The Networking Mindset -- What's Going On In Here Anyway?

Hi fellow networkers!

While I'm out networking, I sometimes run into people who are dissatisfied with the people in the room so I thought I'd share some thoughts about what to do about this annoying problem. This is from my e-Book on Networking:

"You didn’t pay $25 to have a nice meal. You didn’t get up before the sun to socialize and small talk with business people. Like most, you gave up your lunch hour to meet other professionals and exchange qualified leads. Right? And as you drove to the meeting, you imagined a couple of good referrals coming your way and maybe a few for others.

Yet you just left with no leads. You didn’t connect well with anyone. And you’re a bit frustrated. It seems you just wasted a couple of hours that could have been better spent stuffing envelopes for your direct mail campaign or on the phone cold calling perfect strangers who are not expecting your call and don’t want what you’re selling.

What’s gone wrong? And what, if anything, can you do in the future to get the results you desire?

The key to your success as a business networker requires a mental shift. The good news is anyone can learn this mindset and put it into play. Your results will change dramatically and permanently. But first you need to understand where you are and what needs to shift.

If there is nothing else you get from this book, let it be this: You, and you alone, are responsible for the business results you receive at any networking meeting. Not the organizer. Not the people who attend. Not the owner of the meeting establishment. Not the president of the group. You are responsible, period.

Great news! The moment you take responsibility for your part in the meeting is the moment you will start getting the results you desire. This is true in any area of your life, by the way.

The bulk of success in business networking rests with you – not others. So here is the mindset crux for business networking success.

Givers get. Givers gain. You must give to get.

There are as many sayings as there are groups.

Zig Ziglar said it best – you will get everything you want when you help enough other people get what they want. The top networkers know that giving is the way to success. Do what they do and you too will be on the road to success!"

Next time I'll discuss what giving is and what it isn't!