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How are some business women making more money than ever and others are really struggling?
Why do some business owners hate online networking and others thrive on it?
Wherever you are on this, we can help! If you are struggling you can pay just a donation to network with us (no one will know). We also have 1 hour of coaching and mentoring for FREE from our founder Mandie Holgate. This is proving highly effective at helping business owners realise new exciting ways to sell more, create new products and services and launch them successfully. Even if your business is traditional face to face – we’ve helped companies like yours.
So here’s our top tips for networking success.
- Don’t worry about children/dogs/partners coming into view. We’ve found if anything people love getting to know the real you, the human behind the business.
- Do mute your microphone and video if you need to do something, it’s not rude to do this. People are becoming more mindful that it’s not easy working from home, so you don’t need to apologise. We get it.
- Do look at the camera as much as you can. People don’t mean to look bored or disinterested, but it can put you off if you are speaking in your slot and no one seems to be looking. If you look at the camera that person will feel like you heard them more. Weird but true!
- Do rehearse your 60 seconds as you usually would before hand. And if it is written down (it really shouldn’t be unless it a testimonial) then have it as close to the camera but out of view.
- Do check you know how to use the platform. Don’t rock up at 10am, ideally arrive a few minutes early.
- Do use the chat box to add your weblinks, social media and anything you mention. So if you talk about a great article you read, add it.
- Do check what is in shot. Does it represent your brand? Are you portraying an image that you want to portray. We’ve actually seen a pile of underwear in shot before and a plant coming out of someone’s head! It doesn’t need to be a banner to work for you. First impressions happen online too.
- Do speak slower and wait for a response to your question. Signal can vary in strength impacting on quality.
- Do mute your phone.
- Do feel free to be visual with your responses when you can’t speak. For speakers they are used to feedback and don’t get it in virtual events in the same way, likewise if you are the speaker be mindful to not ask questions that mean everyone has to un-mute their microphone and tries to speak at once, better to ask them to comment in the chat box.
- Do arrange a quick 1 to 1 call, messenger chat, etc after events during the event. That way you get that water cooler moment too.
- Do head over to the Insiders straight after the event to lay down your intentions. If you are going to network with us once a month don’t forget you get additional networking events for just £5. So it’s a great way to stay motivated and focused on the business growth strategy you created at the event. Not joined the Insiders yet?
- Do head to our social media after the event and tag us in posts that way we can check we are following you and did you know everything we see from you we like and share.
- It’s not ideal to be eating during the event. Some people even have a phobia around watching people eating so not a great first impression.
- Do have water and a cuppa lined up. You tend to talk more at a virtual event.
- Don’t turn up donning mascara or brushing your hair – look prepared and ready for action. People want professionalism even if they are happy to virtually meet your dog/children/partner.
- Be genuine, honest and passionate – they come across powerfully.
- Do attend regularly. Even online events are a great way to get known and to connect with potential customers. If you aren’t in the virtual room you could miss out to someone else.
- Don’t connect with new people and tell them how you can help them. We are sure you can but don’t start a relationship that way, build trust and respect first.
- Do check the quality of your sales funnel – if you are networking and people are connecting on social media, what do you do to build that relationship? To discover their needs? To discover their aims. If you aren’t sure what a sales funnel is this course could help – remember as an Insider you get 70% off of all these courses! Learn more here.
And lastly do let us know how you get on? We love your success stories and publish them for our business owners to be inspired by.