Whether it’s your first networking event or your hundredth, you still need to put yourself “in the zone” and come with your A-game, as you only get one chance to make a first impression. While not iron-clad guarantees of success, the following 10 networking tips will put you well on your way to stepping up your game and allowing you to do what you do best.
1.) Know where you’re going – And no, this does not mean buy a GPS device. Your success all starts here, so make sure you’ve done your homework and know the focus of the event and the types of attendees likely. There’s nothing worse than walking blindly into a room of professionals and realizing that you clearly do not belong. Also, it helps ensure you can dress for the occasion.
2.) Bring a buddy – Some people don’t do well talking about themselves or what they do, let alone in a room full of strangers. So, bring a trusted colleague to bolster your confidence and take turns introducing one another. It’ll be easier for both of you to approach strangers and provides instant credibility.
3.) Engage the host – Every networking event has a host or sponsor, and they’re usually someone who is well-known, well-connected, or otherwise valuable to know. Be sure to know ahead of time who is hosting (or who is the keynote speaker), and make a point to introduce yourself when you arrive, and thank them before you leave.
4.) Know what you’re looking for – Not everyone at the event is going to be your ideal prospect, so come prepared with a mental list of the types of industries and/or professionals you’d like to meet, and then go find them.
5.) Look for people you don’t already know – While it is good business to greet colleagues you may already know, or recently met, remember that’s not necessarily the reason you’re there. Stick to your plan of attack by mingling and finding those potential prospects, and utilize the buddy system tactic if/where necessary.
6.) No elevator speech - Don’t tell someone your industry and title, tell them what you do. “I deliver a business’ story to their target audiences and impact their bottom line via strategic public relations and marketing tactics,” is much stronger than, “I own a PR, marketing, and events company.” One sentence, one breath, and one impression they’ll remember for the rest of the event, and beyond.
7.) Focus on them, not on you – Your purpose is to determine whether they’re the type of person you need to be talking to, not bore them with your entire resume. If they want to know, they’ll ask. Engage them. Learn about them. People typically like to talk about themselves and what they’re passionate about.
8.) Set meetings – You’re not at the event to close the deal, merely to pique their curiosity. Establish whether the person is someone that fits your target list, then exchange business cards and set a time to speak further via phone or in person, if possible.
9.) No Free lunch – Though complimentary beverages and appetizers are common and may be tempting, remember you’re there to conduct business. Use discretion when sampling what’s offered and remember that holding a beverage while you work the room helps you seem more natural, and less like a predator. Regular networkers quickly recognize the vultures among them.
10.) Smile – If you look as though you’re enjoying yourself, you’ll seem more approachable. If it helps, view the networking experience as a game and challenge yourself to hit it out of the park.
Most of all, just have fun and act naturally.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Networking 101
Networking. You’re told you need to do it to be successful in business. Whether you’re working for the company or you own the company, chances are you have many of the same questions, or reservations, regarding networking: How do I know which events to attend? What are the best organizations for membership? What do I do when I get there? How do I generate leads from these events? Hopefully this series of blogs will provide some insight and reduce your anxiety regarding the enigma – networking.
In truth, there is no perfect science when it comes to effective networking. Your ideal client is different than mine and the next guy, as is your approach. But, there are a few “best practices” that may arm you with just enough useful intel, and perhaps the confidence, to utilize networking as an effective tool to growing your business.
For starters, it’s important to identify the different types of networking. Most are familiar with the myriad of breakfasts, luncheons, and happy hour events conducted by local chambers and professional groups. But keep in mind, more and more networking also is done online, via social media sites. The final type of networking comes under the category of “everyone else you know”; namely friends and family who still are struggling to understand just what you do, but who could become a referral machine for you if only they knew.
To keep it simple (and not cannibalize the next blog, “Top-10 Networking Tips”), let’s focus only on the three types of networking, what they mean to you, and how you stand to benefit by each.
Professional events – You see opportunities everywhere you look for chamber events or receive invites from colleagues who recommend functions by various professional organizations. You’re faced with the decision of which to accept and which are the best use of your valuable time. So how do you decide? Ask questions. A quick call or e-mail can efficiently identify the nature of the event, the intended audience, and the estimated number of attendees. From there, determine whether the event puts you in front of your ideal prospects or those who could lead to those prospects (See upcoming blog, “Second-hand Networking”).
