1. Know how to use small talk. Many of us shy away from small talk or think of it as a necessary evil, but small talk is a stepping stone to relationship building and prepares the path to asking the big question. Small talk helps us to find out more about the other person, their values, interests and what we have in common. When you met your partner/spouse, did you say to yourself, hey I'll just pass on the small talk and ask them to move in with me/marry me now? I don't think so! Small talk is part of the mating ritual, whether looking for a partner in life or in business. If you are not good at it, plan it, practise it and become comfortable with using it.
Here are a couple of things you can do before going to a networking event: - Research your audience before attending an event to get a feel for issues that are of interest to those attending. - Research the venue; is there anything interesting about it that you can drop into the conversation to kick off a discussion? - Scan the local or national papers for 5 minutes before heading out and pick about three interesting but not highly topical - steer away from politics, sex and religion. In a diverse Ireland you don't know whom you might offend and the idea of small talk is to open discussion, not debate major issues or get tempers rising!! - What is the event and your interest in attending? Maybe more importantly, what is their interest in attending?

2. Be prepared with your 'elevator pitch'. Is your elevator pitch a chopped down version of your sales pitch? No, it's a hook to get the other party interested in pursuing the building of a relationship which will: a) lead to the opportunity ether to make the full sales pitch or b) allow them to know your offering well enough to pass you as a referral to a member of their network who may need your services. Not everyone you speak to will be a fit for you and your services but don't throw the baby out with the bath water!
By building a trustful relationship with others they may be in a position to refer you on to their contacts, so in other words you are not only building a client network but you are building a referral network which can be even more advantageous. Most people will know another 350 people, so you are gaining access to another potential client base by passing on information that can be easily remembered and that can allow that person to become a stronger 'connector' for others in their own network. What are the elements of an 'elevator pitch'? - What does your service do for others? - What makes you unique? - Why your company? - Have an example or a 'nugget' you can drop in to verify your expertise. Finally - don't forget to ask for the business!! People are not mind readers so just telling them what you can do and how your service can add value does not necessarily let them know you need business, advice or whatever you are aiming for. Telling them how great your service/product/company is may seem to you that you are asking for the business but they may read it differently?
You think... Well, I've told them about my brilliant service, they should buy that! They think... Gosh, that person sounds so successful they are probably too busy to work with a small company like mine! In business there is one eternal truth - if you don't ask, you won't get!!!

3. Business cards - don't leave home without them!! Give business cards towards the end of a conversation. They seal the handshake so make sure they are clean and not dog-eared, you don't want to be remembered as a floppy handshaker (the equivalent) do you? Only write details (such as where you met, any follow-up) about the owner on it. NEVER use it to write a third parties details on - BIG INSULT!!!
My mother always said "never leave the house without clean underwear", and I would add to that and say "never leave the house without a business card to hand out" and, finally, don't confuse the two at networking event or you really will be memorable!!

© 2005 Tricia Murphy TiG Alliance. All rights reserved.