How to Network Effectively

A couple years ago I attended a seminar on effective networking given by Lillian Bjorseth of DuoForce Enterprises. It was a great talk and I took the following notes. I stumbled across them recently and they were great rules to refocus my networking efforts. The notes are broken out as rules to follow before, during and after the event.
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Networking is more about giving than getting. Sales is harvesting, networking is planting seeds. Do not go to networking events to sell, go to plant seeds

Before The Event

CREATE A PLAN OF ATTACK

I. WHO YOU ARE

• Know what you do
• Know what you do differently
• How to be memorable
• They will not refer you if they do not understand what you do
• How to people benefit from what you do?

II. TARGET MARKET

• Where is your target market what are their organizations and events?
• Get ROI out of your organizations, don't join everything, time is money
• Go to places where people can introduce you to your target market

III. IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT

• Dress

Brown is not a power color
Navy blue – authority, trust, knowledgeable
Black – powerful (sometimes too powerful)
Sky blue – tranquilizing
Jacket makes you 1/3 more powerful

• Posture – confidence

When talking with someone standing boxed off (belly to belly) prohibits others from joining. Open stance (angled) is more welcoming, depending on the situation you may want to do both
Stand up out of respect when someone approaches you to say hello/introduce themselves,
Don’t stand over people that are sitting, sit down with them
Handshake – hand on top – controlling, hand on bottom – submissive, sandwich too personal, limp fingers = wussbag. Go web to web, keep hand firm.
Name tag – always where on right side so people can see your name when they shake your hand

IV. VERBAL BUSINESS CARD (front end of your elevator pitch)

• 1 or 2 sentence laden with benefits, memorable, contains your name, what you do, active verbs (help, share, work with).
  
• Do not include company name, geographic location, adjectives, adverbs or the HOW.
  
• You want the verbal business card to elicit the question of “How”.

During The Event

• 10 minute rule to work a room (you can determine if you want a relationship with someone in no longer than 10 minutes) Ask “Why” questions “ Why did you join this organization, why did you choose this event, .
• Always ask for a business card before giving them yours (polite)
  
• Look at the business card when they give it to you.
• Ask four questions to determine if they are worth a relationship (have these prepared in advance). Listen for the answers!!! Prepare your ask-for questions in advance to focus your interactions. Listens for the answers because you know best what you want to hear back.
• Try to find commonality (sometimes business card will give you this)
• How to end the conversation: Don’t look around for others.
• If you want a follow up: “I really enjoyed talking, can I email you that report I was telling you about”
• If you don’t want a follow up: “I invited a guest and I want to see if they’ve arrived”

After The Event

• Do what you say (i.e. send them what you promised),
• Set the standard for the relationship!