Online/social media networking – If you’re not currently a member of the LinkedIn community and haven’t at least explored opportunities with Twitter and Facebook (or other applicable sites), then you’re doing yourself, and your business, a major disservice. The online vehicle provides three effective means to network with colleagues and potential prospects.
First, put yourself out there. Create your page, make a distinctive profile, and provide content that is useful and relevant to those you wish to attract. If you type it, they will come. Second, scroll through contacts and friends of those in your network and request introductions to those you think could be prospective clients or good contacts to know. Don’t feel guilty; other savvy professionals will do the same to you. Lastly, follow-up every positive networking event by searching these sites for those professionals who made a strong impression, so you can connect and engage them. (See upcoming blog, “Social Media Networking”)
“Everyone else” – No, this isn’t an attempt to dodge the subject by being vague. When it really comes down to it, effective networking relies primarily on perception. So how do your family, friends, neighbors, the teller at the bank, or your favorite waitress/bartender perceive you? If you come across as professional, but approachable, and they have a basic understanding of what you do and who makes an ideal client, you’d be surprised at the number of leads you could generate.
This is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to effective networking. Other topics to be addressed include, “Top-10 Networking Tips”, “The 3-minute Networker”, “Second-hand Networking”, “Social Media Networking”, and others to be determined based upon your feedback.
In truth, there is no perfect science when it comes to effective networking. Your ideal client is different than mine and the next guy, as is your approach. But, there are a few “best practices” that may arm you with just enough useful intel, and perhaps the confidence, to utilize networking as an effective tool to growing your business.
For starters, it’s important to identify the different types of networking. Most are familiar with the myriad of breakfasts, luncheons, and happy hour events conducted by local chambers and professional groups. But keep in mind, more and more networking also is done online, via social media sites. The final type of networking comes under the category of “everyone else you know”; namely friends and family who still are struggling to understand just what you do, but who could become a referral machine for you if only they knew.
To keep it simple (and not cannibalize the next blog, “Top-10 Networking Tips”), let’s focus only on the three types of networking, what they mean to you, and how you stand to benefit by each.
Professional events – You see opportunities everywhere you look for chamber events or receive invites from colleagues who recommend functions by various professional organizations. You’re faced with the decision of which to accept and which are the best use of your valuable time. So how do you decide? Ask questions. A quick call or e-mail can efficiently identify the nature of the event, the intended audience, and the estimated number of attendees. From there, determine whether the event puts you in front of your ideal prospects or those who could lead to those prospects (See upcoming blog, “Second-hand Networking”).
Online/social media networking – If you’re not currently a member of the LinkedIn community and haven’t at least explored opportunities with Twitter and Facebook (or other applicable sites), then you’re doing yourself, and your business, a major disservice. The online vehicle provides three effective means to network with colleagues and potential prospects.
First, put yourself out there. Create your page, make a distinctive profile, and provide content that is useful and relevant to those you wish to attract. If you type it, they will come. Second, scroll through contacts and friends of those in your network and request introductions to those you think could be prospective clients or good contacts to know. Don’t feel guilty; other savvy professionals will do the same to you. Lastly, follow-up every positive networking event by searching these sites for those professionals who made a strong impression, so you can connect and engage them. (See upcoming blog, “Social Media Networking”)
“Everyone else” – No, this isn’t an attempt to dodge the subject by being vague. When it really comes down to it, effective networking relies primarily on perception. So how do your family, friends, neighbors, the teller at the bank, or your favorite waitress/bartender perceive you? If you come across as professional, but approachable, and they have a basic understanding of what you do and who makes an ideal client, you’d be surprised at the number of leads you could generate.
This is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to effective networking. Other topics to be addressed include, “Top-10 Networking Tips”, “The 3-minute Networker”, “Second-hand Networking”, “Social Media Networking”, and others to be determined based upon your feedback.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Ice Cream - Vanilla vs. Chocolate
Whether it's a sweltering 90 degree summer day or a cozy 72 indoors on a wintry day, ice cream is a delicacy enjoyed by tens of millions of Americans year-round. But the age old debate still remains...vanilla or chocolate?
It used to be that ice cream was ice cream and the biggest decision when purchasing at your favorite grocer was how large a carton. Now, trying to make a selection in your ice cream aisle is more complicated than selecting the newest release at Blockbuster, or deciphering your HMO plan!
