Oh No She Didn't
Networking Do’s and Don’ts
By Molly Ritterbeck
W
e all want more customers for our businesses for the best price in town : free. It will
take some work and effort on your part (with help from your friends and family) to be
successful, but in this modern day of technology, this goal of free advertising is attainable.
One of the best ways to do this is to become involved in the social and live networking scene.
People use social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, to talk, share, and connect with
others, but there are also live networking events to use for advertising your business. Sure, you are going to
talk about how many kids you have and what your perfect date is, but more importantly, you will talk about
what you do and why. The people you connect with can become customers, but more importantly, can become
a referring database, especially if you are willing to do the same for them in return. Letting people know your
“why” is very important; Passion and purpose rank as the biggest reasons people will come to you. I am positive that passion and purpose will outrank price if you are are sincere in your approach and reasoning.
So, let’s go over some quick do’s and don’ts of networking for positive outcomes.
1. Make sure you have your 60 second “elevator speech” ready to go. You need to know who you are,
what you do, why you do it, and how you can help people. No one wants to listen to you talk for hours; They
typically check out after about 60 seconds, so make sure it is short and sweet. Remember, you should make
conversation with the people you meet. Ask about their careers and upcoming projects or events.
2. Use keywords. Just like Google, you need to know what words are related to what you do. For the fitness
business, you want to use words like: healthy lifestyle, strength gains, sports training, etc. Tailor your
keywords for your niche.
3. Make sure you have lots of business cards with pertinent information. People tend to hang onto these
more than you think.
4. Do not wear heavy perfume/cologne or make-up. Heavy perfume/cologne will just have the person waiting
to turn and run, while heavy make-up will distract someone. You want them to really listen to you and think of
how many people they know that will love what you do. You do not want them thinking that you have lipstick on
your teeth or smelled like Grandma.
5. Build trust. The more trust you build, the more referrals will come. Be honest, forth-coming, and friendly. It
is best to put yourself first, and your business second. People do not appreciate a sales pusher.
6. Refer people. Refer customers to the businesses you learn about during networking events.
W
hile social networking si ѕ́