How To Make Your Next Networking Event A Success

There are people who are natural born networkers - those people that can make conversation in any situation and have no problem walking up to complete strangers. This article is for the rest of us - networking tips that help reduce the stress of attending a networking event and will have you walking away from the event with prospects.

Look into and attend local networking events. Of course it isn’t enough to just attend the event you must actually actively participate and “network”.

Here are some tips on making your networking event a success:

•Show your interest by making eye contact when meeting new people.

•Smile – A friendly face is inviting.

•Don’t be afraid to approach people you don’t know. Extend a handshake and say "Hello, I don't think we have met.”

•Don’t spend the evening, talking with people you already know and don’t attend the event with a “friend.” You will less likely to strike up conversations with strangers if you can stay “safe” with your friend.

•Focus on the person you are meeting. Ask what they do – be genuinely curious about their business.

•Listen - be attentive and interested in the other person.

•Be ready and Know what you do. Rehearse your 30 second answer before hand but make sure you don’t sound like a pre-recorded message.

•Set goals before you go. For example: Set number of contacts you would like to make. If you can get a guest list prior to attending, know who you want to meet.

•Look your best. Dress appropriately for the event and make sure you are neat, clean and have fresh breath. (If there are refreshments available avoid garlic and onions)

•Ask for a business card. Make sure you get the information you need to make further contact. A good trick is to wear something with good pockets. Keep business cards collected in one pocket and your business cards to hand out in another. This will save you from having to shuffle through your cards.

•Be prepared with dead air questions in case there are pauses in the conversation. "How long have you belonged to this organization?" "What are these events usually like?" "How can I help promote your business?" "Can I refer clients to you?"

•Take a spot near the entry door. Greet attendees as they arrive and welcome them to the event. After learning about the attendees you will be in the position to make introductions around the room. Make yourself the unofficial host and everyone will remember you the next day!

•The most important tip is to FOLLOW -Up with everyone you meet at the event. Send off a personalized note or make a phone call to invite good prospects for a coffee.

Building Business Relationships in a Roomful of Strangers

You approach a stranger at an association meeting or industry conference with you arm outstretched and say: “Hi. My name is…..” And you’re off and running.

There’s an art to successful networking and business development. Rather than just exchange pleasantries you can gather information, gain allies, and explore potential opportunities. Here are ten tips to help you connect with people immediately, develop meaningful conversations and move on to profitable relationships.

1. Come prepared. Have two or three openers that you can use with a variety of people you meet. That way, you won’t fumble for something to say when you first meet someone. Some examples: “What drew you here today? “Have you seen any good movies lately?” “What did you find particularly interesting about the presentation?”
2. Do your homework. Before attending a meeting or networking event, find out the names and backgrounds of key people who will be there. Also note any recent achievements that they have attained. When you arrive, look for someone official and request an introduction to one of them. Offer your congratulations and ask a question that will get them talking about their background or achievement.
3. Create an agenda. People often dread small talk situations because they say, “I don’t have anything to talk about” or “I don’t know what to talk about.” Actually the problem is that there have too much to talk about—an entire universe of topics—not nothing to say. Narrow down your conversation options by making two lists.

On the get list put what you want to find, understand or learn more about. Maybe it’s connections into xyz company, or where to get inexpensive office supplies, or recommendation for the best Mexican restaurant in town.

On your give list put your ideas, areas of expertise, hobbies, people you know, ideas for weekend jaunts with kids, your experience on developing a company website or a great article on bringing down the cost of doing business, etc.

Going into a room with a prepared agenda---information you want to get and information you are happy to give---provides a focus for your networking and a direction for your conversations.

