Gary Brewer » Networking

Networking Tips For Business

Gary — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:10:36 +0000

If you are like me you may be wondering what to do every time you go to a networking event to get the most out of your time, money and effort. I have been to Meetups, Mixers, Social Networking Groups and I have always walked way asking myself what could I do differently so that when I am in a situation where I am meeting new people, I can make meaningful and long lasting relationships. Here are some tips that may help you that have helped me.

1. Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine and authentic, building trust and relationships, and seeing how you can help others.

2. Ask yourself what your goals are in participating in networking meetings so that you will pick groups that will help you get what you are looking for. Some meetings are based more on learning, making contacts, and/or volunteering rather than on strictly making business connections.

3. Visit as many groups as possible that spark your interest. Notice the tone and attitude of the group. Do the people sound supportive of one another? Does the leadership appear competent? Many groups will allow you to visit two times before joining.

4. Hold volunteer positions in organizations. This is a great way to stay visible and give back to groups that have helped you.

5. In networking conversations. This means questions that ask who, what, where, when, and how as opposed to those that can be answered with a simple yes or no. This form of questioning opens up the discussion and shows listeners that you are interested in them.

6. Become known as a powerful resource for others. When you are known as a strong resource, people remember to turn to you for suggestions, ideas, names of other people, etc. This keeps you visible to them.

7. Have a clear understanding of what you do and why, for whom, and what makes your doing it special or different from others doing the same thing. In order to get referrals, you must first have a clear understanding of what you do that you can easily articulate to others.

8. Be able to articulate what you are looking for and how others may help you. Too often people in conversations ask, “How may I help you?” and no immediate answer comes to mind.

9. Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honor that and your referrals will grow.

10. Call those you meet who may benefit from what you do and vice versa. Express that you enjoyed meeting them, and ask if you could get together and share ideas.

1. Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine and authentic, building trust and relationships, and seeing how you can help others.

4. Hold volunteer positions in organizations. This is a great way to stay visible and give back to groups that have helped you.

8. Be able to articulate what you are looking for and how others may help you. Too often people in conversations ask, “How may I help you?” and no immediate answer comes to mind.

9. Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honor that and your referrals will grow.

10. Call those you meet who may benefit from what you do and vice versa. Express that you e

6 Ways To Create Opportunities on LinkedIn

Gary — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:31:23 +0000

If used properly LinkedIn can be a great tool for creating opportunities. This is a great article with some pointers on what you should do. Again, be sure not to join groups and sit on the sidelines without getting involved. Do not spam since constantly pushing your products or services all the time without interacting with people individually could be a turn off. Try and connect on a personal level with people and the best way to do this is customize your invitations by adding their first name and why you want them to join your network. If you are an Open Networker and you are just looking for volume be careful about who you accept especially if you are sharing your connections. Learn More

The Fundamentals of an Elevator Pitch

Gary — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 03:53:00 +0000

Conventional wisdom holds that you only get one chance to make a good
impression. Nowhere is this more true than in a start-up business. At a
recent conference, when speaking about the thousands of pitches he’s
received, long-time entrepreneur and investor Sam Zell said, “If somebody
can’t explain it to me in one long sentence, I’m not interested.”

That one long sentence, often called the elevator pitch, is the bane of many
entrepreneurs’ communications existence. Not only do you need a pitch for
that unlikely chance that you are trapped on the world’s longest elevator
ride with the venture capitalist of your dreams, but also for every occasion
that someone asks, “So, what do you do?”

The goal of an elevator pitch is for the listener to say, “Really? Tell me
more.” In other words, to grab the attention of your audience and to engage
his or her interest. You cannot explain your whole business, the claims of
your patent, your wonderful management team, how enormous the market is and
the enthusiastic response you get from everyone you speak to about the idea
in one or two sentences. What can you do? You can clearly answer two
critical questions: What are you selling and to whom are you selling it?

What you are selling is the core of your business.

It is a concise, high-level description of your product or service in the
context of a clearly articulated business problem. Even the most
complicated technology can be described simply; it just takes a bit more
work. For example, one inventor described his product like this, “a
proprietary algorithm to model a moving object as a trajectory, instead of a
sequence of points on a map, and a dynamic variable to account for the
uncertainty inherent in managing mobile assets.”
Do you have any idea what this does?

It took me several meetings to translate that into a product (software) that
solves a very real business need (getting the most out of expensive mobile
assets like trucks or service personnel while they are out in the field).
Most investors would just nod and say, “Uh-huh. Thanks, but no thanks.”

This inventor made two of the most common mistakes that high-tech
entrepreneurs make in the elevator pitch: 1) describing the technology, not
the product and the business problem it solves, and 2) assuming that
everyone understands important buzz words from their industry. At the risk
of sounding trite, I will reiterate the famous advice, “Keep it simple.”

Who you are selling it to describes the customer and his or her reason to
buy.

It tells the listener if the market is large enough and if the problem that
you are solving is compelling. One entrepreneur I know is currently
involved in building a business that will educate consumers on the risks and
benefits of important medical procedures they are scheduled for – a process
required by law when a patient must sign an informed consent release. In
his elevator pitch, he clearly states, “There are 62 million scheduled
surgeries every year, all of which require informed consent.”

