There are two questions you’re almost always guaranteed to get at a business networking event. If it’s the first time you meet someone, they will invariably want to know, “What do you do?” You must be prepared with a great answer to this question, but that’s for another article. The other question is going to be “How are you?”

If it’s a very close friend, and they know you’ve had problems, then they probably do want to know how you are and how you’re dealing with your difficulties. Everyone else is are just being polite. Whatever you do, don’t answer this question with a list of your problems.

You’ve been on the receiving end of this many times. You see someone you have a passing acquaintance with. “How are you?” you ask. They proceed to give you a long list of their problems and difficulties. By the time they are done, the load of negativity you picked up from them has put a damper on your day.

Don’t do this to other people. Regardless of how bad you might think things are, leave your problems outside the event. It’s not lying, it’s using good social skills. If you need positive feedback, let your friends know you need support, but otherwise, there are many good reasons to avoid discussing your problems:

* Unless that person is the cause of your problem, there’s nothing they can do about it.

* If this is the first time you’ve met them, you’re now labeled as a complainer in their mind.

* If you have to mention a body part that we can’t see, that’s way too personal, and you’ve made the other person very uncomfortable.

* You are injecting negativity into a situation that is meant to be fun, such as a networking or business event.

* You’re wasting time whining about your life when you could be building a connection that could solve your problem.

* Everybody has problems. And someone in that room has a much worse one than you do.

If you can focus on the positive and happy things in your life, you’ll feel better. Other people will be more positive with you and you’ll have more productive interactions. Don’t waste the opportunity to solve your problems instead of dwelling on them.

Looking for more networking tips, tricks, strategies & advice? Visit MeetingWave’s Networking Motivator Blog.

About the Author: Beth Bridges is The Networking Motivator ™ and creator of the 5 Part Networking Success Plan ™, a simple networking system that can help anyone from business owners to sales agents to college students develop a powerful network. Subscribe to the weekly Networking Motivator Newsletter at http://www.thenetworkingmotivator.com/ for a quick boost of networking inspiration, information and motivation.”

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (including the author’s bio and the links www.meetingwave.com).

Consider yourself a people person? Are you an avid networker? Do your friends call you an “extrovert?” Good for you and welcome to the club. We extroverts are fortunate in the business world because we tend to enjoy networking more, so we usually get more out of it.

What about our introverted friends? Because most networking events are designed to favor extroverts, you’re probably spending a lot of time with other extroverted people who mirror our traits. It’s a lot harder to step out of the box (or maybe into it) and try to understand a personality style that’s different from our own.

But if you’re going to be successful in business, you must learn to understand, appreciate, and network with introverted people. Here are three reasons why you need to take the time and invest a few quiet thoughts toward understanding introverts better:

1. There are more introverts than you think.

I find a wide range of in the numbers, but introverts could be half the population. Do you really want to lose 50% of your potential allies and business partners because you didn’t bother to learn how to work with them?

2. You’ve probably horrified introverts without knowing it by treating them like an extrovert.

The “Golden Rule” says to treat people the way you want to be treated. To an extrovert, this might mean greeting someone effusively, giving them a big hug and immediately introducing them to five complete strangers. Other extroverts may love this treatment, but your new introverted friend is going to cringe. The “Platinum Rule” (as defined by Tony Allessandra) says to treat people the way they want to be treated. Introverts get pushed to match the behavior of extroverts all the time. Rarely does an extrovert work to slow down and match the style of an introvert. You will be greatly appreciated by the introverts you meet if you’ll treat them like they want to be treated instead of pushing them to be like you.

3. If you can understand their style, you can help them get more out of networking.

The first rule of good networking is to give and help others. If you can learn to understand introverts better, you can help them get more out of networking. This does not mean pushing them to network like an extrovert (see reason #2). It means finding ways to network with them and to help them meet other people using their own strengths and style. It may mean being their buddy at a large event, making sure that you break the ice for them and that they are never abandoned. You might introduce them to people you know one at a time over coffee. Mixers are not the end-all be-all of networking. Help them find more targeted events like lunchtime seminars or speed networking. By helping them get what they want (more business, new contacts, etc.) in a way that makes them feel comfortable, they’ll help you get what you want. You’ll build a wonderful, long-term relationship built on understanding.

Conclusion

Extroverts, take a few minutes to slow down, gather your thoughts, and think about he introverted people you’ve met and are going to meet. While American society seems to value extroversion more, you’ll know the truth. If you don’t take time to seek out and understand introverted people, you are missing out meeting and getting to know some amazing people.

