The secret to successful networking!
I was having a discussion with a friend who recently left his job for a new job. His new job is essentially a sales job and getting referrals is going to go a long way in deciding how well he does. I gave his some advice on successfully networking which has made all the difference in the world for me personally.
- Meet tons of people - You should go to networking meetings and events all around your area. Meet people and follow up with them! Then offer to have coffee with them or lunch with them!
- Ask lots of questions about the people you meet - Honestly people love to talk about themselves. The trick is that you really need to be genuinely interested in them. Also, be non-judgemental and just try to get to know what they care about and what they are passionate about.
- Don’t sell them anything - People hate to be sold! If there is a need for your services, ask them if they are interested. Just make sure that you aren’t just waiting for an opportunity to pick your service or product!
- Help them any way you can - Introduce people you meet to people they will find interesting. Send them articles or blogs you think they might find interesting. If you really want to help people, send them referrals for their business or leads for good jobs.
- Keep in touch - Last but not least, keep in touch. Social media is a great way to do this. However, a good in person meeting every once in a while is also important.
Do these 5 things and you will be ahead of about 99% of the people you compete with in business. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun!
