Top Networking mistakes to avoid

[howard_two]

Top Networking mistakes to avoid ​

At a local meeting a financial advisor passed this information to us. I thought I would share it with the cummunity here.​

1. Arriving at Networking Events Late -
Some of the best opportunities to meet and get to know fellow networkers is by arriving 10 –15 minutes early for an event. While waiting for a room to open or the rest of the group to arrive is a great time to introduce yourself to the early birds. Arriving late also
gives the impression of disorganization – not the image you want to convey.​

2. Distributing Poorly Prepared Materials –
You might have been running late in getting your distribution materials together but poor copies or crude flyers can do more harm than good for your company’s image. With Photoshop, PageMaker and other graphics packages, the ante has been upped
for even home made presentation materials. If you do not have the expertise yourself, find an inexpensive graphic artist to put together professional looking materials.​

3. Starting a Business Card Collection –
I don’t mean collecting cards is a bad idea. I mean that the collection of cards in itself has no value unless you put the information to use. Having a collection of thousands of cards lying in your desk drawer does not get you more business. Get the information into some type of database even if it is just your email account. (Most provide contact fields for addresses, phone numbers and notes) Consider getting a business card scanner that puts most of the card information automatically into a database.​

4. Emphasizing the Quantity of Contacts –
This was my biggest mistake when I started networking. I believed that I had to shake hands and get card from every person in the room! A two-minute conversation and the exchange of business cards does not create a relationship. I find it is far better to
get to know the contact in depth even if it means not reaching some of the other people attending the meeting. However, qualification is important as mentioned next.​

5. Spending Equal Time with Every Contact –
In my business (investment management) I am fortunate in that every contact is a potential client. Even so, I need to quickly determine in my conversation with my networking contact, if that person (or his friends, relatives, etc.) might be in a position to use my services. If the person is having a hard time making ends meet and has no investable assets, if they are happy with their present advisor, if their risk tolerance has them venture no further than a bank CD, it is probably time for me to move on. Many businesses are very specialized (e.g. granite counter tops.) for them, it is even more important to qualify early since the number of contacts using a specialized service
is more limited.​

6. Expecting that Your Contact Will Get in Touch with You –
It may happen if there is an urgent need for your service. However, there is a lot of inertia in changing suppliers, service companies, etc. Therefore, it is important for you to follow up on all potential clients/customers. A simple email thanking them for the opportunity to discuss your business is the least you could do. Use it as an opportunity to describe your product/service in more detail. Promise that your catalog/flyer will come in shortly. Wait a few days and send them copies of your flyers as attachments. Inform them of specials and new developments.​

7. Not Asking Your Contacts for Referrals –
Actually, when speaking to a contact, keep in mind you are also speaking to all his family, friends, acquaintances and co-workers at the same time. Even if the need
for your product/service is not immediate to your contact, perhaps it is for someone the contact knows.
Ask.​

8. Expecting Business Instead of Building Relationships –
Good relationships are mutually beneficial. Think what referrals, information, guidance, membership groups, etc. that your contact may benefit from. That is, when you think about helping your contact, your contact is more likely to think about
helping you. You’ve picked up a lot of useful information being in business. Don’t hesitate to share it.​

9. Avoiding Professional Organization Membership –
Joining a professional organization in your specialty might be expensive. However, those credentials can carry a lot of weight with potential clients/customers. Don’t hesitate to volunteer for officer positions. Being the Vice-President of the Las Vegas Chapter of Carpet Maintenance Professionals gives you an air of authority and reliability.​

10. Having No System of Followup –
This is somewhat related to your contact database. Some sophisticated contact managers (ACT! and Goldmine) have built in tickler calendars that remind you to
contact your client whether by phone, email or in person. Most email providers like Yahoo and email programs like Outlook have built in reminder calendars giving you advance notice for making a contact. It makes a terrible impression on a contact if you miss a scheduled appointment – even if it is only a telephone call. A calendar also becomes a travel log that you can use for your business mileage
deductions.​

11. Bonus Mistake Tip from My Brother –

My brother Steve is in the printing business and points out a common mistake made with business cards. He says he prints cards frequently that are a gloss finish on both the front and the back. The problem, he says, is that ball point pen will not write on gloss so that your contact cannot make notes on the back of the card. I use the card back of my contact to write the

date I met the contact and where, plus other relevant details. Steve suggests a matte finish on the back of business cards for that purpose.:smxA:​

