The following pointers are taken from a recently published book, authored by Andy Lopata and Peter Roper, titled and Death came Third!. How did they think up that title? Apparently a survey in 1984 found that what people fear most is walking into a room of strangers. In second place is speaking in public. Death comes next. Of course, networking often involves meeting other people who you know nothing about. Whats worse, it might even be necessary to make a presentation. But you really dont have much to fear, provided you go about your networking in the right way. It is worth your giving attention to these guidelines. Be courageous! Dont be afraid to attend Networking events, and then once you are there, dont hesitate to contact other people. If you do, it is highly unlikely that your efforts to be friendly will be rejected. Instead, more often than not, you will be welcome with the metaphorical open arms. At first it can seem incredibly difficult to go up to someone you have never met before and begin speaking with that person. But look at it this way. He or she probably feels awkward standing there, and so any opportunity to interact with another person will be seized upon. The other person is probably just as self-conscious as you, initially at least. The next potential hurdle is, what can you begin speaking about? There is a temptation to launch into the elevator pitch, that is a quick summary of yourself and what your business does. Ideally the other person is wanting whatever you have to offer, and will quickly begin negotiating terms. But it rarely turns out this way. Instead it is better if you ask the other person about themselves. What was the purpose of coming along to the meeting? What type of business are they involved in? What kinds of goods or services are handled by the business? Where is the business based? This way the person is able to happily talk about what they are already familiar with, and hopefully they will ask similar questions of you. And when networking you need to be committed. It isnt sensible to spend most of your time speaking with a limited number of people. Although this is difficult at first, it is worth making the effort to work the room, that is try to interact with a reasonable number of people given the time restrictions. You dont need to hurry yourself, but each time there is an opportunity to begin talking with a new person, dont hang back! Recognise that you need to be realistic when you attend any Networking event. It is unlikely that you will be able to have advanced the prospects of your business significantly. It is even less likely that you have found committed customers. However you will have been able to learn about at least a few people you will want to stay in touch with. There is a good chance that this will be of mutual benefit in the future. So if you can follow these fundamental principles of Networking, then you will be able to take a more positive approach to each Networking opportunity that you have. Be pro-active, and actually approach people in a friendly manner. Try to make effective use of the time allowed, and approach as many people as you reasonably can. Finally, dont expect too much too quickly: the real benefits from Networking tend to develop over time. |
