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10 Tips For More Effective Networking

Written by: Alvah Parker

Article Overview: Networking is important to both business people and job seekers. Networking takes time. You will want to do it effectively to maximize the contacts you do make. Here are some tips to make sure you are networking efficiently and effectively.

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10 Tips For More Effective Networking

1. Decide on the networking groups that make sense for you. Does the group attract your potential customers? Does it put you in contact with your strategic partners? Does it help you stay current in your field? Could you learn new skills that will help you find work or business? Meetings that involve potential customers or strategic partners get you in touch with your target market. Meetings that teach you new skills or keep you up to date can get you in touch with mentors and peers.

2. Once you decide on a group to join, become an active member so others will get to know you. Meeting someone once is just the beginning. You want to cultivate deeper relationships.

3. Arrive early to each meeting and leave time to talk to people after the meeting has concluded. Networking occurs before and after the meeting.

4. Be prepared to help others if you want help from others. Your openness is felt and will be appreciated.

5. Listen more and talk less. Ask people questions and get them talking about themselves and their business. Find out what they are struggling with or what they are celebrating.

6. If you exchange business cards with someone, write down the date of the meeting and what the event was on the back of the card. Jot down a couple of notes about what you talked about.

7. Write a personal note to those you meet and add them to your mailing list or contact manager or spreadsheet. To keep the connection mail them an update, tip, or article once in a while.

8. Set some goals for the networking event. Who do you want to meet? How many contacts would you like to make? What did you want to learn?

9. Identify the movers and the shakers in the group. These are the people who know everyone else and can introduce you to others.

10. People are not part of your network until you have a relationship with them. Some of those you meet you will want to stay connected with through email or regular mail. Others you will want to make an appointment with and talk to them via phone or in person.

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Home > Business-Coach > Alvah Parker > 10 Tips For More Effective Networking
Article Tags: build relationship, business owners, contacts, effective networking, job seeker, job seekers, networking event, networking groups

About the Author: Alvah Parker
RSS for Alvah's articles - Visit Alvah's website

Alvah Parker is a Practice Advisor (The Attorneys’ Coach) and a Career Changers’ Coach as well as publisher of "Parker’s Points", an email tip list and "Road to Success", an ezine. Subscribe now to these free monthly publications at her website http://www.asparker.com/samples.html and receive a free values assessment. Work becomes more meaningful and enjoyable when you work from your values. Alvah Parker began her career as a high school chemistry teacher. She later transitioned to a sales career at AT&T. As a Sales Professional at AT&T for 15 years she was elected to the prestigious Counsel of Leaders for the top 3% of the sales force. After leaving AT&T she transitioned into a coaching career.  Alvah is a senior coach for Boxwood Technology where she coaches association members on career issues and also  a SCORE Business Counselor where she advises and counsels small business owners. Parker’s Value Program© enables her clients to find their own way to work that is more fulfilling and profitable. Her clients are attorneys, entrepreneurs, managers and people in transition who want to find work that is in line with their own values. Alvah is found on the web at http://www.asparker.com. She may also be reached at 781-598-0388.

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Re: Make Friends...Literally BUILD them! Re: Make Friends...Literally BUILD them! - [quote="burnsrunner":1zobscwk]I agree! Networking is definitely the key word here. What does everyone feel about the different Networking platforms out there? Twitter Facebook LinkedIn what are some others?[/quote:1zobscwk] I am on Twitter and Linkedin, have not joined Facebook yet as my time is fairly limited and one needs a lot of time to devote to all these various networking platforms. Unless you do this full time (the networking I mean). MichelleJ
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