Effortless Networking

I’ve been resisting writing about how to “work the room” because I personally don’t like to do it (interesting how that happens). Fortunately, I came to my senses and realized that I can answer the question easily, without having to actually do it myself!

So here’s the bottom line. You need two things to successfully and efficiently “work the room”:

1. You must be clear about *why* you want to work the room.
2. You must be able to engage people in conversation.

Why is this important?

Well, your objective for wanting to work the room directly affects *what* you talk about with people as you go through the room.

Let’s think about this for a bit.

After you’re done working the room, what end result do you want to have?

• Do you want to scan the room for prospective clients/customers and walk away at the end of the event with a list of qualified leads?
• Do you want to do market research and leave the event with very specific information about how to proceed with your new project or venture?
• Are you looking for new business opportunities, such as strategic partnerships or speaking engagements, and want at least a couple of contacts to follow up with later?

Do you see how your end goal affects your topics of conversation with people?

This kind of clarity also allows you to have brief and focused conversations with many people — which is basically what working the room is all about.

Next, notice I said “engage in conversation”, not “make conversation”.

When I “make conversation”, I don’t really have any agenda for the conversation. There’s no specific outcome I want from the conversation. And the topics of conversation can be inconsequential.

However, when I *engage* someone in conversation, there’s real interest on my part, either in the other person or the topic of conversation or both. You probably know from your own experience, that the quality of such conversations is very different from the previous kind.

Of course, when you meet someone for the first time (as is the case when you’re working a room), you do start by making conversation and talking about “light” stuff.

However, if you’re focused about your purpose for working the room, you can quickly find opportunities or “openings” to transition to a more meaningful conversation. In other words, engage in a topic of conversation that is useful, interesting and relevant to both of you.

Whether or not you find an “opening” for a real conversation, you want to keep the conversation focused and brief, so you can move on to the next person.

End conversations with an agreement about the next step, if there’s one. Such as promising to call and schedule a time to talk in more detail later, or agreeing to email some information, or whatever. Or a simple greeting, if you couldn’t really engage or if there’s no need for a follow up.

When I work with clients privately on this topic, I often spend months with them on how to engage (and re-engage, if necessary!) people in “real” conversations, how to recognize and capitalize on openings and opportunities during conversations, how to skillfully direct the flow of conversations or conclude it with ease, and so on. It takes months because the focus is on applying, practicing and mastering the concepts in *real life*.

Still, I hope this brief article gives you some very specific things you can start doing right away to improve your success rate.

And if you think one or more private sessions on this topic would be useful for you, please contact me or click here for more information about how I work.

Till next time,
– Sri

Have you ever wondered about how to keep in touch with everyone you meet, both efficiently and effectively? (Yes, it’s a common question!)

Before I answer the question, let me ask you a couple of questions first:

• How do you decide with whom to keep in touch?
• Why do you want to keep in touch with these people?

As I’ve mentioned before, the power of networking lies in building strong working relationships with a manageable number of people, and then leveraging their collective networks, expertise and knowledge.

So how you choose these people is very important. And it’s equally important to be clear about why you want to keep in touch with these people, because it affects how often you connect with each other, and what you talk about when you do.

When you’re out *prospecting*, however, it’s a different story.

In this case, you probably do want to keep in touch with every lead, or prospective client or customer you meet. However, you still need to be clear about the kind of conversation you want to have with these people when you do get in touch.

In either case, how do you keep in touch with all these people without exhausting yourself? And is there a manageable way to nurture your numerous prospects until they’re ready to do business with you?

Well, let me share with you one software tool that has helped me tremendously in automating and streamlining how I keep in touch with my leads and prospects. And as you read my prospecting “case study”, consider how you might apply the same concepts to networking.

The software tool I use is called AWeber Communications.

And here is one way I use it:

When I collect leads at a trade show, I enter them all in the AWeber system, specifically into my “trade show leads” list. For this particular list, I have an automated follow-up message setup, that thanks the recipient for stopping by my booth and expressing interest in what I offered at the show. I end by asking them to do something specific (i.e. a call to action).

As soon as I enter a lead into the system, that person gets a *personalized* follow up email from me.

After that, I keep in touch with everyone on this list by sending follow up email messages on a regular basis (so they remember our initial interaction at the trade show). Usually, these messages have something of interest or relevance to this group of people — such as, an announcement about an upcoming workshop, or a link to an article on a topic of interest, and so on.

Here’s how I save time and energy:

1. The system allows me to create as many lists I want. So I create different lists for different groups of people: trade show booth visitors, people I meet at conferences, attendees at my speaking engagements, etc.

   This allows me to communicate with each group in a very specific way. Sometimes I send the same email to more than one list, if that message is of relevance or interest to more than one group.

   That’s why knowing *why* you want to keep in touch with someone is important. Because what you talk to them about will be different.

   So let me interject a question here: what kind of messages would you send to your *network*, if you were using this tool to keep in touch them?

2. The system allows me to personalize each message, so I have to write any email just once, and use the tool to indicate how I want that message personalized.

   Then I let the software broadcast that single message to hundreds of people, customizing it for each recipient.

   (By the way, would such a feature be useful to keep in touch with your network? Why or why not?)

3. The system also allows me to setup “rules”. So I have setup a rule that automatically removes a person from the prospects list and adds him or her to the clients list, once that person converts.

   And recipients can remove themselves from my mailing lists at any time (without any intervention from me) if they no longer want to get emails from me.

   All this means that there is practically no manual maintenance on my part, which I absolutely love!

Since the system is so flexible, I actually use it in many other ways.

For instance, my 90-day eCourse on improving your productivity and professional effectiveness uses AWeber to distribute the appropriate “lesson” to the right person each week. I use this tool to keep in touch with you! The possibilities seem endless — I keep finding new ways to use this product to save time.

Well, back to keeping in touch with your network:

• When you do get in touch with people in your network, what do you talk about?
• What is your objective for the conversation?

Of course every person is different, every relationship is different, and by no means is email the best or the most appropriate medium for all cases.

Still, is there a common theme or pattern that you see, when it comes to keeping in touch with your network? Is there some component of “staying connected” that can be automated? If so, what might that be?

Have I given you food for thought? I certainly hope so!

For more information on AWeber and other tools, click here.

Till next week,
– Sri

What is the best way to get “results” from your networking efforts?

This question has come up in many ways over the past few weeks, so let’s address it today.

Here is the short answer: in order to get results,

1. you *must* be clear about what exactly you’re looking for,
2. you must *ask* for it, so people understand what you want.

What do I mean by this?

Well, here’s a story that I regularly share with attendees of my “3 Secrets for Effective Networking” workshop because it makes the point so well. (If you’ve attended this workshop or have the CD, you’ve heard this already. But it’s a simple yet critical detail, so a refresher may be a good thing!).

A few years ago, I met a gentleman at a business mixer. He came up to me and asked me for my business card.

“Certainly”, I said, “here it is. And out of curiosity, why do you want it?” (I *was* curious, because he asked me for my card before we even had a conversation.)

“Well, I learned at a networking workshop to collect 12 business cards”, he said.

“Oh, what will happen when you have 12 cards?” I asked.

“I’m not sure”, he said, “something magical, I hope!”

So, let me ask you:

• What would you say was the networking goal of this person? What results do you think he was he looking for?
• And what results do you think he’d get?

Let me share another example which will illustrate how and why being clear about what *specifically* you want is important.

I network for many reasons. One reason is to generate visibility for my business, and I have several strategies to address this goal. For instance, one strategy is to speak or present workshops (or tele-seminars via audio conference) at different organizations.

So when I’m looking for speaking engagements, I will network with certain people (such as people who are program chairs of their professional associations) and ask for certain things (like, what topics are of interest to their membership, and would they be interested in having me present to their group). If I didn’t know any program chairs, I might attend an event where I’d have the opportunity to get to meet some of these kinds of people.

