Referrals Unlimited Network

Effective Networking

Effective Networking, done correctly, can lead to many business opportunities.  Not networking effectively can actually cost you a job, business and personal relationships.  Learn to network well and you will reap the immense rewards of being known, liked and trusted as a Connector!

Here are some tips to help you get started on your journey.

Remember, networking is NOT selling. It is relationship building.  Don’t expect to leave a networking event with business “in-hand.”  If you do, you did not benefit from networking, but instead you developed a “cold call.”

You can’t build on trust you don’t have. Why should I help you if I’ve just met you? I’ll gladly help people who have taken time to build a relationship (and trust) with me. See the networking event as a chance to meet and greet. IF there is enough interest, set up a lunch or coffee meeting within the next week and take that time to get to know more about the other person.  Find out what problems he/she may be having and work on finding a solution for them.  It could be a referral or even a resource.  Think about helping if you are sincere about building trust.

Don’t be shy and wait for people to come to you. Hiding in the corner and hoping someone will talk to you is not an effective way of managing a networking event. Get out of the corner and meet people. Start with that other person in the corner, reach out and extend your hand, introduce yourself and then encourage him/her to come with you as you meet new people.

Don’t expect to “pick someone’s brain” without any interest in learning more about them, to find ways that you can reciprocate and help them as they have helped you.  You should be focused on developing a relationship with a long-term commitment, not just to get what you need and then move on.

Don’t get so carried away with offering solutions and ideas that you forget yourself. It is a tightrope to walk between selfishness and suicidal altruism. Keep your balance.  While it is wonderful to WANT to help others, be careful not “to give away the farm.”

Be cautious when giving out referrals or leads. It is your reputation on the line. Before introducing your new contact to your sphere of influence, make sure you know what their intention is and always get feedback about the person you’ve given the leads to before referring others. Never “open your Rolodex” to anyone just because you were asked to do it, or you won’t have an active Rolodex for very long.

If you attend a business networking meeting, spend less than 5 minutes on small talk. Then turn the conversation to business by asking, “What can I do today to help you in your business,” or other open-ended questions.  Make sure the question will not be able to be answered with a simple “yes or no.” It sets the tone for the rest of the meeting.

Huge networking events are not as valuable as smaller, targeted networking venues. Look for these in industry publications, ask friends, and get on job-networking mailing lists for these smaller, often quietly advertised, events.

Don’t take a business card from someone unless you actually, really and truly intend to call and set up a lunch or coffee or some other type of one-on-one meeting. Cards cost money. When you take someone’s card, with no intention of doing anything with it, you have just added to that person’s expenses with no income to justify that expense.

Don’t make the mistake of not writing note(s) on the back of a business card you have just received.  One of the primary reasons that people don’t use the cards they collect at a networking meeting is that they get home and can’t associate a card with the face and the information about the person. You’ll make a stronger impression if the other person feels that you care enough to remember your conversation with them.

Follow-up ASAP, preferably within 24-48 hours.  If you wait more than about 48 hours to re-contact the person you spoke with at a networking event, you have a smaller chance each passing day of actually making professional contact. Set aside part of the very next day after a networking event to make calls to people you’d met the night before and schedule lunch and/or coffee meetings.  Here’s a great tip for you – when you leave a networking event, spend a few minutes in your car before you leave the parking space.  Review the cards you received and quickly telephone the people you met (call their office number) and leave a very pleasant, upbeat telephone message, telling them you enjoyed meeting them and will be calling to schedule a follow-up meeting with them!  That will really make a favorable impression upon them.

Don’t use a networking event as an excuse to “drink like a fish.”  My personal opinion is that alcohol has no place at a networking or business event, but if alcohol IS available, be sure to drink in moderation.  The worst impression you can make is to be known as someone who is a sloppy drinker and is only interested in social relationships, not business relationships.

It is very foolish to go to a networking event to meet new people and then spend the whole event speaking with people you already know. Go talk to someone you don’t know yet. You can talk with your friends later.  Better yet, ask your friends to introduce you to someone you don’t already know!  Set a goal to meet 3-5 new people at every networking event you attend.

Do you have any other tips you’d like to include in this list?  I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please DO comment below!

As always, I’m happy to chat with you about your netweaving/networking needs – just contact me through email, Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn or an old-fashioned telephone call!  If you would like to know more about my face-to-face weekly group coaching sessions, please visit my website and become a fan on FaceBook .

