networking events Archives - Dr. Ivan Misner®

18Apr2019

Boring Networking Eventsstring(24) "Boring Networking Events"

April 18, 2019

I was recently asked this question by a reporter: How can you best deal with a BORING networking events?

Here was my answer to the reporter:

I remember going to a networking event many years ago, looking around the room and thinking – “wow, this networking meeting is really boring.” As I stood there and observed the room, I came to the realization that, “if I am bored at this networking meeting – it’s all my fault!” I’m here to network. Networking starts with “being interested” and not with “being interesting.” With that, I dove into the room and was committed to be interested in meeting other people and learning about what they do. All of a sudden, the meeting became interesting. For me, it was a reset, of the mindset.

If you’re bored at a networking meeting, you’re doing it all wrong.

Dive in to the meeting and start learning about the people in the room. Ask them questions like:

What do you do?
What’s your target market?
What do you love most about what you do?
What’s new in your industry?
What sets you apart from your competition?
Why did you start your business?
What’s your most popular product?
What are some of the challenges for you and your business?

Focus on being interested. You’ll find that there are many people in the room that are interesting and you’ll walk out with some valuable contacts.

[See Chapter 29 of The 29% Solution for more ideas.]

8Oct2018

The Five Types of Business Networking Organizationsstring(51) "The Five Types of Business Networking Organizations"

October 8, 2018

Ivan Misner

business networking, Business Networking Activities, business networking organizations, networking events Entrepreneur, Video Blog 2

Networking is the perfect way to help take your business to the next level. However, putting your eggs in one basket and depending on one networking group to satisfy all your needs won’t work. So, which business networking organizations should you join?

We all select different people in our lives that satisfy various needs that contribute to our well being; our parents provide comfort and guidance, our close friends provide support and cheer, our business relationships provide trust and honesty. While these satisfactions may overlap from group to group, it’s important to have more than one person you’re leaning on for all your emotional needs.

It’s the same with your networking groups! While you may find cheer and honesty in more than one group, it’s important to spread your interests to gain a varied support system. Business professionals who don’t have a lot of spare time often ask us which networking groups provide the biggest bang for their buck. There are five main types, and what works best depends on the business they’re in and the prospects they want to meet. Therefore, when selecting your business networking organizations, you need to understand which types are available so you can make an informed decision.

Here’s a quick rundown of the most familiar types.

The Five Types of Business Networking Organizations:

1. Casual Contact: A gathering of people from many different professions, usually in a mixer environment

2. Strong Contact: Usually only allows one person per profession, get together very regularly

3. Community Service Clubs: An opportunity to rub elbows with other very successful people

4. Professional Associations: Trade organizations that are very specific in purpose

5. Online: Social Media such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, where networking is constant

To better understand which business networking organizations fits you best, watch the video below.

19Jun2017

Quantity is Good but Quality is Kingstring(36) "Quantity is Good but Quality is King"

June 19, 2017

Ivan Misner

Building Relationships, networking approach, networking events, Networking Tactics, Quality, Quantity Building Relationships, Connections, Ivan Misner, Networking, Networking Tactics, Relationships 3

The more people you meet at an event, the more successful your networking efforts are–and that’s simply not the case. Instead, the quality of the connections you form is much more significant than the quantity of connections you make.

A few years ago, I had a long conversation with a good friend who was considered a networking expert in Europe. He did a lot of work with online networking or social networking. During this conversation, we got into a fundamental disagreement on the subject. He believed that networking was first and foremost a numbers game. He said that “the more people you were connected to the stronger your network.” At first, I went along with this comment agreeing that the number of people in your network was in fact, very important. I then said, “the only thing more important than the quantity of people was the quality of people in your network.” Suddenly, our paths diverged. He said the “quality of people in your network are really not that important, instead it is all a numbers game.”

