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SMILE for better networking, 5 top tips for meeting new people

Guest post by: spencer blackwelder

Article Overview: This seems like a very simple technique, but hidden within this tip are the secrets to better networking. This acrostic shows the 5 best things you can do while talking with other people, and to help you overcome your fear of meeting people.

SMILE for better networking, 5 top tips for meeting new people

A SMILE IS ALL YOU NEED

As a member of BNI in Minnesota promoting my sign company, I have opportunity to meet tons of business people at networking meetings. I thought that today I would share with you my method for meeting new people and increasing the referrals that I receive.........

All I use is a simple SMILE

Anytime you find yourself in a group of people where there is mingling going on and even a slight expectation of meeting new people, then you should be armed with the best possible way to make the most of it.

STAND - Stand up. It is nearly impossible to make a good impression while seated. Seated is a position of inferiority. When you are standing, and the other person is seated, you are in a power position. If however, you both are standing, then you are on equal footing. It's awkward to carry on a conversation with someone who is sitting. If you're sitting at a table, then you are displaying a "leave me alone" attitude.

MAKE EYE CONTACT - Making eye contact is the first step in showing an interest in the other person. It gives you a chance to see the face and get a good clear image of them in your mind. Then, when they tell you their name, you're in the perfect position to imprint that name to that face. Do you have trouble remembering names? Try this one technique and see how well your name recall improves.

INVITE - Invite the other person to meet other people. One of the biggest fears people have in a networking situation, is meeting new people. People want to feel as if they belong. No better way to help someone to feel a sense of belonging than when they know more people.

Invite them to talk about themselves which leads right into................

LISTEN - Listen intently. Listen to their words which will reveal many things about them. Carry on the conversation by being inquisitive and asking about the last thought they spoke about. Ask open ended questions. You could carry on a conversation for hours by listening to a person talk about their favorite subject, THEM!! The neat thing about listening to them, you increase their enjoyment. When I do this one thing, listen, I end up having some of the best conversations and leave with a genuine friend. One person even thanked me and said, "You are one of the best conversationalist I have met." I barely said anything.

Another time, at a BNI meeting. I applied this listening technique with a young woman I had met. Later on during my 10 minute training, I mentioned how you could make anyone talk about themselves at great length. This same lady interjected and said, "But what if they're like me and don't like to talk about themselves?" I replied by reciting all of the things she had told me about herself just half an hour earlier. "Oh, I get it." was the response as I saw understanding run across her face.

ENTHUSIASM - This is the key. If you're excited about being someplace others will notice it and want to be around you. People like to be around happy people. Ask yourself who would you rather be with at a social gathering? Positive people attract more friends, make more money and generally have more fun.

You may say that you're just getting fair weather friends. True, but if you gather enough fair weather friends, you're likely to catch some true friends as well.

Whether you're in business or not, you really need to have people around you. A pleasant SMILE is a great way to make friends quickly, have fun and to make more money.

Spencer Blackwelder - sign guy & Asst. Director for BNI Minnesota.

signsbyrsg

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Article Tags: BNI, fear, meeting people, minnesota signs, networking, referrals
Referred by: http://www.bni.com



Related Forum Posts
what makes you smile ???? - PLEASE PUT THE DATE AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE AND TELL US : WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE ????
Big Texas Hello - Hi! I'm Brad. New to the forum here. I'm an entrepreneur from Texas. Looking forward to networking and meeting lots of great people.
GTA Networking? - Hi guys, are there any upcoming networking events in Toronto and/or GTA? I would like to start meeting likeminded entrepreneurs and share our thoughts, ideas and plans for 2012.
Re: Speed Networking anyone doing this? - I've attended a number of speed networking. In fact I'm due to attend a massive record-breaking networking event here in Brighton (UK) in September. They're intense, frantic and can be fun but there's a lot of noise, they need to be well run to keep people to time and ensure swift transitions from one person to the next. You don't get a lot of chance to really talk to people so you MUST follow-up afterwards. It's a great way to hone your one-minute, elevator pitch and you only have a limited amount of time with each person. Also think about what you'll ask them. A good speed networking session will limit the numbers so you should get a chance to talk to the majority of the people there - 30-40max is probably the limit. It's also useful to have breaks, so you have a chance to recharge and catch up with a few people. You might be hoarse by the end of it all but you'll have met far more people than at a normal networking event. The format suits some people better than others. Clare
Re: Lots of teleseminars and webinars - Many FREE - Shame theres none near me! Ive joined a local Chamber of commerce - (business advice/networking events), I have my first meeting on Wednesday so I'll let you know how it goes! Don't really know what to expect as my local area is a great place to live but I think it sometimes lacks modern approaches and lives in the past!


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