all the stress out of answering this question!

9. Over Indulgence

As with all aspects of life behave appropriately and in moderation. This includes limiting consumption of alcohol to an acceptable level and being mindful when introducing yourself to people. Remember you are a professional representing your company regardless of the situation or time of year. Respect those around you and your personal and professional responsibilities.

10. Not Following Up

Many people simply fail to follow-up on the prospects or business leads they meet at festive networking events. Put in place a system to follow-up, otherwise many of your networking efforts will be wasted. This can be as simple as an email or phone call to acknowledge your interaction and does not have to be business related. A relationship which might not seem to be initially good for your business may lead to you being referred on, one of the strongest marketing tools used to generate more business.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.
You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom’s blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com