Every business person wants one thing - more income. The ability to contribute to increase in the revenue of those that we meet is the cornerstone to networking with high-networth individuals (HNIs).
Being able to build a network of solid business relationships that can yield unimaginable dividends in the long term. It is also far more rewarding than talking about your products when being introduced to someone. Cold-calling strangers to sell things to them that they might never want is also not very palatable.
Short-term strategies will only yield short-term results. We are all in the business of selling goods or services. Therefore honing your networking skills and learning how to make your contacts count are key to your success.
Here are a few basic tips to help you polish your networking skills until they glow:
Ø Recognize your client's needs before you mention your own. There is always this temptation to start a conversation by talking about what we would like to sell to the other person. Sometimes we express this directly and at other times we are a little bit more subtle. However, the ace networker makes a genuine effort to understand his or her acquaintance's business needs before mentioning theirs.
Ø Focus on targets in a specific industry and learn all you can about that industry. Instead of targeting 1,000 prospects in various industries, why not select a few industry leaders and rub shoulders with them by helping them solve their income problems. They will then help you to get involved with the rest of their fold.
Ø Ask for business from those whom you buy things from. You perhaps have suppliers of goods and services who have enjoyed having your business as a client. Ask them to introduce your goods or services to their other clients or suppliers. They owe you that much.
When networking with business owners, always bear in mind that many of them feel lonely because they think that no one is willing to help them to grow their businesses. That is the reason they do not need a 'me, me, me' approach; but an approach that says "you can count on me to bring more business your way".