Master the Art of Networking

Master the Art of Networkingstring(28) "Master the Art of Networking"

June 22, 2020
, Emotional Intelligence, Follow up, Gratitude, Networking, Referrals, Relationships, Social Capital 2

Networking is more than just shaking hands and passing out business cards, it is about building your “social capital.” Networking is more about “farming” than it is about “hunting.” It’s about cultivating relationships with other business professionals. It’s about realizing the capital that comes from building social relationships. Master the art of networking with these ten tips:

1. Follow up on referrals.

If you present an opportunity, whether it is a simple piece of information, a special contact, or a qualified business referral, to someone who consistently fails to follow up successfully, it is no secret that you will eventually stop wasting your time sending referrals to this person.

2. Have a positive attitude.

A negative attitude makes people dislike being around you and drives away referrals. However, a positive attitude makes people want to associate and cooperate with you. Positive business professionals are like magnets. Others want to be around them and will send their friends, family, and associates to them.

4. Remain trustworthy.

When you refer one person to another, you are putting your reputation on the line. You have to be able to trust your referral partner and be trusted in return. Neither you nor anyone else will refer a contact or valuable information to someone who cannot be trusted to handle it well.

5. Practice good listening skills.

Our success as networkers depends on how well we can listen and learn. The faster you and your networking partner learn what you need to know about each other, the faster you’ll establish a valuable relationship. Communicate well, listen, and learn.

6. Always network.

Master networkers are never off duty. Networking is so natural to them that they can be found networking in the grocery store line, online, and while working from home. After this “Great Pause”, we will soon be able to network again at chamber mixers and networking meetings.

7. Thank people.

Gratitude is sorely lacking in today’s business world. Expressing gratitude to business associates and clients is just another building block in the cultivation of relationships that will lead to increased referrals. People like to refer others to business professionals that go above and beyond. Thanking others at every opportunity will help you stand out from the crowd.

8. Help others.

Master networkers keep their eyes and ears open for opportunities to advance other people’s interests whenever they can. Helping others can be done in a variety of ways, from literally showing up to help with an office move to clipping a helpful and interesting article and mailing it to an associate or client.

9. Be sincere.

If you are not sincerely interested in the other person, they will know it. Those who have developed successful networking skills convey their sincerity at every turn. One of the best ways to develop this trait is to give your undivided attention to the people you are networking with.

10. Work the art of networking.

Master networkers do not let any opportunity to work their networks pass them by. They manage their contacts, organize their e-mail address files, and carry their referral partners’ business cards as well as their own. They set up appointments to get better acquainted with new contacts so that they can learn as much about them as possible so that they can truly become part of each other’s networks.

Do you see the trend with these ten points? They all tie into long-term relationship building. People who take the time to build their social capital are the ones who will have new business referred to them over and over. The key is to build mutually beneficial business relationships. Only then will you succeed to master the art of networking.

three P's

The Three P’s Of a Great Entrepreneurstring(43) "The Three P’s Of a Great Entrepreneur"

October 7, 2019
, , , Entrepreneur, Group Dance Card, Problem solving 4

There are a variety of factors and circumstances that go into the making of a great entrepreneur. However, there are a few personality traits that will help you make the most of any and every situation you find yourself in, and that could prove the difference between success and failure. It is important to reiterate that there is no sure guarantee to success. However, with the three P’s in your arsenal, failing will not remain an option.

See if you have these three P’s, which have been found to be the hallmark of all great entrepreneurs.

Passion

Passion is the prerequisite for success in almost any aspect of life. Especially when being an entrepreneur comes with the promise of long hours and problems to deal with every day. Only passion can motivate you to keep at your dream in spite of all the hurdles in your way. There is no guarantee that you will be realizing your dream at the end of the journey. Then again, as an entrepreneur, the journey can be never-ending, and your passion is what will see you through it all.

