Have you ever attended a networking event and marvelled how certain people can work the room effortlessly. Good networkers are made, not born, and you too can sharpen your social business skills by following these tips:
- Seek common ground with the prospects you talk with. Maybe your kids go to the same school, you share a hobby, or grew up in the same town. Anything helps, no matter how small.
- Take a break from your mobile device and connect on a human level. That means when you are around people, no emailing or texting, no fidgeting with a tablet, or taking camera phone pictures to post later on Facebook or Instagram. Replace the selfies with eye contact and handshakes.
- Talk to people who aren’t like you. People tend to gravitate toward people who are the same gender, academic background, and ethnicity. Get to know people who are different, and you’ve just expanded your communication skills and your pool of prospects.
- If you know someone you want to meet to discuss business, do a little online checking to determine their interests and achievements. It could help break the ice when you finally meet.
- If you collect a business card, take a moment to jot down a few details of your conversation with the person on the back of the card while it is fresh in your memory. You can bring up those details in later conversations, and the prospect will be impressed.
Posted on behalf of the maWebCenters newsletter writers
