Networking Information |
|
Good Manners Mean Good Business
Good manners, good networking and good business all have the same thing in common. What they have in common is "you!" You are the secret weapon that everyone is looking for to help promote themselves effortlessly, enhance their communication skills, and more effectively network. Sounds too easy, doesn't it? It is easy! There is magic that will happen in both your professional and personal lives if you hone these skills. Once these skills are sharpened, you need to use these valuable tools daily. How do you enter a room at a networking event? Do you look for a friend or acquaintance that you already know? Will you rush to the bar or head for the buffet table? Will you make the rounds and hand out your business card to everyone you see as quickly as possible? What plan do you have to make the most of your networking? None of these aforementioned tactics will be very beneficial to you as a professional if you haven't established any common ground or done anything to set yourself apart from the others at the event. What can you do that will make a lasting impression with everyone you meet? How can you set yourself apart from every other networker in the room? I want you to enter every room as if it is your own personal party. You are the host or hostess. This must be firmly planted in your mind before you cross the threshold of a room and you cannot waiver. As the host or hostess, it is your job to make everyone in the room feel welcome, comfortable and accommodated. You do this by following some basic, straightforward rules. Rule number one - as you enter a room, you must enter a circle of communication or start your own. Within this circle of communication, not only do you introduce yourself, you insure that everyone within the group has been introduced to the others within the circle. It is your job to do so as a host or hostess. As others pass by your circle of communication, take a small step back and open the walls of this group. You will bring others into this circle; do not forget to introduce them to the group. When doing introductions, be clever and friendly. Use first and last names; for example, "John Smith of Smith's Speedy Deliver, I would like you to meet Bob Jones of Jone's Porta Potties. It looks like you both deal with emergency situations on a daily basis. You should have a lot to talk about." Gently touch the arm of the person you are introducing. This will remind them to pay attention as well as help to create a more intimate relationship between the two of you. Don't be concerned if your circle of communication becomes large. It only serves to create more conversation and have the others in the room want to enter, too. However, you do not stop at this successful group of networkers. You move on to others in the room and repeat this success. How else will everyone get to know how gracious you are as a person? Rule number two - don't be scared to touch. There is a huge difference between grabbing and gently steering. Gentlemen, offer your arm to a woman and escort her over to a group for networking. Women, take the hand or arm of a gentleman and steer him over to other attendees. Remember, you are the host. It is your job to introduce everyone in the room. You do this in an appropriate manner that is gentle and non-sexual in any fashion. Use your very best manners and show some poise. You can never go wrong if you consistently remind yourself of this. Be sure to let them know why and where you are guiding them. For example, "John, you need to meet Robert Smith of Successful Bank. He is very well connected within the business community and I know he will be a good contact for you." Then take his arm or hand and transport him to his destiny of success and good contacts. Rule number three - it is not your job to find out who can benefit by doing business with you at each contact. It is your job to offer your assistance to whomever you meet. There is nothing more offensive or unproductive than someone who attempts to make a sale with every contact they make. Do not approach others and say who you are, what you do and start listing all the ways you can change their lives. I promise you that you will be tuned out almost immediately. Those people will avoid you and not want to use your services in the future because you have been labeled a "wear out." A "wear out" is a person who wears you down by going on and on about how awesome they are. Face it, people want you to know how amazing their business is. That is the bottom line. What is the happy medium for rule number three? Again, good manners come into play. After exchanging introductions, it is your job to offer assistance to them in the future. You will have a brief introduction prepared that you use consistently, that sets you apart from others. After that introduction, you need to refrain from taking over the conversation. Your job is to stimulate but not dominate the conversation. Shake their hand. Make it a good firm handshake with two or three pumps. If it is in a noisy or crowded area, I suggest cupping the hand to insure a greater intimacy. Do a side cupping with your hand to prevent that "trapped" feeling for the recipient. Exchange business cards. Let the other person know that your only job is to help them be successful. Tune in to what their business is about and offer to help. For example, "Debra, it sounds like you've got an amazing talent for organizing, I come across others who need help organizing their files and offices on a weekly basis, may I share these leads with you in the future?" Do not ask for leads in return. The leads will happen in the future for several reasons. The main reason being that you will continue to keep in contact with everyone you've met this evening by personal notes, newsletters and emails. You are, again, exercising good manners. Remember to stay poised, make good eye contact, speak clearly and to dress appropriately. Again, all of these things are simply part of having good manners. These are brief examples of the many easy tools you can learn that will take your business to the next level of success with very little effort. Good manners are good business. Pretty simple. Good manners set you apart from others and help to set you up as an expert. Where else would people go for assistance but to the expert? Carol Lynn Blood, President and Founder of U R P R is well known for her ability to generate buzz. Most recently as the Executive Director of the La Vista Area Chamber of Commerce where various programs received attention through regional, national and international media sources. Her 20+ years in Non-Profits, Sales and Management have given her an unusually broad base of experience with which to diagnose and remedy an organization's communications and public relations concerns.
