How to Network Better

By Edgar Valdmanis

How to Network Better is aimed at all those that realize there are business benefits to be gained from active networking, but don ́t know exactly how to do this in a planned, professional way.
The book takes you all the way from "unconsciously unprofessional" to "consciously professional". Each chapter finishes with concrete tips and tasks on how to do this. By applying these tips and tasks, and weaving them into your daily life, you will become more professional in your networking efforts, and you ́re bound to see results.
Edgar Valdmanis is known as a leading networker in Norway. He has a long history in sales and marketing, and attributes his results to "networking, networking, networking... and then some legwork".

• Language: English
• Publisher: Edgar Valdmanis
• Release date: Jan 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310726835

Edgar Valdmanis

I have 30+years of experience in Sales and Marketing. Over the last 20 years I have been conscious about Networking and Presentation Skills. I have attended numerous courses, read countless books and developed my own courses and workshops. I have been a LinkedIn-user since March 2004 and have adopted numerous other social media (Facebook, Twitter, Brandergy, Xing G+), as they came along. I am consciously combining networking offline with networking online, and am happy to share my knowledge and tips with others.

Book preview

How to Network Better

By Edgar Valdmanis

Smashwords Edition

How to Network Better

Copyright 2014 Edgar Valdmanis. All rights reserved.

Page design and editing by Helen Fisher.

Cover design by Simen Håkonsen.

Front cover photography by Trond Heggelund.

Givers Gain® is a registered trademark of BNI and is used with permission.

Smashwords Edition, Licence Notes

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

To Kirsten, Elise, Fredrik, Rebekka, Karlis and Aud, thank you for being my family – always!

Testimonials and Quotations

Since moving to Norway the effectiveness of my existing network stumbled. The only people I knew, or so I thought, were through my partner.

However, using Edgar’s approach to networking, I realized that I still had a network through my existing contacts.

I met Edgar at a coffee meeting, embarrassingly didn’t have a business card (I then ordered some), I recorded a voicemail message for my mobile phone and started to attend network meetings to broaden my exposure to new contacts.

It worked! Now I have a larger circle of people I am getting to know. I actually enjoy attending events and am interested in finding out more about other people and what they do. Before, I thought that networking was scary. Now, I can meet people with confidence, being able to present myself and what I do, using the tools of the networking trade, and enjoy being able to develop new relationships.

Helen Fisher, Content Editor, Copy Writer, Trainer, Project Manager

www.hjfconsulting.com

I've never attended a business networking event - whether a lunch, a breakfast meeting or a full-blown conference - where I didn't meet and connect with at least one useful business contact.

So, it's almost always worth getting out from behind your computer to network.

And I'm a shy person, really! The non-sales types may be the best networkers. Because you generally come across as more genuine.

The Nike slogan applies here: Just do it!

Debbie Weil, CEO, Voxie Media

www.voxiemedia.com

You can throw away your brochures, your direct mail and your spam; networking is by far the most powerful and most effective form of marketing for any company.

Steve Simpson CSP, Director, Keystone Management Services

Author of UGRs: Cracking the Corporate Culture Code

www.steve-simpson.com

If you’re in a business where building strong business relationships is key, then I would encourage you to always put face-to-face engagement first, social media second. Nothing can beat real, human, interaction. Use social media to support your on-going off-line activity, not the other way around.

John Coupland, Author of ACCELerate™ Your Social Media

www.ACCELerateYourSocialMedia.com/PR

Connections matter. Today’s busy buyers don’t want to meet with salespeople. Yet sellers who have network connections to them have a significantly higher success rate at getting on their calendar. Even loose connections, like mentioning you’re in the same LinkedIn group or have a mutual friend, make a difference. Salespeople who build and nurture a strong network will ultimately get more business with less effort.

Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies

www.jillkonrath.com

The opposite of networking is not working--every time you meet someone you have an opportunity to learn from them and to be a resource to them. It is about giving first, developing relationships and down the road - you may be lucky enough to get something back.

