http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-network-if-youre-an-extrovert.html

If you’re an extrovert, networking may seem like a snap, but the extroverted networker does need to watch out for certain pitfalls that could damage relationships with business contacts and colleagues.

Extroverts typically have the following qualities that make them good networkers:

• They can initiate and carry on conversations with people in any situation. They are at ease with small talk and chitchat.
• They are social creatures who enjoy being around people.
• They tend to think out loud, which means that people know what’s going on with them and thus have a greater ability to support their needs and desires.
• They tend to be assertive, which means that they usually speak up and ask for what they want and need and expect people to respond.
• Because they are energized by outer stimuli, they have the energy to be around people and stay involved in activities for a long period.

Although the extrovert personality style is a naturally outgoing one, extroverts do have some challenges in networking:

• Their tendency to speak without thinking sometimes leads them to say things that they obviously haven’t thought through.
• They can be so stimulated by interactions that they may ramble or take over a conversation. They may so enjoy being social that they don’t really use the social opportunities to network.
• Because they make quick decisions, extroverts at times forget to include others in the decision-making process. It can appear that they don’t consider others’ thoughts, ideas, and feelings.
• They may come across as intimidating and aggressive to people who are quiet, shy, and less assertive.

If you’re an extrovert, here are some ways to ensure that you are being as effective as possible as you network:

• Give your attention to others. Create more dialogues than monologues.
• Find out what others want to talk about.
• Follow through on your conversations. Don’t just enjoy the conversation for conversation’s sake.
• Show an interest by asking questions.
• Be aware of others’ wants and needs.

BOCA RATON, Fla., March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ — Professional Social Networking Group (PSNG) will host a networking event on Wednesday, March 28th, from 5:30-8:00 PM at The Boca Raton Museum of Art in Mizner Park, Boca Raton, FL.

Local professionals are all invited to attend. The event will have $0 cover, 1 complimentary drink included, 400+ people, six charity groups (including American Cancer Society and Relay for Life) with display tables to promote their causes, live music, five professional speakers giving business seminars in a separate lecture room, photographers, videographers, food samples from Oceans 234 Restaurant, Potions in Motion providing mobile bar service, and multiple co-hosts including the South Florida Chamber of Commerce. Professional attire Only.

Pre-registration is required before 12 Noon on 3/28 through this link: www.PSNGatBocaMuseum.eventbrite.com

Founder Jeff Tockman created the group in May 2009, to help people in the community build business and professional relationships through recurring networking events. PSNG events mix the best elements of professional networking with the fun and casual nature of a social get-together. PSNG Networking Events are held at various venues throughout South Florida, mostly near Boca Raton.

“The Professional Social Networking Group offers such a rich environment of business professionals and I am amazed at home many new people I meet at each event. The atmosphere is always friendly, and the people are more outgoing and easier to talk to than at other networking events I have been to. I highly recommend attending the networking events to anyone who is looking to expand their business.” Daniel Sanz, President, Fade 2 Black Productions, Inc.

PSNG is run entirely by volunteers. Individual people and businesses donate such things as venue space, photography, videography, entertainment, graphic design, printing and more. Volunteers donate their time to help work the registration table at the event, or work behind the scenes to make sure the event runs smoothly. They invest their own resources and in return receive experience, credibility, goodwill, and most importantly, professional relationships.

Professional Social Networking Group (PSNG) is a leading organization in South Florida dedicated to fostering the development of business and personal relationships through a recurring series of networking events. For more information and to register for event invitations, please visit PSNG at www.ProfessionalSocialNetworkingGroup.com.

Jeff Tockman
Professional Networking and Referral Consultant
Founder, Professional Social Networking Group (PSNG)
Founder, Tockman Consulting
561-755-PSNG (7764)
jefftockman@gmail.com
www.TockmanConsulting.com
www.PSNG.co

Media Contact: Jeff Tockman Professional Social Networking Group, 561-755-7764, jefftockman@gmail.com

1. If our people complete the actions in the business plan, will our plan be fully achieved?
2. How effective is our territory management?
3. Does our training and coaching program meet the needs of our sales team?
4. Is our compensation program designed to motivate the sales force?
5. Is the work environment properly motivating our sales force?
6. Are we supporting our people to keep them motivated?
7. How effective are staffing processes in terms of finding, selecting, setting expectations, ramping up, terminating, and holding people accountable?
8. How effective are reporting systems in terms of content, frequency and automation?
9. What is the quality of the sales pipeline?
10. Are measurement systems strong enough so that sales can be predicted with reasonable accuracy for the next 3 months?

Get answers to these questions and you will quickly start to see where your sales team can improve.

Howard Shore is a business growth expert who works with companies that want to maximize their growth potential by improving strategy, enhancing their knowledge, and improving motivation. To learn more about him or his firm please visit his website at www.activategroupinc.com or contact Howard Shore at (305) 722-7216 or email him at shoreh@activategroupinc.com.