MORE RESOURCES: NVIDIA Announces New Switches Optimized for Trillion-Parameter GPU Computing and AI Infrastructure NVIDIA Blog The last mile's at risk in our hostile environment. Let’s go the extra mile to fix it - The Register Channel Brief: Juniper Networks, Accenture Channel E2E Networking Solutions Provider HCIN Networks Secures INR 12.5 Cr Led by Swastika Investmart Entrepreneur Fargo hosting nurse networking night Essentia Health YWCA Luncheon Offers Networking Opportunity - Glendale News-Press Glendale News-Press How IT and OT convergence can unlock networking's full potential RCR Wireless News People to Meet: Area Networking Events Prince William Living Time Sensitive Networking for Aerospace Design and Reuse Best DEI initiative is intentional networking: Opinion Crain's Chicago Business Leveraging the best-of-breed networking solutions for flexible and ubiquitous connectivity – Intelligent CIO Europe Intelligent CIO Javon Solomon Draft Networking Interview: 'My Motor Never Stops Running' The Draft Network Angola Oil & Gas Cocktail & Networking Function in Houston OILMAN Magazine Public Service & Social Impact Networking Night | Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life Tisch College of Civic Life Top Networking Events in Africa Finance Magnates AI Fire-Detection Tool Awarded for “Innovations in Networking” by CENIC University of California San Diego Nvidia unveils world-first 800Gb/s networking platforms for AI DataCenterNews Asia Quantum Computing and Networking Poised to Revolutionize Cryptography BroadbandBreakfast.com Neos Networks beefs up C-suite to prep for new phase of accelerated growth ComputerWeekly.com Best business networking app of 2024 TechRadar 63% of known exploited vulnerabilities found on healthcare networks HealthITSecurity Austin Jones Draft Networking Interview: 'I'll Do Whatever It Takes' The Draft Network Cloudflare acquires Nefeli Networks to boost multi-cloud networking DatacenterDynamics NSA Issues Recommendations to Protect Software Defined Networking Controllers National Security Agency Kiran Amegadjie Draft Networking Interview: 'I'm A Can't-Miss Prospect' The Draft Network The 3 Best Wi-Fi Mesh-Networking Kits of 2024 | Reviews by Wirecutter The New York Times Orange deploys Infinera's GX Series networking platform in French backbone project - Telecompaper EN NVIDIA launches 800Gb/s networking platforms for AI By Investing.com Investing.com Canada The Price Women Pay for Networking With High-Status People The Wall Street Journal Berman Law Group in Coral Springs Hosting Business Networking Mixer at Tap 42 Craft Kitchen & Bar TAPinto.net A.J. Woods Draft Networking Interview: Versatility Is Key The Draft Network Halo Infinite's Next Update Overhauls Networking and Anti-Cheat Esports.net News Cisco to Acquire Isovalent to Define the Future of Multicloud Networking and Security Cisco Newsroom Savannah Downtown Business Association Welcomes Chief Lenny Gunther at March Networking Luncheon Savannah Business Journal Massive News for Palo Alto Networks Stock Investors! Yahoo Finance Montana State business college helps students develop networking skills Montana State University Obscure social networking app causes problems at Bates College Lewiston Sun Journal Cisco Networking Academy's NFL Apprentice Cisco Newsroom Networking: an opportunity or an obstacle for women? The Conversation Juniper amps up AI networking plans Network World Why DoD needs 5G private networks for training Federal News Network Professional insights, alumni networking highlight SIA career trip to New York Penn State University Juniper Networks Unveils 'Next Generation' Of AI Networking With New Platform, Data Center Updates CRN Announcing new comprehensive proactive networking professional services for Cisco to help increase network ... IBM Newsroom Learning, Networking, and Connecting in Singapore · Babson Thought & Action Babson Thought & Action Effective Networking Is About Giving, Not Just Taking INSEAD Knowledge How networking has changed in recent years due to the pandemic Business Insider Employee Retention Through Interoffice Networking Business News Daily Networking Skills: The Modern Grid Is a Cacophony of Data. GridOS Is Helping to Bring It into Perfect Harmony | GE News General Electric |
RELATED ARTICLES
Why Arent You Talking to Me? Your nonverbal communication talks before you do. Only seven percent of interpersonal communication is transmitted verbally-the remaining ninety-three percent speaks for itself. Growing Your Network of People Can be Easy and Fun! A few years back when I moved to Charlotte, NC for the first time, I came with high hopes of starting my business for the first time. We picked Charlotte because it was a growing city with a lot of potential. Franchisees Should Learn From Each Other If you own a franchise you should be in contact with your nearest franchisees and share information as if you were the manager of a corporate store. You should set up meetings once or twice per month and have their phone numbers logged into your speed dial for easy reference. Networking: Is Your Approach Too Self-Centered? It's a classic mistake by networkers: their approach is focused on