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).

Are your leads group meetings boring and not exciting anymore. Too much coffee and smokes, and too few prospects? After a brainstorming session that took us several hours, we finally got this list of things to do during your meetings.

And the winner is…
Everybody loves sweepstakes. Each member can bring something for the prize. Alternatively, set a small fee for a “jackpot” or nominate a member in charge of the prize. He or she would buy something useful or meaningful for the winner (but, pleeease, not another address book, OK?).

Drawings offer a good excuse to design a creative business card: as members arrive to the meeting place, ask them to drop their business cards in a transparent bowl. At the end of the meeting pull one card to choose a winner for the jackpot or a speaker for the next meeting.

Speeches
A guest speaker can deliver a speech about something that is of interest to the audience. Instead, one or two members of the lead group who earned the “honor” of addressing the group this week may talk about their fields or industries they represent. Salespeople will gladly take the opportunity to convey their sales pitches.

However, some people are afraid to talk in front of an audience, regardless of how huge or small it may be. If that’s the case, have a folder with support material ready and pass it to the next speaker. Include in the folder speech ideas, graphs, inspirational stories, newspaper clips, etc about topics of interest to the group.

Haven’t seen you before…
If the group grew until it became difficult to manage, assign a member to be in charge of welcoming and registering the new affiliates. Some leads groups charge a registration fee, while others invite the first time and charge a fee each meeting or in a monthly basis.

“And… world peace…”
If it fits with the group’s goals, allocate a sum to charitable activities.

See you online later?
Design a website for the group. A forum may become useful to discuss topics between meetings. You don’t need programming skills to set up a website, just a domain; there are ready-made bulletin boards you can adapt to your site for free.

It’s an elephant… No! An anteater! Uh… I give up
Play name games if the members don’t know each other. Play charades or activity games if they already know each other but you feel the meeting needs a little something to break the ice.

Did you know that…?
Have a few minutes to share announcements and news in the field, like special events, tenders and contests in your community.

Elbow-to-elbow time
Encourage members of your lead group to arrive early so they can talk idly and do informal social business networking for a while before the meeting starts.

Hey! Let’s get together and do this…
Have some extra activities together. Anything can do and go right in order to strengthen the ties among attendees. For example, consider cleaning the yard of a relative of one of the members, going to the movies, designing promotional materials, preparing for an expo.

Who are you, anyway?
The reason for the existence of your leads group is… well… you guessed it! During introduction time, everybody takes turns to explain to the others what their business is and what kind of prospects they’re interested in. Even if all the members already know each other, make these introductions a routine and an opportunity to remind them to start referring prospects. Building a habit requires repetition. As time goes by, some members will begin referring leads to other participants.

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).

Don’t Forget to Subscribe by RSS or Email:

You’ve just started your own business and have arranged to meet up with a large group of professionals in the same field. Your goal? To network and make as many good contacts as possible - these future relationships could be vital to your business’s growth. Before you set off for your event, you’ll want to revise some good business networking practices. Here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid:

1. Forgetting Your Business Cards
You’ll want to exchange as many business cards as you can. If you forget yours, you’ll appear unprofessional scribbling your details on pieces of scrap paper. Instead, a well-presented business card will convey a lot about you - those who take yours will be encouraged to look up your web details or contact you again via the details supplied.

2. Not Being Polite and Courteous
People will want to know what type of person you are. If you can be considerate and polite, even when things go wrong, e.g., when you have bad service at a restaurant, this will speak volumes about your character. Avoid being negative about anyone or anything, even your competition. A person who is positive about things is a more attractive person to be around.

3. Not Watching What You Eat and Drink
The best advice when drinking and eating is to do as little of it as possible when networking. Consuming too much alcohol can quickly start to cloud what you say and how you appear to others. Also, it is never easy to juggle plates of food, shaking hands, swapping business cards and smooth conversation while you are eating. Try and eat something before an event if you can - even if it is at a restaurant, you can order something to nibble on rather than to appease your appetite. And be aware that it is rarely attractive to talk with you mouth full of food.

4. Not Being Prepared for Casual Conversation
When meeting people for the first time, there are likely to be some lulls in the conversation. Have a few interesting subjects on hand to help revive a conversation again. Watch or read the news the day before your meeting, or browse through magazines related to your field - then bring up something you think might interest someone else or be good for discussion. Avoid controversial subjects like politics or religion.

5. Getting Stuck with One Group of People
It’s easy to find a group of people you feel comfortable talking with, and you might feel reluctant to keep working the room. But don’t let your goal of networking slip out of your focus. Try and pretend the event you are at is something you are hosting and make yourself move on and greet and talk to more people. Perhaps offer to get your new group some drinks or offer them a plate of appetizers - these tricks make good first impressions.

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!
Don’t Forget to Subscribe by RSS or Email: