3 Must Do’s for Business Networking Success

Business Networking can be a stepping stone to greater influence, recognition, and ultimately, the creation of a thriving referral based business…if you want and allow it to be.

I can tell you, first hand, that the door to success is often opened by the most unlikely sources. Knowing HOW to better represent yourself in public and making great first impressions ensures that you aren’t missing hidden opportunities.

If you knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that business networking was a key to attracting more of your perfect clients; that it could eliminate uncomfortable sales-y tactics and could be the difference between growing your business and going out of business, would you commit to developing your skills in this area? I’ll bet you would…

On that note I’m going to share my top 3 must do’s for business networking success. Proven tips that can help you increase your results for the balance of 2008.

MUST DO # 1 – Act Like a HOST Not a Guest

One of the biggest barriers to successful networking is the fear of starting conversations with strangers. After all, we were raised with our mothers telling us “Don’t talk to strangers!” – right!?

The ability to easily strike up a conversation with someone you’ve never met isn’t a common skill found with most business professionals… Acting like a host not a guest is one of the best strategies for overcoming your fear of strangers… When you look at the two, there is an obvious difference between the behavior of a guest and that of a Host.

• If you are the host of a party or event, wouldn’t you introduce yourself to people you didn’t know and introduce them to others?

• Wouldn’t you make sure your guests were properly welcomed, knew where to hang their coat or where to get food and beverage? Of course you would!

• A Host is active and focused on doing things for others. A guest tends to be more passive and reactive, i.e. they sit back and relax.

The important thing to note here is that you can CHOOSE which behavior you will exemplify at the events you attend. Will you act like a host or a guest?

ACTION TIP: A great opportunity for you to learn by experience is to get involved with your local Chamber of Commerce as an Ambassador. Their job is to greet visitors and introduce them to others. Or, if you are a member of BNI or another closed contact organization… volunteer to be a Visitor Host. This allows you to increase your comfort level and develop the skill of talking to strangers in a structured and safe networking environment.

MUST DO # 2 – Listen to Learn

This is one of my favorite “must do’s” and I’m going to reference a metaphor found in “Masters of Networking” a best selling book (which I highly recommend) co-authored by Dr Ivan Misner and Don Morgan. Here it is…

Imagine a big, hairy spider hanging out in the corner of the room, waiting for an unlucky insect to blunder into its web.

Many view “THE NETWORKER“ as a predatory menace lurking in a room full of businesspeople, ready to pounce and paralyze its prey with a torrent of sales talk and self-promotion.

This is exactly the image every good Networker must avoid projecting. Masters know that every good networking relationship, the kind that brings mutual benefit, begins with the discovery of common interests.

If you approach a new contact with the idea that what’s most important is for the other person to learn everything about you as quickly as possible, you’ll find yourself alone in the corner, perched on your web, waiting to snare anybody that hasn’t been warned about you.

Master Networkers turn this around. They start conversations by asking questions, one after the other… not like an interrogator but as an interested listener.

If they are asked a question, they answer, but quickly steer the conversation back to the new acquaintance.

Master Networkers know an interesting secret… The more the other talks, and the more you listen to them, the more they like you and trust you. (And we all know how important trust is right?).

ACTION TIP: Switch your focus from gaining new customers to making new business friends and listen for the commonalities that link you… rarely will you fail.

MUST DO # 3 – Remember peoples NAMES!

Are you terrible at remembering names? Do you forget someone’s name within ten seconds of an introduction? How often have you walked into a room and recognized someone’s face but their name escapes you?

Most people will admit that they would not approach someone whose name they’ve forgotten for fear of embarrassment. As a result, you miss connecting with a potentially valuable business contact.

“A person’s name is to him or her, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” - Dale Carnegie

I’m not going to delve into exact tips and tricks for remembering names I simply want to point it out as an absolute MUST DO for business networking success.

Think about how you feel when someone goes out of their way to remember your name. It makes you feel important and special. It is a positive experience for you, and they instantly become more revered by you and more memorable. Remember names offers great marketing impact wouldn’t you say?

ACTION TIP: Is remembering names a problem for you? If so there are many wonderful resources available in book stores and on the internet. My favorite, available from amazon.com is “The Memory Book” by Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas.

For additional “must do’s” for business networking success you can go to www.thenetworkingmasters.com and register to receive a free subscription to Gina’s highly acclaimed information packed eZine, Networking with Ease; a complimentary audio CD entitled “Personal Marketing Demystified” and a Special report called “The Networking Masters Checklist for Business Networking Success!” The CD is only available for a limited time. Claim your “Networking Success” package today!

Gina Bell is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, successful coach and author, President and CEO of Gina Bell, Inc. a company devoted to teaching multi-passionate entrepreneurs how to create fun, fame and good fortune online doing ALL that they love to do! Gina is also Founder and President of the International Association of Women in Business Online {IAWBO} as well as the Networking Masters International and JV Mavens Partner and Prosper Network to name a few of her companies and projects. Learn more at http://www.GinaBellinc.com