Once you’ve developed the actual elevator pitch, it’s a good idea to follow
it up quickly with a clear example of how your customer will use your
product. This will make the most abstract, complicated product more
concrete and real in the mind of the listener.

I was working with some students on a business plan for an intricate
business process modeling technology. The system was designed to manage a
workflow across multiple computer systems both inside the company and with
the company’s business partners. Very tricky to explain. I encouraged them
to layout a concise, high-level example, something like, “Imagine a
manufacturer placing an order with a supplier.

Our system would create a model of when the process touches the inventory,
shipping and billing systems as well as the points at which employees need
to be involved. Then you can use that model to improve the flow of goods or
information and those changes are then implemented in the individual
applications involved.”

In some cases, the easiest way to help someone understand a complex
technology is with an analogy. One biotech firm has a process for
identifying and activating the receptors on a cell. The entrepreneur
explains it quite simply as finding and flipping a light switch.

So there it is – by answering two simple questions and adding an example,
you’ve actually accomplished two of the most critical goals in marketing
your company: positioning (what you offer and why it’s better) and
segmentation (who is your customer and why will they buy from you). These
are perhaps the most important few sentences you will write in the life of
your business.

The good news is that you will use this pitch many, many times. In some
form or another, these sentences are the beginning of your executive summary
and business plan. They are the main message on your Web site home page.
They begin your presentations. They help to align your employees around
your vision, mission and purpose.

But they are just a beginning, not an end. If used successfully with a
venture capitalist, they might get you a meeting during which you have to
answer other key questions like: Why you? How will you generate revenue?
Can you protect your competitive advantage? And, how will I make money on
this deal?

When used at the networking event with the CEO of your first choice
strategic partner, they should be followed up with, “and, if we could work
together, your company would reap these critical top line and bottom line
benefits.”

When used on a customer visit, they need to be supported by a great product
presentation, clear implementation model, and return-on-investment
calculations to justify the purchase.

Without a strong elevator pitch, these encounters are likely to end with,
“Uh-huh. Well thanks, but no thanks.”

Job Search Networking Traps To Avoid

Gary — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 03:42:37 +0000

We’ve heard it a hundred times: networking is essential for job seekers.

We may have read up on networking techniques and may feel supremely comfortable talking to strangers. None of that makes much difference when we find ourselves networking in a job hunt. Most of the rules of non-jobsearch networking simply don’t apply when our networking is focused on getting a new job.

Here’s why: the networking conversations we’d be holding wouldn’t include the statement, “I’m looking for a job.”

Networkers’ eyes glaze over when they hear those five little words. These aren’t mean or inconsiderate people. It’s just that the stereotypical job-hunting networker can’t talk about much besides his job search. It becomes hard to maintain a conversation. People drift away, because it’s awkward to say more than “uh huh” and “how frustrating” when the subject turns to “My Hideous Job Search.”

Here are five common job-search networking traps to avoid:

1. Detailing your Audio Resume

Most experienced networkers by now have learned that a new acquaintance doesn’t need to hear our entire business spiel. Job seekers often forget that conversation is a two-way street, instead showering a new contact with details about the job we left, the job we’re looking for and a hundred reason why we’d a be a great employee. That level of detail doesn’t help; it hurts.

2. Asking for Introductions

Face-to-face networking events are great for making the acquaintance of people you didn’t know before you arrived. Be happy if you leave a networking soiree with one or two good new contacts, people who’d be comfortable continuing the conversation at a later date. People don’t go to networking events to be hit up for introductions, and that’s why we shouldn’t ask for them. A 10-minute networking conversation doesn’t create enough relationship “glue” to justify our asking such a favor.

3. Handing Over a Resume

Your paper resume is something to bring along to job interviews and job fairs. Most resumes change hands via email these days, and that’s why there’s no point in bringing your paper resume with you to a networking event. Don’t email your resume to a person you’ve met at a networking event, either, unless he or she specifically asks for it. Forwarding a resume is much less likely to get you an interview than creating solid relationships based on conversation.

4. Asking for Leads

It seems like the most obvious thing in the world: You’ll go to a networking event, tell the people assembled there that you’re job-hunting, and ask them for job-search leads.

That’s a great thing to do when you go to a gathering designed for that purpose. But asking for leads in your job search is not appropriate during your first meeting with a new acquaintance. Most of us are unlikely to be aware of the job openings in our own companies, much less in others. We can ask, “Do you have any advice for me?” but that’s it. The greatest value of attending a networking event will be the one, two, or maybe three follow-up-worthy contacts you make there.

5. Sharing Your Job-Search Pain

We all need sympathetic ears, and a live networking event might seem like just the place to regale a listener with a gripping layoff story or a tale of job-search frustration. However, it’s not. That’s what our friends are for.

It’s tough to be unemployed, or to be in a job you hate. It’s just as tough to be an entrepreneur in a tough economy. Yet we don’t go to networking events to spill our entrepreneurial woes, and our job-search challenges are off-limits as well. Keep the conversation friendly and professional, and if you strike the right chord with a certain person and decide to stay in touch, you can open the vault at a later date.