4. Enter a room confidently. Next time you’re at a social or business gathering, notice how people come into a room. Do they come in head high, smiling, and upbeat or eyes down, serious and scared? Are they sending out signals that say: “I’m approachable” or “Don’t talk to me.” When you enter a room, what signals do you send out to others?
5. Listen and learn. Once you’ve asked your opening question, listen patiently to the person’s answer. Allow the speaker to elaborate without rushing to jump in. Be thinking, “What can I give to this person? What’s on my agenda?”
6. Focus your attention. Avoid the canned nod-and-smile approach with eyes roaming the room to see who else is there. Continue to ask engaging questions. If you’re friendly and genuinely curious, others will feel comfortable talking with you.
7. Find common ground. Only after the person has told “his story”, then share your thoughts and experiences. If you find something you both can relate to, that establishes a bond that can lead to further exchanges. Be open to the magic of where the conversation can take you.
8. Ask for their help. Most people enjoy helping others. Therefore what is it that you want to “get”? Use your agenda to find someone who has written an article you’ve enjoyed, or can introduce you to the speaker, or give you ideas for your upcoming project.
9. Show appreciation. At some point, you will feel that it’s time to move on because the discussion is winding down or perhaps the event is starting. Don’t leave abruptly. Rather, acknowledge the conversation and the help you’ve received. “It's been good to talk with you. Thanks for the job lead. I plan to call him tomorrow.” Or, “Glad to have met you and to hear about the upcoming conference.”
10. Explain the next step. If you want to continue the relationship, conclude with what you're going to do next or what you expect of the other person.

    “I'll send you that article tomorrow.”
    “I'll see you at the next meeting.”
    “Let’s set up a time when we can get together to go over the program.”

Preparation, a focused agenda, active listening, and an adventuresome attitude are the keys to successfully meeting and greeting a roomful of strangers. Remember, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Marcia Zidle, a business and leadership development expert, works with entrepreneurial organizations who want to be a dominant player in competing for customers, clients, funding or community awareness.

In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy say, “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore”. Well business, government and community leaders, Marcia says, “It’s no longer business as usual anymore; its business that has to better than usual.”

Power Business Networking: Getting Your Name Out There!

Today’s economy presents some very special challenges to people who are unemployed, underemployed, or who are simply trying to give their own business venture a shot in the arm. At times, the job search can seem daunting, if not impossible, as it takes quite a bit of encouragement – and creativity – to keep pressing forward. A highly flexible [power] networking plan is important – one that requires “out of the box” thinking in order to increase your chances of securing desired employment.

The following is a list of options to pursue in order to launch a successful personal marketing plan, which is what networking is all about. Most will cost you little or nothing to implement and for the cash strapped person that can be a real help. I wrote these suggestions for business flight attendants who, understandably, have suffered much since the 2001 terrorist attacks. You can easily modify the suggestions for your particular field of interest.

1. Attend aviation job fairs [carry plenty of business cards and copies of your résumé with you].

2. Join an employment support group.

3. List your résumé with an agency.

4. Create an online résumé for additional exposure.

5. Go to retirement parties of former associates.

6. Become your local airport’s liaison to the surrounding community.

7. Attend a catering class.

8. Form a networking group in your area.

9. Go to conventions.

10. Attend other aviation related meetings [medical seminars, safety and security symposiums, dinners, golf outings, barbecues, fund raisers, 10K races].

11. Serve on an aviation related committee as a volunteer.

12. Volunteer for the Corporate Angel Network.

13. Accept other types of employment within your target company [i.e., dispatcher, sales, customer service, etc.].

14. Write an article about some aspect of corporate aviation and publish it online.

15. Organize a wine tasting seminar in your area or approach a local caterer/vineyard about being aviation’s representative to their business [be prepared to offer plenty of free publicity for them].

16. Work temporarily for a caterer specializing in inflight service.

17. Start a part time business by selling a product that corporate aviators need.

18. Finally, for the savvy [some would say nervy] flight attendant the following type of suggestion could produce dividends: Hang out at the local after work watering hole where aviation folks gather. Learn the language [culture] of the company; find out who the movers and shakers are, etc.

Some people might accuse you of being a shameless self promoter, as if you had a contagious disease. Let them think the worst of you while they sit at home fretting about work and while you are winging your way to points hither and yon!

Do not be deterred, but start thinking outside the parameters you [or others] have imposed on yourself; your goal is employment and your name is golden – as such, gold must be prominently displayed in order to command the proper attention [employment] that it so richly deserves!

