Hello and welcome

For first timers a brief introduction……

This A-Z has been compiled from sources gathered over the last 25 years – many before Google – it is by no means exhaustive or I trust exhausting; merely something that will help you get more from your networking.

Originally written or should I say compiled as a resource for members of Business Network SW and then developed into a series of seminars.  Now it’s the basis for a number of blog posts which I trust that you will find informative, useful and – dare I say, even worth sharing and ultimately even engage with.

I will serialise in posts over the coming weeks and months and it will develop as more knowledge and wisdom becomes available – which it undoubtedly will!

S

Shake hands with conviction and genuinely – a crushing handshake proves nothing – see H – handshake

Smile when the smile is natural, don’t paste on a camouflage smile to fit a situation. Always have a smile on your face. Not only will you look more approachable and friendly but if you’re known as that happy jolly person people will gravitate towards you.  Not a sapper of people’s energy and optimism!

Story – what’s yours – what you do in your business that helps people, a customer story, the real benefits that you bring (not a list of features), with no jargon, something that is memorable….

A big thank you to Alison Macguire who shared the following infographic from The Hoffman Agency – Alison’s article is here

Study non-verbal cues of your listener; do they agree, care, understand?  A bit of time researching this will give you plenty of pointers – the following infographic from The Salesforce Hub shows how to spot “active listening” – if the person (or people) you are talking to are not doing these then think about what you are saying….what’s the story, is about you or them….

Study – you are probably totally upto date with your CPD for your profession and subscribe to the latest industry news, follow the thought leaders in your profession…..the same needs to apply to the networking that you do.  There is a plethora of networking advice avaliable at the press of a key…..tips, networking experts, TED talks, blogs, other people who network successfully

Social Media – your presence online if set up correctly and being used as part of your marketing (networking is part of your marketing) will help build the relationships.  People can find out more about you, your business, see that the person they meet (or have met) is congruent with what’s online.  What you say, what you share, who you are talking to, what people are saying about you are all part of Brand You

When you see what goes on in 60 seconds online you will also see how valuable those inter- personal, face to face meetings are.  Where you can really have an impact on how people feel….and I’ll turn to Maya Angelou here…..

The feeling part is what get’s lost in all this……thank you Statista Charts

T

Team – Once you’ve found a networking group that suits you and your business you’ll find yourself part of an incredibly loyal team.  TEAM – Together Each Achieves More – It will become a mastermind group that you can share and learn from: a group that will be ambassadors and advocates for your business, people with expertise that can help you and those that you know

Time – It’s important to put aside time outside of your networking activity to work on getting to know fellow members and bringing business to others. If you think you can just turn up for the event and that’s it, you’ll never reap the true awards available – see R.

Timing – arrive at least on time – even better early – allow time to get to the venue, park and arrive fully prepared.  Rushing in, forgetting your business cards, glasses, the reason you’re there – think about the first impressions.

Tom Peters – see B – Brand You.

Trust is the essential precondition upon which all real success depends. The key to trust is action, and in particular commitments; commitments made and commitments honoured.

Trust requires some degree of mutual understanding and cooperation while distrust is adversarial. Trust suggests the will to believe while distrust demands suspicion.

Trust is built step-by-step and commitment-by-commitment on every level. Building trust means thinking in a positive way and not only in terms of risks &vulnerabilities. We must force ourselves to think about uncertainties as possibilities & opportunities, not as liabilities.

Conversation leads to mutual understanding, and understanding should lead to resolutions and engagements, actions that will bring about new situations and open up new possibilities.

And thank you to Trusted Adviser for a superb infographic

Treat a networking event as a fixed appointment – something that is in your diary/schedule for a reason – to grow your business.  Networking is part of your marketing plan and should be treated as important as any other appointment.  At an event you can meet someone before the event or after – what about during?

Thank you for reading this far – the next instalment will be available soon and please feel free to comment, share

A-Z Networking blog posts

Part One @seanhumby  A-Z of #networking http://wp.me/p1UdDl-6Nq #BNSW

Out today…..Networking A-Z part II which is the C’s & D’s  http://wp.me/p1UdDl-6PX  #BNSW

C is for conversation & D is for Dale Carnegie – part 3  

A – Z of networking part 4 – the E’s & F’s

Part 5 of the Networking A-Z – it’s the G’s & H’s http://wp.me/p1UdDl-6Sj

G is for genuine and H is for help it’s part 6 of the Networking A-Z http://wp.me/p1UdDl-6Sj  

It’s the I’s and J’s of the A-Z of #networking http://wp.me/p1UdDl-6TY  

A-Z of Networking – the K’s and L’s   Part 8

Networking A-Z – the M’s and N’s – it’s part 9

Part 10 – the O’s and P’s – optitude, opportunity and proxemics

A-Z of networking Part 11 – The Q’s and R’s – Quality to Return http://ow.ly/kPjg30jD3v8 

If you would like to connect then you can find me on

LinkedIn

Twitter

Have a great day and enjoy your networking and make it enjoyable and beneficial for those that you meet!

Sean Humby – event host and writer of the A-Z

Sean Humby

Director and host – Business Network (SW) – monthly lunch time networking events in the Bristol.

Business Network SW was established in 1993 and for the last 25 years has been helping businesses build effective business relationships.

Events 2018