Building Valuable Networking Relationships
Networking Grows Your Circle Of Influence Have you ever noticed how prominent people always have somebody to call on when they need information? For the majority of us, acquiring a network involves meeting people we can do business with or who will do business with us, or refer people who will do business with us, are our ultimate goals. To be able to know where to begin you must first fully grasp what networking is and why it is essential to grow your business. Networking in its purest form is simply talking to people, making connections and developing rapport to grow our circle of influence. Some of the most efficient networks are those created by people who own and run their own businesses. You may have an excellent product or service, but the problem is that at a certain point in your business or career, your leads may run out. You need to continuously be increasing your connections and referrals When you build valuable networking relationships, you build them on a framework of shared trust, knowledge, experiences and resources to help one another grow by either referring one another or doing business directly with one another. Here are a number of ideas to help you on your way to networking success. 1. Develop a joiner mentality. By that I mean, don’t just sign up to get our name on a roster. Really join. Get involved. Enter into discussions and activities and be visible. The saying “out of sight, is out of mind,” holds true when it comes to networking. When you are in a network it simply means you are in a group of like-minded people, interest groups or that you share some other common denominator. 2. The best networking begins with planning and taking action. Make a point of attending one new networking event a month just to “check it out.” Prepare a list of the people you know, the entities you have heard and read about and the companies who currently do business with you. These are all great resources to tap into to find new venues to network. 3. Ask open questions starting with how, why, where, when and what in your conversations with everyone you meet. These questions provide valuable information about people, their work and knowledge that you may use later on. You should of course also provide this type of information about your business, service, position and future expectations
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when the opportunity presents itself.These types of questions create an introduction and help the other person to relax and relate to you while the person also gets a chance to talk about his interests. Ask, “How did you”………People love to People love to share their stories. Ask about his or her tactics for future business?’ This can establish common ground and where you can possibly work together in future. You have succeeded in obtaining important information about the potential contact, and have helped to build the prospect’s confidence, self-worth and thus trust in you. Look for ways to cross-promote with businesses that complement yours. For instance, a spa might join with a health food store or restaurant and promote their products and services for staying healthy. A salon might join a florist to promote weddings or proms and a Realtor might join with a mortgage broker to promote a “one-stop” experience for home buyers. The conversation is over and you have not tried to sell your business or services. By this time you can exchange business cards and you can use the information to contact him again. By doing this, you are building a trust relationship. This type of conversation is relaxed and doesn’t contain a sales pitch. It is a non-threatening approach and helps to build a network of contacts. Keep in touch even with your list of contacts even when you don’t need anything. Drop a note once in a while, e-mail them, sending a card, giving a voucher, or just inviting them to a game of golf or a cup of coffee.
By starting conversations like this with everyone you meet, you will be able to build a network of contacts and referrals that are more valuable than thousands of dollars spent on advertising your services.It works like this: If you do a professional job, one client might tell three to five of her friends, family and associates about you. Whereas, when you build a network of say 10 to 20 strong advocates, they may each tell only one person about your, however your “exposure” is now more than doubled – With the right network, the ultimate in “word of mouth” marketing takes place. You promote your network, and your network promotes you.
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