Next time you are out and about networking there are a few things you should definitely not be doing…
Don't
1. Introduce yourself and immediately start selling your product. Nobody goes to networking events to buy, so why sell. You are there to meet new contacts and continue to build professional business relationships with contacts you have meet previously. Remember networking is a marathon not a sprint.
2. Start sounding off about how the networking event you're at is not as good as another or that there’s only 20 people instead of 100. You should be taking time to build relationships not meet as many people as possible. You are entitled to your opinion, but is it really how you want to be remembered?
3. Eat with your mouth open. At many networking events there are complimentary coffees and biscuits. This is great way to strike up conversations but beware nobody wants to hear you eating your biscuit!
4. Be looking over the shoulder of the new business contact you just met because there’s someone else you've seen who you think will be more interesting. You never know who the person in front of you might know and the contacts they have.
5. Over commit or make promises you can't deliver. If you say you can do something for someone and then never follow up is not going to look favourably on you and can result in gaining an unwanted reputation.
Networking can be a great experience if you are prepared to work at it. The relationships we build today create the business of tomorrow.
Join us on Wednesday 20 November 2013 for the launch of The Zeus Network in Watford, visit here to find out more.
