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

Enjoy the following video by Keith Ferrazzi, author of ‘Never Eat Alone’

Find more videos like this on Greenlight Community

What do you think? Is the investment worth it? Have you seen measurable results from your networking time investment? Comment below and let me know your thoughts.

Do you consider yourself to be an experienced networker? Are you a fixture at all the local networking events, yet you’re not receiving the amount of referrals you’re hoping for, if any at all? Are you struggling to manage the network you are out there creating? Are you getting tired of the time and money investment you are making into your networking, without getting a return?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, I invite you to listen in on this exclusive interview with a superstar referral marketing guru, as he reveals the little known system, that most of the top networkers are coming to find and implement to immediately explode their network and their referrals.

Click on the audio cd image to the right to listen, and if you have any questions at all, or would like to see the system in action with no obligation whatsoever, just give Todd a call at 732-674-6572.

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

Successful Networking for Introverts – Three Proven Strategies

How many times have you stood at the entrance to a networking mixer frozen in fear? “A root canal would be easier than this,” you say to yourself. Having to make small talk with strangers, trying to be interesting and charming, is not your strength nor your idea of a good time. But you believe that if you can just endure this for an hour, you might walk away with some valuable new contacts. The reality is that your discomfort often has negative results, and you don’t gain the new relationships you had sought.

In the 1930s, Swiss psychologist Carl Jung coined the term introvert as someone who tends to find his psychological energy within… in the world of thought, contemplation and reflection. This inward focus can result in a tendency to pull back and maintain a safe distance, especially around new people.

In the world of networking, introverts can face a long list of daunting challenges – not the least of which is sending nonverbal messages that may be misinterpreted as aloofness. And “aloof” is not a good message when your purpose is to mix, mingle, and foster new relationships.

As a card-carrying introvert myself (by Jung’s definition), I’ve developed some guidelines that have always worked well and have allowed me to be confident and outgoing at networking events. Practice these, and you will soon become the “master of the mixer”: Read the rest of this entry

Turning contacts into allies is of critical importance for maximum results in your networking. Remember, though, it is always necessary to provide VALUE for others as well when networking.

The gradual relationship building process is not only about you and your needs, it is about the other person almost moreso.

Understand this, and your networking efforts will be greatly rewarded.

Welcome to the all new NJ Business Networking Blog. We will be updating the blog periodically with networking tips, methods, techniques, and videos, as well as discussing a variety of business networking related topics.

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