Sorry, but this week’s usual acerbic, sarcastic blog post has been pre-empted to bring you the following message. Well actually I just re-read it. It still looks a bit sarcastic.
I recently attended a full day of workshops and talks, at the San Francisco P.R. Summit. And, while I’m not actually in P.R., in a way aren’t we all in P.R.?
Some of the greatest minds say that truth doesn’t exist and that at best, what we think is truth is perception. If that’s anywhere remotely the case, then I suspect many of us could stand to learn some of the tricks of the P.R. trade.
There were quite a few things I learned that day and one thing in particular was to get a dose of social media logic tossed at me from the perspective of some relevant publicists, writers and other pundits.
One of my more enjoyable moments was stopping at a table and seeing these little cards everywhere. Slightly larger than a business card, they were titled “Networking 101” and were being dispensed by http://everycircle.com, a group devoted to networking and connecting.
Their Networking 101 cards, are a nice way of trying to get folks to understand there’s a way to play the game, or as they say, “A little courtesy goes a long way…” And quite frankly, given the many cell phones going off while speakers were giving presentations, as well as other areas of comportment being slightly held in question, I might say that even this group, who should know better, is well advised to read and perhaps memorize the simple guides
They mention that Networking = Hospitality & Good Manners = Success
They say your greeting should be “Hello! Welcome! How may I help you?” and “NOT What do you do, are you a member?”
Pretty good advice I think.
The cards say the “Offer” should be “Who would you like to meet here? Let’s collaborate, leverage and network…” and “keep it short, sweet and memorable.”
This seems like basic information, but how often are our interactions in networking short, sweet or memorable? Probably not often enough.
Under Benefits they suggest “Follow up! A phone call sooner than later… you may have a new client and/ or friend.”
Maybe it’s time to take those business cards out of the junk drawer and make some calls (or at least send some emails)
I thought I would post the card along with this, just in case you felt like printing it out. Maybe there’s someone you’d like to give one to, perhaps the next time a cell phone starts ringing …
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
J.S. What an awesome surprise! Thank you for sharing our mantra – it’s all about paying it forward! Read the complete article about Networking 101 at: http://www.everycircle.com/en/home/media/articles/businessNetworking101
We also look forward to seeing you and your colleagues at our upcoming business networking mixers (we host our events with a 5-star approach – they are very professional, friendly, approachable, and fun!) http://www.everycircle.com/en/mixers
Best wishes! Cesar Plata
Cesar Plata is a great guy and a true professional networker. He spends all his time networking and running events. I attended a workshop he ran and it’s all very simple common sense stuff but it does come down to courtesy and being willing to help others. Sometimes helping others is doing business with them.