Whether you are planning a meeting of your business networking group, or you are about to lead a group of colleagues in some type of discussion, a little planning will go a long way to making your meeting a success.

Few things are more frustrating than spending precious time in a meeting only to come away feeling as though the time was wasted.  We have meetings in order to move forward, accomplish tasks, set goals and make improvements. When none of these things happen, the purpose of the meeting is lost.  In order to have a successful, productive meeting, there are some simple, basic guidelines that should be followed.

1.    Have an Agenda
Except for initial meetings, the agenda should be drawn up at the previous meeting.  But for an initial meeting a clear agenda must be written in advance.  The agenda must include a list of the topics to be covered in the meeting.  If different people are speaking on the topics, be sure to list their names beside their topic.  List the order in which the topics are to be discussed.  Also schedule into the agenda time for warm up discussions, coffee breaks and post meeting evaluation time.  It’s a good idea to give a brief overview of the agenda first, before starting discussions of the individual topics.

2.    Have a Facilitator
Designating someone to be the facilitator helps to keep the meeting focused and forward moving.   The facilitator will also help redirect conversations if attendees start rambling off on tangents, and will also work at drawing quieter members into the meeting while toning down those that tend to dominate.  The facilitator will also be the person who will bring the meeting to a close.

3.    Have someone take minutes
Taking minutes merely involves having someone record everything of importance that happens at the meeting, for example, important points and concerns that were raised, what decisions were made, who is going to do what and when etc.  These recordings can be used for future reference to monitor progress.

4.    Have an agenda for the next meeting
Use the information gathered and points raised during this meeting to draft an agenda for the next one. This provides a starting point and a direction in order to get the next meeting off to a quick start with a focused direction.

5.    Have everyone evaluate the meeting
Take a few minutes at the close of the meeting to gather and record each person’s feelings about the meeting. Was it effective?  Was it too long…too short?  Was it focused?  Was it productive?  Use this information to make improvements for subsequent meetings.

6.    Have 100% of everyone’s attention
Make certain that your meeting is uninterrupted.  Ask members to refrain from making and receiving calls, messages or emails unless it is a real emergency.

Following these basic steps will help you plan and conduct productive, effective meetings.

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“It never hurts to know people”, is commonly thrown around, and for most of us in business that rings true.  And whether we’re aware of it or not, every outing, from your trip to the grocery store, to cocktails out with friends, is a chance be social and make new business connections if you know how.

First, get over whatever fear you may have of talking to strangers.  They won’t bite, and while some may just be unfriendly, most people don’t mind a bit of small talk while waiting in line or out at the bar.  You’re not going to strike gold with every conversation, but if you don’t get yourself out there the chances of making any connections predictably drop to close to nothing.  In the long run putting yourself out there is necessary, and that little bit of effort goes a long way.

Second, don’t assume that business contacts have to come from a place of business.  Yes, your chances are higher that a trade show will yield a great contact, but you can also meet fantastic people everywhere from a little league game to your local library.  Even if the people you meet don’t help you in business, these contacts will strengthen your bond with the local community and give you practice in connecting with strangers for the day you need to reel in a big fish.

Third, be prepared.  Being friendly and chatting is great, but be prepared to have something with your name on it.  Business cards are an amazing investment as they look professional in any situation, but even if your empire is not in the working world consider a calling card with a personal touch to spare the trouble of constantly scraping for pens and paper.

Finally, if you do need to seriously push to connect with people, like at an event or conference, set goals for yourself.  Set 5-10 business cards in your pocket with the goal to hand them out by the end of the event, or if there is a specific kind of person you need to get in touch with, use event materials to plan who you need to meet.  Don’t feel let down if it doesn’t happen, but setting goals may give you the push you need to go further than you would otherwise.

Making connections and networking in business can be stressful but with practice, preparation and a smile meeting people can be an enjoyable part of your everyday life with a positive impact on your career.

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We all have to do it at some point, and for some of us, talking to strangers is a walk in the park, while for others of us it’s absolutely terrifying.  Some of us have skill and others are left floundering.  Being social is something that never hurts in any part of our lives, and if we do it well it can have a positive impact on our careers, social life, home life and the connections we keep therein.  Here are a few pointers on how to talk to strangers:

Timing is key. Trying to stop someone as they’re running to catch a train, getting up to leave, in the middle of a transaction or in any private situation is always the wrong time to try to strike up a conversation.  Instead, look for opportunities where there is a lull in the everyday world, like while seated on the bus, waiting in line, or engaging in a leisurely activity like shopping.  Chatting at a bar, a party or a club is for the most part always okay, whereas at other restaurants or coffee shops discretion should be used.

Keep it light. A first meeting is no time to talk about politics, religion or death unless circumstances suggest it.  Keep conversation on light topics and engage your partner with more questions than answers.  Avoid asking overly personal questions such as age, family situation, or home life and focus instead on hobbies, interests and work.

