Six Essential Tips for Successful Business Networking

Sept. 3, 2009 - PRLog -- In today’s challenging economy, small businesses are finding the key to not only surviving, but thriving.  Successful small businesses are seeing a significant payoff when they adopt good networking habits and employ them week after week.  

Networking expert, Ellen Kaminsky, freely shares a number of effective tips to help businesses connect. Her nomination for the 2009 International Business Matchmaker of The Year Award underscores her endeavors to get businesses talking to each other.  “Getting people connected is about more than just looking for profit.” says Kaminsky. “It’s about building long term relationships.” Here are six tips to help small businesses succeed:

Develop a strong 30 Second Elevator Speech - You get 7-10 seconds to capture someone’s attention.  Keep introduction to 3-4 sentences; be sure it’s focused squarely on your client, not on you.  Include problems you solve for those clients and results they get from your solutions.

Create an effective Business card –The most important thing on your card is your message.  It should be clear what you do and who would be a great client for you.  Use clear, concise terms; keep acronyms to a minimum.  Include your name, business name, phone number, email and web address.  

Construct a set of Good Questions - Questions can be used to guide conversations.  Have several that lead to your strong points and a couple of general questions.  Favorites include “Who do you need to meet?” and “What’s the single biggest issue in your industry today?”

Convey a Positive Attitude - Don't go thinking "Who am I going to sell today?" Rarely are sales made when you first meet. Instead, project a more helpful tone that says "Who can I help today?" This will increase your chances of forming mutually beneficial relationships.

Know exactly Who You Need to Meet – When someone asks “What’s a good referral for you?" be specific – it will result in more referrals.  For instance, “I would like to meet attorneys, CPAs, accountants and financial advisors with less than 50 employees.” Or “Professional woman in their 40s-50s whose children have just gone off to college.”  Be creative but clear.  

Follow Up Immediately - It’s critical if you want to establish credibility, increase referrals and build relationships. Kaminsky recommends following up within 24-48 hours of meeting someone.

Adopting good networking habits, and employing them week after week, will help small business not only survive but thrive in today’s challenging economy.  As The Elevator Speech Therapist, Kaminsky offers more free networking tips on at www.EllenKaminsky.com.  She is also the author of 30 Seconds To New Business: How To Create YOUR Perfect Elevator Speech, available at www.30SecondsToNewBusiness.com.  

Permission is granted to use these tips with proper attribution.
For more information contact:  Ellen Kaminsky, 703.732.9533, Ellen@EllenKaminsky.com.

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Ellen Kaminsky is TheElevator Speech Therapist, teaching small businesses how to gain clients through networking. She is the author of '30 Seconds To New Business: How to Create YOUR Perfect Elevator Speech (www.30SecondsToNewBusiness.com).