Effective Business Networking: 5 Tips For Mastering The Art of Networking

The heart of any business is the connection it has with other businesses and individuals that it can call upon to help meet its needs. Networking - any activity designed to create, maintain and utilize interpersonal connections - is an essential business skill. But not all business people take the time to truly master. However, without a solid understanding of how to network effectively and efficiently, no business can make the vital connections that it needs to survive and prosper in today's super-connected economy. Here are some tips you can use to increase your networking - and business - success

Go with a goal. One of the first and most common mistakes that people make when entering a networking situation (planned or otherwise) is to fail to have a firm goal in mind. Are you looking to acquire new prospects, meet colleagues for possible collaborations, create a mutual referral partnership, create name recognition for you and your business, find funding or just "shop around" for interesting news and trends you can use? If you haven't taken the time to determine what your goals are for the encounters ahead, you will have a hard time meeting them.

Of course, most businesses have several different needs, but in many cases any given networking opportunity is unlikely to provide more than one or two types of results, depending on the situation at hand. For example, if you are attending an event made up primarily of others in your industry or trade, you are unlikely to meet prospects, since everyone will be a provider just like you, nor are you likely to find referral partners, since almost everyone will be a direct competitor. So if your primary needs are clients and referrals, such events, while not an entire waste of time, might not be your best use of it. On the other hand, if you are desperately seeking a partner to expand or are looking to find out the latest, greatest technology in the field to offer to your client base, then you're definitely going to be in the right place.

Hone your message. When someone asks you what you do, can you articulate not only your business but it's benefit to them in a clear and concise manner? How about your "elevator speech" or 15-second intro - is it crisp, to the point and compelling, or do people's eyes glaze over before you get to the end? This is not the time to give a dry and deadly-dull job description. Save that for your resume. When someone asks about you and your business, you are being given a golden, but brief, opportunity to knock his or her socks off and to persuade them that you are the best thing to happen to them since sliced bread. Make sure you do so.

Important - leave your sales pitch at home! Networking is networking, and sales is sales. Confuse the two and you'll lose out on both. Nobody wants to be sold to, especially when they're quite plainly not in a sales environment. And remember that anyone who tries to work a networking event under the "three-foot rule" (anyone within three feet is an opportunity to make a sale) is likely to find others unwilling to get within three feet of them in a very short period of time.

Check your gear. Make sure that you have everything you need to make a great impression. Are your business cards or other hand-outs up to date, and as professional-looking as you can make them? If this is a planned event, do you know who will be attending and have you isolated a few people you definitely want to make sure to meet, or are you going in blind and resigned to winging it?

And don't forget to double-check the time, date and venue. Nothing is more irritating than showing up only to find that you're too early, too late or unable to find a parking space closer than a quarter-mile away.

Educate your audience. Are you seeking a collaborative partner for a project? Then make sure everyone knows what the project is and what sort of partner you are looking for (and the general parameters of the partnership they'll be investing their time into). If you're looking for referrals, then do your potential referral sources know what constitutes a good referral for you? It's a waste of your time and a drain on your referrer's good will and reputation if you turn down or do a bad job for everyone they send to you because the referrals were inappropriate. Likewise, a well-educated referral source might wind up sending you fewer referrals, but those are much more likely to be quality prospects that have a high probability of becoming solid clients.

On the other hand, if you are directly prospecting do your prospects know that you're the answer to their prayers and why? Remember that all prospects are tuned into station WII-FM - What's In It For Me - and unless you make sure that they know why they should consider working with you, they won't.

Follow through. The most important part of networking happens after the initial contact. The best impression, the snappiest laser marketing message and the deepest desire to work together will all come to naught if they don't hear from you in a timely manner - or even worse, never hear from you at all. No matter who said what about calling whom, always follow up promptly and in a manner designed to strengthen the relationship and add value for the other person.

A simple follow-up email may be okay for old contacts touching base, but for a new contact that can provide you with crucial funding or superior referrals, or a hot prospect itching to clear your warehouse of your top-shelf merchandise your follow through needs to have all the finesse, power and elegance of a figure skater's best jump - and all the holding power of a solid landing.

