4 Steps for Effective Online Networking

A popular misconception is that networking is about getting a job or landing a client. In reality, networking is about establishing relationships that provide you with valuable feedback and allow you to make educated decisions.

Business networking is key to gaining information, increasing your visibility in your field, and establishing personal connections that will help you move forward in your career. The rise of social media hasn’t changed the fact that successful human beings get even further ahead based on the strength of their networks.  In fact, social media gives you the power to connect with people who you would never have the opportunity to converse with in the physical world.

Let’s look at some networking best practices, along with a few ways you can use the various social media sites to engage with previously inaccessible people and get the attention of those who are too busy to return your phone calls or e-mails.

1. Look for Ways to Expand Your Networks

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In an era where the average person will have more than a dozen jobs in their career, you need to ensure that you’re looking beyond your company and immediate circle so that your networking has lifelong continuity. To that end, seek out and join professional organizations that you have a genuine interest in and attend at least one activity a month. At the same time, habitually ask your contacts if they know anyone who might be a good person for you to meet. At its core, networking should be fun. If you seek out people who care about the same things you do, you’ll enjoy networking and won’t view it as a chore.

Social media sites — especially the big ones like Facebook and LinkedIn — are a networker’s dream. LinkedIn in particular allows you to establish a professional network consisting of your connections and your connections’ connections, automatically linking you to thousands of people in your industry and related ones. It’s a painless means to create new relationships and get introduced to advantageous contacts through people you already know.

Jason Alba, the author of I’m on LinkedIn — Now What??? recommends joining relevant LinkedIn groups to expand your search visibility, and complementing a LinkedIn group with a Google or Yahoo! group. He also suggests using the Answers feature to ask a question and invite your network to respond. Questions typically range from knowledge-based issues (e.g. Does anyone know a good web-based survey tool?), to help in finding a job (e.g. Do you know of firms that employ environmental engineers in the San Francisco area?). Asking a question once a month provides an opportunity to probe your contacts in a creative way. Choose the “best answer” to bolster the reputation of the person who provided it, and thank everyone personally who participated. In turn, if someone asks a question that you can answer intelligently, do so, as this increases your visibility in the broader LinkedIn community.

Whether you’re on LinkedIn or another social network in which you engage with professionals, make it easy for potential contacts to search for you by incorporating keywords into your profile (e.g. database programmer, Linuxexpert). Also, include a link to your professional profiles as part of your e-mail signature line so people can click on them and learn more about you. Within your profiles, include the URLs of articles you’ve written, organizations you belong to, and events where you’re speaking.

2. Know What You Want, and What You Can Offer

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Many people dislike networking because they think asking a veritable stranger for help is an imposition. As it’s human nature to want to help someone, I think you’ll find that most people will be receptive, provided you approach them the right way.

Whether you’re meeting people online or offline, you should prepare for networking conversations in advance by considering what you need from the contact. Make sure your planned request is reasonable, considering you barely know the person. Using an example from my own life, asking for 30 minutes of advice on the book publishing industry works a lot better than asking me to refer you to my agent.

Rachel Solar-Tuttle and Diane Danielson, the authors of Table Talk, say that because networking is a collaboration, every time you ask for something or meet with a potential contact, you should think about how you can help her in return. Follow your contacts’ work carefully so that you can glean insights about how you might assist them. One caveat for this step and the next one: Do not try to impress contacts by promising something you might not be able to deliver, such as a client engagement or an introduction to someone you might not be able to get a hold of.

High level individuals often use LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and their blogs to publicly express what they’re working on, and the business problems that are vexing them. Pay attention to the questions they’re asking and provide helpful resources and information in the form of comments or LinkedIn Answers. If they’re in the midst of launching a new product or initiative, help them spread the word. Giving freely of your own knowledge and support is the best way to launch a one-on-one relationship that will eventually pay major dividends.

3. Contact the Person Privately

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Once you’ve gotten to know the person a bit, it’s time to get more personal. Send a warm-up message to re-introduce yourself and cite recent activities of theirs that you may have followed. Try for a more intimate angle (for example, you can comment that you have a child who’s the same age, or that you also enjoy skiing and recently tried a terrific new resort in Colorado). I, for example, got the following DM on Twitter recently.

