Do You Want My Business?

I really enjoy professional networking. You know, Chamber of Commerce meetings, BNI, LeTip, etc. It can be pretty much any gathering of business professionals. I love talking to business owners about business. Their business, not mine. Does that sound crazy?

Not to me. If you think about it, who would you rather talk to: someone who wants to tell you all about why you should do business with his or or her company? Or someone who seems to be genuinely interested in helping you grow your business? Personally I'd rather chat with the person who wants to help me. More importantly, I would be more inclined to give my business to someone who supported MY business. These people are called connectors. These people help connect businesses with people who want or need these services.

So how do you become a connector? My friend Zita Gustin has built a business on being a savvy networker. She is also the Executive Director of the Seattle (Everett/Bellevue) chapter of the eWomen Network. According to Zita, "people who initiate a sales presentation on another person they've just met can't possibly have done the homework that would lead to a good outcome for both parties." In other words, just showing up to tell people how great you and/or your business are is not going to work. You have to build a releationship. Think about it. You want to do business with people you know, like, and trust. Here's some great advice directly from Zita's site:

• Talk less.
• Listen more.
• Ask interesting questions about the other person.
• Be interested in the answers.
• Don't try to turn the conversation toward your product. That can come later.

Think about it. Digest it. Practice it. You will find that your circle of contacts will increase. People will want to meet you and talk to you at these networking events. People will come to know you, like you and trust you. Chances are good that your business will increase as well.

So if you want to do business with me, don't spend your time trying to sell me on why your business is the best at what it does. Instead, show me you're a connector. Show me that you're interested in helping my business - and the businesses of my friends and associates - grow and prosper.