How to Network Better

October 29, 2016

Most people feel very uncomfortable walking into a room full of strangers and a lot of people completely avoid talking to strangers and stick to their small group of known people and sometimes alone. However, it is something we must do to broaden our business and personal relationships.

Whenever you are invited to an event, approach it as an opportunity to meet new people and try to talk to as many of them as you can.

Some Important Tips:

Dress for Success - Dress in a style that represents your personality, your company’s brand and projects your personal brand powerfully.

      


Walk in with confidence – Good confident posture with straight shoulders, positive body language & a genuine smile.
    


The name badge – Always wear your name badge on your upper right shoulder. Why? When extending your right hand for a handshake the person will automatically be drawn to your right hand side. Position the badge high enough on your right side to give other people the best view of your badge as well as your face.

         
 

Introduce yourself to people – Greet the person with a firm handshake, a genuine smile and a good eye contact.



Description of what you do – Always be prepared with a short sentence to describe what you do. Keep it brief and simple; however, do talk about what you can deliver, be confident & passionate about your work and add some humor.
 


Ideas of topics to talk about – Think of some “small talk” conversations that are simple and interesting and preferably open questions (Weather, Sports, Current Affairs, Entertainment OR Complimenting them). Be enthusiastic and avoid controversial topics.

 

Importance of Giving and Receiving – the easiest way to get what you want is to help others get what they want.  “Pursue the relationship without any agenda”

 

How to remember names – First introduce yourself and then ask the person for their name. Repeat their name back to them; if you are a visual person, imagine their name written down or look at their business card.


 
Your Network Style  – You are in control of how and where you network. Use your personality style to suit your approach. Learn what makes you tick and works best for you, but do go out of your comfort zone so that you grow and develop and become a great networker.