To Your Networking Success!            Carol

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Connections! It All Begins with Communication!

As a Networking Coach, I’m often asked how to get higher numbers of connections.  Unfortunately, these folks don’t understand that networking is about quality connections, not about number of connections.  It’s not just telling others that you have x connections, but it is about the value in those connections.

Networking is not about number gathering, it’s about connecting.  Connecting is being real – connecting is all about communications!  Verbally or written, you cannot learn anything about the other person without communicating is some form or another.

I would suggest that before you connect with someone, you determine why you want that connection.  Set your goals for what you expect to happen and then go for it!

Connecting, the first step to building professional relationships that lead to solid business referrals.

Although I am interested in making new connections, and I accept almost every one requested of me, I do expect my connections to communicate with me – help me to learn more about them and in turn, they can learn more about me.

Are you interested in connecting with me? You can send me an invitation but please, be ready to COMMUNICATE!

As always, I’m happy to chat with you about your netweaving/networking needs – just contact me through email, Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn or an old-fashioned telephone call!  If you would like to know more about my face-to-face weekly group coaching sessions, please visit my website and become a fan on FaceBook .

To Your Networking Success!            Carol

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Nasty Networkers Not Admitted!

I was reading Scott Ingram’s post this morning about launching some Happy Hours events for his Network in Austin Events.  If you haven’t read any of Scott’s posts, you can check them out on his blog.  What I like most about Scott’s writing is that his advice is totally down-to-earth and makes lots of sense.

Below he has listed what some traits are of Nasty Networkers!  I’ve run into a few of these myself over the past few years and am always “stunned” by the fact that these people seem to have “no clue” about what they are doing and how wrong it is!  This solidifies the fact that there are a lot of people who truly need networking coaching/training in order to grow their business and gain referrals.

Selfish. Not interested in helping others
“Doesn’t try to help at all”
“Selfish and self-interested”
“In short, a ‘Nasty Networker’ is self centered and disinterested”
“Uses every opportunity to speak (including thank you’s and announcements time) to give a sales pitch for themselves”
“refers less than is referred to him/her (it is ALWAYS better to give than it is to receive)”
“Someone who immediately asks ‘who does your ….’ (phone, insurance, payroll, office supplies…) instead of saying ‘who are YOU?’ and getting to know you.”
“100% self-focused — demonstrations may include: usurping your time while at an event asking for “free” business advice; never offering anything in exchange”
“Rude, disrespectful, fast-talking, is not interested in a mutually beneficial relationship, totally dis-interested in you or your needs.”
“My main beef regarding a nasty networker is one with the belief that it’s all about them”

Doesn’t ask questions. Talks too much
“Doesn’t ask questions”
“Talk don’t listen”
“Talking not listening”
“A ‘Nasty Networker’ keeps their own interests secret, they listen, and want to ‘know’, to own, and control.”
“talks more than listens”
“Poor listeners.”
“Vomitous from the mouth”

Bashes or otherwise acts inappropriately towards competitors
“Steals from competitors”
“Bashing or being condescending towards competing companies or products”
“Talks down about their competition”
“Some of the most memorable “nasty” networkers that I’ve come across made an (unfavorable) impression because they were publicly trashing a competitor”
“A nasty networker is somebody that comes to an event sponsored by another company and stands next to the host the whole night scarfing their contacts.”

Uses high pressure and other bad sales techniques
“They launch into their sales pitch as part of introducing themselves.”
“Asks for a one-on-one meeting to get to know you, gives you a sales presentation.”
“Asks for a meeting because he/she is interested in YOUR business, gives you a sales presentation.”
“if there is no relationship there, I’ll go to the internet before I’d go to a pushy salesperson!”
“people will ask you questions about your business at a networking function in a way that seems geared specifically to put you on the defensive–these sort of questions are perfectly appropriate at a pitch meeting or the presentation of a proposal, but I’m not sure a networking event is necessarily the best venue“

Abuses contact information. Sends spam and other unwanted communication
“Uses the majority of all communications (personal interactions, e-mail, blog, twitter etc.) to try to sell you something”
“I’ve had a couple of nasty networkers that asked for my information and promptly signed me up for their weekly newsletters (or worse, their promotional pieces!) without even the ‘great to meet you’ email followup to our initial meeting.”
“I find especially annoying those who add you to a distribution list without asking”
“Follows up with email/call that is all about the” Ignores business card etiquette
“They give you extras of their business cards so you can pass it on to someone who might need their services … the first time you meet them!”
“Grabbing everyone’s cards and then leaving early”
“Networks like a bull in a China shop – runs up to everyone with the intro/handshake/business card routine – never listens or asks about anyone else”
“Only interested in collecting business cards”

Social climber. Always looking for somebody better to talk to
“The person who scans the room looking for for new targets while trying to engage you in some sort of dialogue.”
“The ‘look past you’ networkers just nodding until they can talk to someone else.”
“Lack of eye contact. If a person isn’t focused on you, they are ‘elsewhere’. They are probably looking for better alternatives vs. talking to you.”

