With the holidays fast approaching, you are likely to have lots of opportunities to network face to face and online. And, for many of you that “opportunity” comes with additional stress. Here are a few polishing tips to help you make the most of your networking chit-chat . . . .
Show up with a purpose. Know what you want to
accomplish by the time the networking ends. Do you need to meet a great printer? Find the most attractive business card in the place, introduce yourself, and ask for the name of their printer! Need to great marketing coach or consultant? Ask around!
Act like the host. Don’t hang out on the sidelines and wait for someone to approach you. Take a breath, put a genuine smile on, extend your hand and introduce yourself. Find your courage and take the initiative. It puts others at ease – which makes you likeable and memorable – two things that you need in order to grow your practice.
Come prepared with a resource to share. Take the time to prepare for your networking event by identifying a common need and showing up with a solution for that need. It might be a book you have read or a copy of an article. It could be a website or the name of a community support group or an introduction to a colleague.
It’s all about them, not you. This means that your conversation . . . whether face to face or online . . . needs to focus on them – their needs, their desires, and their work. How does that work for you? It allows you to then meet their needs by positioning yourself as a resource.
Find the deal maker. If you regularly attend a networking group, pay attention to who wields influence there. Whether on LinkedIn or at your town’s local networking group, there are always one or two individuals who seem to make things happen. Those are the deal makers. They may or may not be the most popular; but they will hold relationships, knowledge, and power that they can share with you to help you build your practice.
Forget quid pro quo. Networking is not about meeting someone to, in turn, get a referral. It doesn’t work that way. Networking is about building long term relationships and good will.
Ask for introductions. If you have come to the networking event with a specific need of your own and believe an introduction to someone there can help, don’t be shy about asking to be introduced. It’s a great way for someone else to make herself useful; and, it’s an easy way to build your network.
Look for opportunities to introduce people. Helping others meet like-minded people is a generous and gracious thing to do. Know two people who like the same type of music? Introduce them to each other. Know two people who are interested in writing. Introduce them. Know two people who are active in social justice movements? Play ScrabbleSlam? Love blogging? You get the idea. . . . By helping others build their networks, you are also strengthening your own.
Listen more than you talk. You would think this one is a no brainer but I’m always surprised at those in our profession that have verbal diarrhea. This is especially true for those of us who may be described as having “big” personalities. And, when you do talk, contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way rather than filling the air with unsolicited opinions and advice.
Tamara’s Bonus Tip: And, for those of you who really get anxious about your networking, here’s one of my best tips . . . . Take 3 conversation starters with you. Mine are . . .
- “Is this your first time here?” (Followed up by “How did you hear about this group?”)
- “Has this group been helpful to you in growing your business?” (Followed up by “How so?”)
- “Can you point out who the organizer (or the membership chair) is?” (Followed up by “Can you introduce me? I’m interested in volunteering.”)
So . . . are you up for a little practice building homework? Identify one place (face to face or online) where you will commit to networking . . . with intention and with a plan. Put your plan in writing. Really commit to it. Try out these polishing tips and then join us back here to share your own tips. What’s working for you and what’s still a challenge?
thank you for the tips, helpful things to think about as I network with folks
Hi, John, and welcome back! I’ve missed you here.
With the winter holidays getting under way, we’ll all have plenty of opportunities to tweak our networking skills. And, I recommend that rather than trying to changing up everything you do all at once, a better strategy is to pick just one of those skills and perfect it. Then, go back and choose another to work on. That way, you’ll be integrating these into your own unique way of networking.
Good reminders to keep in mind!
Antoinette – It’s always good to hear from one of the Music Therapists among us! Hope you’ll drop back in again soon.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing them. Got a couple of networking events coming up in December and was feeling nervous– but not now! 🙂
Hi, Stephanie! Welcome back! Hey, I hope you’ll drop back in next month and tell us what you tried out and how it worked for you. Better yet, let us know what I missed so we can make this post even better!
Happy Thanksgiving – It’s almost here!
At the beginning of each new year I network on a very regular basis. As the year progresses I find myself slacking off somewhat. Thanks for the reminder of taking advantage of any opportunity that comes our way.
Hi, Pam! You’re so welcome! Thanks for dropping in today. Before the end of this year, I hope to write another post related to this tendency to “slack off” so that you and others won’t miss fabulous opportunities and then end up with holes in your net-work!
You know, I think many of us get swept up into the frenzy of the winter holidays. However, I think that every person that you see every day of the year is networking – whether it’s the milkman at the front door (Yes, my milk gets delivered) or a formal and festive event like the Black Tie Dinner. Some of that is formal networking and some is less formal. What they all have in common is that I am weaving that net – with me at the center – building a network that supports me and my practice.
I like the question “has this group been effective to your business…how so?” That is not only a question to start a good conversation, but also an important question to find out before you invest your time and energy in a group. Not all groups are a good fit for every type of business, so invest your time wisely.
Hi, Julia! You make a really good point. Not all groups are equal for an individual’s networking . . . . And, what’s good for one may not be good for another.
Of course, the other thing to remember is that you need to go to a group a few times before you rule them out. Like any other organization, the group may have an “off” night or have a poor speaker.