Business Networking For Dummies (eBook)

Stefan Thomas (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2014
John Wiley & Sons (Verlag)
978-1-118-83333-9 (ISBN)

Infos

Grow your business, build your career, find more customers, and build a valuable support network of likeminded business people.

Networking is a crucial skill for all professionals and business owners. Quite simply, it's a fast and effective way to build your business or career - and excellent networking skills will set you apart from the competition. Business Networking For Dummies shows you how to get the most out of networking - both online and offline.

With Business Networking For Dummies, you'll learn to:

• Use business networking to grow and develop your business
• Find the right platform or platforms to build your own network and 'assemble your crowd'
• Pitch yourself and your business with confidence
• Get the most out of face-to-face networking events - including valuable tips on presentation skills and sound bites!
• Join up your 'real life' and online networking
• Measure your networking success
• Follow up with new contacts successfully

'This is a cornerstone book for anyone involved in running a smaller business and wishing to deploy networking as an enquiry source. It is clear, concise and provides a complete education for succeeding in, what is for some, a difficult environment.'
Ben Kench, Leading UK sales trainer and business growth specialist

'I've read this entire book from start to finish and so should you because, when you know what you're doing, business networking does work, and by following the blueprint that Stef has set down for you: first you'll learn, then you'll earn.'
Brad Burton, Managing Director, 4Networking Ltd.

Stefan Thomas is Network Director for 4Networking and a marketing and networking expert. He spends his days roving the 4N network and helping members get the best from 4Networking.

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Grow your business, build your career, find more customers, and build a valuable support network of likeminded business people. Networking is a crucial skill for all professionals and business owners. Quite simply, it s a fast and effective way to build your business or career - and excellent networking skills will set you apart from the competition. Business Networking For Dummies shows you how to get the most out of networking - both online and offline. With Business Networking For Dummies, you ll learn to: Use business networking to grow and develop your business Find the right platform or platforms to build your own network and assemble your crowd Pitch yourself and your business with confidence Get the most out of face-to-face networking events - including valuable tips on presentation skills and sound bites! Join up your real life and online networking Measure your networking success Follow up with new contacts successfully This is a cornerstone book for anyone involved in running a smaller business and wishing to deploy networking as an enquiry source. It is clear, concise and provides a complete education for succeeding in, what is for some, a difficult environment."e; Ben Kench, Leading UK sales trainer and business growth specialist "e;I ve read this entire book from start to finish and so should you because, when you know what you re doing, business networking does work, and by following the blueprint that Stef has set down for you: first you ll learn, then you ll earn. Brad Burton, Managing Director, 4Networking Ltd.