Compliments are a great start, but be careful. Complimenting a scarf, necklace or a pair of shoes is a fantastic way to start a conversation, but even when talking to parties of the same sex (and especially of the opposite) talking about a person’s appearance will certainly imply the conversation is meant for a singles hook-up and not to improve your business networking!  Even if your intention is to meet singles, young women especially often don’t respond kindly to men who immediately focus on appearance.

Don’t force the conversation. If it’s not happening, be prepared to let it go.  Not every conversation you enter into leads to more friends, and not everyone will appreciate your attempt at conversation. Closed body language and short answers are both big signs your conversation partner doesn’t want to talk and when you pick up on that, make your exit gracefully.  Being courteous and reading the signs now, may make them more open to you in the future.

Smile. Just like you should respond to body language with your conversation partner, they will respond to you.  Smiling is the smallest thing we can do with the biggest impact.  Keeping your body open and relaxed, as well, will help avoid an unwanted bad first impression.  Also keep in mind that displays of emotion such as nervousness or shyness can often be seen as being cold, distant and anti-social, all of which turn off a potential business contact for conversation as well as any future dealings.

Keep these things in mind and you’ll be establishing social groups locally in no time!

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How much influence do you have on the people you encounter? If you’re looking to meet new people for the purpose of networking, forming new business contacts or even for making new friends, you’ll hope to make a great impression on them and even influence how they think, feel and act. To do this, you’ll need to make your new acquaintances feel understood and appreciated. Here are 8 simple ways to help you do this:

1. Call people by their name
People like to feel important. Remembering their name shows you have taken special care to acknowledge them as you consider them to be important.

2. Give people your full, undivided attention
This again makes a person feel important. Give good eye contact during conversations and don’t let anything distract you from what the person is saying – no one likes a listener whose eyes are wandering or who doesn’t seem to be fully interested in what is being said.

3. Appear confident
People can sense confidence – and this is a good quality to display. It will make people listen to you more and question you less.

4. Praise and recognize people’s attributes
People like to feel that they are appreciated and valued. While it’s important not to go over the top or appear insincere, try and show your appreciation of people’s unique qualities and strengths when possible.

5. Make people feel needed
People also like to feel powerful. If you approach a person with a need you have in a demanding way, they may not appreciate it. In contrast, if you approach them in a way that shows they are needed, e.g, ‘I have a request and I think you’re the best person who can help me with this’, they are likely to feel more willing to meet your need.

6. Know what people need
When you make new acquaintances, try and figure out what needs they have or what they might be looking to gain from meeting you. Then try and be someone who helps them meet their needs. If you can help other people reach their goals or objectives, they are likely to want to return the favor for you.

7. Care about people
Make people feel that you are someone who care about them – either personally, about their business needs or both as appropriate. It is always nice to know people who genuinely care about other people’s needs.

8. Be a good listener
This isn’t just about giving someone your full attention. Making sure you grasp what people are trying to communicate to you will help them like you better because you understand them well. If you are in doubt about anything, ask questions and show people you are interested in their thoughts, feelings and views.

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Business networking has become one of the most successful and cost effective ways to get your message across and make new contacts. The key is to have a good strategy and a clear purpose of what it is you’re trying to accomplish.  What kind of business relationships are you looking to form?  What is your business offering in return?

1.  Have Definitive Objectives:
It is important in business networking, when deciding what you are looking for and what you are looking to give out, to have clear, definitive objectives.  You should have a clear focus on what your business networking efforts are trying to accomplish, and what company is going to benefit from networking with you.

2.  Identify the Target:
Make a list of all of all the kinds of people you intend on marketing to, including marketing connections you might already have, to strengthen and bolster your efforts.

3.  Define Yourself:
Quickly identify what it is that you are planning to exchange in return for these goods and services, if it is going to be information, clients, contacts, etc.  If you have a clear idea of this relationship, on your end, as well as on their end, you will have a clear path to success.

4.  Listen Actively:
Be an active listener as you approach your networking partners, and get to know and identify all possible connections, services you could offer, what they can do in return, etc. Listen very closely and try to read between the lines and figure out any possible advantages that may come up.   Also, if you can perform a favor for someone else, then by all means do it.  Meet people and become a person that is well-known for being generous and trustworthy, and you will receive this treatment in return.

5.  What Are You Really about?
Write a clear essay of what your company is really about and what solution business networking will give to your business.  Find common ground with your business networking contacts and know them on a personal level, as well as a professional one.  Part of the most effective business networking strategy is to maintain great relationships, by forming great relationships with people you can help, and people that can help you.  It is not greedy to want somebody to help you, just as it is not foolish to help somebody that needs it.  It is common sense in business and a fundamental principle, that building strong business relationships means building a strong and powerful business.

