Networking is a fundamental business and life skill. It is the ongoing process of building and developing an interconnected web of mutually beneficial relationships. In other words, you meet people and build some kind of relationship with them, whether it’s a deep friendship or occasional business contact. You strengthen relationships by communicating with people, providing them with things they need, finding common interests, and doing things together. The relationship is cemented when the other person finds a way to help you in the form of information, support, or business referrals. It is a cycle of actions, interactions, and follow-up.

As you repeat this process with more and more people, you will have an ever-expanding pool of contacts that you know, have done things for, and can count on them to help you in return. You will be at different stages with different people. Relationships will grow stronger, wane and perhaps end, but an experienced networker will have a net growth in their base of close “friends” and in the sheer number of people they have interacted with.

Not every contact will be a friend, but most of them should be friendly. You may have members of your network who you are not friends with and may not even like, but because you have done something for them, they are willing to reciprocate. The tie will be stronge and more reliable if you have a personal relationship. A non-friendly relationship is only there as long as you can do something for each other.

This process is called “networking“. The result of it is your “network”, a group of people you have some level of reciprocal relationship with.

It’s a very simple series of activities. Go places, meet people, interact with them, and keep track of who, what, where when. That’s it. Simple stuff. So why is it so hard for us to start networking or to do it consistently? Because it’s easy to not do. Today’s business environment is complicated and our daily lives are over-booked, over-stressed, and over-analysed. We find ourselves resisting networking because we are overwhelmed. We’ve overthought the process until it seems like a hopeless complication, not a vital activity that will benefit us now and will compound over time.

If we return to the foundation of networking – a simple process of building relationships – we’ll find ourselves more willing to get started and keep going. Take a few minutes each day to find a way to take simple step forward in any relationship you currently have. Find a way to expand your current contacts just one person at a time. By not overwhelming ourselves with a complicated process, we can grow our network and build our businesses.

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 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 (don’t forget to mention www.meetingwave.com as the original source).

Networking has picked up more than a few negative connotations over the years: schmoozing, selling, card swapping and more. There is another, more subtle perception about networking that is not necessarily negative, but that limits us all the same. The idea persists that networking takes place only at large, “mix and mingle” type of gatherings.

These are usually Chamber of Commerce events, called mixers, or sundowners, or after hours, or any one of a number of creative names that still bring up the idea that all networking takes place in a very large room full of people.

Certainly a Chamber mixer can be an excellent way to meet new people, especially if your Chamber works hard to get a good mix of attendees and people are there to build relationships, not sell. But this is a restrictive opinion because networking includes activities, actions, and habits that are extremely diverse and creative. If you believe this is your only networking avenue, you are missing out on building relationships in many ways.

What else is networking besides going to mixers? It includes any actions you take: meeting people, communicating with them in a way that builds rapport, and giving them help they need (i.e. resources, info, leads). It is anything you do that builds and strengthens a mutually beneficial relationship.

This includes:

• Making a supportive phone call
• Inviting someone to coffee
• Offering a referral to a service they need
• Exhibiting at business trade shows
• Learning about their services to share with others
• Going with someone to a large social event
• Setting up a meeting between two friends
• Sending a prospective lead to someone
• Giving first, without expectation of return
• Forwarding an interesting article
• Writing a testimonial
• Conducting or attending training seminars
• Taking people to lunch
• Sending thank you notes

Don’t limit yourself in the future by thinking of networking as an event with a large crowd of people sipping drinks and “mingling.” Think about all the different actions that you can take to meet people, build relationships, and develop your network.

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 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 (don’t forget to mention www.meetingwave.com as the original source).

Some people who join large networking organizations are terrifically successful. They not only use the discounts and attend events, but do a few simple things that are easy, but out of the ordinary, to work the system and squeeze every drop of value from their membership.

It’s even more important in today’s economic environment to maximize your benefits. In a live teleseminar conducted in January, Steve Siebold, a world-class speaker and coach, said “Right now you should focus only on profit-producing activities.”

Membership in a networking organization can be a profit-producing activity especially if you leverage what they offer. Wouldn’t you like to be one of their members who benefit the most? Here are seven simple strategies to apply now.

