Networking is a top skill required for any professional/ business owner in today's world. This presentation shares some simple and effective tips on networking better.
The presentation focuses on:
1. Identify the mindset of a networker.
2. Observe the prerequisites of effective networking
3. Communicate for effective networking.
Like every other skill, the ability to network, connect and influence others positively is a slow and long process.
Like someone said " You're network is you're net worth"!
3. To get us started..
The vital question is
CAN I BE YOUR COACH FOR
THE NEXT 2 HOURS?
4. My Purpose Today As Your Coach…
To reward your time
investment with the simplest
ways to:
• Identify the mindset of a networker
• Observe the prerequisites of
effective networking
• Communicate for effective
networking
5. Your Coach..
• MBA(HR)
• Worked in the health industry for 5yrs
• Certified Image Coach & Corporate Trainer
• Certified Business Coach
6. Let’s do
this..
Describe and write your most desirable ideal contact/ referral.
Look around at the participants on your table.
Describe and write their most desirable ideal contact/ referral.
5mins
Share your responses
10. A networker helps never sells.
“You’ll get all you want in life, if you help
enough people get what they want.”
Zig Ziglar
11. Mindset
shift #1
I need to be strategic about whom
to meet and with whom to build
relationships.
12. How..
Know the participants beforehand.
Contact Personality
think about whom you want to meet – and that goes for clients, power
partners, potential collaborators, and mentors
use a spreadsheet to create an avatar for each type of person you want
to meet.
networking events to attend
a good jumping off point for who to contact on LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.
13. Mindset
shift #2
Networking is about going out and
meeting people who will become my
clients.
Networking is about helping other
people and developing all sorts of
different relationships.
14. How..
Be interested than interesting..
Selling is not telling; Selling is asking questions.
Be the problem solver, not the product pusher
15. Mindset
shift #3
I have to really impress people
whenever I network
Being vulnerable, listening, and/or
asking for help actually creates an
opening for authentic connection.
16. Invitations
to connect
can come
in many
forms,
including
Asking someone else for their input on something. People
love to help. It makes them feel valuable – which they are.
Listening to someone else’s story. When you discover why
someone is truly awesome, you will find ways to connect
with them.
Asking thoughtful questions. Don’t just ask “What do you
do?” Go deeper. Find out why they went into business.
What are they struggling with? What are they celebrating?
You can even directly ask someone how you can help them.
Creating a real connection is way more important – and
memorable – than nailing that elevator pitch that will be
forgotten by the time the networking event is over.
17. Mindset
shift #4
Good networkers are people who
are comfortable talking to others.
Good networkers know how to
show other people they care by
having meaty conversations and
following up in a timely and
personalized manner.
18. How..
• Don’t feel pressured to meet everyone in the room.
• Stay longer with people you genuinely are having a great conversation
with.
• It’s about creating a community of people with whom you have mutual
trust and respect.
• Focusing on depth instead of quantity gives me the opportunity to
a: Get to know if I want to continue the relationship and
b: Create a highly personalized follow up email or call later on.
20. To become a
better
networker
today:
Be Be strategic about whom you meet.
Don’t Don’t just focus on selling – focus on building
relationships. These can be with potential clients,
power partners, collaborators, or mentors.
Invite Invite connections by asking thoughtful
questions, being vulnerable, listening to
someone’s story, or asking how you can help.
Follow
up
Follow up. But don’t just follow up. Make it
meaningful and personal.
Build Build your network in many ways – via LinkedIn,
Facebook, by helping your friends, or reaching
out to potential mentors.
35. 2. Start with the end in mind
Set up a follow up interaction
36. 3.Facts tell, stories sell
• Stories help people to make changes in their lives.
• People don't usually remember facts,
• but they usually remember a story,
• especially one that they can identify with.
38. 4. Your Elevator Pitch
Rule No. 1: Write this down….
“Seek first to understand then to be understood”
Be interested in others, ask questions, listen, engage, being
curious, enthusiastic and genuinely interested.
39. 5. Understand the objective(talking to a
prospect) here:
The objective is Connection and Permission...
Connection is done by asking ‘dumb’ questions…
40. Intro: Hi, Diya Khurana with ActionCOACH Business Coaching. (shake hands)
They usually reply with their name and Business
Q: So, Vineet, what brought you along here today/tonight?
Q: Are you in business for yourself or do you work for someone else?
Q: Well done! What exactly do you do?
Q: Excellent... How long have you been doing that?
Q: Wow! How many people do you have working with you? (We have now
determined whether they are in our target market or not)
Q: I guess in that time you have seen a few changes?
Q: What would you say is happening in your industry now?
Q: That’s interesting... and what’s been the impact of that on you personally?
Useful questions to ask them:
41. Useful questions to ask them:
• “Ok to join you?”
• “Thanks Vineet, so tell me, what do you do?”
