21 Effective networking tips —
Guaranteed to take your networking skills to the next level

The art of networking.

For close to two decades I used networking as a tool to build my professional network and build leads. Networking is a skill that anyone can master. It requires time, patience, and commitment. Over the years I gave a couple of workshops for one of the chambers of commerce on the subject of networking as well as running the monthly networking breakfast for a year. I started each breakfast with useful networking tips. If you apply these 21 tips you can learn how to network and how to build your business.

Learning how to network

I vividly remember my first networking event. I had no idea what to expect,  what I was not expecting was to feel like I was back in high school. It was a multi-chamber event. I walked into the hotel lobby and went to the signup table. The director of my local chamber was at the table. She took my money and mumbled something I can’t remember.

Upon entering the hall it was filled with people in small groups talking to each other. Truly it was high school all over again. There were clicks of people all having a conversation. Not being an extrovert I was overwhelmed. I don’t remember anything after that. It was a waste of time and money.

If anything I am stubborn. I don’t like to lose and I don’t give up. Like the T. H. Palmer poem starts off, “Tis a lesson you should heed, If at first, you don’t succeed, Try, try again; Then your courage should appear, For if you will persevere, You will conquer, never fear Try, try again…”
That is what I did I tried and tried again. I kept going to networking events with no idea what I was doing. I wasted a lot of time and some money but I learned how to network.

Now I am going to share what took me months if not years to learn with you for free, all I ask is you send me an email and let me know how the tips worked and if you know someone I can help please pass along my information to them.

My 21 tips of networking

1) Say HI. Everyone in the room is there for the same reason except the few who are looking for a free meal. People are there to network and build their professional networks. Step outside of yourself if you are shy and say HI.

2) Dress professionally. You do not have to wear a suit and tie unless it is a formal event but a dirty T-shirt and jeans are also not appropriate. Business casual attire is usually acceptable, but what I found worked best was wearing a branded shirt. Invest in shirts with your logo or at the very least a branded name tag. I used to use both. It helps people remember you.

3) The drink line. The drink line is a great place to meet people. People are stuck in line and you can start a conversation. Especially at events with free soft drinks, I would get a cola take a few swigs, and get back in line to meet more people.

4) Know your limits. If there is free liquor know your limits and don’t get drunk. I remember one Holiday party that a guy I knew and had done some business with got drunk. He started talking about clients and disclosing things that should have been confidential. It was the last time I used or referred him.

5) You’re not out with your friends. Remember this is a professional environment and what you say matters. You might have the funniest joke but if it could be construed as offensive don’t crack it. Forget getting in trouble with your HR department you can destroy your reputation and destroy countless opportunities. Save the off-color jokes and texts for your friends.

6) Be friendly to the newbies. If you see a new person in the room and you are talking with the people you know invite the person to join your conversation. Remember you were the newbie once and it was not a pleasant experience.

7) Stay away from politics and religion. As you become an active networker you see the same people on a regular basis. Remember these are professional connections not your friends. Keep your political and religious thoughts to yourself. Neither are appropriate and I’ve seen people who broached both subjects and how it soured relationships.

8) Pen. Bring a pen ideally a thin tip sharpie.

9) Business cards. Bring a lot of business cards.

10) Ask first. Always ask a person if it is alright to take notes on their business card before you write on it. Some people get offended if you write on their card.

11) Have a system for handling the cards you receive. I used to use one pocket for people who were warm leads and one pocket for everyone else. A warm lead was not necessarily a person that I thought I could sell to but rather it was a person who could be a good networking connection.

12) Follow up. I followed up with everyone that I met regardless if they were warm leads or not. I had two standard email templates that I used. The first was for warm leads or people I said I would follow up with, in this email I would add the name of the event and I then added something into the email about our conversation. For everyone else I sent a bulk email with the recipients as a BCC, once again I would add the name of the event and remind the recipients a little about me. Lastly, the most important follow-up was for the people I said that I would call, I made sure to set a reminder in my calendar to call them the next day.

13) Know Like and Trust. Bob Burg and John David Mann in their book, Go-Giver, wrote about all things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those people they know, like, and trust.” That is why networking is so important it helps you build relationships with people which will lead to referrals and eventually business.

14) Givers get. There is a common phrase in the networking givers get. It is based on organizational psychologist Adam Grant. He said that there are three basic kinds of people — givers, takers, and matchers. You don’t want to be taken advantage of, but having a reputation as a giver or a matcher is a good thing. Being the person who makes introductions and connections will set you up for success. Your networking peers will reciprocate keep you in mind and repay you with an introduction at a later date. A note about referrals – be sure that when you share a referral you are specific about how you know the person for example …

Bob meet Sue and Sue meet Bob. I recently met Sue at a networking event and she is looking to meet people in (name the industry)…. By doing this I let Bob know that I do not know much about Sue.

Another example is …
Robert meet Katherine and Katherine meet Robert. I met Katherine at a networking event yesterday and she said she is looking to buy auto insurance. I told her that you take great care of me and recommended that she talk with you.
This is an example of acknowledging that I know and trust the person I am referring.

