Networking With Best Practices
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Borrowing loosely from an old Sicilian proverb, 'A dumb guy can learn from his or her own mistakes. A smart guy learns from the mistakes of other people. But a wise guy learns from the successes of others.' So, here is a collection of Networking Best Practices shared by networking pros. Read. Learn. Grow.
* Network with a strategic plan - precisely define why you're networking, what kinds of information you're seeking, who you need to meet and where you can meet them.
* Network with people out of the box - It's not who you know, it's who they know. If you're networking to grow your business, include people who could never be your clients. They can connect you with people who could be your clients.
* Network with commitment - when you attend an event primarily to network, make it the most important thing you'll do that day. Get there early and stay late. You can always make up the lost work time.
* Network with strangers - don’t spend time talking with people you know. Always talk to strangers. Only talk to strangers. It’s not the people you meet that matter, it’s the people you didn’t meet because you spent too much time talking with friends.
* Network with uncommon courtesy - talk less and listen more. Tell less and ask more. Don't dominate the conversation. Respect the time of other people. Ask if it’s a good time for a brief chat when you follow up with a call.
* Network with business card finesse - don't offer your card at the beginning of a conversation. Wait until you have a reason to do so. And don't give your card to people, wait for them to ask for it. If they don't, ask if you can give them your card.
* Network with timely follow up - hand written post cards stand out in a pile of mail. People always read them, especially if the front doesn't have advertising on it.
If you just learned something useful, great. Pass it on to someone else. And if you have some good ideas to add to the list, send them to me at etcpjs@aol.ocm. The more we give ... the more we get.
See you all at an upcoming COSE event and best wishes for successful networking.
Phil Stella is the COSE MindSpring Networking editor and runs Effective Training & Communication (440-449-0356,
etcpjs@aol.com). He’s a training resource for business people who want to communicate with more power and success.