This post advocates the preservation, versus total abandonment, of old-style business networking at least until Xtreme Networking becomes truly widespread and each new person one meets is screened for value in four minutes. (Interestingly, in recent years a Chicago company has been offering such speed dating style networking events for business.)

Lately I’ve attended a lot of local workshops, breakfast, lunch and after-hours meetings in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton.  I’ve watched a lot of webinars.  My goal is to help clients achieve their best marketing return on investment (ROI).  To do that I need to keep up with the latest trends and to continually educate myself about changes in the way goods and services are marketed in 2011.  It’s also part of my own networking plan.

All the meetings I’ve attended so far were ostensibly designed to educate the under-informed; but, of course, the underlying intent was to sell services.  Similarly, social networking seeks to engage potential customers through a mutually-beneficial dialogue, but the underlying intent is still ultimately to sell something.

Not what you’d call a “newbie,” I’ve been immersed for decades in advertising and professional public relations; yet I’m learning a little something new with each session.  Essentially a freelance business writer, I take copious notes.  As I review them, one thought keeps haunting me:  “The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same.”  Let me attempt to draw a few parallels.

Martha and Maxine Talk About Networking with Social Media, Etc.

Martha’s Way: Build your reputation through personal branding

Maxine’s Way: I don’t own any cows

Martha’s Way: Synchronize LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages with your website and Blog

Maxine’s Way: Try dialing the phone

Martha’s Way: Write an insightful Blog every week

Maxine’s Way: Take more naps

Martha’s Way: Recommend and Friend people

Maxine’s Way: Friend is not a verb

Martha’s Way: Develop friendships, not leads

Maxine’s Way: Don’t call me, I’ll call you

Martha’s Way: Use links for better SEO results

Maxine’s Way: SEO? New sausage recipe?

Martha’s Way: Set up RSS feeds

Maxine’s Way: Is that like the KISS principle?

Martha’s Way: Keep an eye on your ROI as you go viral

Maxine’s Way: Only under doctor’s supervision

Martha’s Way: Use Google Analytics to gauge results

Maxine’s Way: Analyze THIS!

Seriously, the point is that face-to-face networking is still alive and well, and e-mail is not quite dead yet.  We shouldn’t be too quick to declare things “dead.”  As always, marketing efforts work best when integrated or synchronized. In-person networking can flow in tandem with social media networking. Just as a book can still become a movie, a blog post might become a video.  Someone you meet at a business function can be someone you connect with on LinkedIn or Friend on Facebook.

Not a sausage recipe, search engine optimization (SEO) is, of course, vital when it comes to being found by Google’s “spiders” and by other search engines.  If you are paying to help ensure that your business can be found when someone searches for it on the Internet, SEO that works will surely enhance your ROI. But don’t forget to put a sign out front that can clearly be read by approaching cars.

For my money Really Simple Syndication (RSS) doesn’t quite qualify under the “Keep It Simple, Stupid” (KISS) principle of old.  RSS feeds aren’t that simple to explain, yet the benefit is not complex:  easily being able to subscribe to and read timely updates from favored websites. RSS feeds are a great time-saver, yet you may still want to track down a hard copy of that newspaper article with your quote and photo in it so you can frame it.

Both word-of-mouth and viral marketing rely on trust.  Most people still will not spread the word about a product or service, either in person or through social media, unless it comes from a trusted source, such as possibly a medical professional.  We still need our soft skills, reputation rules and words still matter.

Various methods of measuring advertising’s effectiveness have existed as long as advertising has existed.  Google Analytics is simply a modern version of tracking your advertising ROI and more.

Even as I write, technologies are being developed that will present new and faster ways to do things. But it can’t hurt to review your options when you choose how and when to embrace those new ways.  It’s important to note that audiences are not migrating from one medium to another. They are spreading their attention across all platforms. For example, people are watching more online videos than ever, yet tv viewing is actually on the rise as well.

Until everyone owns and can operate a smartphone that scans an encoded business card which instantly takes them to a website, or until the facial recognition app is perfected, we will still exchange uncoded business cards and later visit each other’s websites.  In the extreme, we might even want to get out of our comfort zones, attend a “meet and greet,” shake hands and send someone a hand-written follow-up note!

Rose Sexton

Business Communications Services
Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

rsexton@writethere4u.com

Word of mouth can be your best spokesperson. This post is a four-step outline for building your small business without an advertising budget.

1. BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION FIRST

• Know who your clients or customers are and what they want; create a profile of the ideal client/customer.  This definition becomes your target audience.

• Perfect your professional profile and photo. It all starts with YOU!

