Networking expertise to help you grow your business
“Networking – that’s not for me. Cheesy American rubbish! You can’t get business just by chatting to people, besides I’ve got better things to do with my time. Trust me; it will never catch on…”
I’ve had all these thrown at me in the past and I still probably hear one similar phrase a week dismissing networking as new age nonsense.
But let’s look at this a bit closer and see whether networking is new or American, or whether it even works. [click to continue…]
How many times have you come home from a networking event with piles of business cards? Where do they go? On the desk, in a drawer or maybe they end up in the bin? A few minutes spent debriefing after an event will mean a lot for your effectiveness when networking. It is said that “time is money” but really productive time is money, and being productive means having some decent business systems to handle your networking activity.
There are lots of gadgets for you gadget lovers out there, you can scan cards with all sorts of apps which will put the person in your contacts on your computer or on your phone. Maybe you file the cards alphabetically or by event you attended. I know a few people who put the cards into a freezer bag marked with the date and the name of the event. [click to continue…]
So you’ve been to a networking event you’ve met some great contacts, you have got lots of business cards, you had some fantastic conversations. What now?
Are you sitting in the office the next day just waiting for that phone to ring, the inbox to fill up, and people to call you with orders? I hope not because you may be disappointed. Networking is about building relationships with people, and a critical element is reconnecting with people in an appropriate way, a lot depends on the quality of the follow up. [click to continue…]
How do you engage people at an event? How to people remember you rather than your competitor or other people at an event.
There are a few easy ways to engage people in conversation and to be memorable and they all involve a little thought and preparation.
The easiest way to start to engage people is to ask open ended questions, prepare four or five questions which you can use depending on the situation that you can engage people in conversation. Most people are reciprocal and therefore will ask you back the same question that you asked them. So let’s say you asked them “how did you get into that business?” when they are finished telling you their story about how they got involved in their business they will often ask “what about you”? or a similar question. Now this is where your preparation comes in! Any question you ever ask at a networking event or in a networking situation, make sure you have a good answer to the same question. [click to continue…]
Phil is an Internationally sought after, keynote speaker, who speaks regularly on the subjects of Presenting and Networking effectively.
Andy Bounds is an award-winning consultant and conference speaker. To sign-up for his free weekly advice on communication/sales best practices, visit www.andybounds.com/tips
Rob Brown is an in-demand networking coach and speaker on business networking, LinkedIn, referrals, trust and likeability. If you want to make more money, win more business or accelerate your career through networking, go to www.therobbrown.com
Sandra runs BNI(Business Network International) in 19 counties of Ireland. BNI is Ireland’s leading business referral organisation, she is also BNI’s Director of European Affairs
Charlie Lawson – BNI National Director and Word of Mouth marketing expert, whose passion is to see BNI members succeed in their businesses.
Labelled ‘Mr Network’ by The Sun, Andy Lopata was called ‘one of Europe’s leading business networking strategists’ by the Financial Times.
Penny Power has dedicated her life for the past 13 years to the potential of the internet and digital tools for SME’s by helping them connect through and understand the ‘social web’. In 1998 Penny founded Ecademy, the UK’s first social network for business.
Ewan helps business people grow their contacts by “word of mouth marketing” and is a key note speaker at conferences on the subject of referral marketing.
Heather Townsend is The Author Of ‘The Financial Times Guide To Business Networking.’ She is a performance improvement specialist for professional services, widely published writer and social media expert.
Richard White is The Author of ‘The Accidental Salesman – Networking Survival Guide.’ He is a sales coach and trainer. He specialises in helping IT consultants win more sales through effective networking.
Iain Whyte is an international Keynote Speaker, and published Author. Considered an expert in relationship-building, networking and word of mouth marketing.
David Wimblett is The Author of ‘BNI: One Bite at a Time’ He is an author, business success mentor and BNI Area Director for London North West. Director of 7 Training who offer so much more than just theory.