Persistence

What is the reason 90% of startups fail to continue beyond their initial years? Lack of persistence could be the answer. It takes persistence to survive the critical early years and overcome the challenges that every entrepreneurial initiative is bound to go through. Many believe that securing your funding and starting out is It. However, reality proves that this is only the first step. Unless you keep at it through all the hurdles that you face, you will only be a statistic in the course of history.

Problem Solver

The third most important thing that can make a difference in your success is your attitude towards problems. A lot has been said about this, but it might not be enough. As an entrepreneur, one thing you will find yourself doing a lot will be solving problems. The experience of most great entrepreneurs has shown that unconventional thinking and the ability to take calculated risks is what matters at critical junctures.

Luckily passion also means that work will not feel like work, just the way of life; and happiness at doing what you love will enrich the experience.  Your passion will guide your ability to persist. So the greater your passion for your chosen idea, the higher will be your ability to persist at it till you succeed. Only if you are good at problem-solving and able to find the right people along the way to help you will you ever be successful.

characteristic

The Least Important Networker Characteristicstring(44) "The Least Important Networker Characteristic"

May 11, 2017
, Ivan Misner, Networking, Networking Tactics, Video Blog 1

What is the least important characteristic for a great networker?

The answer might surprise you.

In this video, I share the five least important skills for networking according to a survey of 3400 business people. Knowing what not to do can be as important as knowing what to do. Furthermore, it is also clear from these results that great networkers and great salespeople have different skill sets.

In conclusion, many people think you need to be an extrovert to be a good networker, but that’s not what the survey says. Here are five least important skills for networking.

You don’t need to be:

  1. Fearless
  2. A salesperson
  3. A self-promoter
  4. Direct
  5. Social media savvy

Click here to watch this video

Attitude Is a Choice and Choosing Wisely Is a Necessitystring(55) "Attitude Is a Choice and Choosing Wisely Is a Necessity"

August 5, 2013
, , , , BNI, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Self Development 6

Years ago I wrote a blog on the importance of attitude in networking and recently I’ve had several situations arise which have reminded me yet again that attitude shapes the outcome of everyday dealings in huge ways so I’d like to revisit the idea in today’s blog post . 

Some days my schedule involves marathon radio interviews beginning at 4 a.m. and, as you can imagine, getting up at an hour when roosters haven’t even begun to think about warming up their vocal chords is not the most enticing of tasks. However, as the Founder & Chairman of BNI®, the world’s largest business networking organization, I agree to do these interviews at such an outrageous hour because it is my responsibility to do whatever needs to be done to network for the organization.

Now, can you imagine what would happen if  I answered the interviewer’€™s first question–which is always “How are you doing today, Dr. Misner?”–€”by grumbling about how I had stubbed my toe and how I wished I was back in my warm bed?  Well, what would happen is that people would be immediately turned off by my negative attitude and nobody would listen to me.

This brings me to my point that in order to be a master networker, you must always maintain a positive attitude no matter what.  With over two decades of professional networking experience, one thing I’ve learned is how important it is to have a positive attitude in order to successfully network.  And if I’€™m going to go around telling other people how to discipline and train themselves to network effectively, then I darn well better be walking the walk (or at least limping along, stubbed toe and all) and maintaining the positive attitude of a master networker.

Now that I’ve shared the second most important trait of a master networker, I figure might as well give you the other nine.  Here they are, ranked in order of their perceived importance to networking:

 

1. Follows up on referrals
2. Positive attitude
3. Enthusiastic/motivated
4. Trustworthy
5. Good listening skills
6. Networks always
7. Thanks people
8. Enjoys helping
9. Sincere
10. Works their network. 

Starting this week, try making a conscious effort to be aware of your attitude at all times and if it could stand some improvement think about three simple things you could do to change your attitude for the better on a daily basis.  If you’ve already got a great handle on maintaining a positive attitude, take this week to focus on one or more of the other nine traits of a master networker and think of three ways you can build your effectiveness in these areas.  As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you might do to implement the ideas in this blog so please share your comments in the forum below. Thanks!