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As the saying goes, ‘no man is an island’. If you’re in a place where a new friendship would be welcomed, you might want to know how to form bonds which are both enjoyable and lasting when you meet new people. Read these effective tips on how to make good friendships that last.

1. Make friends with yourself first
Know yourself well before you allow someone else to know you well too! Ask yourself probing questions such as your values, beliefs, life-goals, what you look for in friendships and what you believe you can offer as a friend. Are you looking for someone who shares your optimism for life? Do you need someone who can challenge you to think differently? Evaluate these important qualities about yourself and you’ll be more aware of the type of friend you should be looking for.

2. Spend more time around people who enjoy the same things you do
Are you interested in sports? A church-goer? An avid book reader? Spend more time around people who like the same things too. This might mean you join a sports team, attend more church events or form a book club, etc. Whatever it is, making the effort will pay off. Many friendships are made and easier to sustain when two people share something in common.

3. Be an initiator
It’s not just enough to be around the right type of people. You could be in the same painting class as your potential soul mate, but if you never take the opportunity to get to know people, you would never find this out. Be someone who initiates conversations with people to find out more about them. After you do, take steps to initiate meetings such as going for a coffee or to see a theatre show. Don’t expect friendships to fall into your lap – be active in helping people to get to know you and in helping yourself to get to know others too.

4. Be patient
Rome wasn’t built in a day and the same applies to any good solid friendship. Don’t be in a rush to become a BFF (best friend forever!) of the person you met the other week. Instead, allow the relationships you are forming good time to develop at a natural pace. Balance this with giving new friendships the time and attention they need to develop – after your first meeting with a new friend, follow up with a phone call or email and suggestions for another opportunity to meet – by not maintaining a fair amount of contact, you could let new friendships fizzle out.

5. Know how to be a good friend
Be reliable when you arrange to meet someone, considerate of other people’s feelings, trustworthy, a good listener and someone who is able to accept a person’s good and bad points. In short, be the caliber of friend you’d like to find yourself and you should have no problems with maintaining lasting friendships!

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Moving to a new city can be an exciting time – you’ve got a new home, perhaps a new job too, and now there are plenty of things you want to explore. But even in a city with millions, you might feel lonely if you haven’t got any friends to share your new experiences with.  The solution?  Be proactive! Don’t sit around your home and wait for people to find you…instead, follow these seven tips for finding good friends in a new city:

1. Get to know your neighbors. If you live in a community which hosts regular meetings or events, make an effort to be involved. Knowing people who live around you is always a help and makes your neighborhood a more social place.

2. Join a club or class relating to a subject or hobby that interests you, e.g., a dance class, hockey team or painting course. This helps you get out and meet people who share similar interests to you – a good starting point for any friendship.

3. Take part in a running club. Most cities organize groups who train together and all levels are welcome. It’s one way to stay fit and you’ll socialize by chatting as you run, too.

4. If you have a dog, take it out for a walk where other dog-owners in the area go. Popular dog walking areas are always great places to meet other dog-owners – it’s hard not to admire each other’s pets and swap pet-owning stories.

5. Volunteer to do something helpful. There are always places looking for help like soup kitchens or child-mentoring organizations. You’ll benefit your community and are sure to come in contact with lots of people – especially like-minded ones who want to make a difference too.

6. Check your local newspaper for local events – there may be a new cafe opening or a new exhibition at the museum. Just because you haven’t made any friends yet, it shouldn’t be an excuse to stay indoors. The more you go out, the more likely you are to meet someone new…even if you don’t, and at least you’ve been out and enjoyed yourself.

7. Make use of great websites for meeting people. They help you meet other people in your local area who also want to make friends, share interests, or network for business or social purposes.  If you don’t find a group you’d like to join, you could even use the site to start one yourself!

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You’ve just started your own business and have arranged to meet up with a large group of professionals in the same field. Your goal? To network and make as many good contacts as possible – these future relationships could be vital to your business’s growth. Before you set off for your event, you’ll want to revise some good business networking practices. Here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid:

1. Forgetting Your Business Cards
You’ll want to exchange as many business cards as you can. If you forget yours, you’ll appear unprofessional scribbling your details on pieces of scrap paper. Instead, a well-presented business card will convey a lot about you – those who take yours will be encouraged to look up your web details or contact you again via the details supplied.

2. Not Being Polite and Courteous
People will want to know what type of person you are. If you can be considerate and polite, even when things go wrong, e.g., when you have bad service at a restaurant, this will speak volumes about your character. Avoid being negative about anyone or anything, even your competition. A person who is positive about things is a more attractive person to be around.

