Archive for the ‘networking in business’ Category
Big news here at Authentic Networking In Business World Headquarters this morning — our podcast is live! Yay!
** much dancing and rejoicing **
The first episode is the interview with Jon White on Getting in the Right Mindset for Networking in Business… but now it’s a podcast, which just seems really special and cool and important (and complicated, but that’s between you and me).
You’ll find it here: Authentic Networking In Business Podcast
Our next interview will be posted on Monday, and will be with Brooke Saucier of the Evanston, Illinois, Chamber of Commerce. We visited about what to do when you go to a chamber event — and Brooke brought up a few tips that you are going to find really, really helpful.
And, in other news, here’s our first article published on another site: “5 Tips for Getting More Out of Networking in Business”.
How’s your week been? I hope it’s been a good one, and be sure to leave a comment if you have something to share. All my best…
-liz
As promised, today we’ll focus on icebreakers. In other words, how to get the conversation started at a networking in business event.
You should know that I’m really interested in hearing from you what kinds of icebreakers you find helpful. So be ready to chime in with a comment that other readers might want to add to their networking toolboxes.
Before we get started, I encourage you to always be “authentic.” I hope that doesn’t sound strange. Being in the right mindset and focusing on being you (rather than trying to be something you’re not) is key to having the whole networking process work.
The compliment. There’s nothing better to get someone to like you right away than to give them an honest compliment, and I use this all the time. This can lead quite naturally to where they got the item… or to a hidden talent. It can lead to all kinds of interesting discoveries about how they got it, who gave it to them, and next thing you know you’re on the way to a relationship.
Now I do want to offer a word of caution. Some compliments can come off either as a pick-up-line (so be careful here), or as actually not a compliment (I once had a woman come up to me when I was wearing my favorite dress and say enthusiastically, “Oh, I have that dress.” I wanted to drop through the floor and avoided her for the rest of the meeting although she’s probably a perfectly nice person.)
The question about networking. A nice starter is “Have you been to this event before?” It’s nice, it’s general, it’s easy to remember, and it at least prevents you from staring at each other. This inevitably leads to a yes or a no, however, so you’ll need a bit of a follow up such as “Do you network often?”
The question about something they have. If you can see they have a particular thing (a particular cell phone, a cool briefcase, etc.) and you are interested in it, ask. “What do you think of the new…” is a great way to get things started. For example, I have a rather unusual bag that I love (it has tons of pockets). It is also bright red and was actually made in Guatemala and, when asked, I sometimes admit that it was a baby shower gift that was intended as a diaper bag. People often ask me about it, and it always gets things going as we then start talking about family or funny gifts or things we love and refuse to part with.
The food. I sometimes attend events where after networking for a while, I’m seated at a pre-arranged table. Thus I need to start completely new conversations. I find that complimenting something we’re eating (the wine, the appetizer, a spice or flavor, or whatever) can lead to interesting anecdotes. I recently had a fascinating conversation with someone who had just been to California and gone wine tasting — all because I said I liked the cheese we were having.
The speaker. Many events will have a speaker, and you can always ask something related to him/her. “Have you read her book?” or “Have you heard her speak before?” are perfectly nice conversation starters. I’m always up for a good book discussion, and finding out what someone is reading is an excellent way to identify things you have in common. My friend Kate and I get together every so often for coffee to network… but in reality we spend most of our time talking about what we are reading and what books our kids are reading!
Do you have icebreaker ideas? Let’s see what we can come up with… so leave a comment and you’ll be helping others, too!
I know there are many of you out there reading this blog who are where I was a few short months ago: nervous and maybe a little scared about attending a first networking in business event.
Or maybe you’ve been before, but you’re a little rusty. You might even be feeling anxious about how your business is going. You know you’ve gotta do it, but it’s filling you with dread.
The following tactics are things I’ve used in the past to feel more confident, and to make the event a success for me. Let’s take a look:
Go. That’s right, the most important thing to do to get something out of an event is to actually show up. I don’t mean this in a flippant way, because for me the fight-or-flight response is almost always present when I have to do something that’s new. But you’ve got to admit it is tempting to say “skip it” when your friend’s husband’s sister’s cat hurts his ear and needs someone to cat-sit. No. That is not for authentic networking in business fans. Make yourself go. If you need to give yourself a little reward afterwards, that’s OK. As Nike says, just do it.
Make friends before you go. In most situations, you will have an opportunity to RSVP for an event. And in most of those situations you will find a phone number or email address of a real live person (usually the host/hostess) in your confirmation. There is nothing wrong with saying to the person who is the host, “Hey, I’ve never been to this event before. Would it be OK if I introduce myself to you when I get there, just to break the ice and feel I know someone?” They will probably be flattered… and they’ll probably hook you up with one of their friends from the group who can help you meet more people very quickly.
Bring something with your contact information on it. This may seem obvious, but fairly frequently I run into someone who doesn’t have his/her business card — and that poses a problem. It makes it more difficult to remember them, more difficult to follow up, and just plain harder. Even if you don’t yet have a business or you haven’t quite defined your services, bring something with your name, phone, and email address.
Cut out the caffeine. If you’re like me, your adrenaline gets going when you’re on your way to an event, and likely it will carry you through. I find it is a good idea to avoid caffeine (or at least cut back) when I have to attend something, because I really and truly do want to avoid feeling awful and getting sick. Trust me, it happened at my first “big” downtown PWCC event I attended. I almost had to miss it because I had enjoyed a bit too much coffee at an earlier meeting and my tummy was all topsy-turvey. And, yes, only a mother of three would describe it that way!
