NETWORKING THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS

Many people believe the time to build your business or find a new career will stop about a week before the holidays officially begins and starts again after the holidays. I have a different belief.

I believe there is no better time to build relationships and meet new people than during this period. Think about it. You are invited to open houses, holiday parties for businesses and the organizations you are members of often suggest you bring a friend. All of a sudden, you have a whole new resource for meeting fun, connected people.

You do need some tools:

Up-to-date contact cards (business cards)
Make sure you carry plenty of them with you—not the time to run out.

Note cards to send after you have met.

My advice, keep on your toes, keep asking questions to start conversations and enjoy learning about people. Follow up with a note, and have coffee with them after the first of the year.

IMPROVING BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

When you are given a verbal agreement to say fix your car over the phone, make sure you write down what you heard them say and confirm with an email or fax.

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SPEED NETWORKING

Last night an announcement came up on a LinkedIn group http://www.LinkedIn.com about the time and date of “Latest and creative approach of building your network- Speed Networking”. Good thing I had overnight to think about this before I wrote this blog—I’m calmer now.

Now we are speeding up our personal interaction. In my mind/world, I think that is really sad. With technology, gobbling up more and more time the need for inter-personal communication is growing. Then we come up with an event that makes sure we do not have time to really connect with a person.

It is my personal belief that if you go to a networking event (Look for a place will you learn or have fun), you should not plan to meet more than three people. Networking is about building relationships. It is my experience people are really bad about following up with three people they have met. Imagine trying to follow-up with 20 or more.

My recommendation:

1. Find an event will you will learn or have fun.
2. Plan to meet three people.
3. Start conversations with a question:

What great thing happened to you recently?

Great piece of jewelry does it have a story behind it?

Come up with one that fits your personality…key is listen to the answer so you can ask the next question.

Send a handwritten note to the people you met and include your contact card (formerly called business) In my mind, that is how you start building a relationship.

PS Be sure to put the person’s contact information into your home contact program – One never knows when you will need the information about people you have met and developed a relationship.

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION TIP:

If you haven’t joined the world of social networking, I would like to suggest that you seriously consider it. We do not know where this all going, yet I can already see using Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter together I am getting my name out there and new opportunities are surfacing.

BUSINESS CARDS ARE SHRINKING IN SIZE

Actually, the correct statement is “Contact Cards are Shrinking in Size”. The trend toward naming them contact cards was started because people who were looking for work were not carrying cards because they did not have a business.

A contact card is necessary for those seeking employment. One cannot leave a resume with everyone you meet, but you can leave a contact card. It should include:

Name

Address

Phone number

Email Address

Note, I have left off position – companies have too many different names for the same job. In addition, when you are being interviewed, perhaps, there is a job with a better fit for your skills.

If you are a business owner, you know the importance of having your contact cards with you at all times. The more cards you can send out into the world, the better. One businessperson recently said, “Give them out like they are candy”.

Have you seen the new contact cards appearing out in the world-- the ones that measure ½ inch by 2.5 inches? On one side a glossy picture of something . The other side a name, or whatever material the individual wants to include in font size about 3 pt. – maybe even less.

Now for my reaction about miniature cards.

1. First, they are hard to hang on to and where do you put them? The one I received yesterday I had to really “fish” for it in my pocket this morning to find it so I could measure it.

2. No question I had to put my glasses on to read the information and even then, it was hard to read because this particular card was printed with red ink.

3. There is absolutely no room to write any kind of note on it.
a. To remind yourself where you met the person.
b. To write yourself a note to remind you to follow-up.

4. Now where do I put it so it doesn’t disappear forever?

Smiling--feel like the same way I do about a recent redesign of a Tide bottle. Never in my life had I written complaint about a product container – yet wrote, “Who at your company thought this bottle design was a good one”?

Tropicana went back to its' original packaging after customers’ complaints.

My personal belief is tiny contact cards was an idea --- an idea that probably should be shelved as soon as possible.

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION TIP:

Learn from my mistake. Each time you put a link into an email, article, tweet, etc, test it before you send it. This week I sent out my "Weekly Wisdom" and accidentally put two periods in my blog address.