How often does this happen to you? The day after you attend a business networking event, you get a few generic email requests to Link In with people you chatted with for two minutes. They say ‘I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn’. Or, even worse, ‘Because you’re a friend … or … someone I trust … ‘.
I get several of these unsolicited requests a week from 2nd level connections I don’t know, people I met very briefly or who were in the audience for one of my presentations.
Regular readers know that I frequently engage in lively discussions with several LinkedIn groups. A recent posting asked about ideas for following up on business cards gathered at networking events. Some excerpts from my comments:
Happy Networking!
When you’re networking, begin making the very best first impression you can on the strangers you meet with a winning smile and good eye contact. Then, continue that positive image with a comfortable handshake.
‘Where are some good places to network?’ As the COSE MindSpring ‘Networking Strategies’ Expert, I get that question a lot. It’s very difficult to answer, especially briefly. The long answer involves a lot of work answering several other questions first.
Networking is simply a process for ‘sharing information, ideas and resources’, as John Naisbitt defined it in ‘Megatrends’ back in 1982. Networking is all about information you need to find or can share with others. So, to those other questions:
Has this ever happened to you? You’re networking at a COSE or other professional association event and you’ve just delivered a concise, engaging and listener-centric Elevator Speech to Maria. Good for you! Now, what do you do?
You have several options to continue the conversation, enhance a potentially beneficial new business relationship and learn more about Maria. Here are a few Best Practices I’ve learned from some colleagues or clients who are on the Varsity Networking Team:
Identify simple strategies for marketing your business when you donʼt have the skills to do it alone or the budget to have someone else do it for you. Harness the Power of the Pen, the Platform, and the Pro Bono, along with focused networking and social media use.
Learn how to network with more confidence – with focus, finesse and flexibility. Benefit from highly engaging discussions of Best Practice strategies and techniques for networking on purpose and for a purpose.
