a presentation by John Bottone with Knockout Specialties
March 25, 2008 at the Network Plano.com meeting
"The cultivating of mutually beneficial, nurturing relationships" - the definition of networking
At this morning's Network Plano.com business networking meeting, John Bottone of Knockout Specialties presented on "Business Networking Skills and Strategy". Drawing from resources including three key books, he presented a very effective and impactful lesson on business networking.
The books referenced in the presentation included:
"Swim with the Sharks" by Harvey Mackay
"Endless Referrals" by Bob Burg
"The Sales Bible" by Jeffrey Gitomer
While the presentation covered several subjects of business networking, the most impactful was his discussion on strategy to take when attending chamber of commerce meetings. Many businesses attend the meetings but without a focused approach, most don't get the value out of their attendance. John shared a TOP TEN list of strategies for attending a chamber of commerce meeting:
- Be Early - networking opportunities abound before the meeting
- Adjust Your Attitude - prior to getting out of your car, tune out distractions and get in the mindset of focusing on the people you are about to meet
- Work the Room - go up to people and introduce yourself. Networking is an activity and you have to be active
- Meet a Stranger - avoid the tendency to go straight to those you have met before. Make a goal to meet a complete stranger at each meeting
- If you go with a friend...split up - Networking is done to grow your business, have lunch with friends but attend chamber meetings to eat with strangers
- Know how to present yourself in 30 seconds - you must have this down, naturally
- Identify the Key Prospects - look for the cliques and identify the most inflential person in that group. Next meeting make it a point to meet that person
- Leverage Introductions - ask someone you know to introduce you to someone you don't. Be sure to actively do the same for others
- Ask, don't tell - people want to talk about themselves. Ask questions and don't spend the time talking about you
- After the meeting THEN exchange cards - unless someone asks you for your card, AFTER the meeting go up to the new person you met and say it was nice to meet them. Give your card at that point, not sooner
Like everything you do in life or business, you have more success with a strategic approach. Successful networking is derived from the effort you put into it and the effort you invest in helping the other people in your network reach their goals.
information in this article used with permission from the author, John Bottone. For a copy of the presentation please email info@networkplano.com
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