.
Don't leave too early. Stay and network, but don't overstay your welcome.
Don't drink to much alcohol. Networking requires that you keep a reasonably clear head. Consume conservatively and make sure to eat something before you show up to help lessen the chances of getting tipsy. If you cannot trust yourself to do this, do not drink at all.
Don't spend so much time talking about yourself. Don't oversell yourself. Focus on others. Networking is more about listening than it is about talking. Never be aggressive. Don't push your product or service. Networking and direct selling are two very different things.
Don't gorge at the buffet table. Stop and get a sandwich before the meeting so you can spend all your time focusing on networking.
Don't speak negatively about others, even if what you are saying is true. You never know how that can come back to haunt you. Don't be a gossip! If someone is being overly chatty on a subject you feel is inappropriate, be courteous and excuse yourself or change the subject.
Don't use suggestive language or tell off-color jokes.
Don't stay huddled in groups with people you already know. That's a BIG "no-no" in networking. Focus! Meet "new" people.
Don't show up just to be seen. And never show up with a "what's in it for me" attitude! That's a BIG networking no-no!
Don't slouch! Look people in the eye when talking to them. Keep your head up and walk with a sense of purpose.
Don't wear your work clothes. Dress up. Ditch the shoes with a scuffed toe! Brush your teeth and use a breath freshener.
Leave your Blue Tooth and your cell phone in the car. The Mingling Maven, Susan RoAne, says, "Turn off all electronics, except your pacemaker."
Expand your horizons. Move past your fears. Networking won't get you the results you're looking for if you're afraid to ask for help.
Bring your enthusiasm with you, and have fun.
Remember, you never have a second chance to make a good first impression!
Networking works! And you must work it!
Networking isn't about using people. It's about creating mutually beneficial relationships, helping others, meeting a wide variety of interesting people and creating long-term relationships.
My professional speaking business is now nationwide because of networking. All three of my relationship books have received endorsements from celebrity authors, therapists, professional speakers and is now available in most major book stores. My very first book, "The First Book of LifeSkills," from which parts of this article was adapted, was revised and republished as "Ten Commitments of Networking" and sold more than 100,000 copies in the first eight months all because I was networking.
I know networking works because I work it. . . consistently!
Those who take networking seriously; as an art to be learned; as a skill to be fine-tuned; and who stay connected to those people who count, can generally find out what they want in three to six phone calls to those in their network.
Be prepared. When you understand the concept of networking, create a plan of action, and commit to work that plan, you can experience a new kind of momentum that will put your career and your life on FAST FORWARD!
Copyright © - Larry James. Adapted from the book,
Ten Commitments of Networking:
Creative Ways to Maximixe Your Personal Connections."
• • •
Click on a book cover or book title link to place an order
The Six X-tremes of Power Business Networking: How to Get Your Business Noticed in Crowded Rooms! - Jeff Glaze - This 60-Page e-book breaks
all of the rules of modern business networking. It gives you detailed information on how to stand out from the rest of the crowd when you are
trying to promote your business. Whether you are a seasoned networker or a beginner, this e-book has information that can help you to be
more successful and increase recognition for both you and your business.
Larry's Review: An excellent read for enthusiastic networkers!
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Power Networking: 59 Secrets for Personal & Professional Success - Donna Fisher & Sandy Vilas - Packed with
59 proven networking methods for achieving success in all areas of your life, this inspiring book helps you to discover key networking skills to
show you how to make the requests that get the results you want.
Larry's Review: The importance of making important business connections cannot be understated.
Donna offers sound advice and encourages you to give up your shyness and offer to assist others as you build a network of support; one that
increases your visibility, expands your network and marks you as someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.
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The Essential Network: Success Through Personal Connections - John L. Bennett - This book is about establishing,
maintaining, and reaping the benefits of connections. It incorporates many personal stories to illustrate
the productive results that can occur from building connections. These include people who have found life-partners,
avoided personal and financial disasters, made career changes, built businesses, and met famous people.
Larry's Review: The principles of business networking in an easy-read and understandable format.
Highly recommended!
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The Networking Guy's Top 50 Tips: A Simple Guide to Networking Success - Dave Sherman - These 50 success-proven tips will change
forever the way you do things, bringing power and purpose to those brief encounters that once were meaningless and unproductive.
Easy to understand and simple to apply, they will show you precisely what it takes to become a comfortable and effective networker
in all situations - and with all persons - you encounter.
Larry's Review: I love this book! A quick-read, no nonsense book with everything you need
to know about being a successful networker! Read it and reap! Highly recommended!
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• If you would like to talk
one-on-one with Larry James about relationship issues related to this article, you are invited to arrange for a
private coaching session by telephone. Go to Networking Coaching
for specific details.
The
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