12 Steps to Becoming a Super Star Networker

Many people STILL don’t realize that business networking is all about building relationships.  Today, I thought it would be appropriate to post a few tips and ask a few questions to get you thinking about how and why you network and how you might be able to more effective and efficient in what you do!  As always, I welcome your suggestions, thoughts and comments.  I’m a life-long learner and love having others share their successes (and failures, when necessary) in order to do what I do better for my clients!  How about you?

Are you ready to get started?

  1. Are you consciously connecting new contacts with your existing network?
  2. Are  you making sure that the referral is an appropriate one for both parties?  To clarify that, you want to be sure when you refer someone to another party, that the other party is expecting someone to call them regarding a product/service they are interested in purchasing, know exactly who will be calling them about this, actually have a need for the product/service being offered and most of all, have the financial ability to pay for these products/services.laptopnotepad
  3. Do you realize that the reciprocity you develop with your network turns into a windfall of opportunities for you as well as those you have helped?  Reciprocity is unspoken, but greatly appreciated.  Helping others without expectation of immediate personal payback generates that unspoken reciprocity.  Who has helped you lately?  Who have you helped lately?
  4. Have you helped at least 2 people get connected this week?  A valued relationship, one where the other other person is connected to you because of the value you provide, is your key to success.  Connect someone to another member of your network and help them develop a valuable relationship.
  5. Are you taking the time necessary to find out who your connections wish to meet and why?  This information is necessary to make appropriate introductions and again, to develop reciprocity!
  6. Super Stars make sure they “speak” directly with every new connection – a great way to quickly develop a strong relationship.  Take the time to schedule an appointment to chat – either on the telephone, or in person for coffee, lunch or whatever and get to know this new connection.  Find out what makes them “tick!”  If your connections are not geographically located for a face-to-face meeting, a great resource to conserve long-distance charges is to use Skype.  Skype is a free service, but both parties need to subscribe to the service to use it.  We’ll talk more about Skype in a future post.
  7. Are you conscious about remembering that your conversations with a new connection should be all about WIIFT (What’s in it for them) and NOT about WIIFM (What’s in it for me)?
  8. What are you doing to make yourself invaluable to those around you?  Are you attracting people to you by what you do and how you do it?  Networking is an attraction action, not a contact sport.
  9. Are  you consistently helping others connect, listening to what one person is saying, taking notes on what is needed or wanted and searching through your network to find a qualified person to connect them with?
  10. When speaking with a new connection, are you focusing on TELLING rather than SELLING – new people do not want to immediately be sold to, but they DO want to be listened to.
  11. Are you responding with a thank you note to EVERY request you receive for a new connection, either online or offline?  Particularly on FaceBook, Twitter and LinkedIn, it is critical that you take the time to thank someone for wanting to connect with you.  Showcase your networking expertise and allow these new connections to learn from you – it’s amazing how impressive a thank you note can be.
  12. Simply introducing two people to one another is the most effective thing you can do for them.  Perhaps it is two people in the same field, that could provide resources for one another, or maybe it’s just that they have the same interest, such as swimming or scrapbooking and appreciate having someone to chat with about it.   Super Star Networkers know that networking can be about business and about personal issues.

I am always thrilled to connect with new people on FaceBook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  Please do connect with me and suggest me to your sphere of influence as well.  I love helping others develop their networking skills for business success.  Your comments and questions are always welcome here, so please feel free to comment below!

To  Your Netweaving Success!

Carol

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