Brand loyalty is essential to any consumer product, and there are sects of ice cream lovers who will defend their favorite…Ben & Jerry's vs. Häagen-Dazs, or classics like Breyers. But the local and regional dairies across the country comprise a major portion of the ice cream lover's horizon, as they offer their own version of the national giants and even offer unique flavor sensations of their own. So what’s one to do? How to choose?
To the ice cream connoisseur, it all depends upon the original question, vanilla or chocolate? No matter how complex the flavor blend, all ice cream starts with either one or the other. Toss nuts, fruits or any other flavor into each, and you have a totally different result.
Personally, I'm a minimalist, in that the best ice cream is a classic vanilla from Breyers with some fresh, chopped fruit from the local farmer’s market on top. That's NOT to say I don't love to wander into my local Walgreen's and scoop up a few pints of Moose Tracks from time to time. But again, look at the base: vanilla.
I'm not sure how we develop our preferences for ice cream, vanilla vs. chocolate. It doesn't appear to be geographical in nature like pizza or BBQ, but we all hold strong to those prime flavors, and everything we build upon it.
Perhaps some ice cream anthropologists will chance upon this blog and decide to weigh in on the debate. In the meantime, I'll sit back with my bowl of vanilla-inspired ice cream, feet up, and simply enjoy mouthful after mouthful of ice cream delight.
It used to be that ice cream was ice cream and the biggest decision when purchasing at your favorite grocer was how large a carton. Now, trying to make a selection in your ice cream aisle is more complicated than selecting the newest release at Blockbuster, or deciphering your HMO plan!
Brand loyalty is essential to any consumer product, and there are sects of ice cream lovers who will defend their favorite…Ben & Jerry's vs. Häagen-Dazs, or classics like Breyers. But the local and regional dairies across the country comprise a major portion of the ice cream lover's horizon, as they offer their own version of the national giants and even offer unique flavor sensations of their own. So what’s one to do? How to choose?
To the ice cream connoisseur, it all depends upon the original question, vanilla or chocolate? No matter how complex the flavor blend, all ice cream starts with either one or the other. Toss nuts, fruits or any other flavor into each, and you have a totally different result.
Personally, I'm a minimalist, in that the best ice cream is a classic vanilla from Breyers with some fresh, chopped fruit from the local farmer’s market on top. That's NOT to say I don't love to wander into my local Walgreen's and scoop up a few pints of Moose Tracks from time to time. But again, look at the base: vanilla.
I'm not sure how we develop our preferences for ice cream, vanilla vs. chocolate. It doesn't appear to be geographical in nature like pizza or BBQ, but we all hold strong to those prime flavors, and everything we build upon it.
Perhaps some ice cream anthropologists will chance upon this blog and decide to weigh in on the debate. In the meantime, I'll sit back with my bowl of vanilla-inspired ice cream, feet up, and simply enjoy mouthful after mouthful of ice cream delight.
Pizza - New York vs. Chicago
Everyone loves their pizza, and in some homes, it's more American than apple pie. But where that home lays on the map, determines what the pizza looks and tastes like...and it can vary drastically. And you know what? Some are very adamant that their pizza is the best style.
The line has been drawn in the sauce...
For instance, if you grew up in the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast as I did, the New York-style pizza with its fold-in-half slice of cheesy goodness is the only way to go. Pizza is served with a soft, thin bottom crust and airy outer crust and typically only adorned with one or two toppings, though that can vary. Whether in Little Italy, a mom-and-pop shop in Washington Heights, or even select locations across the river in New Jersey, it's the only description that passes for real pizza.
While New Yorkers are reveling in their tomato pie glory, 800 miles to the west, Chicago residents are shaking their heads and sinking their teeth into nearly three inches of pizza heaven they refer to as (deep) dish. A top and lower crust of dough stuffed with more than a pound of cheese, meat, vegetables, or whatever topping pleases the diner, the Chicago-style pizza no doubt leaves the stomach more than content...if not downright stuffed in its own right!
How can the objective diner choose between the proverbial apples and oranges of pizza making?
But wait...that's not all of the options!
As if this generational battle isn't complicated enough, throw in the St. Louis-style pizza, with it's thin, cracker crust or then the more specialty, gourmet pizzas with their exotic cheeses and toppings! For those pizza lovers looking to avoid retail locations altogether, there are a number of brands of simple and gourmet pizzas of all types available at most local grocers. FINALLY, you have those DIYers who insist that the best pizza clearly is the one blessed by their own flour-covered hands.
So in this great pizza oven we call the United States of America, what kind of pizza reigns supreme, which style tops all the rest, and which are just plain cheesy?
