The current business world is a highly competitive environment, and successful leaders are those who possess the ideal combination of business ideas, people skills and ability to attract goodwill from prominent stakeholders.
No great entrepreneur or celebrated company founder reached their peak in terms of professional or personal success on their own. The secret behind their success is the art of making and cultivating relationships and having an active network of people they can count on and who can also count on them.
What Are Successful Leaders’ Top Network Building Secrets?
By themselves, the ideas are not secret at all. What really matters is how you implement them: how you use your personal charm, your business skills, your enthusiasm, and genuine passion for what you do in your line of business.
Maybe the first true secret anyone should know when they start building their network is this: be yourself. Do not try to build a false image and show people what you think they want to see.
Apart from this one, here are four more:
1. Always Carry Your Business Cards with You
Business cards do not take a lot of space. You can even keep them in your business coat pocket, so you should make a habit of carrying 8 or 10 of them with you. You never know when you meet a person who could become a valuable contact in your network.
It is extremely unprofessional to jot down your email address and mobile phone number on the back of a brochure or on a napkin, and the other person will be left with an unfavorable impression of you. Handing out a business card is the most natural and professional gesture you can make when meeting a potential business contact.
Related: 4 Rules of Smart Business Card Etiquette
2. When You Speak to an Audience, Keep Written Notes to a Minimum
Gifted speakers can hold an entire keynote presentation without even one piece of paper from which to read. Since not everyone has this gift, you can bring some notes with you, but these should be very discreet and contain only essential information (such as dates, statistics etc.).
When speaking to an audience, you should maintain eye contact for as long as possible. This is what creates the connection between you and your public and turns your presentation into an interpersonal event rather than a one-way communication of facts and data.
3. Use Coffee Breaks at Business Events Wisely
Day-long business conventions and conferences have one or two coffee breaks to allow participants to mingle, enjoy refreshments and discuss the presentations they have just attended. These breaks are great occasions to meet new people from your industry, either by joining a group conversation or by being introduced by a common acquaintance.
Related: How to Prepare for Business Conventions: What You Need to Know
4. Always Send a Follow-Up Email
Whenever you meet someone new and have an interesting conversation, either one-on-one or as participants to an event, remember to send a follow-up email within the next 24 hours, tying up loose ends in the conversation, setting up an appointment to explore the ideas you have just approached, or simply as a gesture of courtesy.
Related: From Business Card to Excited Prospect: The Art of Following Up
If you have not yet ordered those business cards, created a brand and logo for your business, or designed your marketing materials, it is time you got started. At 4ColorPrint, we have decades of experience in working with successful leaders. We look forward to assisting you with all your needs, from custom design to printing. Contact us now, and let’s build your success!
