Bronwyn
Ritchie's
Are you burning the very people you're trying to
impress? Find out how not to be the networker
no one wants to do business with.
By Ivan Misner
In my more than two decades of developing business networks and coaching networkers, I've noticed some very different styles of networking. One of these styles, which results in the ground smoking wherever these networkers tread, I call "scorched earth networking." Let's talk a little about this style, so you understand how important it is to avoid this type of networking in cultivating a successful business networking model.
Just what are the hallmarks of a scorched-earth networker? Experience has shown me that this type of networker...
Online networking is all the rage, as Internet tools make it easy for us to reach out to almost anyone who has a presence online. Lofty executives, potential clients, and future employers are within easy reach to anyone with a browser and an email account. But it won't do to rush off and start blasting off email messages to strangers -- that's a recipe for being ignored or added to an email blacklist.
Take the time to think through your online networking approach, and your results will improve dramatically. Here are five tips to get you going.
Beyond the Business Card
Networking in the 21st Century
Networking is more than just a buzzword. It's probably the best opportunity you will ever have to make connections, build relationships and help yourself and others in the networking group succeed. Networking with like-minded individuals is also a great way to explore new career options, learn more about a specific industry, gather insights from peers on critical business issues and grow professionally.
20 Ways to Make Yourself More Memorable
You too can make yourself memorable to everyone you meet. By following the guidelines below, you'll not only be more memorable, but you'll get more clients, keep them and get enthusiastic referrals. Start these TODAY!
Networking Tip: The Elevator Pitch
Successful individuals are first, last, and always salespeople. They are constantly selling themselves and their ideas to investors, management, co-workers, vendors, and even their families.
An opportunity to sell yourself and/or your ideas can come up on the subway, in the checkout line at the grocery store, after your yoga class - just about anywhere. To be ready to make a useful connection at any time, it's a good idea to be prepared with a short (one minute is ideal) self-promotional speech.
There are tons of networking events to attend - too many, actually. Too many ways to meet people you'll never see again, too many opportunities to collect a stack of business cards you'll never look at again. But it's well worth doing as much networking as you can, because you never know where a chance meeting will lead. Last year, for example, I was hired to give a presentation at a secluded resort near Honolulu, Hawaii - all because of a conversation I struck up with a woman sitting next to me at a luncheon.
Here are 13 simple tips to make the process easier and more productive.
