networking - why it is essential to doing business

NETWORKING Why it is essential to doing business

Prepared by Frank Wyatt, Enterprising Partnerships Pty Ltd 1/11/2014

NETWORKING

What will you learn?

This presentation will allow you

to:

a) Understand why it is

important to network

b) How to initiate networking

for opportunity

c) How to plan your

networking

d) Apply 7 tools as

conversation starters

© Enterprising Partnerships Pty Ltd | Frank Wyatt 2

Photo credit: docstockmedia, Shutterstock

WHY STUDY THIS COURSE?

© Enterprising Partnerships Pty Ltd | Frank Wyatt

Networking is the way business is

done

The people you meet become

opportunities:

• to share ideas, problems and

solutions;

• to collaborate to grow ideas and

value;

• to solve problems;

• to get introduced to other people and

networks;

• to add value to those you meet; and

• to be paid for your ideas, services

and products.

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People network to get the job done, to get business and to get ahead.

WHY DON’T PEOPLE NETWORK?

Shyness…..

• 60% of Americans say

they feel shy and

uncomfortable in business

and social settings.

• They have a fear of

rejection

• Anxious to ask for favours

– The Shyness Clinic,

Stanford University

Reasons given…

4 © Enterprising Partnerships Pty Ltd | Frank Wyatt

Skills…..

• 85% say, “I don’t have the

network I need to

accomplish my goals.”

• 97% say “I have trouble

remembering names.”

• 85% say, “I don’t know what

I want when I go to a

networking event.”

– Contacts Count Research

Impatience…..

• Impatience for results

• Don’t build fruitful

relationships

• Gone for the close too

soon rather than

building trust

– Ivan Misner , Founder

of BNI

Social skills…..

Dependence on SMS,

email, social media etc

leaves many bereft of

social skills

– Fast Company

Confusing it with

selling…..

• Too often networking is

confused with selling.

• Networking is not

something you do to

people, it is something

you do with people

– Frank Wyatt, EP

Uncomfortable talking to

others…..

• Many of us were raised to be

humble and not to brag.

• Networking and interviewing

requires that you talk about

yourself and your

accomplishments.

– Barbara Sefani, Careers

NETWORKING Who enjoys it?


Unless you’re an extravert this can

be a real pain

• Yet we also know that business is

done by talking and working with

each other

• One good thing is, it is people who

network and collaborate!!

Companies are merely legal

entities.

• Successful entrepreneurs are not

blocked by fear; they feel the fear,

live with it and use it

5

INITIATING NETWORKING

Realise you can rise to the

occasion to be an outward going

person for a short while when

needed.

Set aside your fears; go for the

goal.

Spark opportunities

6 © Enterprising Partnerships Pty Ltd | Frank Wyatt

PLANNING YOUR NETWORKING

© Enterprising Partnerships Pty Ltd | Frank Wyatt 7

Planning is necessary

Who is likely to be at the networking

session?

Who is likely to be valuable to talk to?

What will interest them? Show interest in

them and what matters to them. What can

I ask them to share with me?

What will they want to hear from me?

What do I want them to know about me?

Planning opportunities

Treat networking like a party

where you anticipate who’s

going, get to know people and

sometimes become friends

BEGINNING CONVERSATIONS

© <Name> | Contact person for this course

1. The person at the bar technique

Watch when you next meet someone

standing at the bar or coffee shop: they

listen to what you say and ask you about

the last aspect of whatever you say. Do the

same.

“Tell me more about that” or “what do you

mean by…”.or…”how will that impact …..?”

Always be open to letting people tell you

about themselves and their story.

By being curious, showing an interest and

asking follow up questions you

demonstrate your interest, so they’ll more

often than not reciprocate.


Tools to enable you breaking in….

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| Contact person for this course

2. Avoid digital questions

Yes or no questions are digital

questions. They usually close

down a conversation rather than

opening it up be cause there can

be an awkward silence at the end

of them You’ve got your answer,

now what will you say?

Combine two elements of:


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Examples

“Tell me how that will matter to your staff”

“When will it be important to share that with

your suppliers?”

“How will it influence who you sell to if you

know what your customer wants?”

What

When

/ Who

Where

How Why


© <© Enterprising Partnerships Pty Ltd | Frank Wyatt


3. Three wise men giving gifts

Be willing to share.

Because you’ve listened then maybe

you can offer gifts that matter to them

(not you). E.g. provide them with a

complement that directly relates to

something they have said.

Giving gifts randomly often offends

as it demonstrates that you know

nothing about what matters to them.


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Focus your gifts on what they

have already told you

matters to them.


© <© Enterprising Partnerships Pty Ltd | Frank Wyatt


X MULTIPLY

• I’d like to know more about your

business

• How would you like to expand

your business?

• What more can you do to grow?

• If you had a magic wand, what

else would you do?

+ ADD

• What else would you like to add

to your business?

• If you had a magic wand what

new ideas would you add?

• What have you seen others

doing that you’d like to add to

you business?

- TAKE AWAY

• What is holding you back that

you’d like to do less of or

remove?

• What is no longer useful or that

you might do or use-less?

• How can you remove obstacles

to your business?

% DIVIDE

• How might you share the

challenges with others?

• Do you delegate effectively?

• Are there others who you could

collaborate with?

• If you were to join forces with

others what could you achieve?

Tools to allow you to break in to a conversation

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4. Maths Model – think about this opportunity to break into a

conversation as questioning based on arithmatic.



5. Have fun and bring joy to the world

No one likes hanging around with victims

or people who are users.

Let some sunshine into your world and

radiate it to others in every exchange

(even when things are tough).

Focus on the issues rather than the

person when there are disagreements.

Reinforce the person and the potential

for future relationships.


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Law of reciprocity: “What you give

is what you get” OR “a kind action

will be followed by a kind action” OR

“do something nice and people will

feel compelled to do something nice

for you in return”



6. Change the words in your head

What if we thought of networking as a

way to meet people with whom we share

mutual interests, joy and fun?

That it wasn’t about racking up tons of

names and business cards, but rather

about building a strong and supportive

community?

And instead of being one-way or one-

time, it’s about creating long-term

relationships to nurture and grow?


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Insert the words “mutual”,

“supportive”, “nurturing”,

“connecting” and “long-term” into

how you think about networking

Photo credit: docstockmedia, Shutterstock


© <Name> | Contact person for this course

7. Follow up to ensure they know

you are serious

You know when you meet someone

you like and you wait for their call?

We have all types of avenues for

follow up: SMS, tweets, email,

Skype, LinkedIn etc

Don’t just send a generic request on

LinkedIn, continue the discussion

and open the opportunity for follow

up discussions.



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Present them with an opportunity related to

what you’ve heard them say. Then you can

work toward solving their problem.

0414 392 323

[email protected]

Enterprising Partnerships

PO Box 5127

South Melbourne 3205

@communityep

@Enter_EP

enterprising-partnerships

enterprisingpartnerships

frank19491

www.enterprisingpartnerships.com.au

CONTACTS

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networking - why it is essential to doing business

Leadership & Management