As a busy executive with a fulfilling personal life, you probably do not prioritize business networking as an important activity to meet new contacts.  There are just so many appointments involving so many people that it is difficult to think about meeting even more people, right?

Even if this seems logical, it is very wrong when you consider that, anyway, we meet lots of new people every day and this doesn’t alter our schedules, and also that if you do not expand regularly your circle of acquaintances, you could be jeopardizing your chances for business growth and success.

If you know 200 people, and your contacts know another 200 each, we’re talking about 40,000 potential leads right at your fingertips.  You surely don’t want to miss your share of info on a good job, more clients, an opportunity for a deal, a writing assignment, an investment break, or the best bargains, among many others.

Business networking is one of the most valuable activities you can engage into, and it is easy to become good at it; you just have to remember this rule, which is applicable to any kind of networking or any other kind of encounter: be open to learn more about each person you meet, be willing to help, and offer to stay in touch.

Networking helps you enhance your communication skills by encouraging friendly conversation.  Even if you don’t develop a relationship with someone, that person will remember you as a nice individual, and will say so if asked in the future.

If you are a very busy person, limit your networking events to those crucial for your business. Take advantage of every single casual contact you have during the day, and take more business cards than you give out so that you can control the timing for developing relationships.  While networking online, focus on your topics of interest and contact strategic people based on their profiles.  You can search for people who work in a specific field, live in a certain city, or happen to be experts on key topics, and they will probably acknowledge you because you both belong to the same communities.

As you can see, there is no such thing as no time to network.  There are many options to choose from without sacrificing your personal or business time while at the same time ensuring you are meeting people that will most certainly put you ahead in the business game.

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If you are in a business that requires someone to buy a product or service, you obviously possess a certain level of self-confidence when dealing with people, or else you would be doing something different.  So, even if you are not the most outgoing person around, you are capable of creating good relationships and expressing your ideas.

In order to be a good networker you must be a good listener, and shy people are just that.  Normally, extroverted people lose themselves in their talk and do not give space to others to express themselves.  You are not the only shy person out there, and all of you can still count on business networking as one of the best ways to promote your company.

You may think that because you are a shy person you are not good at starting conversations, when in reality, shy people are the best in the aspect of networking that is vital for creating meaningful relationships.

You see, there are two sides to networking.  First, you meet people and you tell them about yourself.  Here is where the extrovert can be better than you; however, here comes the second part, listening to the other person.  Extroverts love talking about themselves, but introverts excel at listening and asking questions.

Have you heard the proverb: ‘God gave you two ears and one mouth so you can listen more than you talk’?  Good networking is about asking questions and getting to know the other, because once you know him or her, it becomes very easy to meet their needs.

Thus, if you are a shy person, that is not an excuse anymore.  If it is difficult for you, there are many techniques to help you get started.  For example, if you just feel you can’t walk up to someone at a business networking meeting and introduce yourself, volunteer as an ambassador for that event, in that case, it is very natural for you to approach people to welcome them and say who you are.  In no time you will be enjoying a conversation with many of the attendees.

You can really learn to network, no matter how social you are.  There are zillions of training seminars and workshops to teach you how to network the right way, and once you learn how to overcome your shyness in a comfortable way, your confidence will grow and you will be meeting people and networking the night away!

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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Networking is a business tool that can help you get more contacts and meet new people, thus, get more sales.  But it is not enough to go to networking events; here are five tips to make your networking efforts give you the big bucks.

1.    Choose a lucrative business networking event or group
You can easily do this by talking to other important people in the industry.  Find out what conferences, trade shows, associations and speakers they prefer.  Where do your potential clients spend most of their business time?  Identify those places, events and organizations, and be there.

2.    Business networking is about quality, not quantity
In many cases, the smaller the gathering, the bigger the profits.  Look for events where the focus is on building relationships rather than giving away business cards.  In big events, concentrate your efforts on only five new contacts, get to know them well and identify their exact needs.

3.    Make a good first impression
When meeting new people, the most important thing is body language.  Do you know what you communicate when someone first sees you?  Consider your smile, facial expression, handshake, eye contact, way of talking and clothes.  Do you communicate confidence and openness?  Concentrate on the other person when meeting someone, pay attention to his or her name, eye color, a special mark that can help you remember him or her and their work easily in the future.

4.    Learn to talk clearly and concisely
Try explaining your whole business in less than a minute and in a way that will convince someone.  You have to be able to talk freely and confidently, in a way that provokes questions.  For example, a translator could say: “Good evening, my name is Sarah and I help businesses present their products to international markets.”  Once the questions start, make sure you have the right answers to further explain what is it exactly that you do.  Talk about the results you have helped achieve.

5.    Follow up on the people you meet
Take the time to write a small thank you note to every person you met and talked to, send it along with your business card and let them know that you will contact them in the next two weeks to set a lunch date to continue talking about other relevant matters.  Make it a casual meeting, to get to know each other more, better understand the other’s needs and how you can help them, and basically, enjoy the time together.

Once you build a relationship with the person and discover that you can really help and wish to help, you are ready to talk business and make what you went there to do… make money in a good way.

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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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