We are in the new age of the 21st Century and organizations are shifting their strategies and laying off employees at a staggering rate. Those currently working are extremely worried and concerned. In a recent article in The Toronto Star it was stated that 95% percent of the population are living paycheck to paycheck. To make matters worse they are not saving money just in case they are laid off, even for a short period of time.
There is a solution to this that can be done today. Below I will share my strategies that will keep you ready and prepared for the future. There are online and offline strategies that you can do daily in order to grow your network and be prepared.
Offline Strategies
In 2003 when I made to the decision to go out and learn more about business, life and success, I met my two mentors who had a significant impact on my journey of success. Quickly I realized that I needed a strategy to connect and engage when I was networking and meeting new people at events. Three areas are below
Presentation
What you say and how you dress are extremely important in making a great first impression, as you have only one chance to do it!
What you wear is a great start, being aware of the type of event you are attending and who will be there is important information to know prior to attending. You can do this by emailing or calling the organizer, or checking out previous photos of the event online.
Having a business card is an important tool to have. No matter if you are a professional in transition or a seasoned entrepreneur, it’s important to have a connection point.
Start with the conversation and introduce yourself and engage in the conversation. If you feel there was a mutual understanding then you can ask to exchange cards so that you can connect online or send them some information you promised (ex. Book, Nice to meet you card).
Attitude
There is a great statement “Attitude is everything!”. No matter how you feel, check your attitude at the door and be open to have memorable conversations.
What is the first thing you do when you meet someone? You shake hands right! It’s important to do that correctly. I have had many situations where I have “fish” handshakes, don’t think that requires further explanation to heavy handed hand shakes.
Mirror and Matching which is exactly what it sounds like, you merely match what they do to you. It may seem challenging in the beginning, the more times you do it you will begin to find the rhythm and connection point that works for you.
Lastly what you say and do is important, having energy and a little enthusiasm will go a long way in bringing energy to the environment. It will be “contagious” with others and you see them smiling and have more engaging conversations
Response
This the third and most important step is not effectively used in most cases. It’s about asking questions and creating meaningful and engaging conversations. Asking a great second question is where the magic begins. You may introduce yourself and then ask a question, such as “Is this your first time at the event?”. If they say “Yes, it’s my first time”, you can then respond in congratulating them and letting them know what will be happening for the evening. This make you host and leverage tool for the entire evening. You can ask what they do and how they got started in that industry. As you do this process over and over you will feel more comfortable and become an amazing networker!
In the next section will learn to leverage contacts from offline to online.
Online Strategies
Having an online presence is an important tool to have in the 21st Century, from leveraging the people you meet to creating online connections to continue the conversation.
LinkedIn started in 2003 and is very popular with many professionals and entrepreneurs. Facebook and Twitter may get all the attention but LinkedIn is the social networking to be a part of.
You can apply the strategies below to have a great profile on LinkedIn.
Connections
We can add connections daily online and offline. We meet people face to face every day at social gatherings, events etc. Simply asking “’Are you on LinkedIn?” during the conversation is a great way to add value.
Recommendations
Great feature where we can ask our networking for recommendation. It can be from recent connections who heard you speak at an event, to a previous employer who can give you a recommendation.
Groups
You can share you expertise with various groups and be part of the discussion forum. Most of them are open groups, there are some which are closed and require an invite to join.
Applying the above online and offline strategies will yield you success in growing your network in the long term and creating relationship that could result in meeting a future mentor, business alliance or resource that you can use in the future.
Make your connections work for you in the 21st Century!