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The Services You Want
From Professionals
You Can Trust
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"Networking Concepts"
Start with the basics
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Make a Commitment to Network with Success…
Every day we encounter the opportunity to introduce ourselves to new people and meet others through those introductions. If we look at these opportunities as a chance to help others and to make new friends, we can be rewarded personally and professionally. Networking can be an extremely valuable tool to market your services and practice. Almost any setting can be a networking opportunity when done with skill, tact and the sincerity to help the ones we meet.
Networking can be done with family, friends, neighbors and new acquaintances. To be truly successful at networking, you must be willing to share ideas and the names of people you know with a genuine mission to help those you meet be more successful. If you go out of your way to help and introduce them to the people you know, they will be more likely to help you and introduce you to the people they know.
Networking goes a long way for those who don’t sell themselves short. Most people are willing to help you, so make it easy and let them. Stop wondering what the other person is going to think of you. Most people are not judging you; they’re just trying to understand you and your business. You must believe in yourself and the value you provide to your clients to attract the right networking partners. Be vocal about your objective to share ideas and help each other. Your goal is to discover people with whom you can develop a relationship based on mutual respect, trust, shared goals and a personality fit.
One of the best places to start your networking efforts is within a community service organization. There’s almost an endless need for volunteers in your community. Find an organization with a need for your skills and experience. Since you will be devoting some of your time to the organization, make sure you’re truly interested in supporting their service to the community. Be proactive in getting to know your organization’s members both personally and professionally. This is your opportunity to create strategic alliances with other professionals. Discover one way you can help the other person meet their goals. Try introducing them to potential new customers or share marketing strategies. Establish time for your next conversation by asking if they would like to share other ideas and contacts at another time. Seek out a group of members in your organization to participate in an internal referral network. You may even be able to start, spearhead or volunteer to be the chair person for a “Professional Referral Service” within your Community Service Organization. Networking within your chosen community service organization can be one of the most rewarding activities to grow your business while making a difference in your community.
Contact you local TiPS Chapter Leader to learn how they may be able to help you get started or how you can become a member of the TiPS Program which is uniquely structured to promote you as a Trusted Professional known as a TiPS Provider.
Networking is a two way street, which will prosper by taking a true interest in helping others. Remember that networking can be so much more than who you know and who they know. Networking can lead to long term win-win relationships. Go out and introduce yourself with success.
Successfully yours,
Jim Harris, Chairman
TiPS Network Organization
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Networking 1, 2, 3
Networking goes a long way for those who don’t sell themselves short.
Create Strategic Alliances with other Professionals.
This requires trust, shared goals and a personality fit.
Food for Thought:
Most people are willing to help, let them.
Be vocal about your objective to share referrals.
Stop wondering “What is the other person going to think of you.”
Most people are not judging you; they’re just trying to understand your business.
Get to know the members of the organizations and groups in which you belong.
You want to discover people you can connect with.
1. Professionally introduce yourself.
Use your Professional Networking Introduction. (This is not an elevator speech)
Believe in yourself and it will attract the right potential partners.
Mention the main benefit your business or practice offers.
Don’t try to tell them everything.
This allows them to feel comfortable asking questions.
2. Discover at least one way you can help the other person meet their goals.
Try to help them in their pursuit of new business.
If you promise to provide information, write it on their business card.
Always follow-up promptly.
Refer them to a new customer or share a marketing strategy.
3. Establish time for your next conversation.
Ask if they would like to share other ideas and contacts at another time.
Set up a Connection Meeting to have an in-depth conversation about networking together.
Getting started is as easy as 1, 2, 3 and there is no reason not to begin developing your networking skills today. It takes skill, practice and commitment to really network with success. If you want to build a stable of trusted networking partners that refer their top clients and share their best contacts with you on a consistent basis, you’ll need to be strategic in your approach and continue to develop a variety of important networking skills to become a network champion.
Successfully yours,
Jim Harris, Chairman
TiPS Network Organization
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Networking in the Right Place at the Right Time
Networking can take place almost any where and if done with skill it can be done almost at any time. With this said, being strategic as to where and when can lead to a more effective investment of your energy. The key is to understand your own networking skills and where your best opportunities are currently. This will give you the greatest chance to maximize your personal efforts. As your expertise continues to increase, your opportunities will become wider and deeper as well as your networking success. When in an individual setting, you’ll need to rely on your good judgment as to if it is a good time and place. You will find some places are just not appropriate venues and others are very conducive. You may just need to vary the type and depth of your networking questions to make the most of the place and time of your opportunity.
When it comes to group settings; place and time can take on a whole new meaning. You can be successfully involved in multiple groups at the same time. Your level of success associated with your group opportunities will depend on the place/make up of the group and your networking skills at the time.
Listed below are two different types of group opportunities and for this discussion consider each of them a different place. As you read through the descriptions of each place, consider your own personality, the culture of each place, and your level of networking skill at this point and time. Make an assessment of the level of success you may achieve at each place in terms of return on invested time in light of your personality and networking skills.
1) Internal Networking Groups
Consider starting, spearheading or volunteering to be chair person for a “Professional Referral Service” within an existing Community Service Organization. Seek out members in your organization to participate in an internal referral network. Create marketing tools and a process to facilitate referrals between members. You may even be able to use the endorsement of your community service organization in your referral tools between members.
2) Join a Professional Networking Group
Consider joining an existing TiPS Chapter of Trusted Professional Service Providers also known as TiPS Providers. They are professionals who share a passion and commitment to proactively grow their business through referrals. Being a member of a well organized networking program like your local TiPS Chapter may quickly become your best source of qualified prospects. If you are committed to sharing contacts and asking for referrals, inquire about joining a local TiPS Program Chapter. Of course, the overall value of any networking group depends greatly on the local members and the structure of the group. It takes a collective commitment to supporting one another with quality referrals and contacts. One of the key components for most networking groups to achieve sustainable success is that membership requires an agreed upon level of shared accountability.
The final word about the two examples listed above
These two examples are likely to be your quickest path to achieving some initial networking success. If you’ve already tried the community service organizations and/or local business associations with limited success don’t give up hope. Networking works if you do it right. Just follow the “Network Champions Way” promoted by the TiPS Network Organization and you will begin to network with success. Focus your energy on transforming your approach and continue to develop your “Networking with Success” skills. If your current networking experience is limited or you haven’t developed a large number of core networking relationships up to this point, you may want to divide your effort relatively equally in the beginning. As you develop your networking skills and begin to build your circle of trusted networking partners you are likely to experience that the TiPS Program will provide more qualified referrals and will be the best place to make real networking connections that turn into trusted network partners. This is simply because the culture is more focused and the members have a better understanding of “Networking with Success”. Regardless of your level of networking success consider staying involved with community service organizations and local business associations to provide additional opportunities to meet new professionals and if for no other reason, they are a good place to meet new candidates for your local TiPS Chapter.
Successfully yours,
Jim Harris, Chairman
TiPS Network Organization
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