Recently the 10 essential principles of business networking were posted to the 30SecondsGo! Blog. So far we shared details about #1 Elevator Speech, #2 Be Different, #3 Be a Giver, #4 Keep Your Integrity, #5 Relevance, #6 Planned Networking, and #7 Follow up. This week we are sharing more about principle #8 Positive Influence.
8. be a positive influence
Be positive. Use positive language. Smile. See the good in people. Be known as a really positive person. It rubs off on others and people will warm to you for being so.
Keep your emotional criticisms of others and personal hang-ups to yourself. I know, not so easy sometimes!! It gets easier as you practice it. Speak ill of no-one.
Be passionate and enthusiastic. Avoid personalizing situations. Remain objective. Seek feedback about yourself and your ideas from others. It is the most valuable market research you can obtain – and it’s totally free.
Be tolerant. Be patient. Be calm and serene – especially when others become agitated. Followers gather around people who remain positive and calm under pressure.
At many networking events you will have the opportunity to give a presentation to the assembled group. This is a wonderful chance for you to demonstrate your expertise in your special area, your positive confident character, and also to pass on some useful information.
When giving presentations in these circumstances, avoid giving a hard-selling pitch. Aim to inform and educate rather than to sell. In many networking situations a strong selling presentation is regarded as insulting by those present. This is especially so if you are a guest of a group that you would not normally meet regularly.
You will sell yourself best by giving helpful information in a professional and entertaining credible manner. Be confident, positive and enthusiastic, but do not let this develop into pressure on the audience, or a sense that you are trying too hard.
Try to find and present within your specialty the most helpful information for the group concerned. Your aim at the end of the presentation is for the audience to have learned something useful about your area as it applies to them, and to have been impressed with your professionalism and command of your subject.
Coaching and connecting people is part of how we support our clients at 30 Second Success. We work closely with clients to create a clear, concise message that connects with confidence. The ability to convert contacts into clients through your messaging is powerful. We help you take those opportunities to share your elevator speech and turn them into great networking connections. Call today for more information 215.801.6750