Make friends in line. There’s no reason to wait until you have your name tag to start networking. Some of the best contacts I’ve made at networking in business events have actually been while I was waiting in line to check in. Start off the conversation with a quick question, ask the other person if they’ve attended this event before, or (one of my faves) compliment him or her on something. The great thing is that by doing this, once you are checked in you already have at least one new friend in the room and your confidence level is rising. (Tomorrow I’ll focus on other icebreaker-kinds of questions you can ask!)
Dress professionally. Again, this might seem obvious, but you want to make a good first impression. I find that this is especially important if I’m the “new kid” in the room — it’s almost like putting on my armor to protect myself. A nice, businessey-looking dress or suit — or at least something your great aunt Ada would approve of – with matching accessories (remember, this gives people a reason to start talking to you by complimenting you) are important. Even a haircut or a manicure can make you feel more self-assured and, again, help you make a better first impression.
Ask about others. As Jon so beautifully puts it in his interview, networking really isn’t about you talking about what you do. It’s about finding out about others and starting a relationship. Absolutely, when asked, say briefly what you do — but look for opportunities to find out more about others. I find this is an excellent way to relax (yes, eventually you will relax more!) and even have fun (again, totally possible as you gain experience). Don’t worry at all about you and your business — just find out what makes others tick and they’ll love you.
Finally, and this is kind of a secret rule, don’t ever, ever, ever sell. A networking in business event is not the time for a sales pitch. If you do approach it from a selling perspective, you’ll soon have people avoiding you. Instead, as I said before, find out about other people and start thinking about how you can help. The pitch part comes much further down the road, and by the time you get there it’s not even a pitch but a friend really and truly wanting to find out what you do.
I hope these are helpful. If you have strategies that have helped you feel more comfortable, please do share them in the comments — that’s how we can all help each other. And if you’ve recently attended a networking in business event (yay for you!) be sure to let us all know about your success!
Oh, yeah, and be sure to tune in tomorrow when we focus on icebreaker conversation starters.
Until then, make every connection count!
-liz
A little silliness simply because it’s Monday.
What if Oscar Wilde had to go to a Chamber of Commerce meeting for networking in business? Would he get all nervous and want to run?
Nah. I’m thinking he wouldn’t stress. After all, he’s the one who said “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”
But as for me, and possibly for you, it’s stressful. Any new thing, whether it’s a new event, an interview, or a project, can be hard.
It’s the hard stuff that we’re here to help you with. This hard stuff can make networking in business a really special force in your life.
If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to do a couple of things.
Thing #1: Listen to the interview with Jon White about getting the right mindset for networking in business. I’ll introduce you to Jon, a guy just like you and me, who is building a remarkable business through networking.
Update: I attended an event hosted by Jon last week, and even the speaker, who is nationally recognized as a skilled networker, said he wished he knew how Jon does it. Well, listen to the recording and you soon will know just what he does!
Thing #2: Become a fan on Facebook, and hang out with others who are networking just like you are.
In the next couple of weeks I have some very cool things in store for you… including an interview with a real live Chamber of Commerce staff person full of advice… so be sure you subscribe to our feed or check back.
Make the most of every connection!
-liz
Welcome. Today we begin the first in a series of interviews focused on how to help you — yes, you! — use networking in business and feel absolutely awesome about it.
The guests in this series are real people who actually own small businesses and who are using networking each and every day.
My goal is for you to meet people just like my first guest, Jon. He’s a real guy from Chicago, a successful entrepreneur with two small businesses he operates. He’s also very warm and open in his approach to networking, coming at it from a give-to-others perspective. I hope you’ll enjoy listening in on the talk we had earlier this week.
Networking In Business Interview with Jon White
(The recording is in mp-3 format, so feel free to click and listen, or right click and save to download it to your mp-3 player.)
The thing that surprised me most when I met Jon was that he’s really only been taking a “serious” approach to networking for about the past 8 months, and it’s made all the difference in his business. Listen in, as he tells you how he built his networking strategy to the point where now he has a thriving business based on referrals from his contacts, with big things in the works in the near future.
A couple of notes:
- The group Jon mentions in the Chicago area is The SOC Networking Success Meetup
- Jon’s direct email if you want to reach him is jonwhitesoc@gmail.com
- I’m working on a written transcript, and will post it as soon as it is complete in the next day or two.
If you have questions or comments, either for me or for Jon, please leave them here at the blog so we can all figure out how to help you out.
Take care!
OK, let’s face it. Networking in business can be hard. Really hard.
Especially if you are a bit of an introvert (aka, like me and many other folks who hang out here on the web). Being faced with a room full of strangers might be the most uncomfortable thing you have to do. If it’s a room full of strangers on whom your livelihood (aka, a little thing like a mortgage) depends on, then it can be dreadful. Fearful. Awful.
Wow. I’ve really gotten you excited about this!
Before you scream EEeek! and go hide under the covers watching reruns of Matlock, there’s one other thing you should know. Networking in business doesn’t have to be gut wrenching, if you change the way you think about it.
I’m here to let you know that as an introvert (proven by the fact that I have this blog and actually no longer believe that html stands for “how to mow lawns”), I network in business a lot. It’s vital to my goals, and to my achievement of success.
And you know what? I’ve learned to approach it in a way that it is actually comfortable for me. It’s bordering on fun, even.
So if you’re a networking fraidy cat, come hang out here often as we explore how to network in a way that uses your own unique gifts — how to be authentic — and how to use networking in business as a way to grow your business while you increase your enjoyment of your business.
See you soon!
-liz
