Networking Fail - 5 Traits

I notice our young folks using the word "fail" in a unique way. Simply, it just means failure. Okay, now since that is clarified, let's discuss those traits which sum up a Networking Fail.

1. Ego takes over and objectives are overlooked.

Just like any other business aspiration, networking requires goals. When one goes out to networking events and meets other professionals, egos can get in the way. The ego can present itself in so many different formats.

One successful business man/woman can be arrogant and condescending towards others. As this happens, others may become offended because they have now been insulted. On both ends, egos have now taken over and productivity is lost.

In either case, self-control is the antidote to tame the ego. One must stay focused, no matter what happens. If not, you can lose time which you will never get back. The Networking Fail comes when self-control goes out the back door.

2. Not having a good day and the attitude reflects this.

I have to ask, why do people attend business networking events if they are having a horrible day? Okay, maybe they rationalized that, if they go they will somehow cheer up. Maybe they rationalized, networking and a few drinks will save the day.

If you have ever been the recipient to the manners expressed by such an individual, you'll probably agree with me when I say, they should have stayed home. This doesn't make them a bad or evil person. It just indicates a bad judgment call on their part. Hey, everyone has a right to go where ever they wish but keeping the purpose of networking alive, relies on a good judgment call.

So, the Networking Fail is created when the person doesn't realize that they must cheer up internally, on their own and the event won't do it for them.

The Networking Fail is born when they follow through on their bad decision.

3. Does not follow up.

This has been discussed so many times that I don't even want to add comments to it. However, we all know that business networking is a waste of time unless you make use of the people you meet. You'll never find out what can happen unless you open the doors of communication.

The Networking Fail comes to life when all communications cease at the initial encounter.

4. Shows no real interest and can't hold a conversation.

It is like networking death when you don't show a genuine interest to your conversation partner. Showing interest, helps you to listen better and helps the talker feel validated. Listening well, also helps you to gather valuable information for future correspondence.

The Networking Fail, grows out of boredom or distraction. This is a self control issue.

5. Thinks that people operate like machinery.

This one is common among people who are in a rush. Relationships take time to develop. People like to take their time when making decisions, especially decision that will affect their lives. People that don't understand it will usually say that networking doesn't work. In reality, it just doesn't work for them.

The Networking Fail manifests itself once the individual expects to push a button on a person and get a desired result.

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4 Productive Networking Activities

Business networking can be an exact science depending on an individual's perspective. Because there are so many uses, one person may have their own complete sequence of procedures that is different from all others. Furthermore, no 2 people do things exactly the same.

However, to reach certain goals in business using networking, does require somewhat of a structured system. In other words, there are activities that should be viewed as productive and progressive, opposed to counterproductive or detrimental.

Your critical business goals should always be the foundation that you base your prominent networking activities upon. Therefore, when I suggest an emphasis on the below activities, it will vary due to your objectives. That being said, below are generally productive activities to help you succeed in business networking;

1. Attending Business Networking Functions

This may seem like an obvious bit of advice but you must ask yourself if you are doing this on the regular basis. There are so many events available in so many places, yet they are missed by many people who have time challenges. When you consider that we are all just one person away from a big break or positive business changing experience, attending these events becomes more relevant.

2. Visiting Your Contacts

Looking into your past successes, examine just how much good relationships had to do with them. Great business relationships are built many times in a close, personal proximity.

Any opportunity to visit a colleague or contact within your network should be honored. This positive activity could be acknowledged later in time as productive and necessary.

3. Organizing and Categorizing Your Network

A lot of networking and meeting new contacts can lead to clutter. The clutter of which I speak is piles of business cards or online social network colleagues without proper categorization.

Yes, it is great to have a large and powerful network but if you don't have a system to prioritize those who are the most important, those who are up-and-coming, and those who are undecided, you are not maximizing what you have.

4. Drafting a Virtual Future Network

As you keep your communications and ties strong, you must always be looking into the future. You should know, as you progress in your career, who are the people who could potentially help to move you further down the road? It's a good idea, quarterly at least, to envision what your future network could look like. Of course, envisioning this will help to give you a solid and trackable path for business networking.

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How to Develop and Capture Hot Leads on LinkedIn - 5 Steps

Many times, I am asked how to take real advantage of business online social networks. People want to know how networking online can bring some of the same advantages as off-line networking.

A common goal in networking is to generate quality leads which can lead to new clients, partners, or simply interested parties. Once good quality leads are at your disposal, you have the power to nurture them to their full potential. Here are 5 steps to do just that;

1. Create an attractive lead capture webpage

This can be accomplished by using a WYSIWYG editor or simply hiring a freelance web designer. Your capture page will include information about you, your company, and or your unique offer. It is a good idea to give away something for free like an e-book, a free report, or even a free consultation. You will give this away in exchange for your visitors e-mail and contact information.

