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.

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).

In today’s global marketplace, good business networking both on and offline is essential to growing and maintaining a healthy enterprise.  In order to attract customers and capture their interest, it is imperative that you build an honest and compelling business profile.  With the power of social networking sites at your fingertips and the ever increasing popularity of the blog, it is tempting to create a very light, superficial image of you and your business.  However, while being personable is important, going too far could harm your professional image.  Here are some things you should do and a few things not to do to achieve that perfect balance.

DO be short and to the point.  Readers want to get to the information quickly.  Make your information friendly and easy to read but accurate and on point.

DO Use point form or bullets to describe what you do.  Lists are quick and easy to read.

DON’T exaggerate what you do.  Be honest and genuine.  Even slightly stretching the truth in order to get business will ultimately come back to haunt you.

DON’T be afraid to include a photograph of yourself and /or your staff.  It helps the customer feel like they know you, and getting to know you helps them to trust you.

DO be sure the information in your profile is current.  When things change be sure to make the necessary adjustments to the profile.  The last thing you want is to have a customer reach out to you for a service and then have to say “sorry we don’t do that anymore!”

DO add some personal bits of information such as hobbies or pastimes that may be of interest to your target market.  Again, you are building a sense of friendship and trust which will hopefully lead to a business connection.

DON’T fill your profile with industry jargon and code.  You may know what you’re talking about but your perspective customer may not.

DON’T clutter up your profile with too many web addresses, phone numbers or emails.  You don’t want clients to be so confused about how to reach you that they just don’t bother trying.  Provide one or two of the best ways for them to reach you.

DO be certain to include business credentials and experience related to the business of both yourself and your staff.  Including mini profiles within the overall profile makes your business sound like a family.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to post it to your site or blog and forward this link to your friends. Have a great day!

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