To this day, I steadfastly disagree. Networking is not a numbers game. It’s more like a people puzzle. It’s about building relationships with the close people in your network. That means that it’s about finding ways to interconnect the relationships you have to build a powerful personal network. In order to do that – you actually have to have a fair number of quality relationships in that sea of contacts.

If your network is a mile wide and an inch deep, it will never be successful.

Instead, your network needs to be both wide and – in places, deep. That is, you need to have a wide set of contacts but some of those need to be connections that go deep. Therefore, the quality of your network is just as important, if not more important than the quantity of your network. This doesn’t mean that quantity isn’t important. It is important. The thing is that a small network of quality people limits your success. However, a large network with multiple quality relationships makes for a much more powerful, personal network.

It is a little like your left hand and your right hand. Both are really important. But one is generally stronger, more powerful, and generally used more than the other. You can’t accomplish what you want as easily without both. However, one is the stronger hand. This is similar to the quantity vs. quality argument in networking.

I believe that it is NOT, what you know, or who you know – it’s how well you know each other that counts.

Strong relationships take simple “contacts” and turn them into powerful “connections.” It doesn’t really matter if I have an amazing database of people with many phone numbers. What really matters is if I can pick up the phone and ask some of them for a favor and they take my call then are willing to do that favor.

By the way, since that argument a few years ago, my friend is no longer in the networking business. Quantity is good but quality truly is King.

4Aug2016

Selecting Your Business Networksstring(32) "Selecting Your Business Networks"

August 4, 2016

Ivan Misner

Networking, networking events, networking strategy, Networking Tactics, relationships, strategy, Success Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Success, Uncategorized, Video Blog

This video is hosted by Entrepreneur.com and can be found on The Networking for Success YouTube Channel.

Networking is the perfect way to help take your business to the next level. But putting your eggs in one basket and depending on one networking group to satisfy all your needs won’t work–and that’s coming from the Founder of the world’s largest referral network.

It’s the same with your networking groups! While you may find cheer and honesty in more than one group, it’s important to spread your interests to gain a varied support system.

When selecting your business networks, you need to understand which types are available so you can make an informed decision. There are five types:

1. Casual Contact: A gathering on people from many different professions, usually in a mixer environment

2. Strong Contact: Usually only allows one person per profession, get together very regularly

3. Community Service Clubs: An opportunity to rub elbows with other very successful people

4. Professional Associations: Trade organizations that are very specific in purpose

5. Online: Social Media such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, where networking is constant

To better understand which group fits you best, watch the video below.

21Jul2016

Thanks, But I Don’t Need Your Cardstring(40) "Thanks, But I Don’t Need Your Card"

July 21, 2016

Ivan Misner

business networking, Networking, networking events, networking strategy, Networking Tactics, strategy, Success Business, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Video Blog 1

This video is hosted on the Networking for Success YouTube Channel, hosted by Entrepreneur.com.

Imagine you’re at a networking event.

I know, it’s a stretch. But work with me here.

So you’re mixing and mingling and start passing out your business cards like candy. Suddenly, someone hands it back you and says, “No, thanks.” This actually happened to a BNI Member. He wrote to me, astonished, and asked what I would do in his situation. Well, here’s my answer.

18Jul2016

If I’m Not Approachable…am I Alienating?string(52) "If I’m Not Approachable…am I Alienating?"

July 18, 2016

Ivan Misner

Networking, networking events, networking strategy, Networking Tactics Connections, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Success, Uncategorized 1

Truth? You might be.

In the first part of this two-part blog, I talked about how to know if you are approachable when it comes to mingling at networking events–because you may not know that you are the one getting in your own way when it comes to meeting new people and kindling business relationships.

If you read the first blog (found here: https://ivanmisner.com/successful-networking-kind/ ) and discovered that the behaviors listed weren’t those you exhibited when networking, you might begin to wonder if you are, in fact, alienating.

Here are some examples of alienating behaviors:

1. A Negative Attitude: Rambling about your rough personal or professional life is off-putting for your future referral partner. Leave your problems at the door of any networking event you attend. If you’re down, don’t bring others down with you, because they might avoid you at future events and others might follow their lead.

