Successful Networking in 7 simple steps

Оглавление

Clare Dignall. Successful Networking in 7 simple steps

Contents

Step 1. CREATING NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

Five ways to succeed

Five ways to fail

Identifying your existing network

Rediscovering your existing network

Blood may not be thicker than water

Build bridges to other networks

Surround yourself with those that bring out your best

Get business cards printed

Check your ‘back office’

Do you have the appropriate kit?

What should be on your business card?

Three tools for network planning

Do you really know where you’re going?

Time your travel to the minute

Make a checklist and count items in

Check the weather

Don’t be above a dress rehearsal

Key take-aways

Step 2. NETWORK EFFECTIVELY ONLINE

Five ways to succeed

Five ways to fail

What are the options?

Facebook

LinkedIn®

Twitter

What are their intended audiences?

How should I use them?

Social media and privacy

Facebook and privacy

Twitter

Building your online brand

Create a house style

Sounding Pro: Customized LinkedIn® invitations

Libel

Copyright

Threats

Offensive comments

Key take-aways

Step 3. SECURE AN INVITATION

Five ways to succeed

Five ways to fail

Prioritize: make events work for you, not against you

What’s the field?: research your hosts

RSVPs: avoid a faux pas

Get advance intelligence: Find out who’s going

Dress

Body language and your positive attitude

How to introduce yourself

The elevator pitch

Key pointers

Creating an elevator pitch

Do

Don’t

Sounding Pro

Deal with networking nerves

1 Don’t plan to fail

2 Don’t be late

3 Set (very) manageable targets

4 Cut a deal with yourself

5 Smile

6 It’s not all about you

7 Get networking in perspective

Key take-aways

Step 4. BE THE BEST CONVERSATIONALIST

Five ways to succeed

Five ways to fail

Non-listeners

Marginal listeners

Pretend listeners

Active listeners

Sounding Pro: Being an active listener

Focus

Acknowledge

Clarify

Empathize

Sounding Pro: Follow-up letters and emails

Key pointers

Start every conversation with a handshake

Your hands speak volumes

Stand tall, feel confident

Achieve the right eye contact

Are you sitting comfortably?

Key take-aways

Step 5. SURVIVE DIFFICULT MOMENTS

Five ways to succeed

Five ways to fail

Dealing with practical mishaps

Spilled food or drink on someone?

Spilled food or drink on yourself?

Being late

Forgetting a vital piece of equipment

Forgetting business cards

Prevention is better than cure

How to handle difficult people in conversation

What to do when people don’t want to talk to you

What do to when you forget someone’s name

Sounding Pro: How to deal with sensitive topics

Cultural complacency is no joke

Sounding Pro: Letters of apology

Key take-aways

Step 6. WORK THE ROOM

Five ways to succeed

Five ways to fail

Warming up

Plan your journey through the room

How to move into conversations that seem closed

Knowing when someone is finished speaking to you

How to finish conversations politely

Sounding Pro: Navigating through conversations

Don’t rush off

Don’t rush in

Haven’t we met before?

We have to stop meeting like this

Choose a seat nowhere near anyone you know

Resist the temptation to stick with a new contact

Introduce yourself to everyone around

Make the most of intervals

Sit opposite rather than beside

Food and glasses

Business cards

Set timescales

Tailor detail to the time available

Engage with everyone in group conversation

Look out for and welcome loners

Ask for introductions

Facilitate introductions

Connect people outside of the event

Exercise caution

Key take-aways

Step 7. FOLLOW UP ON LEADS

Five ways to succeed

Five ways to fail

Let them know you want to talk more

Swap business cards

End clearly and warmly

Thank the people you met

Make your first follow up personal

Handwritten notes and when to use them

Make notes about who you met

Note your ideas

Review what worked and what didn’t

The follow-up plan

Staying in touch with self-confidence

Asking for introductions

Making mutual introductions by email

Sounding Pro: Mutual introductions by email

The features of written introduction

Offer the help that people actually need

Promote yourself as a helper

Receive help gratefully

Ask for help

When to promote contacts

When to demote contacts

Learn to let go

Key take-aways

If you enjoyed Successful Networking, check out these other great Business Skills in 7 Simple Steps titles

About the Author

Copyright

Отрывок из книги

Step 1 Creating networking opportunities

Step 2 Network effectively online

.....

If you are networking on behalf of your employer, it’s likely you already have a business card. If you don’t, you need to get some, for without business cards, all your networking efforts will be for naught. If you are starting your own business then ensure you have business cards printed before you start networking. You may think that’s a start-up expense you could do without, but it’s imperative to have some and they needn’t cost much – the web is full of sites printing business cards at very little cost. If you are hoping to switch careers, you may want to consider printing a personal business card, so that you can prevent a job offer being sent to a work email. What’s on your business card? Remember, you may need more information for use internationally than you need in your own country. And you may need information in the language of the country in which you plan to network.

Petersfield Projects

.....