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.

Foreword xv

Introduction 1

About This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 3

Where to Go from Here 3

Part I: Getting Started with Business Networking 5

Chapter 1: Getting to Grips with Networking Basics 7

Understanding Business Networking 7

Starting with 'Why?' 8

Noting the 'why' of networking 9

Figuring out your 'why' 10

Talking to Strangers (Ignore Your Parents' Advice) 11

Knowing Who Uses Networking 12

Realising It's Not All Funny Handshakes and Old Boys Clubs 15

Finding Networking Opportunities 15

Following Networking Guidelines 16

Networking in a Nutshell: Different Formats 17

Understanding unstructured networking meetings 17

Seeking out structured networking meetings 18

Networking formats you're likely to encounter 18

Business networking and referral marketing - same difference? 19

Chapter 2: Exploring Different Aspects of Networking 23

Networking for the Employed 23

Building your skillset using networking 25

Meeting people in the same industry to swap ideas 27

Keeping up to date with trends in your industry 28

Meeting your next boss - career building and future proofing 28

Networking for the Business Owner 29

Promoting your business 29

Finding trusted suppliers: Real-life Google 31

Keeping up to date with trends in business 33

Creating your virtual team: The future of business 33

Networking as Marketing 34

Clarifying your marketing aims 35

Reaping the benefits of business networking 35

Networking Meets Social Media 36

Seeing the relevance 36

Making the most of social media 37

Chapter 3: Setting (Realistic) Expectations 39

Recognising Why You Need to Set Expectations 39

Thinking about what You Expect to Get Out of Networking 40

Coping with your first networking event 41

Knowing That Networking Isn't Without Effort 42

Keeping track of your schedule 43

Being patient 44

Chapter 4: Making Use of Networking Organisations 47

Finding the Right Organisation for You 48

Start locally 49

Match your business to the prospect 49

Finding Independent Networking Clubs 50

Contacting your local chamber of commerce 51

Finding local independent networking groups 51

Joining Commercial Networking Organisations (in the UK) 52

4Networking 54

BNI 54

Business Scene 55

FSB 55

NRG 56

Women-only networking organisations 56

Coming across Co-working 56

Co-working hubs 57

KindredHQ 57

Regus 58

Specialist and Niche Networking Organisations and Groups 58

Understanding the Politics of Networking Groups 59

Running Your Own Networking Club 60

Remembering Why You Got Involved 62

Chapter 5: Networking at Trade Shows 65

Knowing What to Expect from a Trade Show 65

The Great British Business Show 66

The Welsh Business Shows 66

New Start Scotland 67

Finding Local and National Trade Shows 67

Making Your Trade Show Experience a Success 68

Networking at trade shows, big or small 69

Becoming part of the crowd 70

Feeling the Need for Speed Networking 71

Doing something different 71

Following up 72

Part II: Face-to-face Networking 73

Chapter 6: Attending Networking Meetings 75

Finding Time to Network 75

Recognising that networking is real work 76

Networking to suit you and your business 77

Using your time twice 78

Deciding What to Wear and What to Take with You 79

Making sure that you understand the dress code 79

Thinking about the impression you want to make 80

Being prepared with business cards - and plenty of them 81

Taking promotional material 81

Knowing What Time to Arrive 82

Checking the meeting timings 82

Entering as an early bird or fashionably late? 82

Calming Your Nerves 83

Knowing why your nerves may be your biggest asset 85

Keeping on top of first-time jitters 86

Managing your nerves and appearing confident 87

Knowing what time to go home 89

Chapter 7: Making Connections in Open Networking 91

Understanding Open Networking 91

Introducing Yourself to People You Don't Know 92

Recognising that everyone's in the same boat 92

Choosing who to approach 93

Making an Impression 95

The handshake 96

Starting a conversation 98

Answering 'So, what do you do?' 100

Chapter 8: Nailing the Introductions Round 103

Getting the Scoop on the Introductions Round 103

Remembering that you're trying to get the interview, not the job 105

Avoiding the elevator pitch error 105

Standing Out from the Crowd 107

Preparation, preparation, preparation 107

Think about what they might be buying, not what you're selling 108

Using soundbites 109

Using props 110

Understanding body language 111

Can you hear me? 114

Injecting your introduction with passion and confidence 116

Rules to Follow and Things to Avoid 116

Introducing Sample Templates for Your Introduction 117

The attention grabber 118

The third-party endorsement 122

Remembering What You Planned to Say 125

Chapter 9: Handling One-to-Ones 127

Getting the Scoop on One-to-Ones 127

Having a one-to-one with everyone 128

Getting the Most from One-to-Ones 129

Where to have a one-to-one 129

When to have a one-to-one 130

Asking open questions 132

Are you listening or waiting for your turn to speak? 134

Making notes to follow up with 134

Taking notes like a pro 135

Knowing What to Do After the Meeting 136

Chapter 10: Breezing Through the Ten-Minute Speaker Slot 137

