Don’t get out! Don’t talk to people! Stay in your comfort zone!
If these words are music to your ears then join the club. There’s nothing I would like better than to be able to potter around in the office, produce new products and then wait until the business comes in as if by magic!
So why shouldn’t it work like that?
Hey, I’ve got a great website! My products are great! I am a nice person with integrity!
Not enough guys! You can have the best products in the world but if no-one knows about them then you may as well forget it!
So how do you find this elusive yellow brick road?
Get out! Talk to people! Don’t stay in your comfort zone!
If, like me you have a home office and you don’t see many people in the morning then it’s very easy to slob around in a dressing gown or track suit. The trouble is that the longer you stay in those clothes the more difficult it is to get your mojo working properly.
So my first tip is to grab a shower first thing. Then put something on that makes you feel business like and I promise that your whole attitude will change. I know, if I have done my hair and put a little makeup on then I feel that I can take on the World.
Find some business networking groups in your area, join them, go to them, get known and get seen.
I know, if you are a shy person, that it would be your worst nightmare to walk into a networking meeting alone and unknown but you’ll get over it, what’s the worst that could happen? Try being a very blond woman who refuses to wear a business suit.
Notice I said “alone”! It’s so easy to end up talking to your buddy instead of working the room and making new contacts so alone is best!
Talking to people is good practice.
Strike up a conversation with everyone you meet. You’ll be amazed how responsive people can be when they really believe you are interested in them, not just in what they are selling or doing.
The waiter who knows you and likes you will always give you better service, as will the postman and the dustman.
As an experiment, make a conscious effort today to strike up a conversation with everyone, even the paper boy, if you can catch him, ( I’m not saying you should chase him down the street, but you know what I mean).
Here are my 6 tips to good networking:
- An obvious but important tip is to shake hands with everyone. Perfect a strong handshake and you will create a great impression right from the start. I go a step further…if it is someone I have already met I will shake hands with both hands, this is a sign of recognition, in other words I am saying “I remember you and I like you”!
- Make sure you have a verbal business card. See my earlier post about the importance of a Verbal Business Card, http://patsutton.com/index.php/archives/39
- Collect business cards like your life depended on it. When you get home, follow up on everyone with a short e-mail. I use a great little gadget called a Card Scan, it actually scans the business card and saves it in a database ready for me to work with.
- Be respectful of everyone. It is very easy to un-consciously change your attitude when introduced to the boss then the secretary. Remember that secretary could well be the gatekeeper to the boss!
“If you want to see the true measure of a man, watch how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
- J. K. Rowling - Even after you have delivered your verbal business card you will still be asked, “So what do you do?”. Often people struggle with starting a conversation with a stranger so this is the easy “get out”. Never the less, be prepared…you can’t repeat yourself, you must have something new to tell them.
- Don’t have a “what’s in it for me” attitude unless you want to put people off you right at the start.
“Life becomes harder for us when we live for others, but it also becomes richer and happier.”
- Albert Schweitzer
Pat Sutton – Internet Marketing and Personal development Blog – http://www.patsutton.com
Comments
One Comment on Don’t get out! Don’t talk to people! Stay in your comfort zone!
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Cedric Ashley on
Wed, 17th Feb 2010 7:04 pm
You are 100% right with your advice. We are currently working on a contract as a result of a networking evening, but he spoke to me first so it was luck. But get prepared to say what you do in a short period. If possible find out what the other person does first and show interest. Then you have a responsive listener to what you do and you can slant it towards their interests. Give yourself a daily target for developing contacts.
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