There are three keys to an effective follow through:

• It reinforces the original intent of the contact. Refer to your original conversation, restating any key points and reaffirming any agreements that were made or intimated. Follow through on any promises you made to deliver information, provide samples, initiate a meeting, put through a request, whatever - before the follow-up call, unless time constraints or lead-time make that impossible.
• It carries the scent of enthusiasm without the stench of desperation. Follow up as promptly and as regularly or frequently as the circumstance warrants, but don't turn into a stalker or a pest. And if you can find a way to add value to the relationship through your skills, influence, position or connections, by all means offer to do so, but don't cross the line from generous associate to obsequious sycophant. And if the other person makes it clear that they are not interested, move on. "Kicking and screaming" is not an acceptable level of participation in networking, and neither is "beaten into submission."
• It includes the seeds for the next contact. Don't get caught in the dead-end follow up. Unless it is clear that no further relationship is warranted or desired, make sure that there is some agreement on a next step or arrangement made to continue the conversation. Make that phone call and at the end, set up an appointment for lunch a few weeks down the road. At lunch, offer to forward an important report or offer to broker a desirable introduction to someone higher up the food chain, and so on. Make sure you never leave the table without an invitation to resume your seat at a later date.

Like a good golf swing or a stunning presentation, effective networking boils down to three essential stages of activity: preparation, delivery and follow through. And like an electrical circuit with a short or a break, a failure at any of these points stops the flow of life-giving connective energy - the healthy and continually renewed cycle of which your business requires to maintain a strong, stable potential for growth, resilience and success.

Mastering the art of effective networking, like any other business activity, requires time, dedication and attention. But in the end, the dividends it pays are well worth the time it took to cultivate them. Take the time to master these five tips and you will be amply rewarded with the prodigious fruits of your networking labor.

Effective Business Networking

The process of finding out about a job, getting interviewed, and eventually receiving an offer for employment starts with networking. By networking I don’t mean sending out hundreds of copies of your résumé unsolicited to H.R. managers throughout the country, but by establishing contacts with people who may be in a position to hire you or refer you to someone who is in the position of hiring... you!

In my area of expertise, corporate aviation, there are several key players as well as smaller, less known operators. Jet Aviation, TAG Aviation, and Netjets are some of the larger companies and they all have a staff of qualified flight attendants or cabin service representatives on hand. In addition, smaller players including Pacific Jet, Clay Lacy Aviation, and New World Aviation are part of the charter market. Finally, you have a whole host of independent flight departments with one or two or more aircraft. Some of these operators utilize larger cabin aircraft and are in need of flight attendants. You could send out a copy of your résumé to every single company that flies a Falcon, Gulfstream, Bombardier, BBJ, or any of the other larger cabin jets. You may get an interview, but you’ll also spend an excessive amount of time researching names, addresses, paying for postage, paper and more. Instead, the best way to land a job according to Richard Bolles, author of the acclaimed job hunters and career builders guide, “What Color is Your Parachute?” is through networking.

Networking involves making plenty of people contact. Some of the best ways of having contact with others is at a convention [in our case, the NBAA Flight Attendant Conference or NBAA general conference]; over the internet via message boards [such as this one]; while flying a trip as a contractor; working for a company in another role [e.g., as a dispatcher, flight manager, etc.]; or through a friend already in the business.

Successful people establish a list of contacts from the smallest lead [e.g., a receptionist or switchboard operator at a charter operator] to doing voluntary work on an association’s newsletter or with a steering committee for the same type of organization. Each person you come into contact with is a potential person who may know of someone in the business or know of a job opening. Conversely, unsuccessful people rely too much on waiting for a phone call, for an answer to an unsolicited letter, or by not going out to meet people face to face. Quite simply it takes a lot of phone calling, pavement pounding, and other forms of action to land the job that you want. Plus, it takes someone with dedication, professionalism, zeal, enthusiasm, confidence, and a caring attitude to help make things work. If you are not confident of your abilities, you will have a much more difficult time landing a job.