Legalbear must know that I’m a wanna-be environmentalist who adores the Caribbean.

When approaching a potential contact, be friendly, respectful and brief, and be very clear about your request. Always keep in mind that the person is doing you a favor. If you’re connecting online and he says he’s in the middle of something, ask if you can talk at another time, and be conscious of his time commitments. If your request involves a conversation and you’re located in the same geographic location, it can’t hurt to try for an in-person meeting. When you sit down with your contact, offer to pay any expenses associated with the meeting, and remember to send him a thank you note afterward.

Even if you feel like the relationship is going somewhere, you should still manage your expectations. It’s unlikely that any a brand new contact will offer anything concrete like a job offer. Remember that your goal should be to gain valuable insights or information in the short-term and a meaningful professional relationship in the long-term.

4. Follow Up Regularly

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It’s your responsibility to keep the lines of communication open. Did your contact give you any advice or suggest a course of action? If so, touch base every so often to remind her who you are and keep her apprised of your progress. Keep on top of her career moves and make sure she stays informed of yours. Invite her to get together again, and during the holiday season, send her a card with a nice note.

I get hundreds of e-mails every day, but this one from Laura Strauss stood out as an effective follow-up, because it was kind, non-intrusive, specific, and action-oriented:

Conclusion

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I hope these ideas make networking go down a little easier for you. One word of caution, though. Having these tactics in your back pocket does not give you permission to stalk important people. In fact, the more personal the level of interaction, the greater potential for abuse, so you must proceed with caution. Apply the 3/6 rule of networking, in which you contact someone no more than three times in a six week period. If the person or organization does not engage back within that time frame, then move on. There are plenty of valuable contacts who will be open to your overtures.

Networking – It’s More Than Just Talking Business

In a networking group, you should talk about more than just business. A referral relationship is more than just, “I do business, you do business, let’s do business.” A much better approach is to find common ground on a personal level, then relate your business to it.

The longer I’ve been involved in networking, the more I’ve seen the power of personal interests in making connections. Networking is about building personal relationships. If you remove the personal from the equation, you limit the amount of business that can happen.

In one networking group I worked with, I introduced an exercise called the GAINS Exchange, in which people share personal and professional information about themselves. Two of the participants in this group had known each other for more than a year but had never done business. During the exercise, they discovered they both coached their sons’ soccer teams. They quickly became close friends and were soon helping each other conduct soccer practices. After a few months, they began referring business to each other–two guys who had barely spoken to each other the first year because they seemed to have so little in common.

By finding a common interest and starting with that, we can make connections that have a very good chance of turning into business. Try this strategy out for a while and then come back and leave a comment to let me know what your experiences have been – I’d love to hear about them!

Contributed to Entrepreneur.com by Dr. Ivan Misner of BNI

Keith Ferrazzi again imparts his wisdom on the subject of effective networking strategies:

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How to Look Like Less of a Jackass at Lunch Meetings

This is a pretty simple post in what might become a series (depending on the response).

As a freelance designer I work from my home (as I’m sure many of my readers do as well, even though many aren’t designers). As I’d like to make a good impression on all of my current and potential clients, I don’t invite them into my house when we have to get together to discuss a project. It’s just unprofessional.

So I’m often meeting clients for lunch. Over the years I’ve learned a few things about lunch meetings, some I’m sure you’ve heard, others I’m sure you haven’t. Just thought I’d take a few moments to share some of my secrets on how to avoid looking like a jackass during lunch meetings.

You Can Eat – But Eat Light

I don’t agree with all of the commentary I’ve seen suggesting that when on a lunch meeting you shouldn’t eat at all. I’ve been on both sides of the table. I can tell you that if I’m a buyer, I like it when the vendor I’m working with isn’t all business. Idle chit chat is nice, but nothing says informal meeting quite like shoving a sandwich into your face.

