One Secret to Beating the 2012 Stock Market ROI

In 2011 investment ROI has been 6% on average and savings a mere 0.2% at best.  The greatest return for your money these days is on yourself.  One effective tool you can you use to get between 25% to 1,000% is …….. effective networking.

Effective business networking is the linking together of individuals who, through trust and relationship building, become walking, talking advertisements for one another.  Networking is the key to success in business, career, and community. It helps you find jobs, recruit talent, win new customers and discover stakeholders who'll support your ideas.

But networking can be stressful for shy people and introverts. They view it as insincere at best, manipulative at worst. They shun networking for a variety of reasons including lack of self-confidence, fear of refusal and a sense of embarrassment.

How often do you tell yourself if “I could just relate to others more easily, if I just possessed more self-confidence then the world would be my oyster, and schmoozing would be so much easier.”  Networking is all about building personal, sincere relationships based on mutual generosity and seeing how you can help others.

If you're struggling to meet new people, here are some DOs and DON’Ts you can actually use at your next get-to-know-you event.

DO……

DO Pick the right events: You have to go to the events that have the type of people you are looking for.  Some meetings are based more on learning, making contacts, and/or volunteering rather than on strictly making business connections.…which means the first thing you’ve got to do is identify exactly who it is you are wanting to meet, and what you want to accomplish by networking.  So pick groups that will help you get what you are looking for.

DO Hold volunteer positions in organizations. This is a great way to stay visible and give back to groups that have helped you.  It is also a great way to give yourself a “free pass” to contact others and build your fan club.

DO Ask open-ended questions in networking conversations. This means questions that ask who, what, where, when, and how.  This form of questioning opens up the discussion and shows listeners that you are interested in them.  People love to talk, especially about themselves.  So sit back and listen.  Soon you will become a great conversationalist.  

DO Become known as a powerful resource for others. When you are known as a strong resource, people remember to turn to you for suggestions, ideas, names of other people, etc. This keeps you visible to them and evergreen on their phone list.

DO Have a clear understanding of what you do and why, for whom, and what makes you doing it special or different from others doing the same thing. In order to get referrals, you must first have a clear understanding of what you do that you can easily articulate to others. Too often people in conversations ask, "How may I help you?" and no immediate answer comes to mind.

DO Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honor that and your referrals will grow. Express that you enjoyed meeting them or their names were referred, and ask if you could get together and share ideas.

DON’T…….

DO NOT sit around and talk to the person you came with, as a matter of fact, don’t go with anyone you know, it will be too easy to use them as a crutch.

DO NOT RUN OUT OF BUSINESS CARDS.  Carry extra business cards and have them accessible in your pocket. Find a reason to exchange cards; don’t force your card on anyone.  Find a reason for them to ask for your card. In fact, ask for their card and usually they will reciprocate.  Jot down notes on the back of the card to remind you about that person when you follow-up at a later time.

DO NOT overstay your welcome in a conversation. Make sure you provide insightful comments to the conversation and be engaging when they ask you questions, but make sure to excuse yourself if the conversation turns in a direction that is uncomfortable.

Do NOT be afraid to leave early, especially if you’ve met 3 or 4 really good people. Remember you are in it for the long haul and each event you go to, you’ll see more people you know and therefore have more entry points.

Networking is not easy, in fact it’s probably second to public speaking.  Remember the saying, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.  There may be times when you need to run into the bathroom, give yourself a little pep talk in the mirror to get yourself back in the “zone”.  

If you want 1,000% ROI on yourself, remember these dos and don’ts.  To be an effective networker set your priorities, be prepared, and maintain relationships.

John C. Nguyen, Ph.D., PCC

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