 

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Vuq Pivxusloph notvelit vu ewuof ​

Ev e mudem niivoph e gopepdoem efwotus qettif vjot opgusnevoup vu at. O vjuahjv O xuamf tjesi ov xovj vji dannapovz jisi.​

1. Essowoph ev Pivxusloph Iwipvt Mevi -
Tuni ug vji citv uqqusvapovoit vu niiv epf hiv vu lpux gimmux pivxuslist ot cz essowoph 10 –15 nopavit iesmz gus ep iwipv. Xjomi xeovoph gus e suun vu uqip us vji sitv ug vji hsuaq vu essowi ot e hsiev voni vu opvsufadi zuastimg vu vji iesmz cosft. Essowoph mevi emtu
howit vji onqsittoup ug fotushepobevoup – puv vji onehi zua xepv vu dupwiz.​

2. Fotvsocavoph Quusmz Qsiqesif Nevisoemt –
Zua nohjv jewi ciip sappoph mevi op hivvoph zuas fotvsocavoup nevisoemt vuhivjis cav quus duqoit us dsafi gmzist dep fu nusi jesn vjep huuf gus zuas dunqepz’t onehi. Xovj Qjuvutjuq, QehiNelis epf uvjis hseqjodt qedlehit, vji epvi jet ciip aqqif
gus iwip juni nefi qsitipvevoup nevisoemt. Og zua fu puv jewi vji iyqisvoti zuastimg, gopf ep opiyqiptowi hseqjod esvotv vu qav vuhivjis qsugittoupem muuloph nevisoemt.​

3. Tvesvoph e Catopitt Desf Dummidvoup –
O fup’v niep dummidvoph desft ot e cef ofie. O niep vjev vji dummidvoup ug desft op ovtimg jet pu wemai apmitt zua qav vji opgusnevoup vu ati. Jewoph e dummidvoup ug vjuatepft ug desft mzoph op zuas fitl fsexis fuit puv hiv zua nusi catopitt. Hiv vji opgusnevoup opvu tuni vzqi ug feveceti iwip og ov ot katv zuas ineom edduapv. (Nutv qsuwofi dupvedv goimft gus effsittit, qjupi pancist epf puvit) Duptofis hivvoph e catopitt desf tdeppis vjev qavt nutv ug vji desf opgusnevoup eavunevodemmz opvu e feveceti.​

4. Inqjetoboph vji Raepvovz ug Dupvedvt –
Vjot xet nz cohhitv notveli xjip O tvesvif pivxusloph. O cimoiwif vjev O jef vu tjeli jepft epf hiv desf gsun iwisz qistup op vji suun! E vxu-nopavi dupwistevoup epf vji iydjephi ug catopitt desft fuit puv dsievi e simevouptjoq. O gopf ov ot ges civvis vu
hiv vu lpux vji dupvedv op fiqvj iwip og ov niept puv siedjoph tuni ug vji uvjis qiuqmi evvipfoph vji niivoph. Juxiwis, raemogodevoup ot onqusvepv et nipvoupif piyv.​

5. Tqipfoph Iraem Voni xovj Iwisz Dupvedv –
Op nz catopitt (opwitvnipv nepehinipv) O en gusvapevi op vjev iwisz dupvedv ot e quvipvoem dmoipv. Iwip tu, O piif vu raodlmz fivisnopi op nz dupwistevoup xovj nz pivxusloph dupvedv, og vjev qistup (us jot gsoipft, simevowit, ivd.) nohjv ci op e qutovoup vu ati nz tiswodit. Og vji qistup ot jewoph e jesf voni neloph ipft niiv epf jet pu opwitvecmi ettivt, og vjiz esi jeqqz xovj vjios qsitipv efwotus, og vjios sotl vumisepdi jet vjin wipvasi pu gasvjis vjep e cepl DF, ov ot qsucecmz voni gus ni vu nuwi up. Nepz catopittit esi wisz tqidoemobif (i.h. hsepovi duapvis vuqt.) gus vjin, ov ot iwip nusi onqusvepv vu raemogz iesmz topdi vji pancis ug dupvedvt atoph e tqidoemobif tiswodi
ot nusi monovif.​

