I’ve been busy networking this week and have taken some time out to observe others at work. The 1-2-1s I’ve had have varied enormously. So what does make a great networker?
Here are my top five tips:
Remember the age old statement – you have 2 ears and one mouth – use them in proportion. I read somewhere that the most interesting people in the room – are those who are more interested in you then themselves.
Build Rapport Using Words – There are 3 main communication types in NLP, (Visual, kinesthetic and auditory) – listen to the words the other person is using and try and use similiar ones back – they’ll understand where you’re coming from much better.
E.g. If someone says “I view it like this” you might respond with “it can be seen here” or if someone says “it sounds to me as if” you could say “what I’m hearing is”.
Think about what you put into your pitch, is it memorable?, is it clear in what you’re asking for? does it really tell people what you do?
E.g. I could introduce myself as Carolyn Trafford, a coach, but does this really tell you what I do. Perhaps telling them that I help people people work out what they want to do with their lives and help them get there would be much better.
Share the time – have you ever been in a 1-2-1 where the other person has done a great sales pitch but taken all the time? Frustrating for both of you. Its really simple to set the ground rules early on.
Follow UP – so few of us do this, but a simple email or twitter message thanking the other person for their time or what you have learned is a great way to keep the conversation going beyond the meeting.
These really simple tips are my top 5, but I’d love to hear your tips or networking stories – please feel free to share them here.
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