• Figure out what makes you different and how to say it in a “sound bite” or “tag line.” These words become your key message. Create your “elevator speech,” a 60-second summary of whom you help and how.

• Get your house in order so that you won’t fail to deliver on your promises.

• Sketch out a plan with a tentative timeline and budget, including:

1)  Website – This is your online brochure and list builder. It must have educational value and continually fresh content as well as good design.
2)  Blog – Regularly demonstrate your knowledge and industry expertise; posts can later become an ebook.
3)  Brochure-Goes beyond the business card for trade shows, luncheons, etc.
4)  Create desirable incentives, freebies, special discounts and rewards for your target audience, and offer finder’s fees for referrals.
5)  Newsletter marketing can reach current and prospective clients/customers via your website or directly through email.

2. LEARN and PRACTICE PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING SKILLS

The best way to get new clients or customers, far and away, is by being recommended.

Networking is not selling. It’s making business connections, seeking and giving referrals.

• Become a connector who facilitates business introductions.

• Join your local chapter of Business Networking International and other groups.

• Take on pro bono activity and make known your involvement.

• Choose and engage in appropriate social media.

3. DON’T HIDE YOUR LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL

Small firm visibility can be increased through publicity, which is more credible than advertising. Understand what the media considers news and what editors want.

• Event marketing can be used to obtain publicity.

• Surveys and case studies can also generate publicity.

• Trend articles can demonstrate your expertise and be recycled.

• Speaking platforms let you reach beyond the captive audience.

4. GET THE HELP YOU NEED

Marketing is not something you do with your left hand. Don’t think you can go it alone or expect your existing staff somehow to do double duty.

• Look for experienced marketing counsel with some knowledge of your industry.

• Use your network to find professional marketing help at a price you can afford.

Rose Sexton

Business Communications Services
Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

rsexton@writethere4u.com

Webster defines networking as the exchange (give and take) of information…….Others define networking as a social opportunity, a chance to meet and connect with others who have similar interests, hobbies, etc.   Still to others, networking is a business opportunity, a chance to talk about their products and services.

So what is Networking?  To get to the heart and soul of networking I asked Jeff Tockman, founder of the Professional Social Networking Group (PSNG).

PSNG was launched in May, 2009 with the soul purpose of helping people help people.  It is Jeff’s love of teaching and passion for people’s development that is the heart behind PSNG events.

Jeff defines PSNG as a learning opportunity, a chance to discover and hear about other people, both professionally and socially.

PSNG is about support and connection; supporting a good cause or connecting to a charity.

PSNG is about finding opportunities both for you and others.

PSNG is about respect and trust.

PSNG is about people like you; professional/social beings who enjoy sharing in a friendly, positive, respectful setting.

For more information about PSNG, to get on the email distribution list, or to register for an upcoming event, please visit: www.ProfessionalSocialNetworkingGroup.com

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Reminder of the Day:    Isn’t it true, when the need is strong enough, we find a way?   And, isn’t it true when the need is not strong enough, we find an excuse?

Josette Veltri
Your Self Help Pro, LLC.
561-400-6203
josette@nextstepnewstart.com
www.nextstepnewstart.com

1. In a country of over 300 million people, there is someone out there who has what you need, or who knows the solution to your problem. You never know who you are talking to might know (six degrees of separation)?
2. The larger you build your contact database, the more likely you will get qualified leads and referrals.
3. Your objective at a networking event is to meet new people – not to have a reunion with old friends.
4. If you are networking, you have only about 5 minutes per person to find out who they are and what they do, explain what you are looking for and find out how you can help them.
5. Make sure you have your “elevator pitch” or script ready (explain your business within one or two sentences).
6. Sometimes it is a good strategy to be a connector and introduce two parties who might mutually benefit each other.
7. Always find out how you can help the other person? After the initial introduction ask them, “By the way, how can I help you? Are you looking for prospects, a business loan, a particular product or service or some advice or know-how?”
8. Always ask if they know anyone that can use your products or services, even if they personally are not interested?

Almost no one you meet will be prepared or know how to properly network. You owe it to the both of you to control the communication. Keeping the meeting to 3 to 5 minutes allows you both to meet more people. As you become comfortable with this new power networking, your time will be used more effectively.

Note: effective networking is not prospecting or selling but establishing relationships

Networking has three parts:
1) Getting them to understand what you do, what is your product or service and who is your best customer.
2) Building your database of resources for when you need a product, service, employee or information.
3) Building a relationship by helping them get what they want or need.

Here is an template for one type of “elevator pitch” or script ……………………

“Hi! I’m [Full Name]. I help [Ideal Clients] who may not know how to [Ideal Result] That takes no more than 10-15 seconds.

10-15 seconds is all your new contacts can remember anyway. Your goal here is to leave them with a concept of who you are and to determine if they consider you a worthy contact.