But don’t overdo it. You don’t want to look like a jackass, after all. A couple foods to avoid would be … Read the rest of this entry

Ten Top Tips for Successful Networking

Any business’ success or failure can largely be traced to networking. Networking will put you into contact with those that can help your business grow, from suppliers to financial backers. Yet many business owners are unsure how to tap this valuable resource. Here is a guide to making the most of your networking opportunities.

1. Research opportunities – Dedicated industry events are perhaps the best place to network, offering a chance for those in the industry to come together for the same purpose. However, some events are more relevant than others. Look for opportunities that are most likely to yield success.

2. Make the first move – It can be difficult to approach strangers, especially if you are shy. However, it is important to leave shyness behind and make that initial approach. Remember that you may have something valuable to offer the other person as well.

3. Talk to everyone – Even if someone looks like he or she will be unable to help you out, make that contact anyway. He may know someone who can offer you something or you may be able to offer her a valuable resource, creating a favor that will later be repaid. Read the rest of this entry

Networking Success – 7 Tips for Giving Compliments That Connect and Attract Clients

Paying a sincere compliment is an ideal way to connect with someone at a networking event because it attracts people to you, helps solidify bonds, and lifts people’s spirits.

A sincere compliment is like a gift because it makes both you and the receiver feel good. It’s an ideal way to break the ice and connect at a business or social event. It’s worthwhile learning how to compliment people the right way. Here are 5 tips for giving compliments that connect people and attract interaction.

1. Be sincere. It’s easy to tell the difference between a true compliment, and sounding like you are kissing up. What’s the difference? Only compliment something that deserves it. If the speech was a flop, compliment the speaker instead on their savvy handling of the Q&A. It’s easy to spot phoniness, and people know what they did well, and where they fell short of the mark.

2. Be specific. Instead of saying: You are a wonderful cook, say: Your chocolate mousse was decadent. Do you have a special recipe? Instead of saying: You look nice today, you can say: That scarf is a great color for you. Even more specific: That blue scarf is a great color because it matches your eyes.

3. Be careful of backhanded compliments. Have you ever been the victim of someone saying to you: Wow, what a change – you look so much better. It makes you wonder how bad you really looked last time. Instead, you can say: You look terrific. What’s your secret?

4. Cross gender compliments: When men compliment women, focus on accessories rather than clothing items. So you can compliment a woman on her necklace, but not her blouse. Even better, compliment her excellent speech or stellar performance on a major project. Women can also compliment a man’s tie, rather than a shirt. Women can be freer to compliment other women on their fabulous shoes or dress, when men should steer away from anything too personal in complimenting women. They can be perceived as being too forward.

5. Be appropriate: Consider the setting and your relationship with the person. Commenting on a colleague’s new hair color is fine, but mentioning it to your boss is stepping out of bounds. Or telling the bride that she looks lovely is fine, but save your congratulations on her losing 50 pounds for private time.

Do you have other ways to strengthen your business relationships? Comment below. I’d love to hear about them.

Business Networking – 3 Powerful Ways to Gain Clients with Business to Business Networking

Have you been networking and not getting many new clients?

Business to business networking is one of the most powerful ways to gain new customers. But not all networking is equally effective. You can dash from one networking event to another, spamming people with your business cards, and end up tired and frustrated.

To get new clients from networking, you have to know where and how to network. Here are three tips for networking that brings results:

1. Find the right network. Are you looking for business from small business owners, or large corporations? Do you specialize in a specific industry, such as financial or healthcare? Finding the right network is crucial to making connections that bring you business. Otherwise you can spend a great deal of time connecting with the wrong market.

2. Invest in your network. Once you find a great network for you, invest time and energy in it. Join the executive, volunteer to help with fundraisers, and invite individual members for lunch or coffee. People join these organizations because they want to connect. Go with the view of helping people in the network, and they will help you as well.

3. Have patience. If you are networking with people from large organizations, it takes a great deal of patience and persistence to get work. Eventually it pays off, often when you least expect it to. For example, I met a director of corporate communications from a very large company who said she needed a freelance writer in my field. She gave me her card and asked me to call her. After many phone calls and a few e-mails that received no answer (but leaving phone messages only occasionally) I was about to give up when she actually answered the phone. This lead to a meeting, and a great deal of ongoing work with this company.

