In business your network is your net worth. Indeed, 90 percent of all small businesses draw business from referrals and where do those come from? Your personal network. So if you want to be successful in business you need to know how to build a relationship with anyone. In Part 1 of my guide to building business relationships, I will focus on making friends and contacts offline. Part 2 focuses on building relationships in cyberspace.
Read Up
One of my favorite business books is How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. First published in 1936, this is one of the best self-help books ever published with 15 million copies in print. This book explains the fundamental techniques for handling people, six ways to make people like you, and 12 ways to convince people to see things your way. People do business with people they like, know and trust, so if you know that your people skills are a bit rough grab a copy of Carnegie’s book. Then read it twice.
Three Meetings
I once heard a man say it takes three meetings to leave an impression on someone. If that’s true, then how do you make each one count? How should you approach a network situation to produce a quality meeting? These are questions that merit serious reflection and can have a real impact on your success when it comes to growing your network.
Are you one of those people that will hand someone your business card without being asked for one? Do you try to shake hands with everyone in the room? Do you ask people for business the minute you meet them? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are probably wasting your time and offending people along the way. Follow this advice for tactful, productive interactions.
Five Tips for Face-to-Face Networking
- Be Early: The networking reception is the main event. Once you are seated or the program starts it is very difficult to keep talking with people without being rude. So have your business cards ready to share in one of your jacket pockets. (That way you don’t need to go digging in that bottomless purse, ladies.)
- Have a Plan: Learn as much as you can about who will be attending the event. Look online at the board list and pay close attention to the honorary chairs on the invitation. Make friends with the event planner when you call to confirm your attendance. If you are really nice, you’ll get even more details about who will be at the event.
- Use the Rule of Five: Your target should be to secure five quality contacts at any networking event. Aiming for any more and you’ll struggle to make a real connection. Don’t be the chicken with their head cut off doing drive-by networking. Spend the time to have a real conversation, even if the person really isn’t a good contact. You never know who their brother or sister-in-law is and how they could help you down the line. All contacts have some value, even if you don’t see it immediately. Be present while you are talking — that means don’t look over your new friend’s shoulder for a better connection.
- Take a Friend and Split Up: You can cover more ground with two people than one. Many people make the mistake of bringing a friend and then standing at the food table with that friend. Go for the connections, not the salad! You should eat at home before you come to the event anyway. You want the friend there so you can swap business cards and contacts later.
- The Fortune is in the Follow-Up: Write notes on the backs of business cards as they are given to you. Have a plan for how you will follow up with each new contact. You should reach out to all of the contact through LinkedIn first, then you should decide if they will get an email, call or handwritten note. Give yourself a 10-day window to follow up. The sooner a new contact hears from you the better.
Over time, relationships grow and improve when they are nurtured. Time spent with someone leads to mutual trust, comfort, increased knowledge about the person and their business challenges and this will lead to more opportunities to share ideas. If you approach a contact remembering that you have to give to get, you will always make a connection. And once you support each other’s goals and objectives you could land a big contract and make a true friend.
Do you have any more tips for building face-to-face relationships?
What Next?
Find out how Pitney Bowes can help you build customer relationships with QR code marketing from pbSmart Codes.
Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her one the No. 1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9 p.m. ET for emerging entrepreneurs. Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)
Melinda is not a Pitney Bowes employee and shares her insights on this blog as a paid contributor.
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