For some of us it is hard to meet and speak with people we don't know. It can be very difficult to strike up a conversation without running the other person when networking. Here are a few tips to get you started. Master the art of small talk. Always have objectives and common interest. Once you've established your objective and/or common interest, make sure that you keep your target engaged in the conversation. Ask questions about their business. What kinds of services are offered? Who is the targeted market for their business? You may be able to help each other and form a connection. Exchange information and follow up. Following up can be the beginning of building and possibly maintaining a business contact.
Creating an elevator speech makes for a good introduction. Come up with a creative way to say what you do without saying your title or the name of your company in 30 seconds. This will create an automatic interest from the person you are speaking.
5 key questions you may want to ask yourself when networking.
1. Who is already in my corner?
2. What have the done for me?
3. What have I done for them?
4. How do I intend to keep them in my corner?
5. What do I hope to gain from them?
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