My Two Cents

September 22, 2011 By
two cents

two centsOver the past few weeks, I have had several conversations with different people about networking, boundaries and the value of time.  One of them asked me to put my thoughts in a series of blog posts.  Not being one to walk away from a challenge, I have taken the bait.  And here is my first post on this issue.

As a business owner, you probably attend a significant amount of networking meetings.  Your objective is to foster new relationships that can help you grow your business.  And as you continue to attend these events, you may hear from others how successful they have been for them.

But think about this:

  1.  Is this networking group the right fit for you?  Are the other attendees in need of your services or able to make connections for you to help grow your business?  Do they even understand your business or the value it offers?  Are you building relationships?  If you walk away feeling positive and energized, it might be a good fit.  If you walk away confused and empty, it may not be the right environment for you.
  2. What is the ROI?  You are taking time to attend these meetings.  Are you paying to attend?  Are you spending money on food/drinks?  How much time do the meetings take?  Take your hourly rate and multiply by the amount of time at the meeting as well as travel time, plus other expenses.  Are you seeing a return on this?  Keep in mind that you may not see a return  immediately, but there should be a potential of a return on investment.  If you can’t justify the time you are spending, then move on.
  3. Are you giving it away?  How often do you meet people at a networking event, who pull you aside and say “can we meet for coffee, I want to pick your brain?”  Think about it, they value your help, but will they put an amount on that?  We all love when people flatter us and compliment how great we are.  But do you really have time to drive cross town for a cup of coffee?   If you offer business advise/coaching as part of your service, then it should have a value.   A compliment only requires a “thank you”.

My advice:

  1. Don’t join any associations until you have attended a meeting as a guest and clearly see the value to your business.  Your best friend may love it, but if their business is different from yours, the ROI can be very different.
  2. Try as many networking meetings as you can make time for.  Even if they are not beneficial for your business, you may find new friends and contacts that will enhance other aspects of your life.  Look at everything as an opportunity!
  3. Fine tune your 30 second pitch.  Always have business cards with you.    Have all of your services and contact information on your website.  Ask for testimonials.  Participate and monitor social media.

So I named this blog post My Two Cents, but I’m hoping you found it more valuable than that.   Please feel free to share your two cents.

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Annual National Power Networking Conference

June 14, 2009 By

Title: Annual National Power Networking Conference
Location: Marriott Atlanta Marquis Hotel
Description: See website for information
Start Date: 2009-06-25
Start Time: 8:30 am
End Date: 2009-06-27
End Time: midnight

www.frasernet.com

Filed Under: Atlanta Networking Tagged With:

Lucky 13 Savvy Networking Secrets

June 14, 2009 By
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By Susan RoAne, Author of The Secrets of Savvy Networking, How To Work a Room® and Face To Face: How To Reclaim The Personal Touch in A Digital World

 

 

 

 

  1. 1. Shift your attitude. Networking is merely helping others; it’s a lifestyle and it’s reciprocal. It’s the way the world works and always has.
  2. Assess Your Network. Know who you know. Get paper and pencil and write their names. Don’t forget people in your daily lives: the cleaners, hairstylist, favorite waiter, auto mechanic, accountant, dentist and barista. When we limit ourselves to people with “titles” of importance, we forget the people we know who KNOW us and have access to others who would want to help us.
  3. Hang out with people of all generations and diverse backgrounds who are good at what they do. They will be wonderful, if not informal, mentors. ASK for what you need; OFFER your help to others.
  4. Establish a pre-need network. If you only show up at professional association business events, chambers of commerce and community organizations when you are in transition, that is a huge mistake.
  5. Create and maintain visibility. Be seen and be known. “Work” every room. When those invitations or conference brochures or monthly meeting announcements arrive, do what the people who create their own “luck” do. Say YES, to face to face events even when you want to say NO. It’s one of the EIGHT TRAITS of people who turn serendipity into their succes
  6. Be a matchmaker. Introduce and help people connect with those who can do business with each other. That is the skill of the influential and powerful.
  7. Stay in touch with people when you need nothing from them Stay in touch online, in social networks (facebook, linkedin) as well as in person….face to face.
  8. Keep people in the loop. Let people who refer you business, ideas or job leads KNOW how the process in progressing.
  9. Make small talk. While the snobs and socially inept look down their noses at small talk , the savvy networker know that it leads to BIG TALK and that the art of conversation is how we establish common bonds.
  10. Schmooze and win!
  11. MIND YOUR MANNERS. Being gracious, treating people with respect and acknowledging their contributions and help form the core of savvy networking behavior.
  12. “Turn-about is fairplay“: support, assist and mentor others.
  13. FOLLOW-UP is essential to create a supportive network that becomes your safety net.

Susan RoAne is an in-demand keynote speaker and the best selling author of How To Work A Room® which launched an industry. She is the undisputed original networking authority who also wrote the landmark book: The Secrets of Savvy Networking and Face To Face: How To Reclaim The Personal Touch in A Digital World among others.

For daily insights, follow her at www.twitter.com/susanroane

http://susanroane.com/articles/savvy-networking-secrets.html

Filed Under: Atlanta Networking, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

It’s More Than Face To Face

June 14, 2009 By
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web2iconsEvery business knows how important networking is for their success. For small businesses and start-ups, networking is critical. Meeting people that can help you and your business is essential to your business success. So here are some networking suggestions:

Help the internet help you.

Join online networking groups to help increase your visibility. These include:

Look for online meeting options including Blitztime.

Meeting people that can help you is spontaneous, but you can be prepared by always having business cards with. You should also make sure to use every part of your business card, front and back. Don’t print so many at a time. Test them out and only print a large quantity when you find the one that truly represents everything you want it to.

Local networking is always important. After all, there’s nothing like putting a face to a name. For these types of networking events, you will want to look for a local Chamber of Commerce or local business association, i.e., Acworth Business Association. Once you become involved in these groups, you will most likely learn about other groups in your area that might be beneficial to your business.

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