Team Alpha 375

Give to Receive by Dan Jourdan You grown-ups are all hypocrites. How many times have you told your children (or been told as a child) that it is better to give than receive? Maybe a million? The statement falls out of your mouth at Christmas time so easily that you actually believe yourself for a while. That is until you go to your next networking event and sit in the corner with your friend complaining that you never get any leads at these lousy thing. Sound familiar? Yes, I am talking to you -- and I am right, aren’t I? The truth is that it is not your fault. You have never been taught the proper way to network or the reason to network. (Boy, are you lucky to have come across this article.) The first thing you must realize is that it is not the event…it’s you. You are the one that makes the event a successful experience or not. The mindset that you have going into the event will determine how well it turns out. Are you prepared? Have you thought about what you will say to a person that you meet? Have you ever heard yourself speak? How do you sound when you talk to someone? Have you ever recorded it just for fun? Or torture? You may be surprised or inspired to work on your craft. A networking event is for you to meet people. Not just people who can help you… but people… period. Your charge is to make a good first impression and to be remembered. Go to these events with the mindset of making new friends, and your success rate will go way up. Here are a few points to keep in mind when you are in the trenches: 1. Be ready with questions -- not answers. Ask people about them. Napoleon Hill made a fortune from taking interest in other people. You can too. 2. Be memorable. You must differentiate yourself from the crowd. Be the IT guy, the carpet guy, or the lady plumber. Your clothing or your actions should be a part of the show. Have a saying that you use all the time when you hand someone your card. “Keep this with you at all times for good luck” usually works to ingrain your face with the service. (On that point…your picture needs to be on your card!) 3. Go to events with the idea of giving leads. Your good deeds will go out to the world and come back to you in spades. Review your accounts before you go and figure out who needs help and in what areas. Then, when you find a person who can do the helping… pass them the name. Become a resource – and a welcomed and needed member of your community. The most important thing to remember is that networking is simply the act of making new friends. That happens more often before and after working hours. When you meet someone in the salad section of your local grocery store, it is very easy to start up a casual conversation…do it. See if you can help them. Then when they thank you with a surprised look on their face that you would help a stranger, you can tell them that it really is better to give than receive.