Networking Article from Networking Today Canada, Nat'l
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Is there an Art to Networking?
Networking should be deemed a "profession." Not only do you require the self-confidence to promote yourself personally but you must always have a 30 second elevator speech at hand.
I recently attended a webinar wherein the speaker noted “networking is 90% socializing and 10% networking.” Other words of wisdom I’ve heard are: “it takes 7 seconds for someone to like you or not face-to-face…but only 4 seconds over the telephone.”
It makes sense for entrepreneurs to cultivate their own modus operandi (MO) and find out what strengths give them the remembrance factor. Last month, while attending a networking function, I was asked “what did I do” and I decided to test my theory of first impressions. So in response to his request, I asked “what do you think I do”? The first response he gave me was not expected – he thought I worked in a field that I deemed as “stuffy,” not the fun and creative world of event planning. Now this perception could have come about because more than a third of the crowd were in this field so I asked him to try again.
He gave the question a bit more thought and came up with the notion that I was either in training or coaching, both are professions where people are confident with you and your services…so he wasn’t far off.
I’d suggest that if you feel comfortable with any reply – no matter how far off it may seem – you try this method when meeting a new business contact. You need to know what others see in you and make it a proactive self experiment.
I have embarked on a quest to visit as many networks (budget permitting) with either no fee or a minimal fee for the next twelve months and started a journal of these encounters on my blog. Like all business people, time is not only money but a valuable commodity – life/work/balance scenario. As a certified event planner, coordinating logistics for numerous training, sales, marketing and educational events I was also mandated to observe and evaluate, to take a step-back and look from different angles. During debriefing sessions this method was used like any form of diagnostic equipment highlighting areas both good and bad.
These are the skills I intend to utilize within the London area networks I visit – and after the one year timeframe analyze. There will be no ranking of groups as these observations are a personal perception and one size does not fit all. Regular attendance will clarify what I see, who I meet, and the outcomes.
Now that I have embarked on this quest with trepidation at the beginning, it has turned into an unparalleled experience, which I am thoroughly enjoying.
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Educated in the United Kingdom, Sue Anderton-Howe, CEP, immigrated to Canada working in corporate organizations as an Executive Assistant to top management being requested for various projects that required meticulous detail, good communication skills, it was a natural progression to become a Certified Event Planner. Sue opened up her own business named Key to Success offering businesses, organizations and institutions Secretarial Services and Event Management expertise and knows after travelling across 23 States and Canada that both she and her husband are happy to be living in S-W Ontario. You can read her blog at http://entrepreneurcaludron.blotspot.com/.
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