Make Expanding Your Network A Top Priority
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Make Expanding Your Network A Top Priority
If you only travel from home to work, the grocery store, gas station and back home again, you need another outlet to meet people. If you attend church every week, that's fantastic however, it's not exactly the place to do much talking but rather listening.
By: Darlene Willman
If you only travel from home to work, the grocery store, gas station and back home again, you need another outlet to meet people. If you attend church every week, that's fantastic however, it's not exactly the place to do much talking but rather listening.
By: Darlene Willman
What I'm referring to is a place you can interact with others and ask questions to get to know them. If you belong to a club or organization, try to find one that allows for open talking and socializing.
Some networking groups are too structured and don't give you much time to interact. You should look for specific groups that not only have the people in them that you want to meet but also the ability to actually network with them.
Get to know people by spending time with them either on the phone or in person. Better yet, try to get to know them online too! Find out where they hang out and plug into their network.
If you haven't already set up some profiles online with some social networks, I highly recommend you do it soon. The internet is the best network that was ever created. More business happens online today than in the past couple of decades.
Set a goal for yourself to at least attend one function each week and meet at least 10 new people. If you multiply that by 52 weeks, you have now added over 500 people to your database. What about finding 10 people to network with online too? Now you've added over 1,000 people in one year.
There are some online social networks like Twitter that can add over 100 new contacts automatically per week! Do the math on that and tell me how many people that ends up being in your network in a year.
The point I'm trying to make is you should always be looking at how you can add quality connections to your network each week. I make it a point to attend conferences, trade shows, workshops and seminars where I meet other like-minded people. I'm not interested in just adding a name to my list but finding a strong, dynamic individual that I can relate to and who understands me.
People are meeting everywhere from social gatherings to structured business networking. If you're just beginning to network, I would suggest joining a local BNI (Business Network International) group where you'll meet with the same people each week and send referrals to only those in your group.
There are also civic groups and non-profit organizations that also have meetings to discuss their future plans or the current project they are working on. One of my favorite places to network is at a charity event where I can not only support a great cause but meet some of the most generous people in our community.
If you're really adventurous and have time to invest, you might consider belonging to a board where you can contribute your area of expertise or lend a helping hand. Volunteering can be a very effective way of getting involved and increasing your network very easily. I would also caution you to not join too many, at least in the beginning. Women especially tend to volunteer more sometimes because they are natural caregivers. Unfortunately, if you give all your time for free, you won't be generating a solid income for your new business. Carefully select what you want to be involved in before making any commitments.
Another great way to increase your contacts is speaking to a group that consists of your target audience. When you're the speaker, you are positioned as the expert and people will automatically want to get to know you....that is if you make a great presentation!
Developing your network should be a part of your marketing plan. Create a plan that you can implement easily and effortlessly. Remember, your network is your most valuable asset!
Some networking groups are too structured and don't give you much time to interact. You should look for specific groups that not only have the people in them that you want to meet but also the ability to actually network with them.
Get to know people by spending time with them either on the phone or in person. Better yet, try to get to know them online too! Find out where they hang out and plug into their network.
If you haven't already set up some profiles online with some social networks, I highly recommend you do it soon. The internet is the best network that was ever created. More business happens online today than in the past couple of decades.
Set a goal for yourself to at least attend one function each week and meet at least 10 new people. If you multiply that by 52 weeks, you have now added over 500 people to your database. What about finding 10 people to network with online too? Now you've added over 1,000 people in one year.
There are some online social networks like Twitter that can add over 100 new contacts automatically per week! Do the math on that and tell me how many people that ends up being in your network in a year.
The point I'm trying to make is you should always be looking at how you can add quality connections to your network each week. I make it a point to attend conferences, trade shows, workshops and seminars where I meet other like-minded people. I'm not interested in just adding a name to my list but finding a strong, dynamic individual that I can relate to and who understands me.
People are meeting everywhere from social gatherings to structured business networking. If you're just beginning to network, I would suggest joining a local BNI (Business Network International) group where you'll meet with the same people each week and send referrals to only those in your group.
There are also civic groups and non-profit organizations that also have meetings to discuss their future plans or the current project they are working on. One of my favorite places to network is at a charity event where I can not only support a great cause but meet some of the most generous people in our community.
If you're really adventurous and have time to invest, you might consider belonging to a board where you can contribute your area of expertise or lend a helping hand. Volunteering can be a very effective way of getting involved and increasing your network very easily. I would also caution you to not join too many, at least in the beginning. Women especially tend to volunteer more sometimes because they are natural caregivers. Unfortunately, if you give all your time for free, you won't be generating a solid income for your new business. Carefully select what you want to be involved in before making any commitments.
Another great way to increase your contacts is speaking to a group that consists of your target audience. When you're the speaker, you are positioned as the expert and people will automatically want to get to know you....that is if you make a great presentation!
Developing your network should be a part of your marketing plan. Create a plan that you can implement easily and effortlessly. Remember, your network is your most valuable asset!
Darlene Willman, aka The Sassy Networker, is a keynote speaker author and coach, specializing in small business networking and referrals. She provides resources, connections and support to entrepreneurs, small business owners and other professionals that have a strong desire to promote their companies through relationship marketing. She will show you how to build an incredible network of people who refer business to each other plus so much more. You can start receiving her eZine, The Networking Focus by visiting www.SassyNetworker.com
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