Inhalt

Contents at a Glance 7
Table of Contents 9
Foreword 33
Introduction 19
About This Book 20
Foolish Assumptions 20
Icons Used in This Book 21
Beyond the Book 21
Where to Go from Here 21
Part I: Getting Started with Business Networking 23
Chapter 1: Getting to Grips with Networking Basics 25
Understanding Business Networking 25
Starting with ‘Why?’ 26
Talking to Strangers (Ignore Your Parents’ Advice) 29
Knowing Who Uses Networking 30
Realising It’s Not All Funny Handshakes and Old Boys Clubs 33
Finding Networking Opportunities 33
Following Networking Guidelines 34
Networking in a Nutshell: Different Formats 35
Chapter 2: Exploring Different Aspects of Networking 41
Networking for the Employed 41
Networking for the Business Owner 47
Networking as Marketing 52
Networking Meets Social Media 54
Chapter 3: Setting (Realistic) Expectations 57
Recognising Why You Need to Set Expectations 57
Thinking about what You Expect to Get Out of Networking 58
Knowing That Networking Isn’t Without Effort 60
Chapter 4: Making Use of Networking Organisations 65
Finding the Right Organisation for You 66
Finding Independent Networking Clubs 68
Joining Commercial Networking Organisations (in the UK) 70
Coming across Co-working 74
Specialist and Niche Networking Organisations and Groups 76
Understanding the Politics of Networking Groups 77
Running Your Own Networking Club 78
Remembering Why You Got Involved 80
Chapter 5: Networking at Trade Shows 83
Knowing What to Expect from a Trade Show 83
Finding Local and National Trade Shows 85
Making Your Trade Show Experience a Success 86
Feeling the Need for Speed Networking 89
Part II: Face-to-face Networking 91
Chapter 6: Attending Networking Meetings 93
Finding Time to Network 93
Deciding What to Wear and What to Take with You 97
Knowing What Time to Arrive 100
Calming Your Nerves 101
Chapter 7: Making Connections in Open Networking 109
Understanding Open Networking 109
Introducing Yourself to People You Don’t Know 110
Making an Impression 113
Chapter 8: Nailing the Introductions Round 121
Getting the Scoop on the Introductions Round 121
Standing Out from the Crowd 125
Rules to Follow and Things to Avoid 134
Introducing Sample Templates for Your Introduction 135
Remembering What You Planned to Say 143
Chapter 9: Handling One-to-Ones 145
Getting the Scoop on One-to-Ones 145
Getting the Most from One-to-Ones 147
Knowing What to Do After the Meeting 154
Chapter 10: Breezing Through the Ten-Minute Speaker Slot 155
Recognising the Opportunity 155
Planning and Preparing 158
Looking at Different Networks, Different Opportunities, Different Approaches 159
Structuring Your Presentation 169
Chapter 11: Following Up 173
Following Up to Win 173
Ouch! Dealing with Your Piles 174
Following Up Successfully 180
Reminding People about Your Business 184
Part III: Networking Online and Using Social Media 189
Chapter 12: Networking Online 191
Introducing Online Networking 192
Finding Business Networking Forums 193
Joining an Online Community 193
Becoming Part of Any Community 196
Advertising is Okay (Sometimes) 197
Calling First Means That You Often Get the Job 198
Establishing Yourself as the ‘Go-To Guy’ in the Community 199
Chapter 13: Using Social Media to Keep Relationships Alive 201
Venturing into Social Media 201
Winning Friends and Influencing People 203
Staying in Your Contacts’ Field of Vision 207
Getting Maximum Value from Blogging by Hardly Writing a Word 214
Chapter 14: Networking Using Different Social Media Platforms 221
Choosing the Right Platform for Your Business 221
Taking the Next Steps in Social Media 230
Chapter 15: Joining Up Your Online and Offline Networking 233
Acknowledging that People are People – However You Connect 233
Finding Your Strongest Connections 235
Meeting People Before You Meet Them 237
Part IV: Turbo-charging Your Networking 243
Chapter 16: Using Networking to Build Your Business 245
Standing Out in Networking 245
Boosting Your Business with Personal Branding 251
Using Networking as an Excuse 256
Chapter 17: Building Networking into Your Business Strategy 259
Circles Within Circles: It Isn’t Just About Who You Know 259
Staying in Touch When You Said You Would 261
Thinking Outside the Limited Company 263
Building Your Virtual Team 265
Settling Into a Routine and Knowing What Works for You 266
Part V: Measuring Your Success 267
Chapter 18: Networking or Notworking? 269
Measuring your Return on Investment 269
Adjusting Your Mindset to Spot the Benefits 272
Chapter 19: Revisiting Your Approach 277
Using Networking as a Sounding Board 277
Using Your Networking Contacts to Advise You 282
Keeping Faith with Networking 286
Part VI: The Part of Tens 289
Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Improve Your Networking Results 291
Do More Networking 291
Become Part of Your Group’s Team 292
Volunteer for the Ten-Minute Slot 292
Take an Honest Look at Your 40-Second Introduction 292
Attend Meetings of Other Networking Groups 293
Phone People 293
Run a Mini-Seminar after a Networking Event 293
Use Social Media 294
Make it Easy for People to Buy from You 294
Understand that Networking is Working 295
Chapter 21: Ten Networking Gaffes to Avoid 297
Talking Only About Yourself 297
Overrunning 298
Being Late 298
Whispering during Other People’s Introductions 298
Ridiculing or Disrespecting Your Competitors 299
Adding People to Your Mailing List without Permission 299
Judging a Book by Its Cover 300
Not Following Up 300
Treating Networking as a One-Off Sale 300
Forgetting to Smile 301
Index 303
About the Author 315

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 17.3.2014
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Beruf / Finanzen / Recht / Wirtschaft ► Wirtschaft
• Themenwelt: Wirtschaft ► Betriebswirtschaft / Management ► Unternehmensführung / Management
• Schlagworte: advantages • Basics • business • Business & Management • business owners • Business Self-Help • confidence • connections • discover personal • easytouse • Events • facetoface • Grip • groups • introduce • Job • Market Trends • New • Potential • Professionals • Ratgeber Wirtschaft • relationships • resource • Sales • Time • Wirtschaft /Ratgeber • Wirtschaft u. Management
• ISBN-10: 1-118-83333-3 / 1118833333
• ISBN-13: 978-1-118-83333-9 / 9781118833339