2. Sign up with an e-mail auto-responder service

There are several auto-responder e-mail services available but Aweber is my favorite. An auto-responder allows you to create an HTML form in which your visitors can submit their contact information and sign up to your e-mail list. From this point you can create a prearranged sequence of e-mails to stay in communication with them.

3. Choose and join 50 Targeted Groups

The free membership option on LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 groups. I recommend joining groups in which your target market are members of.

4. Read, participate in, and start discussions

Take time to read through the various discussions within these groups and when you see an opportunity to offer expert advice, respond with comments. It's important, for credibility's sake, that you respond with good information and equally important to leave a link to your capture page after your comment. When people click this link, you will gain visitors and many will convert to subscribers. Note; be sure to read the rules of the group before posting links. Most allow it but some will not.

5. Post several updates on your profile daily

As you continue to network on and off line you should be sending and receiving contact requests. This will grow your network and whenever you post an update, your network can view it. On your updates, be sure to leave a link back to your capture page. If you sync your LinkedIn account with your Twitter account, your updates will now be indexed in search engines and will gain you additional targeted traffic.

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5 Questions to Ask a New Contact Before Referring Them

One of the big benefits of business networking is the power of the referral. When we receive word from a trusted contact of an individual who can provide a service for us, it holds more weight than responding to an advertisement or calling out of the phone book.  Because of this, you want to be sure about those who are referred to you and especially, those whom you refer to others.

If you receive a referral from a friend or colleague and they turn out to be a complete disaster, you will no doubt look at the referrer in a different light.  For this reason, it is vitally important to refer those who are worthy.

Sometimes, when referring a new contact, you can't be 100% certain, so here is a brief list of questions to ask them to bring you closer to surety;

1. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you enjoy what you do?

With 10 being the highest, if they don't answer between 8 and above, I would start to doubt their dedication to their field. When a person enjoys what they do, they tend to go beyond normal customer service. If this happens, all parties involved reap the benefits.

2. How long have you been in business?

This question can sometimes be intimidating to your new contact. It can make them feel uncomfortable if they are just getting started in their field. Nevertheless, an honest answer will lead you to make a good decision.

If they have years of experience, you will know that they are a stronger candidate than otherwise. If they're just beginning in their field, your judgment of character will help you to refer them or not.

3. Do you have any client testimonials?

Once again, if they are new, they may not have any positive stories or client testimonials but if they have experience, they may. If they don't, it doesn't mean that they are not credible or reputable.

It could just mean that they haven't gone about collecting client testimonials. In this case, it is your judgment of character once again, that will assist you in making your decision.

4. What is your favorite client story?

The way they answer this question may provide clues to how they deal with clients in general. They may tell you how they were able to provide a solution to someone and change their situation.  It's also a brief case study.

They may not have a favorite client story whatsoever. If they don't, it could mean that they aren't in harmony with what they do.  Typically, if they do, it's a signal that they enjoy their work.

5. What's the #1 reason I should recommend you as opposed to your competition?

This is, of course, a request to hear their Unique Selling Proposition. If they don't have one, it's just as well but they should be able to provide a reasonably good reason why.

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Making LinkedIn Work for You - 3 Tips

Your Profile
A Good Headline

Just as with any online content intended for Search Engine Optimization and or attention grabbing, a good headline on your LinkedIn profile is equally important. On one hand, having a good headline can help you to show up higher in the LinkedIn search engines while on the other hand, a compelling headline can help you to keep the attention of someone visiting your profile.

Finding the balance between the two is dependent upon your LinkedIn goals. You may be using your profile simply as a reference for more information in which you will be driving direct traffic, in which case Search Engine Optimization is not a priority. Otherwise, you may desire to show up in the LinkedIn search engines more frequently.

Growing Your Network
Upload Your E-Mail Contact Lists

To really leverage the power of LinkedIn, you will want to grow your network considerably. You will be able to take advantage of opportunities as it grows but first things first. A great way to begin or expand your network is to upload your contacts from your pre-established email address books.

You can upload your contacts from your Gmail, Hotmail, Outlook, etc. and send contact requests simultaneously. Doing this can expand your LinkedIn connections considerably because you are contacting people that you already know and are already familiar with you. If they already have LinkedIn accounts, once they accept, you will be able to look into their 2nd connections and possibly ask for introductions to some of their connections. Whether you have zero or over 500 connections, this action can greatly increase your network.

