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Sales Masters Guild Mentor, Olivier Carion, knows that we all want to make our networking easier and shares with us 3 things that we really need to know.

Who wants to remain the best kept secret in town? No one, of course. This is why networking is an important part of building a reputation for your business and becoming the go-to business for your service in your specific sector.

As everybody knows, the oft-quoted “Know-Like-Trust” process in networking takes time. The people you meet on a regular basis will need time and space to know you as a person, to like you for your values and trust you for your genuine desire to help and serve your customers.

With time, you will find your place on the business landscape in many people’s mind. The men and women you’ve built relationships with, through networking, will be happy to give you referrals, thus providing a significant and never-to-be-underestimated marketing service for your business.

Many of you reading this post know it well. You’ve gone through the process, you’ve experienced it and you’ve clearly built some great relationships through it. And yes, it does take time, quite a bit of time actually. Moreover, once at this stage, it is important to keep those relationships alive and well, so as to avoid the “out of sight, out of mind” syndrome. This is why some of you have been networking for years.

So, whether you’re new to business networking or a seasoned networker, let me first share with you two simple tips to make it easier for both yourself and the people you network with. Then, I would like to share an often-neglected key to secure your place as the go-to person in your sector.

Here goes…

1. Adopt the Inclusive Standing Position

In some meetings, the networking takes place with everyone engaging in informal conversation while standing. This theoretically facilitates more mingling. However, the mingling becomes difficult when two people talk while facing each other. You get the point. Not only does such positioning make it very difficult for anyone to join the conversation, but it also gives the impression that the conversation is off-limits to others. Not good.

We want to make sure that we are inclusive of others. After all, we are open-minded, welcoming people who enjoy getting to know others and learn about their business. It is a known fact that words are only 7% of communication, the rest being a mix tonality and physicality. No wonder our body posture gives a message.

So, instead of facing the person you are talking to, how about standing at a 120° angle next time, giving ample room for a third person to comfortably join in and engage with both of you. Try it and see how it increases the number of people you talk to in a single meeting. In addition, you will be known as a welcoming person who is inclusive of others, a real “plus” for your reputation.

2. That Wretched Chair is a Distraction

Other networking meetings involve sitting down, usually for a meal followed by everyone having the opportunity to give their pitch to the whole group. How many times have you seen people struggle to get their chair out of the way as they stand up to speak? Too many times!

This is very distracting to both the speaker and the whole group. It takes away from the impact of the message and can at times be a complete turn-off… Avoid at all cost!

Here’s a simple way to make sure that wretched chair doesn’t stand in the way of your important message. A few moments before it is your turn to stand up and speak, move your chair back (be generous), enough to stand up without having to touch your chair at all. As a result, you are up and ready to start your pitch in a split second, with the undistracted attention of the group. This approach also allows you to focus exclusively on sharing your compelling message with a captive audience. A much better experience all around!

These two simple tips can make a big difference to your networking activities. Use them and make it easier on yourself and the people you network with.

3. The Little Key with a Big Impact

Thirdly, I would like to share a very special key with you. If you use it, chances are it will help make your pitch more magnetic than it has ever been before. It will also significantly increase the number of people who want to know more about you and your service. Would this be of interest to you?

Most of the pitches I hear at network meetings focus essentially on the details of the service offering of the business being presented. Although interesting, these messages miss the most essential question that every potential customer asks: “What’s in it for me?”

Herein lies the problem. An “interesting” pitch usually lacks the pulling power that the presenter hopes to create in those listening to him/her. So then, what is the solution? Actually, the solution is also a challenge: to present your service from the perspective of your buyer, showing you understand their true desires and are clear about the benefits to them. Simply put, talk about them and they will listen to you. Make it compelling and they will want to know more.

In reality, this is not easy to do. It takes work and practice. As a personal business mentor, I must say that I particularly enjoy helping business owners create that compelling pitch that draws more people to them and their business.

This is one of the aspects of networking that I cover in my Pro-Networking Training, a practical and interactive one-day workshop dedicated to helping motivated business owners learn how to increase the leverage they get from the time and money they invest in networking.

There you have them. Two simple tips and a powerful key to transform your networking and make it more successful than it has ever been. Try them and see the results for yourself… Happy networking!

Olivier’s next Pro-Networker Training dates can be found on his profile page.

If you’d like to find out more about the training before booking, please contact Olivier directly though his Mentor profile page.

25 way to get more customers

Olivier Carion

Olivier Carion is a Sales Masters Guild Personal Business Mentor

 

With a real passion for the psychology of communication and the architecture that underpins accelerated growth, you’ll quickly realise why Olivier is the man who will help accelerate your business to a whole new level.

 

Find out more about Olivier on his Sales Masters Guild profile page.

 

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