There are so many ways to create and build relationships in today's market. Here are just seven.

7 Ways to Create a New Relationship:

* Referrals
* Social Networking/ Web 2.0
* Local Networking Groups - Chamber of Commerce, LeTip, Meetup.com
* Talk to other parents when attending your child's sporting or music events
* Visit with other members of your social clubs or religious groups
* Talk to your neighbors
* Talk to sales persons who are visiting your office

A financial planner came to my door just the other day. At first I was a little surprised- then I thought...SMART! We had a great conversation like you would a new neighbor and it ended with him giving me his card which I was more than happy to take. Now mind you I was in no way looking for a new financial advisor BUT if I or someone I know needs one...he's the guy...at least to consider having a conversation with.

He also, has done a great job of following up and keeping in touch. He's doing a great job at not only networking but building his personal brand for his career.

It never hurts to have more people in your network than you need.

Always remember to approach new people in a friendly NON-SALES manner. Your goal should not be to SELL them or want something from them but to begin a new relationship, a new contact, etc. Always offer to HELP someone before they help you.

Remember to GIVE before you GET!

When it comes to leveraging online networks in a job search, what tactics have you found to be successful? How do you handle the disappointments? What do you find you need assistance with?



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Celaya

Since a business card is often the first thing you hand to a prospect, a lot of people, like yourself, may spend a good amount of time considering what they want their business card to look like. But, are they considering the right things?

The first thing to consider is the layout of the card. Most cards are horizontal, but some people want a vertical card in order to stand out. However, before doing a vertical card, consider how your prospects will use the card. Do you provide a service they will need only once? If so, then a vertical card may be a good choice. But, if you provide a product or service they might need on a regular basis, it may not be the best option. The reason is that things like a Rolodex organizer are largely designed for horizontal business cards. If they staple your vertical card to a Rolodex card, it would have to be put sideways or cut in half in order to fit. There goes your nifty design! If you provide a recurring product or service, you are better off with a horizontal card that makes it easier for your customers to store and reference when needed.

When considering the design of your card, you want to compare apples to apples. Many people look at different business cards they receive, and pick ones they think stand out. But, what you need to do is to have a card that stands out from the other cards your prospect will be receiving. In other words, if you run a delivery service, you need a card that stands out from the business cards of competing delivery services. If your competitors use a lot of red on their cards, you might want to use a lot of blue, for example. Worry about standing out from the competition, not the local florist or dry cleaner!

Full color or a simple one or two color card? Again, here is another area where you may wish to consider what your competitors are doing. If your competitors have full-color photographic business cards, you might want to consider something simple, yet classy, to stand out. For example, you might use a paper in a solid color with an attractive typeface and no logos or images. You could even consider foil-embossing to give an even richer look to your card. The business card that stands out in a crowd of photographic business cards is the one that's not. And vice versa!

Lastly, make sure that all of your important contact information is on your business card. You'd be surprised at how often people forget to include something as basic as a phone number. If your business name does not give a clear indication of what it is you do, you may wish to consider adding a line or two to do so. If your customer or prospect cannot remember if the "John Smith Company" is a plumbing service or a real estate agency, they're more likely to just toss your card then call and ask what you do.

Of course, if you need help designing your card or don't have the time to do it yourself, you can always have a professional do it for you.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_C._Rinnert

One of the keys behind a successful business is the networking connections it has with other businesses. Business networking is simply a method which people use in order to interact for business purposes on both a formal and informal basis. Having the ability to connect to the right people and market your services effectively as one of the best in the industry, is a skill that many lack to master in the field of business networking.

In the current financial crisis, lacking the ability to network with other enterprises effectively and efficiently can mean the difference between business survival and prosperity. Below I have mentioned five networking tips that are proven to increase your business prospects regardless of the current financial crisis:

Get into a Goal-Oriented Mindset

One of the most important aspects of business networking that individuals are known to lack is: having a firm goal set in their mind. Many fall under the trap of either setting no goal or to set unrealistic goals which are unachievable. The purpose behind a goal is that unless you know where you are headed you are more that often going to wonder off where you actually want to be.

In a business networking situation, an example of a goal could be getting to know 5 to 10 people sufficiently enough to raise some interest in following up with an informal meeting with you sometime in the next two weeks. Or at least have them agree to be kept on your information mailing list.

You are more likely to achieve something from networking situations, if you start off having some goals in mind.

Delivering the Punch-line

Another networking tip one should always keep in mind is honing your "Elevator Pitch". You want to be able to provide concise and professional answers that don't seem too textbook-like and at the same time not to casual. When asked: "What do you do?", you should have a memorable Elevator Pitch that puts up owner benefit statements and your Unique Selling Proposition well. Can you imagine tripping over words and missing out on opportunities to present yourself well?

Dress for the Occasion

The third networking tip is making sure that you are dressed suitably in order to create the best impression possible. According to studies of human interaction, it takes only 8 seconds to formulate a first impression. A significant amount of that come from the visual impact. You must ask yourself questions like are your business cards up to date? Are you in fashion? Does your wardrobe need an update?

Follow Up is Everything

Another important networking tip that I feel is essential, is the follow through process after the initial contact. It is great to have won over your audience over but you must keep in mind that after first impression, you have to continue to build mind-share. Some simple rule of thumb is to follow-up with an email or text message not more than 24 hours after the contact. You can set separate campaigns to send different groups of contacts updates or information that they might find useful, so as to keep in contact. A good guide is once every 2 weeks, and providing a permission-based list for unsubscribing to your mails, which brings me to the next point.

Building Mind-Share & Expertise

The final business networking tip that tends to be over looked is educating your audience. It is important for you to be able to relate well to the type of client you are looking for. Your value-add as a long-term partner or service provider must be made apparent. You can achieve this goal by practising methods of expressing your expertise via online (e-newsletter, emails etc) and off-line (brochures, letters etc) methods. Allow for two-way communications, so you can sieve out interested buyers and maintain at least a presence with those non-responsive ones. After all, the buying cycle must meet the selling cycle before a sale can happen.

This part of communications require some thought into building that personal brand, unique selling points and marketing your value-add.

Brendan Yong is passionate about business networking, and has been in leadership roles to develop business networking skill into a fine art. He served 3 Leadership terms in BNI Renaissance and was instrumental in making the BNI Chapter the largest in the region.





Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brendan_Yong