How to Maximize the Benefits of a Networking Event?
October 27, 2009 | 2 Comments
Everyone needs to network: entrepreneurs, small business owners, job seekers!
But does everyone maximize the benefits of networking?
The purpose of networking is to build relationships so you will get leads from someone you know, or from someone who knows someone you know. When you attend a networking event the purpose is to meet business people from various industries to get exposure.
What networking is not?
Networking is not a numbers game; you need to focus on quality and not on quantity. Some people think that they had a successful event when they have collected 30, 40 or more business cards, but they are missing the real point. How many of these 30 or 40 people will you be able to follow-up? How many of these 30 or 40 will follow-up with you?
What is the purpose to collect a huge number of business cards that will end up in a shoe-box on one of your shelves?
Networking is not a place to sell. You have to be prepared to give your elevator pitch to introduce yourself, not give a sales pitch. If you attend an event expecting to find a client to close a sale right away, chances are you will be very disappointed. Furthermore the other attendees might not appreciate your attitude.
What networking is?
Networking is more than just shaking hands and collecting business cards.
It is about building relationships and being committed to help other business professionals.
It is about the quality of your contacts and not the amount of your contacts.
It is about consistency. The best is to belong to two or three groups, attend their events regularly, get to know the other members, and in exchange they will get to know you and trust you. When you see the same people over and over you develop a strong and relationship with them. The benefit of building relationships with a committed group of people will result in new leads for your business.
It is about patience. The benefit will not appear overnight, and this is why you need to follow up with your contacts. Networking is like dating, one meeting is not enough to know someone. It will probably take some time, some meetings, some lunches or some drinks before you really start doing business together.
Here are some tips on how to maximize the benefits of a networking event.
• Be prepared when you attend a networking event. Know your goals. Are you looking for leads, partners, new clients, services?
* Bring your business cards and a pen to take notes on the back of the cards you receive.
* Have an effective 15 to 30 second elevator pitch. Learn how to sell yourself before your services or products. People want to hear about you first and when they know you and trust you, they will buy your services or refer you to someone else.
* Have a brochure and/or a web site. Some people will probably want to hear more about your business later, so give them the opportunity to get the information they are looking for.
* Meet people, ask about their business or services. Be curious and ask about them. people love to speak about themselves, so ask questions and listen to their answers.
* Be a problem solver. people will be more interested in you if you tell them how you can solve their problem instead of just hearing your story.
* Go to people; don’t wait for them to come to you. Some people are very shy, they will be very happy if you make the first move.
* Go to events with a friend, a colleague, a client, and introduce people to each other.
* Send a thank you note or email to your new contacts. Thank them for their time and reintroduce yourself in a few lines. They met lots of people during the event and your business card doesn’t say everything about you. So it is good to reinforce your introduction.
* Give them the link to your web site. Tell them about your newsletter, if you have one. This is the best way to stay in touch on a regular basis.
* Schedule follow-up meetings with the people you had a good connection with, or if you think that you can help each other.
* Do it again and again. You will see that networking can expand your contacts, which will definitely help grow your business.
(c) 2005 Biba F. Pédron
About the author
Biba F. Pédron, also known as The Connection Queen, is a marketing consultant, founder of Biba4Network, that specializes in networking for small business owners in the greater New York area. Biba helps entrepreneurs to maximize their networking results so that they can grow their businesses faster.
Biba is the author of “Start Your Dream Business Today! The Proven 11 Steps to Start and Grow Your Own Business”. http://www.startyourdreambusinesstoday.com
For more information or to receive free tips like this one, please visit
http://www.TheConnectionQueen.com
biba pedron
http://www.articlesbase.com/networking-articles/how-to-maximize-the-benefits-of-a-networking-event-103302.html
Master The Technique Of How To Pick Up Girls – In Just Fifteen Minutes!
June 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment
It isn’t hard to learn to pick up girls ; all you must do is get a good grip on your attitude and on what you are saying. Hey, it sounds straightforward and at times it is…. Yet most guys still wouldn’t be ready to do it due to all of the psychological blocks they have: “What if I pick her and she suspects I am unattractive? unattractive? I’m not sure where to take her after I pick her? What if there’s another guy who just picked on her lately and he’s better than me?” Fear not, there’s hope as there’s somebody for everyone – you may never know unless you try.
Regardless, of what ability level you commence with, you can go from “how to pickup girls” to being terribly successful with girls inside a brief period of time by following certain key concepts.
How to pick up girls the first time around?
- you want to change yourself a bit, sometimes it will require little adjustments to personality and at times you will need bigger ones.
- One of the finest strategies to start is to hang around with men who are successful with girls.
- By staying as one, observing, and asking key questions, you can enhance your skill on how to pickup girls quite rapidly.
- Read books by men who are very successful with girls. This should be the next best thing if you do not have the opportunity to doss around with successful men.
When you are picking up a girl, be detached from the outcome.
- When you start to pick up a girl, you must avoid caring about what the girl thinks of you, or you are destined to fail. There are going to be many girls who will not live up to your expectations and many that will just not be compatible.
- How long can you able to stress about these things? You must not care about success or rejection at this time. If you do you will care, then you can screw up, and therefore, this may make you more frustrated.
When picking up a girl, YOU are choosing her.
- When you are picking up a girl for the first time, you must realize that there is a reason that you are speaking to them.
- Most girls today are smart enough and when you are talking to a girl for the 1st time, it is possible that she already knows you’re trying to pick her up.
- Many men are cyclical in the life of a girl, many have tried to choose her up before and plenty will do so in the future. She decides if she will accept or reject the approach. You can count on being luckily different.
- you will not take home a girl unless you like her, so when you go around meeting girls, keep that in mind.
Enjoy what you do and she will too.
- Picking up girls should be an enjoyable experience in truth ; however many blokes see this as a terrible experience.
- You will surely have many good and pleasurable interactions if your objective is right and moving in the right direction.
- Find out what type of person this girl is and then try to make her smile, you may enjoy the process.
- If you attempt to be too concerned a girl, you are cursed for failure. The majority of the time, the best pick ups are when you aren’t even trying.
Don’t rush with compliments!
- What ever you do, do not rush to compliment her on her physical aspects. Why? Because as soon as you start to compliment her physical appearance, things begin to get ugly.
- You can however mention her accessories, clothing, or anything standard, but don’t compliment her appearance as of now. You can let her know much much later.
Building attraction immediately
- Men whom workout often and have a positive and fresh physical appearance are usually successful with women. Convey signs of a good and fascinating mate if you want to be ready to build attraction naturally.
- However, what if you are not always considerate about your physical appearance or have no time to work out usually and are hopelessly unsuccessful with women then, you can LEARN from other successful men, till things come naturally to you.
- If you don’t have the opportunity or do not need to hang around other men and you continue to need to be told how to pick up girls, then it is strongly recommend that you read significant stuff on the internet, which will give you all the keys for creating considerable attraction instantly.
The comprehensive easiest way to learn about the way to pick up girls is to hang out with fellows who are already good at this. If you cannot afford this luxury, then the following smartest thing will be to Practice the Skill.
Overview
Regardless, of what talent level you begin with, you can go from “how to pickup girls” to being extraordinarily successful with girls inside a brief period of time by following certain key ideas. The neatest thing will be to Practice the Skill.