Recognising the Opportunity 137

Reaping the benefits 139

Understanding stock value 140

Planning and Preparing 140

Looking at Different Networks, Different Opportunities, Different Approaches 141

Using ten minutes to talk about your business 141

Using ten minutes not to talk about your business 145

Structuring Your Presentation 151

Questions and answers 151

Checking your timings 152

Coping when the day comes 152

Chapter 11: Following Up 155

Following Up to Win 155

Ouch! Dealing with Your Piles 156

Making the most of business cards 157

Using CRM systems 160

Evaluating email marketing software 161

Following Up Successfully 162

Thinking about your follow up 163

Being creative 164

Reminding People about Your Business 166

Asking for business 166

Asking for referrals 168

Part III: Networking Online and Using Social Media 171

Chapter 12: Networking Online 173

Introducing Online Networking 174

Finding Business Networking Forums 175

Joining an Online Community 175

Becoming Part of Any Community 178

Advertising is Okay (Sometimes) 179

Calling First Means That You Often Get the Job 180

Establishing Yourself as the 'Go-To Guy' in the Community 181

Chapter 13: Using Social Media to Keep Relationships Alive 183

Venturing into Social Media 183

Realising that the times, they are a-changing 184

Entering social media 185

Winning Friends and Influencing People 185

Finding common ground 186

Forming meaningful relationships 186

Going local, regional, national or international 187

Joining in other people's conversations 188

Staying in Your Contacts' Field of Vision 189

Going beyond: Following up with social media 190

Thinking business? Think personal as well 192

Spotting easy referral opportunities 196

Getting Maximum Value from Blogging by Hardly Writing a Word 196

Curating information about your industry or profession 198

Remembering it's about conversation not content 199

Chapter 14: Networking Using Different Social Media Platforms 203

Choosing the Right Platform for Your Business 203

Twitter 204

Facebook 207

LinkedIn 208

Google+ 209

Blogs 210

Instagram 210

Vine 211

Foursquare 211

Pinterest 212

Taking the Next Steps in Social Media 212

Chapter 15: Joining Up Your Online and Offline Networking 215

Acknowledging that People are People - However You Connect 215

Finding Your Strongest Connections 217

Meeting People Before You Meet Them 219

Researching your prospects 220

Listening online, then speaking on the phone 221

Part IV: Turbo-charging Your Networking 225

Chapter 16: Using Networking to Build Your Business 227

Standing Out in Networking 227

Putting in the effort 228

Remembering that networking isn't easy 229

Engaging your brain and engaging your network 230

Finding better ways to advertise than shouting to strangers 231

Boosting Your Business with Personal Branding 233

Learning from Evian's posh bottles 234

Being a product of the product 236

Using Networking as an Excuse 238

Getting to your ideal prospects using networking 238

Using networking for businesses that can't cold call 240

Chapter 17: Building Networking into Your Business Strategy 241

Circles Within Circles: It Isn't Just About Who You Know 241

Staying in Touch When You Said You Would 243

Finding people to talk to 243

Growing your network as people come and go 244

Thinking Outside the Limited Company 245

Building Your Virtual Team 247

Settling Into a Routine and Knowing What Works for You 248

Part V: Measuring Your Success 249

Chapter 18: Networking or Notworking? 251

Measuring your Return on Investment 251

Recognising and recording the value in every meeting 252

Finding the hidden value in networking 253

Adjusting Your Mindset to Spot the Benefits 254

Listening to your intuition 255

Keeping an open mind 256

Acknowledging that networking is always working 257

Chapter 19: Revisiting Your Approach 259

Using Networking as a Sounding Board 259

Nobody's asking you for a one-to-one 260

Business is dribbling in 261

You're getting one-to-ones but nobody's buying 263

You view knock backs negatively 263

Using Your Networking Contacts to Advise You 264

Launching new products to your networking crowd 265

Trying new pitches 266

Tailoring your approach to your environment 267

Discovering the secret to turning around your networking experience 267

Keeping Faith with Networking 268

Part VI: The Part of Tens 271

Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Improve Your Networking Results 273

Do More Networking 273

Become Part of Your Group's Team 274

Volunteer for the Ten-Minute Slot 274

Take an Honest Look at Your 40-Second Introduction 274

Attend Meetings of Other Networking Groups 275

Phone People 275

Run a Mini-Seminar after a Networking Event 275

Use Social Media 276

Make it Easy for People to Buy from You 276

Understand that Networking is Working 277

Chapter 21: Ten Networking Gaffes to Avoid 279

Talking Only About Yourself 279

Overrunning 280

Being Late 280

Whispering during Other People's Introductions 280

Ridiculing or Disrespecting Your Competitors 281

Adding People to Your Mailing List without Permission 281

Judging a Book by Its Cover 282

Not Following Up 282

Treating Networking as a One-Off Sale 282

Forgetting to Smile 283

Index 285

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.