Networking is a business tool that works when you do it properly. It’s more effective than cold calling, and a lot more fun as well!

5 Reasons Why Relationship Marketing Is Your Key To Unlimited Success

Relationship Marketing. If you are in business, then chances are you have heard this term. What does it mean? I am going to quote my friend and relationship marketing expert Bob Burg and say that the definition is: “The cultivating of mutually beneficial, GIVE and take, win/win relationships.” Now, Bob has used this definition when talking about networking in general, but I think it applies here equally as well. You see, relationship marketing, or referral marketing (which I use interchangeably) is about building relationships, not selling. When you place an ad, you are selling, but when you place a phone call and ask about someone’s family, you are using relationship marketing. See the difference? As you build and cultivate these relationships, you are becoming someone that the other person truly knows, versus knows about. Again, to refer to Bob Burg in his infinite wisdom, “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer people to, those people that they KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST.” Remember that quote, and LIVE it. Don’t just do something because it will work, do it because it is the right thing to do…that will bring you true long term success.

Ok, now that we have that out of the way, on to the list! I believe relationship marketing is truly the king of marketing, and if done correctly, will allow you virtually unlimited success. Here is why:

1. Practicing relationship marketing removes client objections- Think about one of your good friends for a minute. If they sold a product or service you needed, would you choose to do business with them, or someone you didn’t know? How about if the person you didn’t know offered that product or service at a slightly lower price? If you are like most people, you value that relationship more than the few dollars in price difference. This holds true for other objections as well. Establish a solid relationship, and you will get more business and more referrals from that person.

2. Relationship Marketing is more inexpensive than virtually any other marketing activity-How much does it cost to have a conversation? Nothing. That is the cost of relationship marketing. Keep in mind that I am talking about acquiring clients, but perhaps even more importantly, building the relationships with referral sources. The same principles apply to both and while developing a great relationship with your clients is vital, doing so with other business owners and potential referral sources can really explode your income. Read the rest of this entry

‘What’s In It For Me?’ Networking

I recently received an e-mail from someone who read an article I wrote about collaboration and working together. He said, “The type of networking you talk about describes the way things should work, but in the real world most people seem to have an attitude of what’s in it for me?“ He asked, “How can I prevent wasting my time and efforts on people, only to find that they have this kind of attitude?”

The short answer to his question is this—stop hanging out with the wrong kind of people and start actively seeking out the right kind of people. Trust me, I’ve been there and done that when it comes to getting stuck with the wrong people. Moving beyond that and building the kind of network that wants to help you (knowing that you also want to help them) is a journey—not a destination.

I have two suggestions to make finding the right networking partners easier. First look for some of the signs relating to people who fit the profile of good networkers. They include:

• People who ask how they can help you or what they can offer you (and mean it) before they ask anything from you. Read the rest of this entry

Ten Tips to Keep in Touch — Cultivate and Keep Loyal Clients with Creative Communication

We know that marketing to existing clients returns at least five times more bottom-line profit than the same dollar spent on marketing to acquire new clients. It just makes sense to take excellent care of current clients. Keep in constant touch with them and let them know you care. If you don’t, your competitor will. Below are ten tips — ideas to help you creatively stay connected with your current clients and turn them into loyal fans.

1. Besides your regular newsletters, send letters and emails. Share something that will be of genuine value to them (books, articles, information and/or appropriate networking opportunities). Knowing and keeping in mind what they are passionate about will help you to be effective at this.

2. Call them sometimes with no sales agenda, just to see how they’re doing. Maybe ask if they have any needs you could help with.

3. Occasionally, arrange to meet in person. Ask questions and listen, and always give your undivided attention. Remember to turn off your cell phone. Make them feel important and special.

4. Make an effort to understand your clients’ needs and introduce them to others who could be of help to them.

5. Follow up promptly on referrals they give you. Thank them and keep them apprised of your progress. Read the rest of this entry