2. Closed-Off Body Language: If you have a scowl on your face and your arms crossed over your chest, others will most likely move on to someone more welcoming. Your stance means a lot in your approachability and allows others to walk past you or join in the conversation easily.

3. Incongruence: Inconsistency in what you say and what you do makes a huge difference in people’s perception of whether or not you are approachable or alienating. If you’re reiterating how much you value kindness in others, but speak poorly to a server or hostess at the event, your potential referral partner is going to dismiss you as insincere.

But how can you really tell if you are approachable or alienating? Bring a trusted friend or referral partner with you to your next networking event and observe each other’s body language, tone of voice and words. Afterwards, exchange constructive feedback with the intent of helping each other become better referral partners.

14Jul2016

Why Successful Networking is All About You…Kind Ofstring(56) "Why Successful Networking is All About You…Kind Of"

July 14, 2016

Ivan Misner

business networking, Networking, networking events, networking strategy, Networking Tactics, relationships, strategy, Success Networking, Networking Tactics, Success, Uncategorized

This is the first in a two part series.

Do you find yourself a networking event, standing alone awkwardly and wondering why you can’t hold a conversation? Do you wonder why others don’t seem interested in talking to you, while those around you are conversing easily and often? You wore the right thing, you have a drink in your hand and clearly you have no one to talk to–so why aren’t people lined around the corner to speak to you?

I hate to be the one to say it, but it has to be said–it might be you. Not the inherent you, not your personality or your reputation; but your body language and behavior can turn a stranger into a referral partner or into just another body in the room. If you want to make this networking thing happen, you have to know–

Are you approachable or alienating?

Here’s how to know if you are APPROACHABLE:

1. Positive Attitude: You smile, laugh and look like you are a pleasant person to talk to. Although this seems ridiculously simple, you’d be surprised how many people don’t realize their frowning or looking bored in conversation. Go look in the mirror and watch how your face changes when you frown and when you smile–you’ll see what a difference it makes!

2. Open Body Language: In the book Networking Like a Pro, I talk about positioning when a person is conversing with others. Instead of talking to someone in a one-on-one conversation, standing closely together with your shoulders facing squarely at one another, make sure your stance allows the room for someone else to approach and join in.

3.Congruence: Conduct yourself as if every person you meet is the host of the event, going above and beyond to make them feel good. Don’t over compliment or lay on the schmooze, but do make a point to encourage others in conversation and seem genuinely interested in them and their business.

Next week: Are you alienating?

16Jul2015

Classic Video: One Simple Rule for a Winning Approach to Networkingstring(67) "Classic Video: One Simple Rule for a Winning Approach to Networking"

July 16, 2015

Ivan Misner

Charlie Lawson, mixers, networking approach, Networking Disconnect, networking events, networking intent, selling, simple rule Marketing/Sales, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Referrals, Success, Uncategorized, Video Blog, Word of Mouth 1

I have been doing video blogs for quite a few years now and a while back it occurred to me that some of the videos I’ve previously posted focus on timeless topics that deserve to be revisited and not buried way back in the video blog archive. For this reason, I decided to occasionally feature a “classic” video blog from my blog archive and today I am sharing the sixth one–”One Simple Rule to a Winning Approach at Netwoking.” In this video, I talk to UK networking expert Charlie Lawson about the Networking Disconnect which commonly hinders the success of many who attend networking events and mixers.

Charlie explains that the Disconnect can be avoided all together by following one simple rule that will get your networking approach and intent geared in the right direction. I’ll give you a hint–it involves big fish and coffee. 😉

After watching the video, come back and comment about your experience(s) with the Networking Disconnect (trust me, we’ve all had some experience with it) and what you think about the advice Charlie offers in the video . . . looking forward to hearing from you!

