SYB May:June 2022 FLIP - Magazine - Page 10
HOW TO
Learn to Love
Networking
“I hate networking.” I hear this a lot from ladies and gentlemen I meet
when I tell them what I do for a living.
“It makes me feel uncomfortable, like I have to put on
an act.” “Who wants to walk into a room with a bunch
of strangers in there?”
Well that’s exactly how I felt when I began
networking. How nerve-racking!
I’ve been networking for nine years now and totally love
it, which is why I set up my own groups! I think that in
today’s world, networking is a necessity for SMEs.
Building and nurturing professional relationships lead
to those all-important opportunities we all need to keep
our businesses running.
Luckily for me, I really enjoyed networking once I
started and learnt the art of how to do it successfully
fairly early on. I love helping people make the most of
their networking and seeing their businesses go from
strength to strength, so I thought I’d share my top tips
with you, so you too can enjoy the benefits networking
brings.
• Prepare – Prepare what you’ll wear, how many
business cards to take with you, what promotional
material you’ll take (if any) and of course, your oneminute pitch. If you’re not a confident networker,
write out what you want to say and practice in front
of your partner or a mirror.
• Don’t be nervous – I know this is easier said than
done. Just remember, everyone there is in the same
position as you and are therefore likely be very
supportive. Making a checklist the night before
might help to calm your nerves. Your checklist
should include:
o Putting your business cards and leaflets in your bag,
or your details for the online chat prepared.
o Your one-minute pitch written, and maybe printed,
and practised
o Making sure you know where the venue is and have
planned the route and how long it will take.
o Make sure you are ready to login on time if your
meeting is online.
o A big smile ready to be greeted!
However you feel about networking, I suggest you
give it a go. I can assure you you’ll be glad you did
afterwards!
Aruna Rao, Founder and Owner
Busy Women Networking
• Your pitch - Your pitch should consist of your name
and what you do, how you do it and your call to
action. You should always keep to that one-minute,
as people won’t be able to take in much more
information and are likely to lose interest in what
you’re saying.
• Think beyond the room – The people you are talking
to have a network of people that you don’t even
know. They could know your ideal customer, so
always be open minded and give everyone a chance.
• Follow up – If you have promised to give someone
a contact, always remember to send it to them with
a follow-up email as soon as possible. If someone
wants a quote or more information about what you
do, the same applies; follow up as soon as you can.
The easiest way to discourage people from passing
you anymore referrals is to forget or not bother to
email or call.
10 STEER YOUR BUSINESS
i
Aruna
Rao
For details of the Kent BWN, please
contact Barbara Luna on 07944 693 374
www.busywomen.net | twitter.com/arunabwn
facebook.com/bwnetworking
https://lunacustomerexperience.co.uk
