Like most entrepreneurs, there are times you’re aware of  low client action, probably because you’ve become too invisible  in the comfort of your home office and day-to-day busyness, and you need to reintroduce more networking into your business strategy.  You feel you’ve been there done that; those large chicken luncheon network meetings weren’t for you.  Well here’s some ways I’ve found networking to be enjoyable and effective:

1.  Talk to the masters.  If you’re beating your head against a wall and forcing your hand at what isn’t fun or bringing results,  find someone in your industry who does it better to help you improve at it.  Take them for coffee and pick their brain for how they make it work.  Why reinvent the wheel.

2.  Stop networking in ways you don’t want to anymore.  For example, if  formal network business meetings aren’t for you, join a group that is doing something you like that gets you out of your home office, like a hiking group.

3.  Try saying yes to invitations when your automatic is to say no.  I was recently invited to join a female friend with her group of friends.  It meant traveling across town and staying out later than usual on a work night.  Heh – big stuff.  But it was at the Hollywood Bowl for goodness sake, and it included fireworks.  How stuck on invisible must I be to pass this up, right?!  I had no sound reason to say no, so I said yes, and am looking forward to the evening.

4.  Ask yourself where you typically hide out.  For me that was at conferences, trainings and other events where I would often take breaks alone.  Such activities are times for learning, but they are also times to connect.  Find out ahead of time who is going and call or email to make a date to talk with them before/after a session or over one of the breaks.  If the group is going out together for dinner or a local event, don’t stay in your hotel room watching tv.  I always get a roommate to prevent myself from doing this, which also allows me to be introduced to her contacts.

5.  If you build it they will come.  Try forming a group gathering in your home or at someone elses.  Make it fun, a theme party or pot-luck.  Suggest a business topic you can all come prepared to share about.  Be creative.  There are no rules to networking other than to genuinely be interested in connecting.  Be sure to make dates for lunch or coffee as a followup if someone would like to learn more about you and your business.

Bottom line, even if your preferred network style is writing, or talking by phone, as an entrepreneur you’re in a relationship business whether you’re selling a service or a product.  Translation—you’ve got to get out and meet others.  So why not enjoy yourself in the process?

How do you network successfully and have fun too?

Tags: better networking, business results, business strategy, entrepreneurs, poor marketing results

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 at 9:26 am and is filed under Work/Life Balance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.