3. Not Watching What You Eat and Drink
The best advice when drinking and eating is to do as little of it as possible when networking. Consuming too much alcohol can quickly start to cloud what you say and how you appear to others. Also, it is never easy to juggle plates of food, shaking hands, swapping business cards and smooth conversation while you are eating. Try and eat something before an event if you can – even if it is at a restaurant, you can order something to nibble on rather than to appease your appetite. And be aware that it is rarely attractive to talk with you mouth full of food.

4. Not Being Prepared for Casual Conversation
When meeting people for the first time, there are likely to be some lulls in the conversation. Have a few interesting subjects on hand to help revive a conversation again. Watch or read the news the day before your meeting, or browse through magazines related to your field – then bring up something you think might interest someone else or be good for discussion. Avoid controversial subjects like politics or religion.

5. Getting Stuck with One Group of People
It’s easy to find a group of people you feel comfortable talking with, and you might feel reluctant to keep working the room. But don’t let your goal of networking slip out of your focus. Try and pretend the event you are at is something you are hosting and make yourself move on and greet and talk to more people. Perhaps offer to get your new group some drinks or offer them a plate of appetizers – these tricks make good first impressions.

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Business networking is more than just a clever tactic that most businesses use to draw in more clientele.  For many small businesses that rely upon word of mouth, proper networking skills are completely necessary for the continued success and even existence of the company.  Business networking is the fundamental act of referring business to other businesses, and in the process doing the same for you.  Understanding how to give quality referrals is an art form in itself, and something that is extremely important in business networking matters.  The old adage of, “I’ll scratch your back, if you scratch mine”, has never applied to anything more than to business networking.

Business networking, however, takes many forms, and you just might not realize how common it is.  Whether a business is cold calling some of its clients on the phone, or meeting other business professionals for dinner or lunch, the networking is always taking place.  Successful networking leads to referral business, new business ideas, and can help you to learn from other professionals in your field.  Many businesses choose to become part of networking organizations such as different local chambers of commerce in their selected area.  These organizations are excellent ways for business owners to participate in business advocacy and lobbying efforts, and offer a way for business owners to cooperate for their own protection.  They often have meet and greet sessions where business leaders can meet together to discuss certain business topics that might be affecting them, the current business climate in their area, and formulate collective plans for the future.

Some say that up to 70 % of new companies get their business through word of mouth.  Networking allows you the opportunity to formally introduce yourself and your business, to other business professionals in your area, to not only get to know them, but to get to know the services they offer as well.  If business leaders can meet you and can trust you, they will have no problem sending business your way, and no problem receiving some from you.  This is all part of the relationship building process that is so vital to successful business networking.  It is a relationship built on trust and mutual interest.

In today’s high tech world, business networking has never been so easy and available.  No longer do you need to live in the same area to network with business clients, or even in the same country. Due to popular online networking services, you can network with anybody all over the world.  You no longer have to be a big shot to talk to big shots, or even speak the same language.  Today you can have a dialogue, share ideas, and expand your business, all with the click of a mouse.

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Never before in the history of business has there been a better tool for expanding your contact list than the Internet!  Literally thousands of opportunities exist for having meaningful and dynamic interactions with potential clients, partners, and like-minded business professionals each day.

With all these opportunities at our fingertips, the challenge is finding the RIGHT sites to visit and use in order to use our time most efficiently – and knowing HOW to use these sites most effectively.

One site that is incredibly useful to meet people and build business contacts is LinkedIn (It’s spelt w one word or is the extra space intentional?).  LinkedIn allows you to set up a profile that can then be viewed by potential employers and business contacts alike.  You can search the profiles of others in order to build your network, and ask for introductions to contacts shown in the profiles of your contacts.   Linked In has job listings, networking groups to join, and the ability to add presentations to your profile to promote your business.

MeetingWave provides the opportunity to list your business interests and background information in your profile, and search for invites to face to face or web meetings hosted by people with like interests.  It is free, and a great way to expand your local network.  Members of MLMs, attorneys, consultants, local services such as realtors, nail salons and hairdressers, and IT or facilities businesses would benefit from joining and using it to effectively network.

Although Facebook is primarily a personal social networking tool, it is a great way to add a warm and friendly image to your web persona to win over clients.   Many realtors are using Facebook in order to create a friendly rapport with potential clients.  Facebook allows you to post pictures, interesting links, video, etc as well as your profile.  It is a “real-time” type social network, which means you can type in comments, observations, etc just like in the ultra-real-time application Twitter.

Another great way of expanding your business network which works especially well if you are  offering a niche product or service is by creating your OWN social network on Ning, and publicizing it.  Joining Ning (www.ning.com) gives you the opportunity to design, build, and create your own social network – with discussion sessions, forums, blogs, etc.   Publicizing this site would then attract new people into your network, for a healthy and exciting exchange of ideas.    You can publicize the site through the use of Google ad words – not free but effective, or by adding its URL to your profiles on other sites.

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