6Jul2015

Quantity Is Fine, But Quality Is Kingstring(37) "Quantity Is Fine, But Quality Is King"

Photo Courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One of the biggest misconceptions I’m aware of in regard to networking is the notion that it’s an “all you can eat” affair. In other words, people go to an event, work the room in an effort to meet everyone there, and then judge their success by the number of cards they accumulate. Although I see a certain superficial logic in that, there’s only one fatal flaw with this kind of thinking: it assumes that the more people you meet at an event, the more successful your networking efforts are–and that’s simply not the case. Instead, the quality of the connections you form is much more significant than the quantity of connections you make.

Businesspeople unfamiliar with referral networking sometimes lose track of the fact that networking is the means–not the end–of their business-building activities. They attend three, four, even five events in a week in a desperate grasp for new business. The predictable result is that they stay so busy meeting new people that they never have time to follow up and cultivate those relationships–and how can they expect to get that new business from someone they’ve only just met? As one of these unfortunates remarked to me, “I feel like I’m always doing business but rarely getting anything done.”

I certainly agree that meeting new people is an integral part of networking, but it’s important to remember why we’re doing it in the first place: to develop a professional rapport with individuals that will deepen over time into a trusting relationship that will eventually lead to a mutually beneficial and continuous exchange of referrals.

When meeting someone for the first time, focus on the potential relationship you might form. As hard as it may be to suppress your business reflexes, at this stage you cannot make it your goal to sell your services or promote your company. You’re there to get to know a new person. A friend of mine told me something his dad always said: “You don’t have to sell to friends.” That’s especially good advice when interacting with new contacts.

This certainly doesn’t mean you’ll never get to sell anything to people you meet while networking; it does, however, mean that you’ll need to employ a different approach. Networking isn’t about closing business or meeting hordes of new people; it’s about developing relationships in which future business can be closed. Once you understand that, you’ll stand out from the crowd with everyone you meet.

When you’re networking like a pro and treating new contacts as future referral partners, you’ll absolutely blow away any competitors who still feel compelled to meet as many people as they possibly can. Why? Because when you call your contacts back, they’ll actually remember who you are and be willing to meet with you again.

16Feb2015

Introducing Yourself at Networking Events–Top Tips for Overcoming Anxietystring(79) "Introducing Yourself at Networking Events–Top Tips for Overcoming Anxiety"

February 16, 2015

Ivan Misner

Anxiety, Being Prepared, confidence, fear, Introducing Yourself, networking events, networking meetings, presenting, Public Speaking, Top Tips Conversation, Fear, Introducing Yourself, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Public Speaking 2

Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If the thought of giving a brief introduction of yourself and your business at networking meetings makes your palms sweat, read on . . .

When participating, even as a guest, in various networking meetings or functions, the fact is that you will be required to introduce yourself sooner or later. Preparing a script for introducing yourself will improve your results. One of your scripts should be an overview of what you do. Other presentations can address various aspects of your product or service. Here’s the script sequence I recommend:

Your name
Your business or profession
Brief description of your business or profession
Benefit statement of one of your products or services
Your name again

Your name and your business profession are easy enough. A brief description and a benefit statement can be separate items, but more often they are intertwined in your message. It’s fairly easy to combine your business with the benefits of your product or service. I suggest telling people what you do, as well as what you are:

“I’m a financial planner and I help people plan for their future” or “I’m an advertising and marketing consultant; I help companies get the most out of their advertising dollar.” These explanations are more effective than saying, “I do financial planning,” or “I plan advertising campaigns.”

In many situations, you’ll be introducing yourself to only one or two people at a time. Some networking organizations have all the members stand at each meeting, and in round-robin fashion, give a one-minute overview to the entire group. If you’re a member of a group like this, it is vitally important to vary your presentations.

Many people who are in networking groups that meet every week have a tendency to say the same old thing, time after time. From what I’ve seen, many weekly presentations are done weakly. If you don’t vary your presentations, many people will tune you out when you speak because they’ve already heard your message several times. Your best bet is to give a brief overview, then concentrate on just one element of your business for the rest of your presentation.

