And what to do about it.
I network a lot. It's a major part of how I market my business. And so I treat it that way. I invest time, energy and money into networking my business and my personal brand. Generally I'm networking at least twice a week with 4Networking, which means at a minimum I'm having six business appointments each week, and listen to approximately 30+ networking introductions.
And most of them are crap.
And the sad thing is, they don't need to be. My good friend Stefan Thomas, founder of The Networking Retreat is the 'go to' expert on this. Here's my take on the really simple things you can do to make your networking introduction work for you and your personal brand, instead of against you.
Practice. If you wing it, it shows. And its not exactly confidence boosting in your business or your personal brand. If you haven't practiced your networking introduction, and you muddle your way through it, just think about how that looks to your fellow networkers. You look ill prepared, under confident and under pressure. Not a good look. So get practicing. Use the Networking Companion app to get structure to your networking introduction, learn how long you need to speak for so you are not that person rambling on, and on, and on. And then USE IT. Practice in the car on your way to the meeting, say the stuff out loud and take ownership of it.
Perform. You don't need props to make an impact in your networking introduction. Unless they provide a key visual element to help your fellow networkers understand how you can help them in their business. If your props have no relation to what you do, guess what? Noone understands why on earth you have a rubber chicken on your head, and you just look like a twonk. Performing your networking introduction is about using simple public speaking skills to make the right impact for the right reasons. So - refer to point 1 first, then apply these simple tips -
Take a deep breath and smile - not only does this help you steady your nerves, but it steadies your voice too.
Stand Up! - don't sit down to make your introductions (unless, of course, you have no choice), you drastically reduce the impact you make by sitting down. Not least of which because its hard to do the next thing if you do....
Make eye contact around the room as you speak - make those personal connections as you tell your fellow networkers how you can help them.
Speak up! - you need to focus on being clear and concise, creating engagement by speaking clearly through the room - imagine you are sat at the back, can you hear? Now imagine you are sat at the front - are your ear drums bleeding? Don't try and force engagement by being like Tigger on speed with a megaphone - if that's not how you are naturally, it just looks and feels fake. If it is how you are naturally, crack on. It's your personal brand after all.
Shut up! - sit down when you are done. Don't ramble on. Don't attempt to cram every single little thing you offer across all the income streams you have at breakneck speed because you think you might have missed something either. It's just too much for people to take in. So they just don't bother. Stefan puts this really well when he delivers his Networking Masterclass at KAPOW! - the introduction is the interview for the interview - not the job. You need to create interest in what you offer so that people want to get to know you a bit better by having a further chat. Keep that focus whilst delivering your networking introduction and make it easy for people to feel that's OK. Which leads me to....
Things to avoid:
- Using phrases like 'you all know me' - well I might know you, but I still want you to tell me what you do & who you are. I just did. Don't be lazy.
- Telling me to read your banner to find out what you do. See above point. Don't be lazy.
- Not giving me a clear call to action about what I need to do next.
- This last one is key to improving your networking introductions overall. Don't sit down and expect to be trample in the rush of people wanting to talk to you. You need to create a clear call to action and make sure they know what it is. It needs to be specific. It needs to be instructive. Not fluffy and faffy. Don't do that.
Helping people improve their networking introduction so they get more success when they network is a key part of what Stefan & I do through KAPOW! Your Brand, Your Way & The Networking Retreat. It's an essential part of networking your personal brand successfully - by making the right impact, for the right reasons - every time.
So before you go to your next networking meeting, do yourself a favour - download the app, take these points on board and give your networking introduction a once over.