Once you have mastered the basics of Networking, what else can you do?
Start to move further out of your comfort zone.
Try writing an article for a relevant magazine or the relevant section in your local paper.
You are then a published author and you can refer to it in conversation. Mail copies to your contacts.
Look for and join a networking group – you’ll be able to practice your Personal Presentation and expand your network further.
Make sure your website is current and up to date.
New business contacts will ‘check you out’ via the internet.
If you are telling your potential customers one story, but your web site is unprofessional and amateurish, it will not reflect well on you.
Have a Facebook and a LinkedIn profile and keep them up to date.
Start a newsletter.
Sharing your knowledge on a regular basis can provide your contacts with useful information and marks you out as an ‘expert’ in your field. Get their permission first, before adding them to your mailing list.
A newsletter doesn’t have to be every week, monthly or even quarterly, but it does have to have good useful content. Use links back to your website for Special Offers or other products or services.
Why not become a platform speaker?
Join a Speakers Club and learn to present at networking and other events. It will build your visibility and credibility with potential new clients.
Why not start your own business networking group? If you’ve been to a number of groups and not been able to find one that is right for you, why not start your own group?
It can be as simple as hosting a regular breakfast or lunch. Contact eight to ten of your business contacts or colleagues and ask them to meet you for a shared cost breakfast or lunch – provided they bring one or two business colleagues along.
Starting your own networking group takes time and effort.
Not only do you have to create excitement, but you also have to sustain the momentum; ensuring, people continue to attend.
Here are 5 things to remember when launching your own networking group so that it sizzles and doesn’t fizzle out.
You can’t do it alone. Find 4/5 volunteers to help you shape the direction of the group.
• Set up the ‘rules & regulations’ at the beginning. You don’t have to have a huge list of rules, but it does help if your new members know what is expected of them and what they can expect.
• Keep the momentum going by planning a number of events. Nothing is more off-putting to new members than to find there are no more events or meetings planned.
If you can, be specific on the dates: every Tuesday or the first Monday of every month. People can then plan ahead to attend.
• Decide early and tell people why you are doing what you are doing.
Understand why you are creating this networking group by writing a mission statement and strategies for the year.
• Ensure that your Unique Selling Proposition isn’t the same as similar networking groups.
Develop an interesting model that other networking groups aren’t using and you’ll attract repeat visitors to your events.
Don’t forget to use social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Myspace and Twitter to promote your business and to find new contacts.
Share information, best practice and experiences with your on-line contacts.
They may be in another city or even another country, but the experiences and problems of running a business are universal.
Each year analyse your networking activity:
How many events attended, new contacts made, revenue generated and take an objective view of the results.
Be prepared to drop groups or events that you attend regularly if they are not giving you the return you would expect from the time (and money) you are investing.
Use networking as a vehicle to learn from new ideas and being exposed to different attitudes, and look for a professional coach, someone who will push you in your business.
Finally – networking is a process, not an end in itself.
Consistent networking will bring rewards!