3 Common Business Networking Mistakes…

Taken from an article published last week- found here– this article identifies 3 common mistakes made by people when networking- can you identify yourself at all?

#1. Have you ever noticed that at the same networking event some people are busy meeting new people and coming away with future business while others leave empty handed? Successful networkers have a plan. When attending an event, a skilled networker knows what they intend to accomplish. They know ahead of time how many people with whom they’ll exchange business cards and how they intend to follow up. In other words, they have a goal and a plan.

#2. How fine tuned is your elevator speech? A common mistake many networkers make is being unable to explain their business in 30 seconds or less. It takes practice to deliver an introduction that sounds both natural and professional. The key to a great elevator speech is being prepared and practicing it until you are confident and comfortable.

#3. The third mistake many networkers make may actually be the most critical- they don’t follow up with the people they’ve met.  The gold is in the follow up! It would be best if you could follow up with everyone, however, it is essential to follow up with the people who have asked you to call or have asked for more information. The follow up should be timely also, no longer than one week. You may as well stay home if you don’t intend to follow up with prospective clients or customers.

Practice your skills- and see if you can get some great results from planning your networking at one of our monthly networking lunches.