By: David Othus

 

One of the things that rich people are very good at is connecting with people and then staying connected.  As the old saying you know, who you know is more important that what you know, and the rich make sure to make friends, get connected and stay connected!  By networking with people, rich and successful people build the connections that they need for when opportunity comes their way.

  • In short networking helps to:
  • Locate prospects when selling.
  • Locates future employees when hiring.
  • Locates business partners when building a business.
  • Locates suppliers when you need to buy something for yourself or your business.
  • Locates people with talents, skills and ideas when you need them.
  • Creates a forum to promote you and your business.
  • Creates a forum where likeminded people can come together.
  • Allows you to learn from the skills and experiences of others.
  • Provide an amazing source of opportunities to help your business, career and life.

And all of these things helps to create the foundation you need to succeed!  You should create contacts too!  The following are some generic rules to help you build your network:

  • Always have a supply of business cards to hand out.  There is nothing that says I am not prepared for success like not having a business card to hand someone.  Having business cares is simply considered a must for anyone who is serious about networking with other people.  Additionally, it provides easy reference to how to what you do and how to get ahold of you.
  • For greater impact, write something personal on the back of your business card before you give it to the person.  This way they will remember who the card belongs to.  By doing this, you are setting yourself apart so that you will be remembered when the card is looked at later!
  • When you are talking to someone, ask questions and find out as much as you can about them, their likes, dislikes, wants, needs and desires.  By concentrating the conversation about them, you will find them much more friendly and approachable in the future.  Additionally, if and when they hand you a business card, put notes on the back so that you have this information readily available.  If they don’t have a business card, put down information about them on a slip of paper that contains their contact information.
  • Make a list of common questions you would like to ask people.  Sometimes these questions will guide people in a particular direction, but in general, you want to have questions to draw people out and tell you about themselves.

 

When you go to an event:

  • Determine what you want to get out of the event.  Do you want to meet a bunch of people that you can sort through later, do you want to meet key decision makers and influential members of the group or do you want to meet a particular subset of the group, like technology or health care managers in a project management group.  In general you will always want to make friends of the key decision makers and influencers because they can help point you in specific directions and introduce you to the people you want to meet.
  • Identify who you are the decision makers and key influencers at the group.  As you talk to them, figure out how you can meet with them later and get into their circle.
  • Get your elevator pitch ready.  An elevator pitch is a 15-30 second infomercial about you, your business and how you can help.  Remember to start with a common problem, and then describe how you solve that problem.  For instance:  “You know how some people never seem to get enough connections to help their business get to the next level?  Well I help them do that through training and practice and follow up counseling.”  Maybe your business is selling cars, toilet seat covers or personalized travel experiences.  In all these things, you are helping people by solving a problem and making their life better.  That is the value you add into people’s lives.  Make sure your elevator pitch has at least 2-3 good openers that will help you target the people you are meeting.  This will allow you to target your pitch more specifically to a wider audience and be relevant and compelling.
  • Stay informed on current events and trends going on in the industry.  This will allow you to engage in intelligent discussion with people on the things that matter to them and the group.  This doesn’t mean become an expert in the subject, let the people you are talking to be the experts.  Use your knowledge to draw them out.  This doesn’t mean to not offer insights and ideas.  That can be helpful as well.
  • Join civic, volunteer and business clubs.  This will be a great place for you to meet all types of people from all kinds of businesses and industries who can provide interesting insights and information.
  • If you are serious about increasing your social network, plan on attending at least 3-4 meetings a month.  These can be anything from your kids soccer team meets to business related functions.  Just immerse take yourself to where ever you can expect to meet people.
  • Request a list of people attending the meeting from the host in advance.  A little research here can pay off big time.  With a little skill and practice you can direct the conversation to help draw them out and learn about them and how they can help you down the road.

 

For some of us, making friends and networking can be very difficult.  Walking up to a stranger and starting a conversation can be very intimidating!  The following are some techniques to help make things easier to meet new people and start your network:

  • Show up early and stand by the door.  When people start coming in and looking for people to mingle with, you will be readily available.
  • If you see someone alone, go up and say hi.  People who are alone are often introverts and enjoy being drawn out and making conversation.  Often these will be the easiest people to make strong connections with.
  • Add something to your outfit that will make others start conversations with you.  My favorite are ties that have character, like my Tigger or Santa ties around Christmas time.  Sometimes it can be an interesting pin or some other thing that helps you stand out and makes people want to ask questions and talk to you.  I have seen some people put their name tags upside down for the purpose of starting conversations.  Whatever works for you, give it a try.
  • Get a wingman.  Sometimes it helps to have a friend who is naturally outgoing to help you get out and meet people.  If you have troubles meeting people and have a friend who can help, this is a great option.  Sometimes the best wingmen are the key decision makers and influencers in the group.  Make friends with one of them and they can help introduce you to specific people who can help you.
  • Volunteer.  If you are a volunteer at a group or meeting, you will find it easy to meet people and strike up conversations.  It is also a great way for people to remember you name as a person who adds value to the group and others in general.  Being remembered as a person who adds value is always a good sign for positive connections in the future.

Finally, be sure to stay in periodic contact with your connections so that as opportunities arise, you are aware of them and can quickly formulate a plan to help take advantage of them.

Having a good network of people is an important key to success.  When combined with the other keys, you can take your business, career and life to the next level.

 

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