Networking to Grow Your Business

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Welcome to my weekly Home Business Success Podcast

So today, let’s talk about Networking to Grow Your Business.

Networking works for every business. People like to do business with people they know, like & trust. Networking gives you that. It helps you spread the word of mouth about your business. It helps people to know who you are and helps them feel like they can trust you. When you’re doing business out there, we all want to do business with people we trust.

I attend 4-5 Networking and training events every year, as well as 5-6 local networking events every month, and I meet lots of people and make great friends, and it’s incredibly valuable to my business. So I went ahead and put these tips together for you to help you learn how to be a successful networker.

These are the topics we’ll cover:

1. Show Up – showing up is the most important part of attending events. You have to be there to benefit!

2. Be Prepared – You’ll want to have business cards with you, have a way of keeping track of people that you meet, and go in with a plan or a purpose.

3. Engage with others – You’re talking to people… you’re shaking hands and smiling. You’re engaging with people. You’re asking them about them. You’re just being out there instead of being a wallflower on the side of the room.

4. Be a Giver – Look for ways to give and to benefit the people you meet. Learn more about them and how you can help them reach their goals.

5. Be a Connector – One of the best ways to give to people is to connect them with someone else.

6. Be Consistent and Give it Time – You never know the connections you make and where they will go. You will be that well-connected person – but you’ve got to give it consistency and time.

7. Do What You Say You’re Going to Do – When you become that person who is not only the connector, but the person who does what he says he is going to do… then you become the ultimate networker and you become a respectable business person and your network will flourish.

8. Follow-up – When you don’t follow up, you clearly miss your opportunity, which could come at that moment, a week later, or a year later. You’re going to miss that opportunity if you don’t follow up to reconnect with the person that you met. The fortune really is in the follow-up.

Networking can mean a lot of different things. It doesn’t always have to be going to a specific Networking Meeting.

Sometimes I talk to people, especially moms who don’t think they have time to network. Mostly I hear this from parents who are working hard, juggling kids, schedules, soccer games, PTA, work, and charity activities in their community. My comment to them is, “You’re doing a lot of networking that you never probably even considered.”

Networking opportunities are all around you. You don’t necessarily have to be in a boardroom or meeting setting to engage in networking. Just be sensitive to your surroundings and look at all the people you are meeting as you go about your day.

Networking takes time and effort, but the payback is clear. So what are you waiting for? Go for it!

If you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help me immensely in getting the word out. Thanks! I appreciate you!

<—— Did this podcast help you? If so, it would mean a lot to me if you would share it with others! And please share your comments below.

Let’s have some conversation!

EXPECT Success!

By Lynn Huber