Have you ever gone to an event, collected a bunch of business cards, and the next day looked at them and said, “Who are these people?”  Obviously, you don’t want to be that type of (forgotten) person when you give your card to someone else. 

Networking is a process that people of all ages, backgrounds and endeavors encounter on a daily basis.  It is used for a number of reasons and situations, and in many cases, is an action that naturally occurs,  without the participants realizing that is what they are doing.  It involves:

• Business opportunities.
• Job Search.
• Personal relationship building.

So, with it being such a major part of everyone’s life, most people do not understand and/or embrace the “etiquette” of networking.  What makes someone a GOOD networker?  Here are some tips that will develop your business networking skills and make the process more enjoyable (and productive).

1.       Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine and authentic, building trust and relationships, and seeing how you can help others.  Have fun with it and people will want to be part of your network.

2.        First build a relationship with a new contact, and then ask for referrals.  Too many people go to a networking event strictly to collect business cards and “sell” themselves.  Don’t look at networking strictly as a job; look at it as an opportunity to meet some very interesting people.  In order to do that, you need to get to know the person first.

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

4.       Ask open-ended questions 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 demonstrates  that you are sincerely interested in them.  Also, don’t monopolize the conversation.  Stay focused on being a good listener and the other party(s) will remember you as being an effective  communicator.

5.       Become known as a powerful resource for others. When you are known as a sound  resource, people remember to turn to you for suggestions, ideas, names of other people, etc.  This keeps you visible to them and you become a trusted advisor.  Once you have earned their trust, people will gladly  introduce you to key connections in their network.

6.       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.  Keep your referral requests simple.  You do not want the person who is willing to share their connections with you to feel obligated or burdened in any way..

7.       Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. When people give you referrals, your actions are ultimately a reflection on them. Respect and honor that commitment and your referrals will grow.  Request that the person who is doing the referring send an email to the referred party with a cc: to you.  This will provide a warm introduction and open the door for you to follow-up.  Use the email to both thank the person who referred you and to introduce yourself to the new connection.

8.       Meet in person in order to establish the initial relationship and develop trust.  It is extremely difficult to build a strong relationship with anyone whom you have not met in person.  Show your connection that they are important ~  take the time to meet and talk with them face-to-face.

9.       Develop a list of those contacts that are strong networkers and are important to your growth.  Be sure to “touch” them on a regular basis.  Keep in mind that networking should be an important component of your job.  As such, it needs to be monitored and goals identified just like any  of your other job responsibilities.  Be sure to stay in touch with your networking connections that are meaningful to you.  Don’t allow your hard work in developing  those connections  dissipate because you did not take the time to  stay in touch.

10.   Utilize social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) as tools to identify potential candidates that you would like to meet and then use your connections to facilitate the introductions.  Social media has become a widely accepted tool to promote networking.  However, it is only one (of many) tools and should not be used exclusively to develop your network. 

11.   Do some homework before meeting a new contact one-on-one.  Learn about their business and some personal aspects by using social media and corporate websites.  Prepare a few meaningful questions in advance to get the conversation started and show your connection that you have taken the time to learn about them.

Keep in mind, networking is an art and requires a trained skill-set (and lots of practice) in order to do it well.  Never go into a networking event with the  attitude of “what’s in it for me.”  That attitude will become apparent to everyone you speak with and you will probably be the “forgotten one” the following day.

I wish you much success in all your networking opportunities !