Whatever professional field you are in, you can improve your career success with these networking tips. Follow the steps, suggestions, and use the references below to let your networking go to work for you.
Marketing skills are often missing among many assistants / teams. These need to be developed to ensure good business interactions, networking and focus for future funding of their own companies as well as for their buyers, so that the consumers’ interests are always kept in mind and as priority with project work.
The weeping I was hearing was coming from one of the vice presidents, one of the first people I connected with in the business. He along with networking groups wiltshire about others had been laid off without warning. The feeling throughout the office was sickening, like a death pall. Two people from each department were let go. It was part of a “merger” we were told.
FOLLOW-UP! This is very, very, very important. Write reminders on the back of the business cards you’ve collected (ex. great smile, knows Prospect Z). Send out follow-up notes the next day. Be the one to make the calls for those lunches you promised to do. Make things happen. This is where the champions come through.
I once worked with a guy when I was in the banking industry. He belonged to a few networking groups, and when he received a lead at one of his weekly meetings, he would come back to the office, pin the lead onto his calendar and let it sit there for three to five days.
REFERRALS – My personal favorite networking clients come from referrals. Working in a service oriented profession; every referral to me, feels like a compliment or award. It means someone liked my work enough to tell others about it and positively pass my name on when someone is looking for assistance writing a resume or preparing for their job search. Referrals like all software defined networking, work in a pyramid fashion, it just keeps expanding and reaching further to more potential clients. The happier my clients are the more they will pass my name to others looking for help and I make sure to keep that in mind with every client or potential client I speak with.
Now that you’re ready to start networking, you’ll want to do it effectively. In order to do that you need to be able to carry on a conversation with the people you meet. Ok, I can tell you’re cringing again… Not to worry. The key to keeping a conversation going is to ask lots of questions. Following are questions you can ask when you first meet someone at a networking event. Keep asking questions and the conversation will flow naturally.
Sort the list to look for qualities they all have in common (or that most of them have). Any characteristics that a majority of your best customers have? Write those all down and you’ll see a description of your best customer. Most of your networking activities now need to be focused on meeting, serving and building mutually beneficial relationships with more people like them. See my article “How to Use Networking to Find More of Your Ideal Customers and Clients” for networking tips.