If you have a hard time making successful business connections,
don't despair. Anyone can be good at meeting people--if they use
the right technique. The whole secret to making a positive
connection is knowing how to attract people and inspire them to
want to give you a chance.
Here are seven proven strategies to help you make successful
business connections:
1) Carry yourself well and look professional. If people don't
know you at ALL, they are going to completely judge you by the
way you look. It's unfortunate, but it's true. So, make sure you
dress appropriately and your hair is well groomed. And be sure
to look people straight in the eye and firmly shake their hand
when meeting them. Also, make a special effort to have a clear,
professional speaking voice--particularly if your first
encounter is over the phone. Practice what you're going to say
in your head or out loud, so you don't stumble on your words.
2) Know your outcomes. What do you want from this person and
what's your objective? You should ALWAYS ask yourself this
question before you make contact with anyone. In a business
situation, you want to be really clear as to what your outcomes
are. For most business people, the outcomes are to let prospects
know who you are, why they should be interested in you, and what
your goal is.
3) Always smile. When you see someone smile, it tells you that
they're approachable. People like people who seem approachable
because they feel more comfortable with them and will trust them
more. So make sure you show those pearly whites and practice
being sincere with your smile. And if you're contacting someone
over the phone, it's important to still smile because people can
tell by your voice if you're not. 4) Be honest. People can tell
when someone is giving them baloney, so be sincere when you make
contact with someone. You're taking up their most precious
commodity - time. And if you're in sales and have to read from a
script, memorize it so you can talk naturally. This will make
you seem more genuine and credible.
5) Offer something they need. It's so important to not bother
people with things that they don't have time for or need. If
you're not sure that they'll be interested in what you have to
say, make your introduction short and sweet. Then see if they're
interested in hearing the rest of what you're articulating. To
position your introduction to impress them, do some research to
find out what would interest them. You can conduct your research
by going on the Internet, reading about them in magazines, going
to the library, talking with their employees or meeting their
business associates.
6) Go out of your way. If someone is legitimately busy and they
can't talk with you, go out of your way to find out what's
convenient for them. Also, if the person you're trying to
contact tells you they feel more comfortable meeting you in
person rather than having a telephone discussion, go meet them
if it's really important to you.
7) Be bold and daring...but in a tactful way. Make the call or
make an in-person introduction to the person you want to meet.
Don't sit around and contemplate if you should do it because it
will never happen. It's natural to get intimidated, but be bold
and daring by pushing your fear away and taking action. However,
always conduct yourself in a tactful way, so you don't harass
people. Otherwise, people won't like you and won't want to
listen to what you have to say.
Don't be intimidated at the thought of contacting successful
people. Remember: They are still people, and they're no
different from you. So get out there and make contact. The worst
that could happen is that they say, "No, I'm not interested".
The best thing that could happen is that they are interested! So
as Nike says: "Just do it." Start taking steps toward making
successful connections.
About the author:
Copyright 2005 Kate Smalley Connecticut Secretary
http://www.connecticutsecretary.com kms@connecticutsecretary.com
