Venturefest: Make Networking Work for You
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Venturefest Yorkshire on 10 February is the perfect place to get networking, but networking is an art and some people are better at it than others. So how exactly do those people make it look so easy? Here are a few pointers on getting the most out of your Venturefest day from networking, marketing and sales expert, Nick Bramley, one of the many speakers who’ll be sharing tips, tricks and techniques at the free event on 10 February: Are you an Informer or Meformer? Successful business is about developing good relationships with other people. And good relationships are about listening and looking outwards instead of focusing on yourself. People who share information for the benefit of others are known in the social networking world as “informers”. They tend to have the larger networks and get better results, whereas those people whose communications revolve around themselves, updating others about their own activities that probably have no benefit to others are the “meformers”. It’s exactly the same offline. You know what it’s like at parties – we’d all rather have a conversation with someone who shows an interest in us than be caught by the bore whose only topic of conversation is themselves. And the same applies in the business world. So if you really want to develop relationships, showing a genuine interest in other people’s businesses will help people engage with you. Get sociable Online networking isn’t just time-consuming fun for techies – it’s fast becoming a key marketing strategy. More and more people are embracing online communities and networks – if you want to know something, just ask online. Yes, you need to spend a little time learning to use the technology to your advantage. But once you’ve cracked it, online networking is hugely productive and time-efficient – an amazing tool for building businesses. Nothing will replace the intimacy of personal contact, so if you can combine online networking with a networking event then you can enjoy the best of both worlds. Even before Venturefest, you can start to build your contacts via online networking at www.venturefestyorkshire.net. Simply register online and you will soon be in touch with up to 2000 Venturefest visitors. You can start networking today, find those people who could help your business, get in touch with potential customers and start making face to-face appointments to take place at Venturefest. Know what you want The whole Venturefest day is built around connecting people, but there are a number of formal opportunities for you to make those all-important contacts and try out your networking skills. You need to know why you’re there and what you want to achieve. What kind of people do you want to meet and what do you want the outcomes of your conversations with them to be? You’re spoilt for choice at Venturefest – the whole event is one big networking opportunity. There’s also a workshop to help you perfect your ‘elevator pitch’; a networking breakfast where you can hear about the ups and downs of a year in the life of an award-winning entrepreneur and you can capitalise on meetings made during the day or entertain clients at the gala dinner and awards ceremony. Decide what you want to achieve and tailor your day accordingly. Put others at ease Don’t dive straight into business talk. Ask people how their journey was, have they been here before, what brings them here, do they know many people? Once you’ve got chatting, ask them what they do to turn the conversation to business while keeping things relaxed. Offer to help If you start a conversation with “how can I help you?” you’d be amazed at what can happen. What kind of customers is the other person looking for – and do you know any of those people? A sure fire way of getting someone interested in talking to you is if they think you have the capacity to introduce them to a potential customer. Then they’ll want to do the same for you in return…win-win! Venturefest takes place on 10 February 2010 at York Racecourse and is supported by Yorkshire Forward. To register for your free place, visit www.venturefestyorkshire.net .
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