Well, my suggestion is to follow mom's general rule of thumb, "How do you know whether you like it, if you don't at least try it?"
Truer words never were spoken, and indulging in some delectable pizza for "research" sounds like a great plan, even for a biased NY-style lover like myself!
Ci Vediamo!
(See you soon!)
The line has been drawn in the sauce...
For instance, if you grew up in the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast as I did, the New York-style pizza with its fold-in-half slice of cheesy goodness is the only way to go. Pizza is served with a soft, thin bottom crust and airy outer crust and typically only adorned with one or two toppings, though that can vary. Whether in Little Italy, a mom-and-pop shop in Washington Heights, or even select locations across the river in New Jersey, it's the only description that passes for real pizza.
While New Yorkers are reveling in their tomato pie glory, 800 miles to the west, Chicago residents are shaking their heads and sinking their teeth into nearly three inches of pizza heaven they refer to as (deep) dish. A top and lower crust of dough stuffed with more than a pound of cheese, meat, vegetables, or whatever topping pleases the diner, the Chicago-style pizza no doubt leaves the stomach more than content...if not downright stuffed in its own right!
How can the objective diner choose between the proverbial apples and oranges of pizza making?
But wait...that's not all of the options!
As if this generational battle isn't complicated enough, throw in the St. Louis-style pizza, with it's thin, cracker crust or then the more specialty, gourmet pizzas with their exotic cheeses and toppings! For those pizza lovers looking to avoid retail locations altogether, there are a number of brands of simple and gourmet pizzas of all types available at most local grocers. FINALLY, you have those DIYers who insist that the best pizza clearly is the one blessed by their own flour-covered hands.
So in this great pizza oven we call the United States of America, what kind of pizza reigns supreme, which style tops all the rest, and which are just plain cheesy?
Well, my suggestion is to follow mom's general rule of thumb, "How do you know whether you like it, if you don't at least try it?"
Truer words never were spoken, and indulging in some delectable pizza for "research" sounds like a great plan, even for a biased NY-style lover like myself!
Ci Vediamo!
(See you soon!)
BBQ - Kansas City, Memphis, Carolina ... Oh my!
I grew up on the East Coast, in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and must admit I was rather sheltered when it came to the whole "BBQ" phenomenon. I mean, BBQ was something you did on the grill out back...burgers, hot dogs, steak, maybe some chicken.
Then I moved to Kansas City, and WOW!
Now, don't get me wrong...I'd had a pulled pork sandwich before (and I still think Damon's Grill back east has some of the best!), but nothing could have prepared me for such a fierce rivalry between cities!
I quickly was "schooled" on the "best" BBQ in Kansas City, and must admit I alienated myself from some based upon my preferences. The old guard will say Arthur Bryant's is the best, others say Gate's is far superior. It seems the more “corporate” folks tend to favor Fiorella's Jack Stack, now with several locations around Kansas City. But BBQ in Kansas City is far, far more than several highly-publicized restaurants. There are local icons like Rosedale's, Quick's, Wabash, Smokin' Joe's, and more than 50 other smaller establishments. And no discussion on Kansas City BBQ would be complete without drawing special attention to the one-of-a-kind Oklahoma Joe's, and its phenomenal array of BBQ and spicy slaw.
Fast forward a few years, after being fed the propaganda, taste-testing, and visits to the American Royal and Lenexa BBQ events, and I find myself walking down Beale Street in Memphis. I followed my colleagues lemming-like into the world-famous Rendevous, to devour a stack of ribs. Dry rub? Hmmm...didn't sound too appetizing to me...bring on the sauce!! Let’s just say my palate stood corrected, and I again found myself trying to discern BBQ style from BBQ style.
As I traveled the country, I reluctantly found myself an ambassador for Kansas City BBQ, as parties from Texas and the Carolinas would weigh in on their region's rights to BBQ accolades, and assumed I was willing to debate the issue. I really didn't care, as long as the pulled pork sandwich, ribs, and slaw were good. Oh, and don't forget a fresh pickle.
Ultimately I've surmised the Battle of the Best BBQ never will be settled, as national pride (and millions in convention and tourism dollars) depends upon the continuance of this age-old culinary feud. Until such a winner can be declared, I’m content to reap the whirlwind of BBQ bickering and satiate my hunger with some good, old-fashioned Kansas City BBQ…from one of the not-so-touristy establishments.
Oh, and don't forget the pickles!
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