Business Networking Tips

The first networking event I attended, was one I coordinated.  Well unless you count the cocktail hour I walked by swiftly in preparation of planning my event, only to b-line straight to the ladies room where I strategically planned my escape route.  I was in the building maybe ten minutes before I was running back out, filled with complete anxiety. 

 

In the Spring of my adolescence, when those around me transformed into social butterflies, I remained in my reclusive cocoon.  I guess you could say I'm a contradiction, an anti-social marketer.  So as part of my coined "Better Plan" which is just my general life plan to, well, do better, I decided to look up some networking tips that might ease the stress of walking into a room of strangers.

 

For those of you attending your first networking event to those veterans who may not be winning the war, please enjoy these "10 Tips for Successful Business Networking" written by Stephanie Speisman from Business Know-How.

 

Effective business networking is the linking together of individuals who, through trust and relationship building, become walking, talking advertisements for one another.

 

1. Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine and authentic, building trust and relationships, and seeing how you can help others.
2. Ask yourself what your goals are in participating in networking meetings so that you will pick groups that will help you get what you are looking for. Some meetings are based more on learning, making contacts, and/or volunteering rather than on strictly making business connections.
3. Visit as many groups as possible that spark your interest. Notice the tone and attitude of the group. Do the people sound supportive of one another? Does the leadership appear competent? Many groups will allow you to visit two times before joining.
4. Hold volunteer positions in organizations. This is a great way to stay visible and give back to groups that have helped you.
5. Ask open-ended questions in networking conversations. This means questions that ask who, what, where, when, and how as opposed to those that can be answered with a simple yes or no. This form of questioning opens up the discussion and shows listeners that you are interested in them.
6. Become known as a powerful resource for others. When you are known as a strong resource, people remember to turn to you for suggestions, ideas, names of other people, etc. This keeps you visible to them.
7. Have a clear understanding of what you do and why, for whom, and what makes your doing it special or different from others doing the same thing. In order to get referrals, you must first have a clear understanding of what you do that you can easily articulate to others.
8. Be able to articulate what you are looking for and how others may help you. Too often people in conversations ask, "How may I help you?" and no immediate answer comes to mind.
9. Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honor that and your referrals will grow.
10. Call those you meet who may benefit from what you do and vice versa. Express that you enjoyed meeting them, and ask if you could get together and share ideas.

Resource: Stephanie Speisman. Business Know-How. www.strategiesforchange.com

New Facebook Timeline....What a Milestone!

Alright, first off, I'm a couple months behind on the newest "timeline" layout for Facebook's business pages, but boy am I impressed with the upgrades.  Unlike most changes that make FB harder to use, like moving all the applications so you can't figure out how to edit anything, the new layout is really slick.

First of all, the Cover Photo is a great way to showcase more about your business.  Most companies would reserve the Profile Photo for a logo, which they should, but there is alot of flexibility with the Cover Photo.  Make your business local with a well-known landmark, show off a product or service, or make it personal with a snapshot of your staff.....the possibilities are endless!  I used this space to include our tagline which was buried in the "About" section.

Cover photos are 850 pixels by 315 pixels.  I used Photoshop to create a custom graphic but heard that there are several free online programs available.  Also I suggest taking some time to format your logo for your Profile Photo, the dimensions are 180 pixels by 180 pixels.  72 dpi is fine for web resolution.

If you love customization like I do, you'll be thrilled about the changes to the tabs.  Unlike the old page tabs, applications like "Photos" and "Events," now appear as thumbnail pictures at the top of your profile.  You can edit these titles and thumbnails for each and rearrange.  Only four show at a time but the drop down arrow makes the rest easily accessible.  My only complaint is that you can't eliminate the "Likes" app from the list but overall the new features are favorable.

The posts are now arranged from side to side.  It looks a little busy at first but you do have some control.  Posts can be "highlighted" which spans the post the full width of the screen.  You can also "pin" a post which will keep it all the top of all posts regardless of date for a full week.

Lastly, the pun in my blog title, the Milestone's feature.  Now this is fun!  Since the new layout is indeed a timeline, you can add back-dated content with descriptions and photos.  You can add when the business was founded, when a new location opened up, and other "milestones" as it were.  I pulled out a couple old photos to add to our timeline which really adds a special touch to our page.  The old cars and buildings are enjoyable to look at just to see the changes that have happened locally.  I think customers will like seeing the history and the strong foundation of the business.

All and all, homerun Facebook!