Here are some examples:
“Hi! I’m George Dubec and I help companies get listed on the first page of Google, what do you do and how can I help you?”
“Hi! I’m George Dubec and I help single people find a date or mate and make money, what do you do and how can I help you?”

Notice, I always end with “how can I help you?” This keeps me from talking too much plus makes them feel like I have their best interest in mind and I am not trying to sell them anything.

A good 5 minute networking session should be a dialogue. You give your intro and “elevator pitch,” then they give theirs as well as respond to your question about “how can I help you?” Always make sure you ask for their business card and give them one of yours. Then ask if you can put them on your E-mail list (opt-in) to get your newsletter or product offers and information? When you are finished, turn their card over and make notes on how you intend on following up. In today’s world of social media, you might also ask if you can FRIEND them on FACEBOOK or connect on LINKEDIN?

Within a short time you will have developed quite a large list of contacts in your network.

Important tip: if you want them to remember you, contact them within 3 days following the meeting with an E-mail and then a follow-up phone call. Again, this is not a sales call. If you try to sell, you’ll get resistance and avoidance. Just call, re-identify yourself, and tell them how good it was to meet them. Ask again how you might be able to help them and if they know anyone that can use your products or services (get a referral). You may also want to set-up a meeting to get to know them better, if you feel there is great potential to build a quality relationship with a particular person. You can have a lunch or breakfast meeting or ask to visit their office to learn more about their business or invite them to your office.

Most networkers are always trying to sell.

If you follow the above simple rules, your contacts will be impressed because you are truly networking. Yes, this is a slow process, but over time it will bring tremendous results!

George Dubec
Internet Marketing Consultant
George@georgedubec.com
954-481-9402 # 222 (w)
954-650-3306 (c)
http://www.georgedubec.com

“George is a good contributor to PSNG and supporter of our events” Jeff Tockman

Business cards distributed, business opportunities shared, job seekers uncovered and social catch up accomplished.

Not one but two successful contacts were made for Steve Belmont, VP at Florida Shores Bank.  Steve works with Home Owner Associations finding and meeting their needs, wants and requirements. Steve can be contacted at sbelmont@floridashoresbank.com.

Social networker Sandy, has attended two of PSNG’s events and is coming back for more. And, so is Connie, a first time attendee.

Marina Mitovska, an Accountant Solutions Professional, is seeking additional accounting opportunities. Marina can be contacted at mmitovska@argy.com.

For those interested in wellness products, services and opportunity, Marketing Executive, Ed Solomon, can be reached at ed.solomon99@yahoo.com (Melaleuca, The Wellness Company).

William Travis, Entertainer and Star says on his business card, Why Not You…Why Not Now?  Mr. Travis can be contacted at williamtravis@ymail.com.

Dorothy More, a successful Transaction Broker believes networking is very important and can be contacted at MovingHousesUSA@gmail.com.

“PSNG is the best networking group ever…..a nice mix,” says Daisy, an Investor Advisor, Employee Group Benefits and can be contacted at daisynine@comcast.net.

Interested in unique promotional items, contact Sandy Lee of Zoom Promotions at sandy@zoompromos.com Sandy was introduced to PSNG by Michael Demarie a Certified Public Accountant specializing in the individual and small businesses.  Michael can be contacted at michael@yourtaxesmatter.com.

Charlie Harris, a PSNG Ambassador and Loan Originator at VanDyk Mortgage and can be contacted at charris550@vandykmortgage.com. Charlie also enjoys the social aspect of networking.

As networkers continued to arrive more and more conversations sparked, interests shared and friends made. And for this PSNG’s Roving Reporter, thank you to all those who took the time to share with me, until next time…

Josette J Veltri
www.nextstepnewstart.com

TIP:  Wearing a name tag below the right shoulder prevents the tag from being blocked when shaking hands.

Whether you’re attending a Professional Social Networking Group (PSNG) event as a job seeker, an entrepreneur or a proprietor
with an opportunity, one thing is certain, a successful net-worker comes prepared to share.

Your Elevator Talk – Preparing an elevator speech is an easy way to introduce yourself and ease into continuous conversation.  Keeping the talk no longer than 10 to 15 seconds is recommended.

Listening – Active listening is essential to successfully network.  As
a business proprietor shares, a job seeker listens and a possible match is made.  As an entrepreneur listens a customer base is uncovered.

Informational Interview – Attendees should be comfortable with an informal interview at any time or place. Information shared informally can be vital to a job seeker who may discover an opportunity’s location will not work or an entrepreneur may change the new business location after receiving feedback.

Reconnect – Find time to reconnect and build professional relationships. Follow up with a thank you email or share an article pertaining to an interest or topic discussed.

Whatever your reason for attending a PSNG event, attending allows you to play the game called Networking.

Josette J Veltri

www.nextstepnewstart.com