Simple Suggestions to Enhance Your Networking Experiences
As women in business, we are getting ready to launch XC in downtown Decatur on May 15 at my gourmet/kitchen store TASTE, we focus often on the truth that few things will help us establish and grow our
Taste, a culinary destination – come try our vinegars, oils, mustards, honeys, and other delectable gourmet treats. We’ve also got unique cookware and tabletop items.
businesses more quickly than creating a strong, connected network.
But why does networking seem so intimidating for so many female business owners? After all, most women are all about connections.
Here are a few, simple suggestions to help you be more effective and feel better in a networking situation:
-Network Frequently! The more you network, the easier it will become. XC is a particularly good vehicle for this. With dozens of XC meetings each month, you can try new venues and meet new women and contacts, while at the same time being familiar with the consistent format, which can ease the anxiety of the networking situation.
-Know Your Elevator Speech! Carefully hone your “elevator speech,” that speech you would make to a fellow elevator passenger as you’re riding together from the 1st floor to the 10th floor, about what makes you and your product or service unique. Get to the heart of what you want people to know about your business! And do it in 1 minute or less. This exercise will focus your thinking and message, and be invaluable in every single networking event in which you participate.
-It’s Not All About You! Sales are based on relationships. People buy from people they like and trust. In a networking situation, make it a point to listen and sincerely care about what others are telling you about their businesses as well. This is the basis for further mutual discussions about both of your businesses.
-Follow Up! This is often cited as the most significant area of opportunity for women in business. We don’t follow up because we think it’s pushy and obnoxious. If they were interested in our product or service, wouldn’t they have been back in touch of their own initiative? Quite simply, the answer is no. People are busy; they have many demands on their time. They may not be totally sold on your product or service, but could be with some follow-up on your part…If you offer a sample of your product to a prospective customer at a networking event, call and ask how they liked the product! If someone expressed interest in your service call and suggest you have coffee or lunch to explore this interest further. And if you were interested in their product or service, set up a meeting as well. Who knows where any of these actions might lead?
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