My point is this: whom I speak with, where I go to find the people I want to speak with, and what I ask for, will be different based on what I want.

In other words, your actions are directly affected by your networking objectives. So the clearer you are about *what* you want, the easier it will be for you to get the results you’re looking for.

But that’s too simple, you’re thinking. Well, yes — it is simple! Like I always say, networking can really be effortless.

Well, I hope this has created a shift for you, in how to approach networking. I wish you success applying the concept.

And if you want step-by-step instructions on how to actually apply this concept in daily life, take a look at my comprehensive home-study program called, well, Effortless Networking.

Till next time,
– Sri

I’d like to address two separate but related questions today:

1. Does networking really work?
2. How can I effectively and profitably engage in internet marketing and make money online?

Yes, I know the second question is not really related to networking. But wait, is that true?

Well, let me answer the second question first, and see if it has anything to do with networking. And then I’ll answer the question about whether networking really works.

So, regarding making money online, when I first wanted to engage in e-commerce and internet marketing, I knew nothing about it. Well, I had some idea of the concept, but nothing about *exactly* how and where to start, what to do and what to avoid, and so on.

Through word-of-mouth (in other words, networking) I found out about various resources — like seminars, conferences, books, introductions to other people who’d already done what I wanted to do, etc. As a result, I learned a great deal in a few short months.

One resource in particular has been most valuable to me: it’s a comprehensive internet marketing program called “The System”, developed by Ken McCarthy.

Ken, as I discovered, is one of the earliest people involved in using the internet for marketing and e-commerce. He worked with the founders of Netscape and many of the pioneers in the field since the early 90s to understand and leverage the internet as a powerful marketing tool. And this program is based on his experience (and success), as well as that of his many graduates.

What I like about his material is that it’s grounded in business basics and common sense. There is absolutely no hype or hoopla. The content is completely practical, concrete and immediately usable. I love it. And now I pay attention to whatever Ken has to say!

Well, he has two programs available at this time:

“Smart Beginners - The Foundation Course”
According to Ken, this course has been used by a wide range of people from absolute beginners to people who are already doing over $1 million US a year online.

One seven figure veteran apparently told him, “This course filled me in on a lot of tricks I wasn’t aware of. More than paid for itself the first week.”

For more information about the “Smart Beginners” program, click here.

Ken also hosts a live 4-day “System Training”.
The next System training is on May 18-21, 2006 in Chicago.

Leading up to the live event, Ken offers a free Pre-”System” training via audio teleconferences and recordings. This pre-conference program is so valuable that I would highly recommend it to anyone who is serious about ecommerce and internet marketing.

There are two advantages to registering for this pre-training: First, you’ll get excellent information completely free of charge, and second, based on this experience you’ll be able to decide whether attending the live event will be a good investment for you.

For more information on the “System Training” in Chicago, click here.

Now, how does this all relate to networking?

Well, networking is about leveraging the collective knowledge and experience among the people you know, to get what you want.

In this particular example, a couple of people asked me about how to make money on the internet.

• They wanted very specific information.
• I happened to have an appropriate answer and lead for them, which I give here.

As I answered the question, I also added my comments about my personal experience with Ken McCarthy’s programs. So if you trust the information you’ve received from me so far, you’re likely to trust my opinion about Ken’s program or at the very least, give it serious consideration.

Isn’t this what you want others to do for *your* business?

Don’t you want your clients or customers or other people who know you and your work, to endorse your business whole-heartedly when referring someone to you? Don’t you want your referred prospects to come to you warmed up and ready to do business?

So does networking really work? Absolutely yes!

If you’re clear about what you want, and ask for it clearly, networking with others can help you cut down on the time and effort.

By the way, if you’re interested, more details on how to actually apply these concepts in real life is in my comprehensive program called Effortless Networking.

Good luck!
– Sri