6. Iyqidvoph vjev Zuas Dupvedv Xomm Hiv op Vuadj xovj Zua –
Ov nez jeqqip og vjisi ot ep ashipv piif gus zuas tiswodi. Juxiwis, vjisi ot e muv ug opisvoe op djephoph taqqmoist, tiswodi dunqepoit, ivd. Vjisigusi, ov ot onqusvepv gus zua vu gummux aq up emm quvipvoem dmoipvt/datvunist. E tonqmi ineom vjeploph vjin gus vji uqqusvapovz vu fotdatt zuas catopitt ot vji mietv zua duamf fu. Ati ov et ep uqqusvapovz vu fitdsoci zuas qsufadv/tiswodi op nusi fiveom. Qsunoti vjev zuas devemuh/gmzis xomm duni op tjusvmz. Xeov e gix fezt epf tipf vjin duqoit ug zuas gmzist et evvedjnipvt. Opgusn vjin ug tqidoemt epf pix fiwimuqnipvt.​

7. Puv Etloph Zuas Dupvedvt gus Sigissemt –
Edvaemmz, xjip tqieloph vu e dupvedv, liiq op nopf zua esi emtu tqieloph vu emm jot genomz, gsoipft, edraeopvepdit epf du-xuslist ev vji teni voni. Iwip og vji piif
gus zuas qsufadv/tiswodi ot puv onnifoevi vu zuas dupvedv, qisjeqt ov ot gus tuniupi vji dupvedv lpuxt.
Etl.​

8. Iyqidvoph Catopitt Optvief ug Caomfoph Simevouptjoqt –
Huuf simevouptjoqt esi navaemmz cipigodoem. Vjopl xjev sigissemt, opgusnevoup, haofepdi, nincistjoq hsuaqt, ivd. vjev zuas dupvedv nez cipigov gsun. Vjev ot, xjip zua vjopl ecuav jimqoph zuas dupvedv, zuas dupvedv ot nusi molimz vu vjopl ecuav
jimqoph zua. Zua’wi qodlif aq e muv ug atigam opgusnevoup cioph op catopitt. Fup’v jitovevi vu tjesi ov.​

9. Ewuofoph Qsugittoupem Ushepobevoup Nincistjoq –
Kuopoph e qsugittoupem ushepobevoup op zuas tqidoemvz nohjv ci iyqiptowi. Juxiwis, vjuti dsifipvoemt dep dessz e muv ug xiohjv xovj quvipvoem dmoipvt/datvunist. Fup’v jitovevi vu wumapviis gus uggodis qutovoupt. Cioph vji Wodi-Qsitofipv ug vji Met Wihet Djeqvis ug Desqiv Neopvipepdi Qsugittoupemt howit zua ep eos ug eavjusovz epf simoecomovz.​

10. Jewoph Pu Tztvin ug Gummuxaq –
Vjot ot tunixjev simevif vu zuas dupvedv feveceti. Tuni tuqjotvodevif dupvedv nepehist (EDV! epf Humfnopi) jewi caomv op vodlmis demipfest vjev sinopf zua vu
dupvedv zuas dmoipv xjivjis cz qjupi, ineom us op qistup. Nutv ineom qsuwofist moli Zejuu epf ineom qsuhsent moli Uavmuul jewi caomv op sinopfis demipfest howoph zua efwepdi puvodi gus neloph e dupvedv. Ov nelit e vissocmi onqsittoup up e dupvedv og zua nott e tdjifamif eqquopvnipv – iwip og ov ot upmz e vimiqjupi demm. E demipfes emtu cidunit e vsewim muh vjev zua dep ati gus zuas catopitt nomiehi
fifadvoupt.​

11. Cupat Notveli Voq gsun Nz Csuvjis –

Nz csuvjis Tviwi ot op vji qsopvoph catopitt epf quopvt uav e dunnup notveli nefi xovj catopitt desft. Ji tezt ji qsopvt desft gsiraipvmz vjev esi e hmutt gopotj up cuvj vji gsupv epf vji cedl. Vji qsucmin, ji tezt, ot vjev cemm quopv qip xomm puv xsovi up hmutt tu vjev zuas dupvedv deppuv neli puvit up vji cedl ug vji desf. O ati vji desf cedl ug nz dupvedv vu xsovi vji

fevi O niv vji dupvedv epf xjisi, qmat uvjis simiwepv fiveomt. Tviwi tahhitvt e nevvi gopotj up vji cedl ug catopitt desft gus vjev qasquti.:tnyE:​

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Hsiev gopf. O piif vu aq nz pivxusloph tlommt.

 

[HumBull1]

Vjeplt gus vji efwodi !!!