If you’ve ever wondered how to network in social settings or even if you should look at a social setting as a way in which to network, I am hear to tell you that you certainly can… as long as you do it right. You certainly don’t want to attend a family wedding and walk around handing out business cards like they are wedding favors, but you can strike up a conversation and let a contact know who you are and what you do.
How To Network In Social Settings
When you’re traveling look for networking opportunities. Use the time on a plane or cooling your heels in an airport to strike up a conversation. You never know who you’re sitting next to and what the potential for a networking connection is. The person you’re next to could also benefit from knowing you — keep that in mind if you’re feeling shy of striking up a conversation.
Add value to others. Remember, ask about what the other person does. Get to know them. If you feel you can add value to their business or personal life based on your business then by all means speak up.
Being at a conference is the ideal place to network — in fact it’s almost expected that you will hand out a business card and introduce yourself to others. Don’t attend an event without a plan in mind for how you want to connect and with whom.
Seek out opportunities to network. Standing in line at the grocery store could be a way to network. If you’re in the business section of the local bookstore, strike up a conversation, “Hey I see you’re looking at XYZ business book, that really helped me when I starting out in my business… oh here is another one I’d recommend.” You’re not overtly shoving your business card in their face, but you are making a connection and adding value.
Be authentic. No one wants to talk with a huckster. Be authentic. Genuinely listen to what they’re saying and ask “getting to know you” questions.
When is the last time you found a way to network that might not have been an ordinary networking situation? We’d love to hear!
Are You Suffering ‘Info Overload’? If you are, it’s time to take a step away from what is causing that overload and take a deep look at your business and how you’re running it. In working with business coaching clients I find that many of them are looking for the “latest and greatest” and this is especially true when they are struggling with an challenge in the running of their business.
Are You Suffering ‘Info Overload’?
If you find you’re unable to move forward and that you’re spinning your wheels, you could very well be suffering information overload. Here are some ways in which you can overcome that feeling of paralysis and move forward.
Step away from all technology. Get out of the office. Take a walk. Go swimming. Meet a friend for coffee. When you remove yourself from the situation you may be able to see it more clearly.
Determine, if you can, what is making you feel overloaded and overwhelmed? Too many tasks to complete? Too much new technology to learn? Too many new staff to train? Put systems in place to address all of the areas in which you feel overwhelmed. Business systems can help you run your business with ease and you can put systems in place for something as seemingly trivial as ordering office supplies. Don’t let yourself get too mired down in the process of putting together business systems or you will put yourself into another state of overload!
Think about what you need to know, versus what you do know. Do you need to know something you don’t already? Look for ways in which to gain that knowledge. If you are doing certain tasks in your business that you could easily outsource, but you are afraid of the expense. Look at your hourly wage then determine how much time you are spending on non essential tasks. The figure you arrive at could very well show you that you can afford to outsourse those tasks at which you don’t excel, but that need to be done.
Are you in a state of information overload? Are you overwhelmed and are not certain why? Working with a business coach could help you overcome that feeling and move forward.
The best way to find new clients is to build business trust. How, exactly, do you do that? Is there a magic bullet to build business trust? Yes. And no.
Because trust is at the core of any successful business relationship here are three ways I have found are ideal for both building initial trust and rebuilding trust if you’ve lost it.
Stay authentic and be ethical in all of your dealings. Whether you’re in a networking meeting or on the telephone with someone or have been asked your opinion on a different colleague, stay professional and positive in all of your dealings.
Deliver on your customer promises. You’ve probably heard of under-promise/over-deliver. Don’t promise more than you can deliver, but deliver more than you promise. Surprise and delight your clients. If you tell a client you will get back to him in 24 hours, do just that. If you’ve told a client he or she will have an answer to an email with in 48 hours, respond on or before that time frame. Keep your clients in the loop of what is happening, especially if you are onboarding a new client or are making major changes in the work flow with another.
Don’t share the “secrets” of others. Whatever a client tells you, consider that it was told to you in confidence. A client shouldn’t have to say, “Now don’t tell anyone.” It should be a given that the information shared with you, stays with you.
Maintaining a level of trust from the beginning of a relationship — from that very first handshake, email or phone call sets the tone for the rest of your relationship. It is difficult, if not impossible, to regain trust once it’s been broken — it can be done — but it’s best to not have to rebuild.
I work with coaching clients who get led astray by the BSO (Big Shiny Object). Leaders: Keep your focus — it’s one of the many mantras I share with coaching clients. If you, as a leader, are being led astray and if your projects are not coming to fruition how can you motivate your staff to higher levels of productivity if you aren’t staying enough to task that you’re completing projects? It’s difficult.
In business today, it’s easy to get distracted by the “latest and greatest.” There is nothing wrong with trying something new, incorporating a new procedure or practice, but if you’re doing this continually and not testing the results, your efforts will be scattered and your success minimized.
Leaders: Keep Your Focus
Here are three ways to keep your focus and target the prize: Business Success!
Know where you’re going. If you don’t have a clear path toward your goal you will be distracted by the BSOs. As a leader you need to articulate to your team — and put in writing in a business plan — what you consider success and the steps you will take to achieve it. Let your team know WHY you want to achieve a specific goal and HOW you see the company getting there. Ask for their buy in and feedback.
Be clear on priorities and metrics for success. As entrepreneurs it’s easy to want to “do it all” but in truth not everything can be a priority. Not everything is a fire that you need to be personally involved in putting out. Know your top three priorities — with their deadlines — and work toward them.
At the end of the work day, work week, month and year how will you measure your success? What goals will you need to meet to be a success? How will you focus on what’s important? Just as you can be distracted by incoming emails or Facebook notifications so too can you be distracted by non-priority items and items that are not clearly tied to your success metrics.
As the business leader, your team looks to you for focus and guidance. Provide that, stay on track and watch out for the BSOs. What are the BSOs in your industry? How do you avoid them? If you embrace them, how have they aided in your business success?
Are there certain insider secrets of successful entrepreneurs? Do they know something that you don’t know? Probably not. The biggest “secret” is that they have rituals and surround themselves with like-minded individuals. Here, though are some of the secrets I’ve gained during my years as a business coach and entrepreneur:
Successful entrepreneurs know what motivates them to action. Whether it’s money, fame, or personal satisfaction they know what moves them and work toward achieving it.
They follow their passion. If you’re an entrepreneur and aren’t passionate about what you do, why are you doing it?
Minimize expenses and maximize profits. Simple math.
They have built a tribe of like-minded entrepreneurs. They are building online communities. They network with others outside of their niche industry.
They know they need to be promoting their goods and services. Even if they have a sales force, they — as the business owner — needs to be sharing that info and they need to be the company’s biggest brand ambassador.
They have rituals and habits in place that help them work smarter, not harder. They are masters of their time and their tasks.
They build flexibility into their day and into their business processes. Successful entrepreneurs know how to bend when things aren’t going quite as planned and stand tall when they are. Resiliency is key.
They have a support team in place that can accommodate business growth.
Beyond money, beyond “being their own boss” successful entrepreneurs take great satisfaction in what they do. Each and every day.
Of the items listed above, which of those secrets do you need to work on mastering? Which of the secrets do you already have in your arsenal? What secret could you offer to an entrepreneur who is just starting out? What did you learn while you were in the trenches — what do you do now that you wish you did when you started? I’d love to hear!
