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12 Tips for Networking

Andy Lopata, labeled ‘Mr Network’ by The Sun, gives us his 12 top tips for successful networking

Andy Lopata is one of the UK’s leading business networking strategists. Andy who is a good friend and client of Rubber Cheese, has very kindly written us a guest blog post:

12 Quick Tips to Help you with Networking

1. Approach
If you see someone standing at a networking event on their own, they will probably be very grateful if you were to approach them and introduce yourself. After all, wouldn’t you?
The chances are that they have not come to a networking event for solitude!

2. Help Others
Always look first to see how you can help others rather than how they can help you. Becoming known as a centre of influence, someone who is worth knowing, can be an invaluable asset.

3. Build Relationships
Pursue the relationship and not the sale. If you can find one or two people at each event you attend who will eventually become an integral part of your network and champion your business, it will have been well worth the time and effort.

4. Make Notes
Don’t worry if you haven’t got your business cards ready; go to the event anyway. When you have a good, positive conversation and you want to follow up, make sure that you get the other person’s card. You are then in control of the conversation.

Write notes on the back; where you met, what you said, how you agreed to move forward, so that you can refresh your mind when you are back in your office.

5. Bring People Together
When listening for others, always have your network in the back of your mind and be proactively thinking about how you can bring people together

6. Be Interested
Always remember, people are interested in people who are interested in them (Dale Carnegie)

7. Conversation
“What do you do?” is the networking equivalent of “Do you come here often?”! Most people aren’t interested in the answer when they first meet you.

Talk about something of interest to both of you and save the work conversation for when you are interested in the response, because you want to help that person.

8. Be Confident to Show Your Ability
If you have tangible achievements to share, don’t be afraid to tell people. We sometimes feel nervous about appearing boastful but, if you can demonstrate you excellence in your field, you should be telling people.

If we want people to help us get to where we want to be we need them to feel confident in our ability to deliver.

9. Look for Body Language
You can look at the body language of people and groups when deciding who to join in conversation. Are they looking relaxed or intense? Do they look like they are discussing general topics or business? Is there room for you to join the conversation naturally, or is the group closed to you, denying you natural eye contact?

10. Research the Network
Don’t join a business network without understanding what is required from you to ensure achieve your goals from membership, and knowing that you can, and will, meet those commitments.

11. Stay in touch
Unless you have agreed otherwise, in the first instance follow up by email. Drop a one or two line email confirming where you met and, if appropriate, the agreed follow up. Most people don’t want to receive unsolicited email attachments or be subscribed to e-zines without their permission, so keep it simple and don’t try to sell.

You can always ask for subsequent permission to add people to your regular mailing list.

12. Set Targets
Don’t expect immediate results. Set targets for success, continually monitor where new introductions and new business comes from and review the results on a regular basis.

Andy Lopata

Labeled ‘Mr Network’ by The Sun, Andy Lopata has been described by the Financial Times as one of Europe’s leading business networking strategists.

The co-author of two books on networking, Andy is a featured columnist for the US magazine ‘The National Networker’ and writes for a number of UK publications, as well as being quoted in national press, including The Sunday Times and The Guardian.

You can read more of Andy’s thoughts, and subscribe to his fortnightly networking tips e-zine, at www.lopata.co.uk

Posted by on 27th Jul 2009 in • Networking • 1 Comments

Logo Lounge Master Series

Four logos created by Rubber Cheese have been selected to be in the new LogoLounge Master Library Series book

Rubber Cheese have received word this week that four of our logos will appear in a LogoLounge project, “Animals and Mythology”, the second book in the new Master Library series.

What is the Master Library series?

Like the existing (and continuing) LogoLounge book series, the new Master Library books will bring you exemplary logo design work from creatives from around the world. Each book in the Master Library series will focus on a very specific logo design category:

Initials and Crests
Animals and Mythology
Typography
People
Shapes and Symbols
Nature and Food
Arts and Culture

As with Rockport’s other books on logos, this series has the same inspirational draw, featuring over 3,000 logos. Constantly looking for fresh inspiration, designers can use this new series to take a more focused look at core logo applications.

The Animals and Mythology book will be published in the next year. It will be an honor to be part of it!