Not open
“They talk only to people they know at networking events.”
“those who aren’t willing to invite new people into their ongoing conversations.”
“Talk to only people that they know.”

Naive – Needs Education
“I trust that all of these attributes will either be retooled by the novice as they mature and learn ethics or they will be weeded out.”
“I think most people who are bad networkers are just ignorant and uneducated. I’ve only met one person in 5 1/2 years at the Chamber who was deliberately hateful.”
“I guess the ‘Nasty Networker’ walks the line of desperation. ‘I have to make my numbers now so I am going to impose myself on each and every prospect I run across.’”

Quantity vs. Quality
- is out for quantity versus quality
Quantity verses quality

Disrespectful
I also think networking gets a bad rap from people who are condescending

Do you have any “traits” to add to this list?  I’d love to hear what your experience(s) have included.  How did you handle an encounter with a “nasty networker?”

As always, I’m happy to chat with you about your netweaving/networking needs – just contact me through email, Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn or an old-fashioned telephone call!  If you would like to know more about my face-to-face weekly group coaching sessions, please visit my website and become a fan on FaceBook .

To Your Networking Success!

Carol

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NETWORKING: It’s critical for your business success!

Networking is THE most important component of your success. If done strategically and diligently, it can increase your net worth and  your power exponentially.  If not done properly, it’s like signing your business “death warrant!”

It is YOUR responsibility to build your network with care.

That means you must invest the time and energy into making it work for you. The online environment doesn’t have different rules. The fact remains that whether it’s online or off, you still need to keep the ’social’ element in networking.

I know you hear me saying how important it is to include online networking when building your “Main Street America” offline business, but it also important to take your online networking offline too!  You have to keep the “social” in your networking, or you will prevent others from knowing, liking and trusting you!  Without these important components, your business will just become stagnant and die off!

Equally important is to maintain your network  by sending updates every quarter to let people know how you are doing and what’s going on in your “neck of the woods!”  Remember, this is also about keeping it social, so don’t be afraid to tell them about your latest vacation or your latest adventure with the Grandkids!

Learn to understand the communication habits of your network.

•  How often do they want to hear from you and by what method?
•  What kind of information do they want to know about?  You might have to segment your contacts by these metrics so you don’t run the risk of annoying or offending anyone.

Quarterly is ideal for me. I communicate with some people more often because we have a stronger relationship. I communicate with some less because they are simply too busy to effectively communicate quarterly.

Whatever you choose, stick with it and make it routine.

Don’t send canned “this is what I’m doing now” messages. Don’t use “canned” for ANY messages you send, whether it be updates or invitations to join you on a social network.  Keep it PERSONAL!  People only do business with people, not businesses! So personalize ALL your messages and keep it real!

Really focus on important accomplishments that you know resonate with them.

Don’t make the critical mistake of using this form of communication to beg for a job or business leads. Why ruin the chances of developing a perfect business relationship by “jumping the gun” and begging for leads?  You don’t want leads anyway (in the long run), but you DO want referrals.  So take the time to make this personal and focus on “what’s in it for them, and not what’s in it for you.”  ASK them what they need or want.

Always ask what they’re up to and what you can do for them as you close your communication.  Ask them to communicate with you and remind them you want to help whenever/wherever you can.

Are you keeping it social?  If not, why not?

As always, I’m happy to chat with you about your netweaving/networking needs – just contact me through email, Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn or an old-fashioned telephone call!  If you would like to know more about my face-to-face weekly group coaching sessions, please visit my website and become a fan on FaceBook .

To Your Networking Success!

Carol

P.S.  Your comments and thoughts are always welcome – please post them below!

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Contacts to Connections . . . On the Way to Building Relationships

Ok, you’ve just “survived” attending a new networking event.  Congratulations!  It’s new to you because it was your first time attending.  There were quite a few people there that you met for the first time.  You’ve spent a few minutes “socializing” with each of them, asking the typical ice breaker questions and you feel as though they could now be considered a new contact for you.  Now what do you do?

