Networking Skills
The purpose of developing your networking skills is to expand the number of people who are exposed to your business by making use of the contacts that other members of the group have. We do this by educating the other members of the group about your business (using repetition) and by increasing the amount of contact that you have with each of the members.
The education begins with listening to the members' 30 second promotionals. Hearing their promotional message on a regular basis will increase your retention, which will also increase the probability that you will think of them when a possible lead surfaces.
Your knowledge of their business and its products or service is further enhanced by occasional 10 minute presentations. Listening to their talk will help you relate more favorably to the prospects needs and to describe what the other member can do for them. This increases the quality of the lead, which increases the chance that the member will get the business.
Increasing the amount of contact with the other members, particularly at their place of business is a good way to complement the knowledge you have gained at the meetings. These one-on-ones will help you relate more directly to the nature of their business and the types of customers they may desire. This is especially effective for power partners.
Attending the socials put on by the group will further solidify the relationship with other members of the group. These functions are designed to make you more comfortable with the person and also to mix a little fun into our business activities.
Use your relationship with other members of the group to expand your circles of influence when attending other networking functions, like the Chamber, Rotary, etc.
The Business Voice