Looking for more networking tips, tricks, strategies & advice? Visit MeetingWave’s Networking Motivator Blog.

About the Author: Beth Bridges is The Networking Motivator ™ and creator of the 5 Part Networking Success Plan ™, a simple networking system that can help anyone from business owners to sales agents to college students develop a powerful network. Subscribe to the weekly Networking Motivator Newsletter at http://www.thenetworkingmotivator.com/ for a quick boost of networking inspiration, information and motivation.”

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (including the author’s bio and the links www.meetingwave.com).

Are you the founder, leader or member of a business referral group (also called a leads club)? Then you know how valuable it is to have a group of people dedicated to providing business leads to each other. This focused form of networking has helped people build their business revenues for decades. But what if your group is new, rebuilding, or growing too slowly to provide a good return on investment? You need to grow your group.

How big is the right size for a leads club? You need to get the size of the group to a point where there are plenty of leads passed. The group also needs to be large enough where there’s a buzz of energy and a sense of anticipation at the referral business that will be generated. There’s not an exact number. Even a group of three or four people can make it work if they are in complimentary businesses. Fifty people might be too many to get through introductions. Fifteen to twenty-five should be workable in terms of giving everyone a chance to speak and be heard.

How do you build membership for your referral leads club? Here are six specific strategies to use.

Recruit Promoters

Look for the most enthusiastic networker you know and bring them in to your group. Their energy and excitement will help boost the morale of your other members. And, they are likely to be one of your strongest recruiters. Their successes become stories that they’ll tell to everyone they network with. Others will want to get a piece of that pie as well.

Word of Mouth

Unless you’ve got an advertising budget, word of mouth (i.e. “referrals”) is going to be your most powerful marketing tool. Even if you have a marketing budget, think carefully before buying ads. Unless you can target them, you’re likely to either spend too much to reach your needed categories or you’ll get too many phone calls from untrained networkers looking to make a quick buck. Word of mouth also allows you to control who is invited to consider the group. Compatibility is important; potential members should have a long-term mindset and understand that they have to give first. Train your existing members how to describe the group and use phrases that sell the benefits (not the features).

Show Value

When talking to a prospective member, you’ve got to illustrate the value of the group. The more specific you can get, the better. For example, the number of members is okay, but the number of leads passed is even more preferred. Can you put a dollar value on the leads passed? Money changing hands is an impressive way to show prospective members that the group is performing as promised.

Follow Up

Don’t assume that a guest will know that they are wanted as a member. Call before the next meeting and invite them back. Find out if they liked what they saw. Don’t forget to close: “Is this the kind of group you want to be part of? When will you be joining?” Make sure that they get a thorough orientation so that they understand how the group works before they sign up. Sour grapes from someone who thought they were getting instant business will poison the group’s reputation.

Invite “Power Partners”

Survey your existing members to find out what kind of businesses they could refer to the most; and who would refer back to them. Deliberately seek to invite those kinds of businesses. Your existing members should already have someone they know, like, trust and want to do business with. You may be bringing in people who are already referring to one of your members, but they’ll add to the energy of the group. Plus, the established relationship means it’s easier for other members to start doing business with them as well.

Visit Open Networking Events

Attend other events such as after work social hours. People at those events are obviously aware of the value of networking so they’ll make a more receptive audience. You can sell them on the idea of being part of a group dedicated to finding business for each other. They’ll be excellent referrers if they continue to go to open networking events.

Conclusion

The most important part of marketing a business referral group is to be consistent, persistent and active. It takes time to develop a group because it takes time for people to build up trust. Stick with it because your patience will pay off. Finally, enhance your patience with action. If you’re the leader of the group, you’ve got to be the head cheerleader and the champion lead-giver. Your members will be encouraged to follow your example, they’ll all get more business and their success will attract others.

Looking for more networking tips, tricks, strategies & advice? Visit MeetingWave’s Networking Motivator Blog.

About the Author: Beth Bridges is The Networking Motivator ™ and creator of the 5 Part Networking Success Plan ™, a simple networking system that can help anyone from business owners to sales agents to college students develop a powerful network. Subscribe to the weekly Networking Motivator Newsletter at http://www.thenetworkingmotivator.com/ for a quick boost of networking inspiration, information and motivation.”

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (including the author’s bio and the links www.meetingwave.com).