Posts tagged "comfort zone"

Advice

Can I have your business card?

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“The way of the world is meeting people through other people.” Robert Kerrigan

Business cards are a vital component of effective networking. They have the ability to form a link between two strangers and potentially grow that link into a mutually beneficial relationship. The first time I really needed a business card was at one of my first networking sessions in college. Being relatively new to the networking scene at that point, I wondered how so many students were going about exchanging name cards. Eventually I got a hold of some them and was surprised at the information presented on these small bits of paper. They ranged from mini size resumes, information regarding student organizations they were part of, and more traditional name cards with information about their organizations. It was at this time a close friend of mine and I set up Synaptic Creations, my first company, in which I started out assisting students design and print name cards on an affordable basis on campus.

Coming back to the importance of business cards. There are a few tips and etiquettes I have picked up over the years, they have helped me during networking, I am sharing them with everyone:

1. Design: It is important that one chooses the paper, design and font carefully for business cards. One’s business card is an advertisement for the product/services you provide. It is important to maximize the space you have on the card and at the same time not to make it too cluttered. Choosing a very small text to display contact information should be avoided. If needed use both sides of the business card to convey your message.

2. Ready Stock: As an entrepreneur we should always be equipped with an ample number of name cards at all times. This applies especially for networking sessions, a place we are bound to pass out many name cards. Countless times I have spoken to individuals at networking sessions who apologize for not having name cards, or hoard them to give to the “right people”. This sends wrong signals  and should be avoided at all costs.

3. Presenting: In Asia name cards are presented and received with two hands. This is a sign of respect and the best part about such an exchange is that it provides an opportunity to look at the name card closely. Either way even if name cards are exchanged with one hand, we should take the time to look at the other persons card carefully as a sign of respect as also to see if there is anything of interest we could discuss further with them. One needs to make people feel important so that they share the same attitude towards you.

4. Referrals: Whenever you exchange name cards with someone who may not be in your line of work or industry, but has shown an interest in what you do, make it a point to ask politely for referrals. It is important to emphasise the politeness aspect. I have across many individuals who just go on and on badgering for referrals. This usually makes the other person feel uncomfortable and forces them to close up as they infer one is only wanting to take advantage of their network. Depending on the situation choose an appropriate manner and time on how to bring up the discussion.

Exchanging business cards is just the beginning of the relationship. It is as important to follow up with the individual and add their name to a rolodex or online depository. For management of my name cards I use a service called Highrise. It is a simple and neat tool which allows me to easily add data and provides access to my network from just about anywhere through my phone. It is hence essential to have a methodical way of managing one’s name cards.

Communication Inspiration

First Impressions

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“You never get a second chance to make a first impression” W. Triesthof 

A couple of years ago, two individuals from my university came to my partner and I for initial seed funding for a project they wanted to start. It was in the service industry, in a sector which was growing relatively fast. The first meeting involved the pitch, which was well done. However,  during the Q&A session when we  actually started interacting with each other, I felt something was off. Being relatively new to seed funding at the time, I got convinced with the figures and disregarded the seeds of doubt which I had. As it turned out my first impressions were right, I learned a very important lesson, at a cost. The purpose of the story was to show just how important first impressions are, whether you are networking, pitching to an investor or securing a customer. When meeting someone for the first time, a couple of things I always looking out for are listed below:

1. Attitude: There are some people who start off talking about themselves, and just do not let the other person into the conversation. Their primary and total objective is to figure out how to get something out of networking with you. This approach is short sighted, and often results in the inability to make an actual connection. The better attitude is to make the other person the focus of the conversation. See if you can possibly assist them in any possible way through your network. This attitude will in turn create a wealth of opportunities for you and will continue to do so over time. It is therefore essential to constantly assess the signals you are giving out and the manner in which they come across to the other person.

2. Listening: There will often be people who whilst engaged in a conversation with you, will not really be there. They are constantly distracted with what is happening around them, have a tendency to suddenly change subjects, and generally give out vibes that they really do not care. When I notice someone acting this way, red flags go up instantly, and making an extra effort to push any sort of working relationship forward is greatly decreased. We also have to be constantly aware of whether we are actively listening ourselves. To learn more about active listening please click here to read more about it.

3. Appearance: The way an individual dresses and carries his/her self says a lot about them. It is always better to be over dressed than to be under dressed for an occasion. Find out what the appropriate attire for the occasion is before going. My grandfather used to tell me that there was much learn to lot about a person from his hair, nails and shoes. Even though times and attire has drastically changed since his days, the advice still holds true today.

Since first impressions are formed quickly, one has to remain vigilant about how to present oneself, one’s attitude and overall body language. It is much more challenging to change initial impressions, it is hence essential to do all we can to ensure we get it right the first time. Will we always get the right impression across? Probably not, however, we have to do all we can to make sure that the signals we are sending are well aligned with the impression we want to create.

Communication Inspiration

Do you Network?

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“I like to define networking as cultivating mutually beneficial, give-and-take, win-win relationships… The end result may be to develop a large and diverse group of people who will gladly and continually refer a lot of business to us, while we do the same for them.” Bob Burg

Effective networking is often the difference between the success or failure of a business. As entrepreneurs, if we wait for someone to come buy or check out our products or services, we will not gain much traction. We have to continuously put ourselves out there, and find people who could benefit through our product/service or who could benefit us. The important aspect here is, there needs to be a mutually beneficial exchange. If we remain self centric and just talk about “me,me,me”, building long lasting relationships is going to be very challenging.

As stated in some of my earlier blogs, networking was and still is to an extent, something I am not completely comfortable with. This is quite common for a lot of individuals who are relatively introverted, and do better in smaller groups or on a one to one basis. Many books have been written about how to be better networkers, somehow I always felt they slowed me down instead of accelerating the process. What I have learnt the hard way is, there is absolutely no replacement for experience. We have to continuously place ourselves outside our comfort zone and make an effort. I think the tipping point for me was during a sales training course I was participating in. The group was instructed to go and collect as many business cards from strangers in 30 minutes. To make it difficult it was 8pm at night, and people were tired and hurrying back home. Eventually I gathered up the courage to go up to some people and make my case.

I got a lot of nasty comments and rude looks, but eventually, I found some people who cooperated. Ever since that day my whole mindset towards networking has changed. I have begun to truly understand how critical networking is and how the benefits far outweigh the awkwardness one may have to face doing it. During the course of this week I will be covering five factors, which I believe have made me a more effective networker. These have greatly helped me in both my personal and professional life.