A lot of people in search for a job think twice before engaging into business networking.  They don’t see themselves as networking material, this is, they don’t believe anyone will have an interest in talking to them or even less take time out of their schedules to help them.

Before you take this path and torture yourself with these thoughts, consider these:

1.    People’s natural instinct is to help.  It comes natural to us.  When you see someone in need, the first thing you want to do is give him or her a hand in any way you can, right?

2.    Most probably the person you are talking to has been in your same situation or a similar one, thus, he or she will relate and will want to give back.  In this time of continuous lay-offs, it is very probable that you will meet someone who was looking for a job not too long ago and was also requesting others for a few minutes of their time.  You are just giving them an opportunity to help others.

3.    Maybe they will see you for their own convenience.  Someone may think you are a future potential networking source.  Good networkers know that building a successful network is a continuous process, and they are always on the look for new faces.

4.    You may have something the other person needs, perhaps information, experience, or connections.  If you have networked before, you may have valuable and relevant information about your industry.  Read professional journals, articles, and books.

5.    When meeting with a manager, see it this way:  this is a part of his or her job; he or she is in the position to identify good talent, and there is no way they can find that talent if they don’t meet the candidates.  There won’t necessarily be an open position right away; however, after meeting you, the manager will keep you in mind for future opportunities.

6.    It is possible that someone knows about a job opportunity but doesn’t mention it to you, and this is a common tactic used to maintain the meeting more casual and to be able to assess you without the pressure and demands of a job interview.

7.    You may impress someone with the way you introduced yourself or with how you talked about your background, and he or she may agree to give you some time because you caught his or her attention.  This is a very good opportunity that we hope you take advantage of to start business networking or begin your own network.

The truth is that people have more than one reason to meet you, so, you have two choices: either you network or you are out of work.

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In business, as well as in life, having an abundance mentality will get you far ahead.  Despite what many believe, referrals are everywhere.  Some professionals think these are difficult to get and that it requires a lot of work to find a good referral source, and this is actually true in their case, because they have a scarcity mentality.  These professionals fall prey to desperation when hunting for business, and this is not an attractive way to present yourself and your products or services.

Doing business involves competing.  Within a given business networking group, you have to earn quality referrals.  You must work to create relationships starting from scratch; you must open yourself to other members so that they can get to know you and your work; you must act in a way that conveys trust so that the people there feel confident that you will deliver once they refer you.  These professionals already have solid relationships that they will not risk by referring just anyone.

However, the fact that previous business relationships exist doesn’t mean the doors are closed for you to get good referrals; it is just a matter of having an abundance mentality, and you will be able to see the huge business potential out there for you and others in your industry.  In fact, there is room to compete and collaborate with others.

For example, let’s say you own a pet grooming service and among your networking group there is a member who has a relationship with a grooming professional that is not present.  You don’t simply approach this person and offer your service even though you know she is already in a business relationship with another person.  This will immediately label you as an opportunist. Not good!  Nevertheless, you know this member is involved with the field and may know other people that could need your services, so may can approach her, introduce yourself and ask her what the other pet groomer does that is so good.  Ask her if he specializes in a certain type of grooming or service, and finally ask her to introduce you to that person.  If he specializes in one area, tell him that you specialize in another one, and offer to refer cases to him.  Propose that the two of you refer overflow patients to each other and help each other during holidays or vacations.  You are still competitors, but are also helping each other.

Even if you both have the same specialty, you may benefit.  Perhaps his service is located in the other side of town, so you can join forces to get to everyone within the area serviced.

A successful and healthy business networking practice gives you an abundance mentality.  There are lots of opportunities out there for those who think positively and are open to creating valuable relationships from a win-win perspective.

Referrals do not fall from the sky.  You can’t expect to join a group and get referrals just because.  This will get you nowhere, and this is when you start having scarcity mentality, by believing that getting referrals is difficult.

There is room for everyone, because the world is abundant and business is abundant… for those who know where and how to look.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.meetingwave.com as the original source).

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“Knowledgeable people know facts.  Successful and prosperous people know people.”  John Demartini

Networking has been recognized by many business leaders as one of the best ways to be successful socially and in business.  It has been described as the highest form of service; people getting together to help each other for the benefit of all.

For someone who knows about networking, it becomes an inexpensive marketing tool, assisting him or her in getting new contacts, meeting the right people, finding a great job, or discovering new ways to be the best.

Business networking is an attitude, a way of seeing life that helps people relate in a new way to other people and to the resources available.  Remember the saying: “It is who you know, not what you know”?  It is absolutely true, and networking is the proof.

It has been proven that a referral is 80% more efficient than a cold call, that over 70% of jobs are secured through networking, and that for most people who have more than 250 contacts on their lists, hiring costs are virtually null.

So, what is the secret behind networking?  How do you make it work for you?  Very easy, help others succeed.  When you do this, people will look for you.  Here are some tips to improve your networking skills, increase your contact list, and become stronger professionally and personally.

1.    Help others meet their goals.  If you help them, they will help you back.

2.    Host some networking events and make sure you meet everyone there.

3.    Hand out business cards to everyone.

4.    Keep in touch and follow up with calls, assistance and appropriate gifts.

5.    Be grateful for any help you receive, acknowledge the giver appropriately.

6.    Decline events that are meaningless to your goals, but do it politely and with class.

7.    Ask for help in a direct but courteous way.

8.    Request advice from your new contacts as to who could help you with a specific project or idea.

9.    Become a member of professional organizations that promote networking and skill development.

10.     Become a renowned networker with a valuable and respected network.

Today, networking is recognized as a lifestyle, as a way of doing business and as a way of helping other people reach success.  It is a direct way to care about others and support them, creating long lasting relationships, quality connections, and even friends for life.

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Understanding the way people connect and communicate can lead to a 500% increase in the number of clients and contacts you gain.

We have all been there.  We have had to kiss a lot of frogs to get to our prince and we have all been rejected in the past, which is a good thing, otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough hours in the day to fit all the pointless meetings and unavoidable polite conversations.

However, there are ways to minimize the amount of frog kissing and heart sinking rejections you must go through in business, and this is by following the Golden Rule of Communication: Treat others in the way you would like to be treated.

Almost anyone you ask about how they would like to make business contacts, will answer that they want it to be interesting, exciting and fun, and that is a good way to start.

Something is interesting when we learn new things about something that catches our attention.  Something is exciting when it promises new adventures, ideas and discoveries.  Something is fun when it makes us feel good, makes us smile and offers great company.  This is the way to do business; this is the way it works when our foundation is the Golden Rule.

And, how do we build up on this rule?  Very easily, ask yourself what are you doing there.  Establish that you are in the right place in order to understand the people around you.  We all understand that in any given situation, there are some people who are searching to fill a current need; some are searching for the next few months, some for the next two years, and some are not searching at all.

In business, the percentages established for each of these categories are helpful:

3-5% are searching to fill a current need

10-15% are searching for the next few months

40-50% are searching for the next two years

30-40% are not searching at all

This means that in any given situation, there is a 10-15% of people that are immediate potential customers, and over two years that percentage goes up to 50-75% thus, by meeting people in the right way and staying in touch, you could increase your business and contacts by 500%.

Most of us want someone to be interested in what interests us, to be listened to, to be injected with positive energy, to be given the space we need, and to have good information and help when needed.  With this in mind, every time you meet people in business, ask what they do and how you can help them.  Get to know each other deeply and look for ways to help each other.  Once you have established this, it is a win-win situation; keep in touch and start making good business!

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