Invite someone to have coffee or lunch with you.  If that doesn’t work, at a minimum, ask for a time to put on your calendar to have a more personal chat with them.  The goal is to learn more about them – remember it’s always WIIFT (What’s In It For Them) and not WIIFY (What’s In It For You).  Find out what their interests are both professionally and personally.  

When you get to know your contacts on a personal level, they will begin to trust you and the relationship developing process will continue.  Information will start to be shared freely with you and if you listen carefully, you can quickly find out what they need to become successful.  At that point you can search through your own personal database of connections and find someone to refer them to or refer to them.  Think about making an introduction or a referral to your new connection and someone else in your network without either party requesting you to do so.  Do you think that your new connection will feel like you care?  You bet they will.  On top of that, your new connection will feel like they want to reciprocate and will start to ask you more questions about what you do, how you do it and find out more personal details about you.

Are you following me in this line of thought?  Isn’t this a much easier way to build your connections instead of attending an event, becoming part of a conveyor belt – collecting and exchanging as many business cards as possible in a given amount of time?  When you go for quality and not focus on quantity, people will be willing to chat.  As the relationship develops, so will the trust and when people trust  you, they buy from you and they refer you to others.  You can’t begin to put a price tag on that type of relationship.  Show them you care – get to know, like and trust them and ALLOW them to reciprocate and you will have a long-lasting relationship that is producing results for both of you.

As always, I’m happy to chat with you about your netweaving/networking needs – just contact me through email, Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn or an old-fashioned telephone call!  If you would like to know more about my face-to-face weekly group coaching sessions, please visit my website and become a fan on FaceBook .

To Your Networking Success!

Carol

P.S.  Your comments and thoughts are always welcome – please post them below!

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Rhythm of Networking Part 4

Syncopated Beats

Creativity is born of unexpected ideas contributing to a single cause. Few networks live in a space of total innovation. The need comes in “fits and starts” and is met in short periods of intense concentration, or after an extended period of rest. The ebbs and flows of imagination and creation can be exhausting. Yet, pose a problem to your network, give them boundaries (amount of money and time available along with constraints), and many ideas will be shared. Ask for this kind of help sparingly – after you’ve done your homework and exhausted the obvious possibilities. Your network will generate a number of opportunities. Be sure to acknowledge and consider each one.

Patricia A. Parham
Parham Enterprises
www.parhament.com

For more information, please visit Patricia’s TNNWC Bio.

I would love to hear your thoughts and comments about this series.  Did you find it to be helpful and would you like to see more articles like this?

To Your Networking Success!

Carol Deckert, Networking Coach/Expert

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Rhythm of Networking, Part 3

Networking Rhythmically

Moving a network or team into action requires a steady beat. March steadily towards a goal and punctuate each step. Let your network know what is happening.
1. Ask them to contribute ideas, strategies or forms that might help you with a specific project or idea.
2. Express gratitude immediately and don’t wait too long before you do.
3. Share how their contributions were implemented and, finally;
4. Assess how those changes affected the work. As you do this, more ideas and resources will come to you as interest in and understanding of your work increases. Networkers like to help. Establish a rhythm of asking and sharing!

Patricia A. Parham
Parham Enterprises
www.parhament.com

Want to read more about Patricia Parham?  Visit her bio

I would love to hear your thoughts and comments about this series.  Did you find it to be helpful and would you like to see more articles like this?

To Your Networking Success!

Carol Deckert, Networking Coach/Expert

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Rhythm of Networking, Part 2

Network using intentional rhythms. For musicians, an easy ¾ time waltz invites people to dance in predictable patterns to comforting cadences. It is the rhythm of the heart – calm, inclusive and predictable. Establish relationships with ease and maintain them with gentle appreciation. Adopt a servant leader stance to help those in your network. Supply that and become what your network needs to feel nurtured and to flourish. If one of your networks is losing energy, give it an infusion that uplifts and inspires. For example, share ideas in a thought for the day or week. Give without expectation of return. Waltz with your network!

Patricia A. Parham
Parham Enterprises
www.parhament.com

For more information, please visit Patricia’s TNNW Bio.

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Rhythm of Networking, Part 1

Power Thought of the Week with Patricia Parham, Ph.D.

