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Are you networking offline and driving traffic to your online blog, personal website, business website or Facebook page? Networking events can be a fabulous way to get yourself out in the local area to meet up with other like minded business people, Direct Sellers and Network Marketers. They are very open minded about business networking because they are in business. You will meet people who have a business already and they will most likely want you in their business too or of course want you as a customer and that's ok. Making connections is the real purpose behind networking. Present yourself as a professional. The best thing to do is walk into a networking event or meeting with the idea of helping and connecting other people. When you show a genuine concern for others and find out how you can help them they are going to be more open to what you do for a living too. Make the connection about THEM! Find out all about their business, what they do, why are they doing what they do and how's it going for them. What sort of clients or customers are they looking for? Recently I had an opportunity to attend a Your Local City networking event here in Austin. First thing I did was make sure I had plenty of business cards. The entire room was buzzing with activity. People were very open to connecting and networking. Here's a few networking tips on how to make the best of your connections - When walking be sure you have a BIG smile on your face and look people in the eye when speaking with them to show them that you are genuinely interested in hearing about what they do. Put out your hand to shake theirs and take their business card and ask them about their business. If they have a drawing sign up for it. Let them tell you all about their product or service and really listen like you mean it. It's rude to be speaking with someone and they are looking all around the room like you're not important enough to them. Ever happen to you? Give them your card after you've taken theirs. Some people will immediately reciprocate and asked for your card first after you've taken the time to ask them about their business and express an interest and have taken their card and/or information and if not just hand yours to them. If you do not have the funds right away to set up your own booth at a fair, networking event, health fair - there are a few things you could do. 1 - is if you have a local group within your own team or even cross-line to go in on the cost of the booth - or 2 - attend the event yourself and network with the vendors, always request THEIR business card FIRST and then hand them yours. Call them later to find out how they did at the event. Start the conversation out something like this - "Joe we met at such and such event last week and I wanted to find out how the event was for you? Have you done many of these type events?" "Would you do it again?" Ask them about their business and who would be a good referral for them? They just might return the favor! When you get home be sure you put all of your business contacts in your contact data base and send them a nice to meet you card, or an email letting them know you enjoyed meeting and hearing more about their business and to please let you know how you can help them in the future and you look forward to seeing them again at a future event or whatever conversation or connection you may have had with a particular person. Be sure you look them up on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and connect with them there. Keep the focus on them while there because it's their booth! To Your Networking Success! "A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him." David Brinkley
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Connecting For Success