5 Tips to Being an All Star Networker

Sep 30, 2011

[Originally published April 10, 2009]

Networking guru, Taryn Pisaneschi, founder of WIN!-Women Intelligently Networking, provided 5 Tips
to Being an All Star Networker at our April STRATA member meeting. Taryn believes these tips are essential to cultivating productive relationships for employment or business.

1. Goals: Determine how you want others to perceive your business and act the part based on your goals.

Have a specific goal in mind before you walk into the room. Are you looking for resources, potential clients, referrals? Approach the event with a clear intention, and use it to maintain focus during the event.

2. Image: Dress professional. You don't get a first chance at a second impression. 

Your dress, your demeanor, your way of speaking, the quality of your business cards and materials all have a powerful impact on those you meet.

3. Engagement: The key is to start being seen and looking professional... as much as possible.

If you want to be successful, cultivate an aura of success. Visit a variety of networking events, be seen.  Establish yourself as a serious networker.

4. Connecting: Open-ended questions are powerful connections and can quickly conquer the divide between stranger and referral alliance and ease apprehension about direct selling. 

Try to make a true connection with the people you meet. Ask questions such as:
"How did you get into this business?""What do you like most about the business?""How can I help you?"
5. Collaborating: Once you've started meeting people and gaining exposure, collaboration is key to building relationships beyond the event.

Cultivate "networking buddies" -- invite people you've met to attend other networking events.Find articles that may be of interest to those you've met and forward them with a personalized note.Make it a habit to ask a few people each week how you can be of assistance to them. Make yourself a valued resource.
Networking Dos and Don'ts:

Don't: Mentioning income opportunities or "building  a team" at networking events. 

Do: Instead, promote your service or product and its benefits and how you are valuable to the relationship. Networking events are not the place for recruiting.


Don't: Attempt to meet as many professionals at each event as possible and collecting handfuls of business cards.

Do: Try truly connecting w/ 3-5 people per event by asking power questions.


Don't: Forget what you talked about or anything about the person.

Do: Always keep a pen and small pad handy and keep notes about the person you met. Jot down something interesting discussed, a nice shirt, a joke that was made. These are foundations for further conversations.


Now What?

How do you grow your business? By leveraging your contacts and asking for the sale. As networkers, whether we recognize it or not, we're always selling something - OURSELVES -- people buy based on how someone made them feel. But we have to ask for the sale, the referral, the resource.

Why are you networking? Answer that question then seek out the poeple who can help you fulfill that goal. There is no shame in asking for referrals, help or guidance--that is what most networking groups are based on.