A few years ago, I spoke at a conference for small business
owners. During a break, I went to the restroom and while I was washing my
hands, a woman entered, said “Here is my card,” and proceeded to hand out
business cards to the two women standing by the door. Since my hands were
still wet, she placed a card for me on the sink. Then she left.
That
was it – no introduction, no handshake, no question about me – so I threw the
card in the garbage. She probably went back to her office and wondered
why no one contacted her.
In
addition to not handing out business cards in the restroom, here are five more
tips to help you be a successful networker:
Be
a Good Listener
Good
networkers are good listeners. If you ask good questions and actively
listen to the answers, people will remember you. Prepare open-ended
questions that invite the other person to share something (as much or as little
as they choose) about themselves, such as, “How did you get started in x
field?” or “What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?”
Be
Positive and Energetic
When
I was president of a professional association, I often introduced myself to
first-time attendees. Here is one conversation that I had with a
newcomer:
Me:
“Hi, I’m Gilda Bonanno, president of the association. I see you’re a
first-timer. Welcome.”
Him:
“Hi, I’m Jim” (while shaking my hand limply, looking at the floor and not
smiling).
Me:
“It’s nice to meet you, Jim. Tell me a little about yourself.”
Him:
“I’m an instructional designer”
Me:
“Oh, that’s interesting. What do you like about the work?”
Him:
“It’s actually difficult, especially with the economy. And the clients
sometime don’t get it.”
Me:
“Yes, we can all identify with having difficult clients sometimes.”
Him:
“Well, this guy today was just not getting it and….”
And
he proceeded to tell me a long sob story about this client and left me with the
first impression that I would not want to work with him or recommend him to
others.
If
you are trying to attract new customers or build your professional brand, a
networking event is not the place to complain about the economy or a bad client.
If something has happened where you’re not in the mood to be positive or
demonstrate energy, then stay home. You’re not doing yourself any favors
by showing up with a negative attitude.
If
You Are Uncomfortable Introducing Yourself to Strangers, Volunteer
If
you are the person handing out programs, checking people in at the registration
desk or validating parking tickets, you have an automatic and official excuse
to introduce yourself to people at a networking event. Even after your
official duties are over, you can open a conversation by saying, “I saw you at
the desk where I was doing the coat check, but I didn’t get a chance to
introduce myself…” Usually you will have a badge or nametag that
identifies you as a volunteer and people may find it easier to approach you
because of your “official” status. And other volunteers or board members often
will be happy to introduce you to people they know.
Schedule
Time to Follow Up
If
you are attending an event where you expect to meet many people, made sure you
plan time after the event to follow up as appropriate, whether it’s with a
phone call, email or connection on social media. It’s not successful
networking if you collect business cards which then just sit on your desk
collecting dust. And if you have a team, don’t delegate the follow up
unless you’ve specifically explained to the person that someone else will be
contacting them.
Don’t
Automatically Add Someone to Your Mailing List
If
someone has given you their card, that is not the same as permission to add
them to your mailing list. If they are in your target market, you can
certainly send an email and invite them to subscribe to your newsletter, like
your Facebook page or visit your blog, but the key word here is invite. Just
handing you a card does not constitute an opt-in.
Imagine
what would happen if everyone you gave your card to at a monthly networking
event automatically added you to their ezine mailing list. You could be
added to 15 ezine lists a month and if they were sent weekly, that would
quickly add up to 60 more emails in your inbox in just one month!
The
next time you have the opportunity to network, follow these tips so you can
connect with people, build professional relationships and be remembered for all
the right reasons.
This
article first appeared in the how biz grows blog.
Gilda
Bonanno's blog www.gildabonanno.blogspot.com