RETAILOBSERVER.COM APRIL 2021
6
Moe Lastfogel
moe@retailobserver.com
Moe's Musings Views
Happy and Safe Retailing,
I
was researching articles on networking for this month's Musings and came across this
piece by Angela Hill, president & creative director of Incitrio, a sustainably-minded
branding agency located in San Diego, CA. Angela put together the great tips below
that summed the topic up easily.
"Successful networking is basically the same thing as personal branding, and at the
end of the day, it's all about developing a good strategy. Think of your networking strategy
in terms of a two-pronged approach: 1) Events where your target audience or circle of
influencers are most likely to be and, 2) Events that match your personal interests.
• Business Networking— For the business networking events, make sure to pick a time
of day when you're at your peak. For example, if you are a morning person, only go to
breakfast events. If you are a night owl, go to evening socials and dinners. By choosing
a time of day when you are at your best, you're guaranteed to reduce the nervousness
factor and make it easier for yourself to meet new contacts.
• Networking is like Dating— People buy from people they like, know and trust. Great
sales, and therefore networking, is all about building long-term relationships. So, if you
think about networking like dating, the rules are fairly straightforward: be a good listener,
make eye contact, don't act desperate, don't have a triple espresso before you show
up, shower, dress nice and smile.
• Control the Conversation— Another tip is to strategically control the conversation.
People love to talk about themselves and the more they talk, the more they feel good
about you. So, start the conversation by asking them questions about themselves and
be genuinely interested. Find ways to connect what they're saying to what you do or
how you can help them. Eventually, they'll get tired of talking about themselves and ask
what you do. That's your golden opportunity to modify your elevator pitch and integrate
key points that came up earlier into what you say.It shows you're actively listening, and
you can customize/integrate what you do into a problem they're trying to solve or a
value-added benefit to their client list.
• Convert Prospects Faster— Finally, be sure to follow up! Send an email or a personal
note after an event, ideally the next day. Connect with them via LinkedIn while you're still
on top of their mind. If it's a really good potential contact, suggest a virtual coffee or
lunch meeting in 2-3 weeks so that it's non-threatening but keeps the momentum going.
The more you do, the closer you get to the close of the sale."
BUSINESS
NETWORKING 101:
THE ART OF
PERSONAL BRANDING
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