Before you establish contact with anyone it is extremely important to have a top notch résumé. Make sure that there are no spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, that it is formatted professionally, printed on bond paper and that you include correct contact information such as your name, address, phone numbers, and e-mail address. You can be the most talented person in the world, but your résumé could look awful. Busy employers look at résumés and toss the unprofessional looking ones away [or they file it away for a predetermined amount of time]. You also need: three top notch references [don’t list them on your résumé, but be able to furnish them upon request]. Emergency training is very important to have – agencies such as Jet Professionals insist on it; most of the larger operators require it as well. Additional training including galley services, a wine class, emergency training, can all help you out.

Finally, when you do receive a call -- even if unexpected – be prepared to interview on the spot. Most interviewers will screen you on the first call and you will need to sound sharp as well as be focused. Be prepared to give a concise background on who you are and what you can offer the company. Do not focus on your needs, but focus on the company’s needs and how you will benefit them. Do not expect them to be thrilled by your focusing on yourself. This business isn’t about you -- it is about the customers and the company. Successful candidates know this and they are the ones who will be hired, trained, paid well, and otherwise be perceived as being an asset and not a possible detriment to the company.

Volunteering for a Networking Group

When is it appropriate to volunteer to take a position in the group?

Have you heard the saying that "the fastest way to get anything done is to ask a busy person"? It is very true. What it actually boils down to is the fact that busy people are often very well organized and have the ability to delegate some of their tasks. A busy person can usually fit more into their schedule than most people. For example, I am working a full time job which takes at least 55 hours a week, plus I am completing studies for a doctoral degree. That seems like a busy person but that is not all I have on my plate: I also own a company that provides sales process consulting, I volunteer as the Historian for my Rotary District, I make time to exercise twice daily, I tend to my family and write books. On top of all this I still have time to volunteer for committee work at the Chamber of Commerce and spend time with my family. How do I accomplish so much? I organize my day and my week ahead of time and slot everything into its place.

I feel that when you volunteer for an organization, it is your opportunity to put something back instead of always taking; it has its own rewards and it brings in more business. It is an opportunity to lead, support and nurture a group.

Busy people will often have more than most can handle and they still take on more; one might surmise that they belong to an overachievers club. Although this may be true, we can all learn from their organizational skills. It is through their work ethic that they are able to form great business relationships. Busy people can still say no if they have too much on their plate.

Measuring Value for a Business Networking Group

How do you measure a group’s worth to your organization?

It is sometimes necessary to measure the value of a group. You may be asking yourself why you would want to measure the value of a group whose purpose is business. You would want to measure the price of membership vs. the business you will get out of the group through either referrals or direct business with members. There are several ways that the measurement can be taken. First, you will need to assess the current membership. You should develop a scale of 1 to 10 and give each member a rating based on a set of predefined criteria. What criteria should you use? That will depend entirely on your goals for belonging to the group. For example, if you are selling services for repairing computers, you may rate members by the number of computers they have at the workplace, and you may also add a factor for who they are currently using on the servicing side. It is best to define at least 3 criteria for a sampling of the members. You will not want to measure every member, but a small cross-section will do. Second, you should measure the amount of business each member (or a sample of members) has received by joining the group. You may also want to know how much business they do with other group members as well.

Once you have the measurements, these same criteria should be applied to each of the groups you are interested in. Next you will want to do a comparison of the groups and then make your selection based on facts rather than emotion.

Now that you have thought out and used a measurement tool for deciding the value of a group, you will want to test as many groups as possible. You may decide to join only those groups that measure in the top 20% of your scale. One thing you may want to consider is the time and place of the meeting. Your calendar must be open and flexible enough to deal with attendance requirements.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people’s attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the “Networking Queen”. Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://www.BlueprintBooks.com

What a Leads Exchange Group can do for You

What is the definition of a leads exchange and how does it differ from other groups?

So what is a leads exchange? A leads exchange comes in several flavors; first the exchange usually has exclusivity restrictions so that you remain loyal to only one group. This way the printer and the chiropractor that belong to this group will only think of you for a particular service or product. They will essentially promote your business as part of the membership requirement: to generate leads for others as well as get leads in exchange. These types of groups are plentiful and can work for you or against you. If you have done your homework and the group is active in the areas that you would like to be known, then this type of group will work well for you. If you work in an unusual business, it may be more difficult for others to find leads for you. This type of group will expect that you have defined your best customer and have given them the tools they need to seek out business in that area.