Networking
Introduce Yourself

Networking in the real world, like that of a live event, requires you to introduce yourself to others. Doing so may be awkward to some but nevertheless, it opens the doors for fruitful business relationships to begin. In face to face encounters it is difficult to be ignored initially and because of this, it assists in the continuation and growth of a productive relationship.

However, introducing yourself online in the same way is met with blatant disregard. It is easy to create a nice, sincere introduction to a potential contact and be ignored. This is not a reason to give up and not pursue the same while networking on LinkedIn. It makes more sense to continue while focusing on your goals. It also makes the continued correspondence with those who do respond more valuable. LinkedIn is for networking so using the website for this purpose, in this way is highly recommended. Simply be professional and dedicated to your objectives and it will work for you.

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Are You a Champion Listener? 5 Point Check

Although not the topic of popular conversation, listening skills hold a lot of weight in relationship building. Business networking is commonly perceived as doing proactive things to create useful relationships. Yes, certain bond building activities must be performed but there are details involved.

An important detail is to have exceptional listening skills. In other words, just as much emphasis that is put into having a good elevator pitch or to be able to explain the great features and benefits your services, should be applied to your listening capabilities.

This is one vital aspect to business networking and business relationships that shouldn't be overlooked. You may be a great listener but it's always good to do a spot check and consistently welcome improvement.

How great of a listener are you? Ask yourself the following questions;

1. Do you seek first to understand and then to be understood?

Sometimes we can be so excited and engrossed with our own agenda that we are in a hurry to spread the word and speak of our own needs. There's nothing wrong with doing this, however, it should not interfere with lending your ear in a way that allows you to receive important information coming from your conversation partner. You must be receptive and understanding regardless of your own current status.

2. Are you conscious of how much you talk versus how much you listen?

If you are actively trying to become a better listener, it will do you well to pay attention to how much and how well you are listening. To become a champion listener, you should speak a few words in order to get the conversation going and then listen attentively. When you determine that enough has been discussed about the other person's interests, it's safe for you to express yours.

3. Do you prove that you are listening?

When engaged in a conversation, it's not enough to simply stare and listen. You must react and respond to what is being said with your body language; You should nod your head, make facial expressions, smile, etc.. Additional proof that you are listening is to ask questions and give brief input.

4. Is your input effective and well received?

The only way to give good input is to clearly comprehend what is being explained to you. The reaction of your conversation partner will indicate the level of your understanding.

5. Do you ask questions?

Input is great but nothing says you are listening like asking relevant questions. The right questions are absolute proof that you are listening and how well.

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How to Generate B2B Traffic on LinkedIn - 3 Tips

There are many online traffic generation methods available today. Depending on the type of business you are in and the type of website you have, different traffic generation methods apply. LinkedIn, which is a website that caters mostly to the B2B marketplace, traffic generation from within the website is as important as traffic coming from other sources.

LinkedIn has millions and millions of members who are searching, communicating, and conducting business 24 hours a day-7 days a week. With all of this activity happening, it is easy to get passed over by your competition or to be confused on just how to get the right prospects to your link.

Well, it's only confusing when you don't know how. Once you know a few good tips and methods, it becomes easier. You just have to be willing to do the work. If you're willing to do the work then you will see much better results.

Don't worry though, the work that is involved is not really difficult but can be tedious at best. As you get engaged in the work I'm about to describe, you must ask yourself; "How bad do I want new business?" Here are a few great traffic generating techniques;

1. Join groups and make comments

LinkedIn has thousands of groups to choose from. You should locate groups within your target market and apply to join. Some groups have a waiting period where they need to process your application but many will let you join instantly.

When you join these groups you should read the comments and discussions posted by other group members. You have your choice of responding to the various discussions or beginning your own. Another great thing about groups is that you are permitted to send direct messages to group members who will allow it.

Most group members allow messages to be sent directly to them. You must be careful not to abuse this. With all of that said, enter the link back to your website in all of your communications. This will drive traffic.

2. Post updates to your profile several times daily

As you go about communicating with group members and including your link within the process, it's a good idea to send contact requests to those members. If you do this on a regular basis, your LinkedIn network will grow by leaps and bounds and when you post updates to your profile, your net work will see them. When you post your updates remember to include your link and you will enjoy a nice surge of nicely targeted traffic.

3. LinkedIn Ads

If your budget allows, you can choose to pay for advertising. When you are setting up your advertisement, you will be given the option to choose a target market. This is a good option because it allows you to fine tune and aim your marketing at the desired prospects. It is of varied opinions that this works well or not. It is, for the most part, inexpensive and worth testing.

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