If you prepare your brief introduction using these techniques, you will begin to get much more confident at introducing yourself and, what’s better, you’ll begin to get better networking results. If you try introducing yourself in this way at your next networking meeting or function,

I’d love to hear how it turns out for you–please come back and share your experience in the comment forum below. Or, if you’ve already done some things to help you with this issue – please share your tactics with us. Thanks!

27Oct2014

How and When to Deliver Your Business Cardstring(42) "How and When to Deliver Your Business Card"

October 27, 2014

Ivan Misner

Card Pushers, direct selling, networking events Advertising, Business, Connections, Conversation, Marketing/Sales, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Strategy 4

Last week I posted a blog entitled “Leverage Your Smallest Billboard” about how to make the most of one of the most powerful marketing tools you have available to you–your business card. A few days after that post went up, I received an e-mail from one of my blog readers asking if I could offer some details on the best way to go about distributing business cards when networking. She specifically wanted to know if there’s any way to tell when it’s the right time to offer your card to a new contact. So, in answer to her request, today’s blog post is all about how and when to deliver your business card.

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How many times have you been to a networking function and had people come up to you and literally push their cards into your hand or pocket? Such behavior is business card abuse, and it warrants a phone call to the business card police. I call these people “card pushers.” They come directly from the school of power networking, where they’ve been taught to “Sell! Sell! Sell!”–and to do so at networking events by forcing their cards on every person they meet. Their goal for each networking event is to get rid of as many cards as they can, under the illusion that simply having a card automatically makes you part of their network. They make no real effort to develop relationships. Being on the receiving end of such aggressive card mongering feels awkward; you are being directly sold to, with no consideration of your interests or needs.

Does this sound like a cold call to you? It is–except for one thing. The seller is not safely out of reach at the other end of the line–he’s breathing in your face and grabbing your hand. It’s a situation you’d like to avoid, right? Then make every effort not to impose it on anyone else. Don’t hand out your business card unless someone asks for it.

That’s right. You read correctly. I’ll say it again to make the point. The best way to use your business card is not to give it out if people don’t ask for it. If you practice this rule while networking, you’ll be amazed at the impact you’ll have on others. You’ll find it refreshing, liberating, and, most important, controlled. You are now assured that peoople who ask for your card actually want your card. As a bonus, you save money and trees!

So, you may be asking yourself, what happens if I want to give someone my card but they don’t ask me? It’s simple . . . ask them for their card. More than likely, they will then ask you for yours as well.

After reading this, what do you think? Do you agree that this is the best way to hand out your business card when networking? Do you have any creative tactics for getting your business cards in the hands of others outside of the networking event environment? If so, how have these tactics paid off for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts so please share them in the comment forum below. Thanks!

23Oct2014

Is It Appropriate to Network Anywhere–Even at a Funeral?string(62) "Is It Appropriate to Network Anywhere–Even at a Funeral?"

In this video, ask you to consider whether or not you think it’s appropriate to network anywhere, any time, any place . . . even at a funeral.

What do you think? Do you think networking at a funeral is a good idea? Chances are, most people reading this will answer with something along the lines of, “Heck no! Passing out business cards at a funeral would be completely inappropriate–not to mention offensive”

Though I certainly agree that passing out business cards at a funeral would likely be one of the worst networking faux pas one could make, I am not necessarily in agreement that it would be inappropriate to network at a funeral.

What do I mean by this? Well, you’ll have to watch the video to find out but I will tell you that you very well may change your thoughts on the appropriateness of networking absolutely anywhere after you hear the personal story I share about networking at a church function.

Do you have any stories, thoughts, or experiences relating to forming significant networking connections in places that at first seemed to be inappropriate networking venues? If so, I’d really like to hear what you have to say. Please leave a comment in the discussion forum below. Thanks!

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