Networking is a Contact Sport!

Networking remains the single most important marketing tool in the arsenal for any business.  We should take every available            opportunity to network and create as many more opportunities as we possibly can.  Cornelle Crowley from BNI gave a very interesting presentation at the KLCBT business conference, which gave many of us some food for thought.  If you think about networking as a sport, you have to understand the game and have a game plan.  Simply shoving a business card in someone’s hand is not going to do the trick. 

Ask = Ask with a mindset of giving, serving, to connect

Understand the interests of the other person

Don’t ask for a product order or a business lunch

Listen = To understand the person

To hear, not to answer

Listen where can you give rather than take

Act = Now show how you can add value

Build a relationship

Gain Trust

Believe and Receive = Work with your end goal in mind

Prepare to succeed

Deliver on the promise you made

Now you are ready to play the game!

Stay in regular contact, networking is an investment

Educate your contact about your business solutions

Promote your networking partners when you are networking

Give recognition to referrals

Networking is not a hunting game, it is all about farming!