Truthfully, I don’t enjoy typical networking meetings where sales folks gather to exchange business cards.You know the kind I’m talking about; a gigantic business after hours with a hundred small business owners in attendance most of whom are eager to pitch to you. Or maybe a smaller event with a dozen or so hopeful business folks who get together for lunch or breakfast and go around the table with a canned speech about what they do. “Hi, I’m Jerry from Bug Eliminators. We rid your house of bugs.” Or, “Hi, I’m Marvin from All Lines Insurance Agency. We make sure everything that matters to you is protected. A good client for me is anyone who needs insurance.” Good luck with that.
But before you start “selling” the key is to build relationships and this starts with getting to know, like and trust people. So try these business networking tips for small business and market your business in a way that makes you feel comfortable.
A provoking thought: Business gurus and networking groups promote “building relationships.” How many people reading this article are building relationships through conversation? Granted, conversation has morphed in the 21st century. It’s more electronic than ever. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away, I can remember people refusing to leave their name and phone number on an answering machine because they found it too impersonal and rude. Nowadays, people would rather leave their live voice on an electronic device than “talk” to a real person. We love communication but we don’t necessarily love conversation. And for many, they don’t like having a conversation that’s deeper than 144 characters.
The best way to gain an audience and build a name in this industry is to create your portfolio of quality articles. Utilize job boards and social software defined networking to advertise your work. The more traffic you gain, the more offers you’re going to get from companies asking you to produce great articles for them.
3) Don’t be shy – ask for the referral. People are usually happy to help – and the worst they can say is no. Remember… nothing ventured, nothing gained. Ask for that letter of recommendation or testimonial. Have a list of names handy to write in the “referrals” spot of your job applications – and be sure to keep their phone numbers and email addresses up to date and on file.
Enter the room with confidence, stand up straight and smile. Look for a friendly face and introduce yourself. If you don’t see an opportunity to meet someone right away don’t panic. A sure fire way to strike up a conversation is to get in a line (to sign in, for food, for drinks, for the restrooms). You can also approach the person hosting the event and ask for an introduction. In addition, if the list of attendees is available prior to the meeting you can identify someone you would like to meet and approach someone to ask if the person you are looking for is at the meeting.
Twitter tweets allowance is 140 characters. It may seem short, but you can get in quite a mouthful. No one ever said networking had to be a long drawn out novel. Don’t underestimate the power of short and quick replies because with the right words they can add a lot of punch.
Due to language or cultural barriers, miscommunication occurs. This can result in assistants / teams not fully understanding what is required of them.