Over the last six years we have tried just about every marketing
technique in the book and spent a fair amount of time and money trying to find
the ‘right way’. Of course, experienced folk will tell you that there is no one
right way: it’s about ensuring that you are approaching your market from different
angles with a range of strategies. As I’ve said in a previous blog, the
relationship building process is key and an important part of that is getting
out there and meeting people – networking. Now as someone who is fundamentally
introverted (a classic ISFJ in Myers Briggs terms), this has been one of my
biggest challenges. Fortunately Gill is an extrovert so we complement each
other as business partners but it’s not about hand holding, as individuals we
have had to establish ourselves as credible professionals in the marketplace.
So, how can we introverts ‘get out there’ and maximise networking as part of
our marketing tool kit? I love the points made in Dave Roos’s ‘How Stuff Works’ article (link below) with lots
of great tips to make networking not just bearable but enjoyable too.
I’m sure my fellow introverts will find something that
resonates for them but for me there are four particularly valuable points in
this article that I have found helpful:
Volunteer – be part
of the event, have a role to play to occupy your mind and give you a specific
reason to interact with other participants
Arrive early –
entering a room full of people can be very daunting. Pre empting this makes it
easier to establish eye contact with others as they arrive. Lingering at the
coffee can be a good way to break the ice.
Magic number –
setting a goal for the number of new contacts you want to meet is a good idea. On a broader level plan your strategy - who is
likely to be there, from where, who would you like to meet, and who might
introduce you?
Be interested –
smiling is such a simple and easy thing to do and engages people. No matter who
else might come in the door maintain interest in the person you are speaking to
through eye contact and positive body language. Have some questions up your
sleeve that will help you find out about the person you are talking to.
Let me know what works for you, I’d love to hear from you.
Dorothy
Northampton
21 February 2014
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