Networking Flows

Powerful networking creates a flow of energy, a current that pulls others into it. Ideas hook people and pull them into the flow. Common interests attract others, be they mainstream, heretical or extreme. Is your communication matter of fact, compelling, witty or arcane? People engage around humor. Is yours dry, racy, or laced with puns? What draws others into your network and keeps them there? Be intentional about the use of tone, language and humor. These shape the way the network hears your ideas and interests. Figure out what you want from your network and release that energy to attract like energies, thereby increasing the flow. More flow equals greater networking power.

Patricia A. Parham
Parham Enterprises
www.parhament.com

For more information, please visit Patricia’s TNNW Bio.

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LinkedIn: 10 Tips Guaranteed to Make the Reciprocity Gods Smile!

“I don’t bother with LinkedIn because it’s too much work.”

“LinkedIn isn’t fun. I’d rather play on Facebook. “

I hear many people complain about LinkedIn. That’s a shame because the people I hear complaining about LinkedIn are some of the finest professionals I know in the bricks-and-mortar world. In the meantime, I’m watching people I revere as thought leaders and movers and shakers succumb to mind numbing FaceBook games while important corners of their social media presence remain neglected and ignored.

LinkedIn offers members a chance to write and receive Recommendations about their Connections. This is one of the most powerful features of the platform.

Imagine a prospective client or employer arrives at your LinkedIn profile page and sees a thread of Recommendations from people at all stages in your career.  Imagine the impact that event has. Imagine the confidence you can inspire with written testimony of your service.

Leverage your presence on LinkedIn using the Recommendation feature.  Writing Recommendations for others willignite a reciprocity exchange and social adrenaline will inspire recipients to respond with Recommendations for your LinkedIn page.

1. Don’t ask people for Recommendations. Write Recommendations for other people! Making a request for a Recommendation creates social indebtedness. Writing a Recommendation places the recipient in the social capital receivables bucket.
2. Make LinkedIn Recommendation writing part of a weekly engagement plan. Write at least two recommendations for people you have worked with successfully. Thank each for a job well done and state that others can have confidence in receiving the same service.
3. Create a list of people you have worked with successfully. Connect with them on LinkedIn and put them on a schedule for written Recommendation acknowledgment. Use a memory jogger and date plan.
4. Write a Recommendation for a competitor. Example: Real estate agent or broker writes a Recommendation for an agent who recently cooperated in a successful transaction.
5. Write a Recommendation for a staffer or colleague. After following Tip #2, be certain that you are extending testimonial support to your company staffers and independent contractors.
6. Write with integrity. Do not exaggerate about someone’s service. Be honest and truthful.
7. Refrain from writing Recommendations that do not reflect your honest enthusiasm. It is better to abstain from writing a dishonest testimonial than  jeopardizing your reputation.
8. Issue written gratitude for persons who write Recommendations for you.
9. Hide from view and delete Recommendations from others when the writers are persons with whom you would not do business. Consider removing those people from your network and disengaging completely when you feel your reputation is at stake.
10. Review your written recommendations periodically. If there is deleterious change in your business relationship with someone who displays your personal Recommendation, withdraw your Recommendation.

(Are we connected on LinkedIn? Here’s my profile.)

There are multiple reasons why I felt this post was important, but there is one very important one that I want to share with you.  Frances Flynn Thorsen and I JUST MET on Twitter this week.  She followed me and I reciprocated.  She retweeted one of my posts and I thanked her for it.  Are you getting the idea of what is happening here?  We’re beginning a great online friendship.  Then today, I received the following tweet from Frances!  This is just too good and I had to share it!

Frances Flynn Thorsen wrote:

Carol, I thought I was doing good with almost 1,000 LinkedIn connections. LOL

I must tell you I was perusing a lot of your content and you are as close to a “social media soul sister” as close can be! OMG … It’s AMAZING … lots of commonality … We should make a point to chat one day soon.

Warmly,
Fran

Will we schedule a time to chat in the very near future – you bet we will!  That’s reciprocity in action!  What better example could I give to you?  Many thanks to Frances – be sure to follow her on Twitter and connect with her on LinkedIn – she gave you her LinkedIn profile – you can find her on Twitter  http://twitter.com/FrancesFlynnTho

As always, I’m happy to chat with you about your netweaving/networking needs – just contact me through email, Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn or an old-fashioned telephone call!  If you would like to know more about my face-to-face weekly group coaching sessions, please visit my website .

To Your Netweaving Success!

Carol

P.S.  Your comments and thoughts are always welcome – please post them below!

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