The best way to work this type of group is to generate many leads for others in the group. Once they know you are out to make the most of this, they will bend over backwards to ensure that you get enough leads so that you will continue to be an outstanding member of the group. They know that if you are dissatisfied, it is likely you will look elsewhere and take your great lead generation ability to another rival group. The more you give, the more you will get in this environment.

Leads exchanges provide many opportunities, but there is also some disadvantages to belonging. If you are focusing on your own business, then generating leads for others is a definite distracter. This can work to your disadvantage if generating leads for others is your only way to get leads from others. If you go about generating your own leads, you may uncover something that can be fulfilled by another member’s business. The important thing to remember is that there is always a cost to joining a group.

Ask for What YOU Want and Gain More Business

Why ask others for help and what do you gain from it?

What does asking for help have to do with creating business relationships and making announcements? It has everything to do with it. You have made announcements, donated items, created an awareness of who you are and what you do. You are now in the position of getting more business than you can handle, or worse, not getting enough business in the community. You should then be able to call on prospective customers and ask for their time to help you solve a particular problem. The problem must be one that they will be able to help you solve before you ask for their time. For example, you could call a business and ask them if they could help you answer some questions about handling a situation you have and that you know they have handled well in the past. You will almost always get a yes to setting the meeting.

You should never hesitate in asking others for advice or help on something you say they do well. The person you talk to is impressed and their ego is stroked in a way that is positive. It is a good basis to form a great business relationship. On the negative side, however, you should never come across as being too needy. The needier you seem, the more it will turn off the relationship. You will also find that there are a number of groups in your community that support businesses, such as TEC or the Alliance of CEOs; you should look into other ways to solve problems and gain contacts at the same time.

Gaining outside insights will also put you a leg up when being sought out as a business partner for a project. If you have a give and take rapport with your business relationships, then you will have a great foundation for being accepted and being in the position of being recommended to others. You are, after all, in a big race to win the business.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite, She decided to find the best ways to get people’s attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the “Networking Queen”.

Defining a Quality Networking Group

When it comes to quality, how do you choose the group that matches your expectations?

Defining a quality group is not as easy as it looks. You first need to conduct the research into meetings, type of attendance etc. The next thing you want to know is the size of the group. Size does count as a smaller group will not often have enough leads for each individual. You should also make sure that the level of the person belonging to the group is at the appropriate place. By level we mean: is the person belonging to the group an influencer on decisions or are they the person that makes the actual decisions? Often with these groups, it is the salesperson that attends, and they can only suggest something to the decision makers. The decision maker does not necessarily need to be the CEO, but it is likely that they are part of the administrative executive. Do not waste your time with groups that do not have access to the decision makers.

Influencers can have some effect, but in the long run, if they cannot get you in front of the decision maker, you are most likely wasting your time. Be picky about the quality of the group you may eventually join; if you are to bring leads in and they are to offer you leads, make sure the quality of the group is where you need it to be. For example, do not expect high level consulting business from a printer-paper salesperson. It is not likely they will know who you need to know.

Even though quality is important in a group, quality can be found in various types of groups that you will come across. Quality may be defined in several ways. First is the quality of the attendees and the level of decision making they have in an organization. Second is the quality of the leads that are generated by the attendees. The leads need to be of some value and they need to include an introduction to the company needing your services. Let's take a closer look at some of the types of groups that could possibly fit your needs.

Group Survey

Name of the group

______________________________________________________________

Where does the group meet?

______________________________________________________________

Day and time of meetings (is it weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly?)

______________________________________________________________

Group Size ___________________________________________________

How many people do you know in the group? __________________

Group Focus _________________________________________________

Decision Making Level of the participants

______________________________________________________________

Are there exclusivity requirements? ___________________________

Number of Leads expected:

Receive in a month __________ Give in a month ________________

Further Comments

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite, She decided to find the best ways to get people’s attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the “Networking Queen”.