In the 21st century, networking is one of the three most important areas small business owners should focus on, along with employing technology and developing strategic alliances.
My definition of networking is "actively making professional relationships, developing and maintaining those relationships and leveraging them for the benefit of all parties."
A Chinese proverb says the longest journey must begin with the first step. So before you can develop a relationship, you first have to meet the other person and establish a basis for future contact.
Examples of networking opportunities are everywhere you turn—at Chamber of Commerce events or any venue likely to be attended by business people and community leaders.
But before you enter a networking environment it's important to understand that successful networking is an acquired skill, like playing golf. In fact, we could actually take a lesson from those who seek the little white ball.
Good golfers address each shot with what are called "swing thoughts." They orient their pre-shot routine, and sometimes the actual swing, around these golf fundamentals, which they believe will help them to make a successful shot.
Inspired by the work of my friend, Andrea Nierenberg, author of "Nonstop Networking," I've created a few "Networking Thoughts," or NT for short, which should help you increase your networking return-on-investment (ROI). See what you think.
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COLUMN
All That Glimmers…
Avoid these 5 common but deadly networking mistakes
By J Lance Mead, Executive Director
I recently did a workshop at a financial planning firm. It went well, but I was shocked by the common mistakes that almost all the attendees seemed to be making in their networking.
It's almost undeniable that your success in business is directly related to the quality of your professional network and the relationships that those networks foster. These very relationships give you the ability to cultivate and develop allies who will refer you—with confidence.
But to get these relationships, you need to avoid these networking mistakes I discovered at the workshop:
1. Seeking relationships with the maximum number of people. Most people I spoke with thought that more was better. I believe the best business comes from highly committed alliances with fewer and better referral sources. In fact, building an elite team of professionals who are concerned about growing each other's business and continuously marketing each other should lead to more profitable business.
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HUDDLE TIME
Modeling Is the Pathway to Excellence
by Mervin Yeo, National Director, BNI Singapore
"Modeling is the pathway to excellence. It means that if I see anyone in this world producing a result I desire, I can produce the same result if I'm willing to pay the price of time and effort. If you want to achieve success, all you need to do is find a way to model those who have already succeeded." ~ Anthony Robbins
Anthony Robbins' statement applies perfectly to BNI. Let's examine the three key factors for achieving success from his statement in his book, "Unlimited Power."
1. Follow the Model.
BNI was founded on the premise that word-of-mouth is the most cost-effective form of advertising. Dr. Ivan Misner, in his book "The World's Best Known Marketing Secrets," tells us that to make it work in your favor, word-of-mouth has to be positive and planned.
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