their own needs rather than on the needs of their contacts.Fortunately, a popular new book by Bonnie Lowe makes it easy to solve this problem. You Can't Spell Networking Without Serendipity "Fear not to entertain strangers for by so doing some have entertained angels unaware."This quotation is from the book of Hebrews, which means it probably has nothing to do with networking. Networking in the Business world Why is it so important to network with other people when owning a business? Because without building those key relationships our businesses won't grow. See, most of our businesses require referrals to generate more leads and needs. When Gifts Say More What's a gift mean? If you're like me, you probably focus on the giving and the getting.But, have you thought of gifts as a medium, a channel, for communication? In a book called The Gift, French anthropologist Marcel Mauss argues that gifts are universally used to create and manage relationships. Building Bridges - The Importance of Being Connected Where You Live As a Young Professional (YP) in the up-and-coming city of Milwaukee, WI, I can tell you that it's very important to find a way to get connected in your city. It's important because in order to make a difference, you need to know who those difference makers are. Write It Down! Why would you want to write information on paper when you have a business card in hand?Putting it on paper can mean a number of things. It can simply mean putting notes on the back of someone's business card, or it can mean to take extensive notes in a notebook. Networking to a New Life Research shows that talking to strangers -- not people in your comfort zone -- is the single most powerful key to a creative career and business move. Yet many people resist. Why Cant I Start A Conversation With You? One out of every ten Americans has a fear of talking to strangers. When you enter a room full of new faces, to start these conversations seems like an impossible task. 7 Step Plan To Get Going With Networking Whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, feel like you have the gift of gab or just don't know how to make small talk, networking know-how is very important for your business success. There is a notion in business that I believe most of us subscribe to that says "all things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those they know, like and trust. 62 Ways to MAXIMIZE Your Approachability If you walk into your local bookstore and pick up any random title on interpersonal communication, the majority of the books will simply remind you to "always be approachable."Wow, you think, thanks for the advice. How to Make the Most of Those First 30 Seconds Did you just meet the most important person in your career/business? Tongue tied and not sure what to do about it? With advance planning and creative thinking you can be confident you will know how to handle this situation should the opportunity present itself.We all have had the juncture when we run into someone that we have really wanted to meet. Unforgettable First Impressions Part 2: Its All About Them! Jean de la Bruyere said, "The great gift of conversation lies less in displaying it ourselves than in drawing it out of others. He who leaves your company pleased with himself and his own cleverness is perfectly well pleased with you. How to Get More Visibility, Increase Your Influence, and Get More Referrals Earlier today I was helping a client develop a better strategy to generate more referrals from local businesses. While that particular client owns an orthodontic practice, the ideas I gave him will work equally well in your business. Hows Your Net Working? In recent weeks, I've had the opportunity to pass along no fewer than five referrals to other people in my network. I also recently received a very professional and non-pushy email from someone I've never met, who is a member of an organization I'm part of. Develop a Great Network - Pay It Forward for Maximum Success Who needs a network of people to talk to about the struggles you're encountering in your profession? You do! The more people you have in your personal network, the more people that can help you Make it Great! Don't be afraid to ask for help, as you can't do everything alone, contrary to popular belief. By developing your network, you can actually become more dependant on others, and they will become dependant on you. Planting the Seeds of Greatness - Make it Great Newsletter #7 Thought of the WeekThis week, I'd like to challenge you to try something: Give something to someone that you know can never repay the favor. This could be something simple like opening the door for someone with their hands full, or buying lunch for a complete stranger at your local bistro. Five Steps for Expanding Your Customer Base with Guerilla Networking As a single company, it is impossible to provide your customers with all the services they desire for every aspect of their life; but with guerilla marketing, you can come close. By partnering with companies that provide different, yet complimentary, services to your business, you can create a network of reliable resources for your customers. |
home | site map |
© 2006 |