• “And what’s your role in the business?”
• If they are a BDM… “Who would be a great contact for you to meet?”
“Could I have a couple of your business cards so I can steer people like that
your way?” And exchange pleasantries and move on.
• “How long ago did you set the business up?”
• “Big decision to get into business for yourself, what were you hoping for at the
outset?”
• “And how’s it panned out?”
• Listen carefully to them and then shut up and wait for them to ask you the
question “what do you do?”
42. When do you hand the card?
Always after building rapport
43. Wrap Up - Exit
• Q: Excellent! Do you have a business card?
• Q: OK, what is a good way to reach you?
• Q: Super! It’d be great if we connect on Linkedin, Facebook…
• Q: Great! So, Vineet, there is a couple of people I need to meet up with
before I go is it OK if I go and grab them now and I’ll be in touch on (day,
platform, place…..). Is that OK? Awesome great meeting you!
44. Step by Step Guide to
Productive Networking
IYMO
In, You, Me, Out
45. In
• Get into the conversation. Approach
someone and ask,
• “Ok if I join you?”
• When they say “Yes.”, this step is complete
46. You
• Talk about them first.
• It’s more polite to do this than talk about
yourself.
• It’s easier.
• It tells you about them, so you can tailor
what you say during the conversation.
47. You
• Stimulate chat about them, ask questions:
• Introductory questions
• Unearthing questions
• The Big Question
48. Me
It’s more interesting to talk about what you
cause—
“I help companies make more money.”,
than what you do—
“I’m a Business Coach.”
When they ask for more information…………
TELL SUCCESS STORIES…
49. 0UT
If you want to follow-up with them:
• Ask for their business card
• Ask when they want you to call them
• Ask if you can write the date/time on the
back of their card. (This makes it ‘official’ that
you will be calling)
• End the conversation... “I’ve enjoyed talking
to you tonight. I will call you on Monday, as
agreed.”
50. OUT
If you don’t want to follow-up with them:
• Use their answer to The Big Question to help
you extricate yourself...
• “I’ve enjoyed our conversation. You
mentioned earlier that you want to speak to
lawyers. If I bump into any, would you like
me to pass them your way?”
• “Yes, please.”
• “Great, I will do. Enjoy your evening.
51. IYMO - Remember
• Do the follow-up call when you said you would, or everything above is a
total waste of time
• Never sell when networking (it’s really annoying for the other person).
Securing a second meeting is the best outcome you can get, so aim only
for that
• To get best results when working a room, make sure you’re in the right
room.
• If you want to speak to lawyers, go to rooms that are full of lawyers
53. Before we end..
Do you know the acquisition cost of one customer?
When we advertise or market our products, we are essentially
doing what?
Acquisition Cost = Cost of the Marketing Campaign
Number 0f Sales (Customers) generated
56. You can reach
me at:
diya@themindmaestro.com
diya@diyakhurana.com
+91 9714977766
Editor's Notes
Ask everyone to stand up and stretch.
Does it match?
Let’s identify what this word means?
Build a relationship, a relationship that one can leverage on later.
Networking is about establishing, building, and nurturing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with the people you meet, whether you're waiting to order your morning coffee, participating in an intramural sports league, or attending a work conference.
When I first started networking, I thought that I should just meet as many people as possible, and then I would have a great network. But then I started going to networking events. I met a lot of people who wanted to meet up for coffee afterward. Most of these people were just as clueless as I was about how to build a network. We would meet up, have a nice chat, and then nothing would come of it.
Why? Because I wasn’t being strategic. I didn’t know whom I was trying to meet, so networking was like throwing darts at a wall without a target on it.
Knowing a lot of people is not the same as having a network.
Instead, it’s important to think about whom you want to meet – and that goes for clients, power partners, potential collaborators, and mentors. Now I use a spreadsheet to create an avatar for each type of person I want to meet. Then when I think about which networking events to attend, I can decide whether or not to go based on who else is going to be there. And I have a good jumping off point for who to contact on LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.
Don’t network with everyone
Networking seems really scary when you think that you have to go out and constantly promote yourself, hoping that other people will become your clients. But when you think of networking as a way to help others, it actually feels exciting to go out and meet people.
When I used to go to networking events with the mindset that I was there to meet a future client, I was wracked with nerves. What if someone else was there that also built websites? How could I impress people more than that other person? And if I didn’t meet someone who wanted a website, I would see the event as a waste of my time.
Now I see Meetups and networking events as opportunities to listen to other people’s stories, and to provide help in some way. I really love getting to know other people, and helping other business owners gives me genuine satisfaction.
If I don’t meet a paying client, I don’t worry, because I know that building a network takes time. As long as the people I meet seem like authentic connections, I don’t feel that I’ve wasted my time.
But wait, you might say, Didn’t you just say that I need to be strategic about whom I meet? Doesn’t this contradict that?