Strategy #1: Know the Benefits

Go to a new member orientation or ask for a one-on-one session with the Membership Director, Membership Chair, or even the CEO. They will gladly tell you as much as they can because they want you to renew next year.

Strategy #2: Develop a Relationship with the Staff

They will remind you of events, give you insider information on policy decisions, and include you in informal focus groups to determine future activities. Staff also gives referrals to callers and make suggestions to the executive officers on whom to use for goods and services. As always, we refer people we know, like and trust. If you organization is almost completely volunteer run, seek out board members, too.

Strategy #3, #4, and #5: Be Consistent, Persistent, and Insistent

Become a regular (be consistent). Other members will get to know you better, see you as a resource and will be more comfortable doing business and sending referrals to you.

Stick with the organization (be persistent) once the newness and initial excitement wear off. Networking is a long-term investment in our businesses, not a short-term solution to poor sales or a job-search.

Make sure that staff is providing you with the benefits that were promised when you joined (be insistent). Understand that most non-profit organizations are chronically understaffed or are run by volunteers. They may be overwhelmed, but the squeaky wheel gets the grease. It’s also gratifying for staff to know that someone is using the benefits they’ve worked hard to find.

Strategy #6: Offer an Exclusive Discount

Membership organizations should always be open to providing more benefits. If you give a discount or freebie to other members, the organization will very likely promote your offer (and your company) without any cost to you. Be sure that it is a truly valuable benefit they can’t otherwise get, or it will look like a flimsily disguised advertisement. The local phone directory provides a benefit that is so good I use it as one of my major selling points. Think the exposure pays off for them? You betcha.

Strategy #7: Advertise Your Membership

Promote the fact that you invest in local organizations. It matters to your customers. For example, a study conducted in August of 2007 by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives found that 63% of people are more likely to buy from a small business that is a member of a Chamber of Commerce. But people have to know you are a member to be influenced. Make sure your membership plaque is up to date, ask for window stickers, use their logo on business cards, letterhead, and your website. If your organization is well regarded, then this should apply whether or not it’s a Chamber.

If you apply these seven strategies, you’ll get the maximum value out of your membership.

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 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 (don’t forget to mention www.meetingwave.com as the original source).

I know why you want to network with me: I’m funny, cool, rich, and have a million friends. Okay, I’m not rich and don’t have a million friends, but I’m popular because I give first, I always seek to refer business, and I’m positive and upbeat.

Are you confident about your networking skills and what you have to offer? Many people aren’t, even though they too have the potential to be funny, friendly, and full of ideas, resources, and referrals. They approach networking with fear and trepidation. Since networking is a vital part of any business development strategy, it’s important to not let this fear hold you back from networking.

For many people, a more confident approach to networking simply requires a clearer picture of what they have to offer. Answer these questions honestly to see what positive skills you bring to the table, and where you can improve for greater self-assurance in networking.

• Are you networking to build relationships, not for prospecting?
• Do you have a clear purpose for every event you go to or action you take? (Are you looking for new contacts, deepening current relationships, finding referrals for your contacts, etc.?)
• Can you tell someone in less than 30 seconds what you do in a way that they can understand, remember, and be able to do something about?
• Are you willing to give first, without expecting an immediate and equivalent return? (Otherwise that is called selling when I expect a return in value for what I’m offering.)
• Can you clearly describe the benefits of your service or product? (This means you understand the difference between features and benefits)
• Do you have a unique or memorable persona or brand? (Make sure you don’t cross the line between unique and weird. Eccentric people have a unique identity that is memorable
• You want people to think of your uniqueness in a positive way.)
• Do you consider small talk as a way to learn about other people, rather than idle chitchat?
• Are you constantly seeking to provide referrals and relevant information to your network?
• Do you have a way to track and keep in touch with your contacts?

If you can answer “yes” to all these questions, you’ll feel more confident when you are networking, even if you are in a room full of strangers. You’ll have a clear agenda that isn’t hidden and that works for the benefit of everyone. If you’re uncertain or have never considered the answers to these questions, you now have a list of skills to work on. But don’t wait to network until you have all the answers, this is often a work in progress. Just having some of these ideas is a good place to start and as you meet other networkers, you’ll clarify your thoughts and build your confidence. Remember the saying, “do the thing and you will have the power.”

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 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 (don’t forget to mention www.meetingwave.com as the original source).