5 tips for effective networking!

As a business owner, your time and energy is valuable! So your networking efforts should be effective and efficient. Learning a few networking tips can help maximize your time and efforts at the next networking event. Networking is an essential business tool, and a skill that every business owner should master. Networking helps create, maintain, and utilize interpersonal connections. 

1. Come with a goal! Are you looking for new prospects, wanting to form possible collaborations, create a mutual referral partnership, develop a name recognition for you and your business, or learning about the latest news and trends you can use? Look through the RSVP list and develop a list of people that you specifically want to network with.

2. Knock their socks off! Your 60 second commercial should communicate how others can benefit from your business. You have been given a 60 sec. window to knock their socks off. Be sure your message tells them how you are the next best thing since the wheel!

3. Come prepared! Have a networking checklist: pen, updated business card, accurate hand out material, double check the professional appearance of your materials and yourself, and a notebook for follow up comments or to schedule appointments.

4. Be prepared to educate! Be prepared to let others know what you are looking for, and what your goals are for the event. Are you looking for referrals? If so, be prepared to educate others on what type of referral you are looking for your business.

5. The importance of follow up! It will reinforce your original intent for that contact, it delivers a message of enthusiasm, and it is the first step toward scheduling the next contact with this person.

Happy Networking!

Article written by Susan Miller
Owner and Founder of the Women's Small Business Association (WSBA), LLC.

Smiller@WSBA.ws

To learn more about WSBA, please visit: http://www.wsba.ws/

To learn about the next WSBA networking event, please visit our WSBA Calendar