No, because I chose the event beforehand based on the fact that the people who would be there fit one of my avatars, whether as power partners, or future clients or collaborators. And if I was wrong when choosing the event, at least I got out there and practiced my networking skills. (Hey, it’s an art, not a science.)
This also applies to other types of networking – it’s important to reach out to people, whether on LinkedIn, via email, or via a shared connection, with the intention to help them, and not with the intention to sell. Helping other people builds trust, and that can lead to collaboration, referrals, or some other benefit you may not even be aware of yet.
I was recently at a Meetup group in which 2 guys came in, sat down, and immediately launched into a pitch for their MLM company. They didn’t try to find out about me or the other woman there, and they didn’t seem to be open to feedback when I tried to offer it. Instead, they sat down and cued up a 20 minute video without even asking us if we were up for it. We watched with growing discomfort. No matter how slick the presentation was, there was no way we would sign up for it.
This is an extreme example, but it makes a point. So many people think that they need to nail their elevator pitch, look perfect, and really drive home the benefits of their business in order to successfully network. Not the case.
In order for a true connection to be forged, there has to be a point of connection – an invitation of some kind. And I’m not talking about an invitation to buy.
Let me start by saying that while it is important to be comfortable talking to others, it’s equally important to have real conversations and then follow up.
My conversations so far have been with introverts, ambiverts, and extroverts. You might think that the extroverts are the best networkers. Not necessarily. They can struggle with follow-up, with asking others for help, and with keeping track of all of the many people they meet.
Networking isn’t just about meeting people. It’s about creating a community of people with whom you have mutual trust and respect. And that means being really good at following up.
I read a comment from someone on Quora that suggested not talking to anyone at a networking event for more than 5 minutes. I actually cringed when I read that. Sure you’ll meet lots of people that way, but unless you can show them that you actually care about what they have to say in such a short period of time, and then follow up with a personalized email that indicates that you remember them and genuinely want to learn more, what’s the point of meeting so many people?
I’d rather meet less people, but meet people that I genuinely like and want to know better. Focusing on depth instead of quantity gives me the opportunity to a: Get to know if I want to continue the relationship and b: Create a highly personalized follow up email or call later on.
I’m not saying you should continue a conversation if it’s not going anywhere, but don’t feel pressured to have conversations with everyone in the room. And follow up within 24 hours.
I originally started this project because I wanted to learn how to run the best networking events in Denver. So I set out to talk to as many people as I could about what they thought of as a “successful” networking event. But what I found was that most people said they hated networking events, but they still had thriving businesses and strong networks.
Brenda started out by helping friends for free. Now she has over 80 hours of work a week.
James has changed his business through the connections he’s made on LinkedIn.
Josh landed his first client by providing a ton of value to his coworkers.
Grace focuses on connecting with influencers in order to move her business forward.
Request everybody to write an answer to this question.
For the industry, field of work, organization or occasion.
For the geographical location or region
For the time of the day or year
For the job level and position, for the role and goal
For the person, the people or the group you’ll be with
True to yourself
Consistent with your values and attitudes
Consistent with your personality traits
Comfortable for the body and the psyche
Image from the inside out
Clean and unrumpled, not sloppy
In quality condition
In a fit that flatters the body, enough ease
Harmonious, everything worn looks like it belongs together
Not sale but a follow up interaction
the definition of a ‘dumb’ question is one that I know the prospect knows the answer to… and because they can answer they feel really good about themselves and by association—you
Ask open ended questions
Talk about them first. It’s more polite to do this than talk about yourself. It’s easier—you don’t have to think of amazing things to say. It helps them feel comfortable with you. It tells you about them, so you can tailor what you say during the conversation. To stimulate chat about them, ask questions: • Introductory questions to kick things off: “What do you do?” and/or, “How’s business?” • Unearthing questions, to find their key areas of focus In your company: “What are you responsible for?” • The Big Question (you will need this later): “Who are good contacts for you?”
Introductory questions to kick things off
Unearthing questions, to find their key areas of focus In your company
The Big Question
They will then ask about you. It’s more interesting to talk about what you cause—“I help companies make more money.”,
than what you do—“I’m a Business Coach.”
When they ask for more information, examples of successes you’ve caused for others are much more memorable than
listing all your products and services. Remember, facts tell... stories sell. Use the royal “We” if you’re a Rookie.
What is not referable is not saleable too
When we advertise, we are effectively “buying” a customer. The costs associated with this transaction are called “Acquisition Costs”. To calculate this cost, simply divide the cost of a particular advertising campaign by the number of SALES (customers) are generated. It is important NOT to divide by the number of LEADS.
It is important to test-and-measure in order to keep a constant figure for acquisition costs. Of course, the goal is to have low acquisition costs and to continue campaigns with lower acquisition cost while changing and/or stopping campaigns in which the acquisition costs are too high to be profitable.