Andrea Nierenberg, The Nierenberg Group, Inc.

www.nierenberggroup.com

The successful networkers I know, the ones receiving tons of referrals and feeling truly happy about themselves, continually put the other person’s needs ahead of their own.

Bob Burg, Best-selling Author of Endless Referrals and The Go Giver

www.burg.com

We used to network by seeing each other and talk face to face. Then the modern technique came, and we started e-mailing, Skypeing and having video conferences. 

Now again we see the popularity rise for different networking events – we are back to face to face talking. The big difference is that now we talk to more people; we Google them in advance, i.e. we can go more straight to the people we are interested in. More quality and more opportunities. And how lovely to talk to a living person in front of you. You can sense their reactions, see their body language, touch their arm and hear their laugh!

I love the sign outside a Café, We don´t have wifi, we want our customers to talk – to each other.

Netta Nyman, Super Girl, Elevate AS

www.nettanyman.no

It feels good being generous towards my friends. I get lots of inspiration, happiness...and sometimes an unforgettable meal in return.

Eyvind Hellstrøm, Chef

If you give enough people what they want, you’ll get what you want

Zig Ziglar

My Golden Rule of Networking is simple: Don't keep score.

Harvey Mackay

From www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/networking.html

Table of Contents

Testimonials and Quotations

Introduction

Chapter 1. The Basics of Networking

Chapter 2. Networking in the Job Market

Chapter 3. Networking in Business

Chapter 4. At Network Events

Chapter 5. The Concept of Givers Gain®

Chapter 6. It Takes Time to Build a Network

Chapter 7. The Golden Rule of Networking

Chapter 8. Who is in Your Network?

Chapter 9. The Six Degrees of Separation

Chapter 10. Quality or Quantity

Chapter 11. The Elevator Speech

Chapter 12. Clear Messaging

Chapter 13. Business Cards

Chapter 14. Be Active With Your Network

Chapter 15. The Coffee Break

Chapter 16. Be a Connector

Chapter 17. Say Thanks

Summary

References and Bibliography

Acknowledgements

Feedback

Biography

Introduction

In my dealings with people from all sorts of business areas, at all sorts of levels, I realized that there are people who would benefit from a simple guide to basic networking; to get them on the networking ladder.

This is my gift to those people.

My hope is that, through reading this book and putting into practice how to network, your confidence and network will grow and produce results for you that will enhance your own life, as it has done mine.

This book is the first of a series of three books that will explain:

How to network better

How to network at events

How to network on LinkedIn and other social media

How to Use This Book

Networking is very much about communicating with people. When we communicate with people we do it according to a blend of learnt behaviors and practical experience. As communication naturally combines a blend of theory and practice, so does this book. There is logic to the flow of chapters, with foundational concepts interspersed with practical application. Because each chapter builds and reinforces each other, you may find it helpful to revisit previous chapters to reinforce knowledge and to put into practice the tips and tasks I present.

Likewise you may find that some of the Tips and Tasks to be completed after the first few chapters are easier to do after you have read a few more chapters. If so, feel free to move on, and then go back later when you have a fuller picture.

However, do not skip the tasks completely. One of the recurring questions to me over the years has been "But how do I do it? This is where my Tips and Tasks after each chapter come in, to be the very practical, hands on How to" exercises.

For now though, we are going to keep things simple, and so, to begin, let’s cover some basics.

What is a Network?

A network is the group of people you are connected with. It might include:

Family and friends

Neighbors or landlords

Co-members of sports teams

Co-students

Alumni

Colleagues

Clients, customers or suppliers

The list could go on…

A network is not only the people you are directly connected to; it includes the connections of connections, of your connections, and so on!

Who Does Networking Apply to?

Networking applies to all of us! You might not have thought about it, but everyone has a network, and everyone uses it, whether they know it or not. Networks naturally vary from person to person.

Why Network?

It may be a better question to ask, why should I not network?

A network could mean that:

You can do your job more easily.

You can gain access to more information.

You can gain access to the right information.

You can save time and money by getting tips about the right suppliers and other business partners.

You can employ the right people.

You can find the right schools and colleges/universities for your children.

You can even find the right place for your holidays.

How do I Network?

By using the advice in this