When you make a recommendation you are putting your reputation on the line, you should be careful how you word your introductions.

15) Seven touches to make a sale. The initial idea was developed by the movie industry in the 1930s on how many times people had to see movie posters before they would see the movie. Then additional research was conducted by Dr. Jeffrey Lant in the 1990s when he coined the “Rule of Seven” marketing principle which states that to significantly access the market and get a customer’s attention, you have to contact the prospective client/customer a minimum of seven times within an 18-month period. These “touches” often include a blend of advertising and publicity to make a prospective customer a new customer. Don’t go to a networking event and think that you will close the deal that day. Sure it happens but not very often. Remember people are more likely to do business with people that they know like and trust, none of which happens after a single meeting.

16) Have a prepared elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is a short 10 -20-second pitch about you and your company.
There are several types of elevator pitches. From the short intro in the drink line:
Hi, my name is David and I am with I am Your Virtual Professional and you are?

Or for an  organized networking event where you are given 10 – 15 seconds  –

Hi my name is David and I am with I am Your Virtual Professional, I specialize in virtually helping small businesses (then depending on the event)
• improve their customer service
• build a brand
• implement and execute a digital marketing campaign
• manage projects to bring them in on time and on budget.

If you are going to a weekly or monthly group be sure to add to the end of your pitch what a good lead is for you. This is especially important since you have or will build a rapport with many of the other people in the room and you are there to help each other grow each other’s businesses.

For example, if I was attending a weekly or monthly event I would say…

• I am looking to meet small business owners who are looking to develop a brand.
  or
• I am looking to meet a small business owner who wishes they had a better online presence.

For regular networking groups that you attend, you want people to hear what you do so they are better able to refer business to you.

Finally your elevator pitch should end with a memorable tagline. When I was in the candy business I would say, “Have a sweet day!, now I end with “Hoping you have a productive day!”

17) Set up a coffee. The best way to learn more about someone is to have a coffee with them.
For a weekly or monthly networking group, a coffee is a great way to learn more about the people you meet with regularly. It helps your peers make referrals to you and vice versa. Another good reason to have a coffee is if you think that there is a potential that you can be a good referral partners because you are in complementary industries. For example, if you are a realtor and you meet a real estate attorney or a home inspector, this would be a great opportunity to set up a coffee and learn more about each other.

Here is what not to do. I would have a cup of coffee with almost anyone I met. After all I was selling gift baskets and everyone was a potential client. I once met a financial and we had a cup of coffee together. While we were drinking our coffee he tried to do the hard sell. I was kind of surprised, I did not think he was a networking rookie and nobody is going to sign on the dotted line, especially with a financial advisor after talking for a few minutes at a networking event and then having a cup of coffee. Needless to say, I never used the person nor did I refer him.

18) Unconventional places. You never know when or where an opportunity can arise. Years ago while I was coaching my kid’s soccer teams on more than one occasion I was able to parlay a non-work activity into an opportunity. Two examples come to mind one was a parent who was looking for an honest mechanic easiest referral I ever made. The other was one of the other coaches who was a special education teacher at the local high school. She was looking for opportunities to place students in a schoolwork program. This ended up being a win-win for both of us. In both instances, I was not looking to sell anything. But through regular interactions and by people knowing me, trusting me, and liking me I was able to make connections.

19) Picking the right events. When I started networking I was still in the age range for young professional events. So I attend those events too. I stopped when at one event an attractive lady a good fifteen years younger than me asked if I wanted to go out socially for drinks after the event. I smiled and said thank you but I was married and had to get home. Sure it was flattering but it made me realize I was not spending my time effectively. I realized early morning breakfasts and organized networking lunches were more effective ways to meet the right people who could help me grow my business.

20) Set a goal. I used to set a goal for every event I went to depending on the type of event it was. If it was a speed networking event my goal was to meet one person that I could schedule a coffee with. If it was an expo, my goal was to collect as many business cards as possible to follow up at a later time. Other times my goal was to simply build on my relationships with people.

21) Have Fun! If you are at your monthly chamber event and all you are doing is work the crowd and try to sell you are going to get a bad reputation. Stop and talk to people. Make networking friends, people that you know like, and trust. People that you feel comfortable with that you can trade referrals with. Some of these people might turn into actual friends others will be a friendly face so when you walk into the room you don’t feel like you are back in high school.
Networking is a skill. It takes time and practice to get good at. Practice your elevator speech in front of a mirror, and work and rework your follow-up emails. Find networking groups that you feel comfortable in. Whether it be your local chamber, a regional chamber, a Rotary club, or a BNI. Find a group, and make yourself known, it takes time. Don’t expect miracles but if you consistently go to networking events you will grow your professional network and ultimately your business.

 I am Your Virtual Professional can help you grow your networking skills

As Your Virtual Professional I am happy to work with you to hone your elevator pitch or talk about what type of networking opportunities can best help grow your business.

Hoping that you have a productive day!