The 7 Deadly Sins of Networking - Notes

Business Skills Workshop Sept. 7, 2007

The Seven Deadly Sins of Networking - and more!

1. BECOME A FAMILIAR FACE. Biggest mistake people make is joining an organization and then expecting the phone to start ringing with new business. You have to go to the meetings regularly, get active, join committees, and really get to know people.
   
2. DON’T TAKE TURNS GOING TO MEETINGS. If there are several people in the company who network, let each one be the company’s “face” at a different organization. Networking is a very personal activity.
   
3. BE PERSISTENT. Success won’t happen immediately. If you want long-term results, you have to make a long-term investment of your time. If you don’t start making sales in the first few months, keep at it! Don’t give up.
   
4. ARRIVE EARLY. The most important time of a networking meeting is the half hour before it begins.
   
5. DRESS FOR SUCCESS. Some organizations are business suits. Others are more informal. Fit in.
   
6. MAKE AN IMPRESSION. You have about 7 seconds to make a first impression. Then you have a couple of minutes to leave any impression at all. If you want people to remember you, be memorable.
   
7. NETWORK TO YOUR TARGET MARKET. For example, if your business draws from 5 miles around, don’t waste time networking 10 miles away. Try many different organizations when you first begin, but then focus your efforts on the groups that make most business sense for you.
   
8. BRING PLENTY OF BUSINESS CARDS. There’s no excuse for running out, especially if you have a purse.
   
9. YOUR BUSINESS CARD SHOULD BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT YOU DO. What is special about your business that people would want to use your services instead of somebody else? Identify your niche. If you have several product lines, carry a separate card for each.
   
10. SIT AT DIFFERENT TABLES. When two or three people from the same business attend a meeting, they too often sit together. If three of you sit at a table of eight, you are meeting five new people among you. If you split up, you are meeting 21 new people. Also, try to sit next to someone you don’t know well. It’s fun sitting with an old friend, but more productive to make a new friend.
    
11. MAKE AT LEAST ONE NEW FRIEND. Walk up to strangers. Talk to people. You’ve accomplished something important if you get to know at least one new person at each meeting. Try for four.
    
12. DON’T WIN THE CONTEST FOR COLLECTING THE MOST BUSINESS CARDS. That’s a useless exercise. Instead, collect just a few cards from people you have chatted with during the meeting. As soon as possible after the encounter, jot down some reminder information on the back of the card. “Met at Chamber South event at Two Chefs. Dark hair and glasses. Talked about the Dolphins prospects this season.” Any personal notes to yourself to remind you of the encounter. Otherwise, you will soon have a big stack of cards and no idea who these people are.
    
13. GO WITH SOMEONE WHO IS WELL-KNOWN. The best way to break into an organization is to go with someone who will introduce you to others.
    
14. IF YOU ARE A REGULAR AND YOU SEE A NEW FACE, INTRODUCE YOURSELF. Make the new person feel comfortable. Invite them to sit with you. Introduce them around. Your kindness will be appreciated.
    
15. FOLLOW UP! Within a few days after the encounter, call or e-mail and suggest a meeting to get to know each other better. Keep the follow-up meeting light. It’s just a beginning, to exchange information on what each of you do, and how you might help each other.
    
16. FOLLOW THROUGH! At each meeting, you will make commitments to several people. They will make decisions about you based on how you follow through. Have a reliable note-taking system – perhaps a pad – where you can jot down what you promise. “Pat – lunch – Tues?” “Review Bob’s website.” “Proposal to Bill.” As soon as you get back to the office, make a habit of looking at your note, first thing, and respond immediately. “Bill – great seeing you this morning. I’ll have a proposal to you by Monday.” “Pat, lunch Tuesday works for me. Where do you want to go?”
    
17. DON’T IGNORE SOMEONE IF THEY ARE NOT A GOOD BUSINESS FIT FOR YOU. Maybe they will not have a use for your product or service, but they have friends. If you take the time to explain your business to them, maybe they know someone who will be a good customer for you.
    
18. DON’T TRY TO SELL AT THE NETWORKING MEETING. The meeting is a place to meet people, exchange cards, and have a brief conversation. It is not the time for a sales pitch. Everyone wants to meet several people, or touch base with people they were hoping to see at the meeting. It’s not the place to make a deal.
    
19. DEVELOP YOUR ELEVATOR SPEECH. You have been trying to arrange a meeting with a potential customer for months, without success. Suddenly, you find yourself alone with him on an elevator. You have 30 seconds to convince him that he really should meet with you. What will you say? Write it out, read it to friends, refine and practice it. This is how you will introduce yourself each time you meet someone at a networking meeting.
    
20. MAKE YOUR MESSAGE ABOUT THE BENEFIT TO THE CUSTOMER, RATHER THAN ABOUT THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE. People will be interested if they can see an advantage for themselves in what you are selling – how will it help them? Introduce yourself as “I make homes beautiful,” rather than “I’m an interior decorator.”
    
21. TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF YOUR SELF-INTRODUCTION. Many organizations allow people to stand and introduce themselves and their business. You have paid $25 to be here, and are spending 2 hours of your time, and this is your 10 seconds to talk to the entire audience. Speak loudly enough to be heard, and really tell people what you do.
    
22. BECOME A RESOURCE TO OTHERS. Business success through networking takes patience. Become a familiar face, make new friends, give free advice, build relationships of trust, and eventually the business will flow to you.
    
23. DON’T ADD SOMEONE TO YOUR MAILING LIST JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THEIR CARD. It’s a turnoff to exchange business cards and suddenly find you are receiving a weekly or even daily mailing with information you don’t care about. Ask specific permission to add someone to your list.
    
24. JOIN A LARGE GROUP AND A LEADS GROUP, or at least if you join only a large group, get involved in some small-group activities like committees. Large-group networking, where you mingle with a big crowd once or twice a month, is very different from small-group networking, where you may meet each week and get to really know everyone in the group. Both are important.