Business Networking How-To – Five Ways of Helping Others That Will Increase Your Networking Success

Networking events can be either a goldmine or a colossal waste of time. It all depends on how you approach them.

If you expect to pay your fee and walk out with a lot of leads just from rattling off your elevator speech and passing out your business cards, you’d probably be better off if you stayed at home.

But if you approach networking as an opportunity to meet people and help them out, you will find yourself well rewarded. People will actually save your card, and when they need more help, they’ll call — and they’ll tell others about you as well.

Here are five powerful strategies that will propel you towards being such a networking marvel.

1. Offer Assistance

Don’t wait to be asked for help – seek out opportunities and take the initiative. Remember Business Network International’s motto: “Givers gain.”

2. Become a Resource

In order to be able to help people more effectively, you’ll need to have a large pool of contacts. So make an effort to build those contacts, and then nurture them by keeping in touch.

And then, look for opportunities to refer and connect your contacts with each other. By being a “hub” or center of influence, you’ll have more opportunities to be of service.

3. Be a Knowledge Broker

This is another value-added strategy. Learn to distribute knowledge to your network. By sharing knowledge you’ll be positioning yourself as an expert in your field – while helping others at the same time. A great win-win!

4. Be the “Go-To” Guy

If you do the above, you’ll quickly become the “Go-To” Guy. Here’s a technique that Dr. Ivan Misner, the founder of Business Networking International (BNI), used to develop his own reputation as the “Go-To” Guy.

He sent out a letter to his database quarterly, listing all the industries (not the individuals’ contact info) his trusted networking contacts were in and suggested that if anyone needed any of the services to contact him for a personal introduction. This technique will generate introductions and new connections, as well as position you as an effective networker.

5. Seek to Say “I Know Someone Who Can Do That”

This is another extension of the above. In order to maximize helping others while building your network, you need to use your area of expertise to really make a contribution. Always look for opportunities where you can be of help, especially by putting people in touch with other people who can help them.

Listen for needs, problems, or challenges where you can offer assistance or connections. You’ll quickly gain friends when you help people solve their problems. And if you repeat this often enough, word will get around, and you’ll become the go-to person others will seek out.