Networking Like an Extrovert, As an Introvert

Being more of an introvert or extrovert is just one preference that guides us in how we network successfully. The only thing about us being 100% is human. No one is 100% introvert or extrovert and throughout any one day, all of us is behaving in introverted and extroverted ways.

When we recognize that we are all human beings, first we can better connect to the strengths within us after that based on our personality preferences.

Make yourself better, not bitter.

It’s better to appreciate who we are, as we are than to quickly either condone or degrade.

I often hear introverts say they don’t like and get little from networking. Let me be first in line to say early in my sales career my feelings were they same. It was more grip and grin than I was able to bring into practice. At first, results were weak.

But then in learning, I was more of an introvert I began to change my approach. I would say yes more to events where there were people I already knew, and no to events where either all or most attendees were strangers, or I couldn’t find a more extroverted friend who was attending.

This outlook helped me to let go of my bitterness about networking and instead find better and more suitable approaches.

Contemplate, how can you make yourself better, not bitter?

Lead from your strengths.

With technology, today, the more introverted is best suited to take advantage of communicating one to one beyond the telephone. So many introverts tell me their preferred mode of communicating is through writing. If this preference of connecting, sounds like you consider both email and social networking as your go-to for communicating.

LinkedIn is one of my most used social networking websites because most people are professional in their posts and connecting. Sure, some outliers will spam you. After a while, you get to know the profile of preliminary behaviors and can avert such people before you become one of their victims.

Be on the social networking website that has people there who we want to meet for our business. Being online where we find people who we wish to be in our contact sphere, decision makers in the company to be in front of, or individuals who could be consumers of what we sell.

Let your curiosity guide you as you read their profile information. Then start a conversation. That’s all that has to happen initially. Use that website’s feature to message or contact them with your question or comment.

As we go further in networking both in-person and online, anyone in a business responsible for sales or business development will have to follow-up! Don’t be one of the 80% of sales people who don’t do this. And when we have that enunciated reason to follow-up, while you may prefer to communicate in writing, take care to notice what the other person’s preference is and take their lead.

We get most of our introvert preferences all satisfied – research, writing, listening. That puts us on solid footing to expand out of our comfort zone for possible telephone conversations.

Ask yourself, what strengths can you lead from to both initiate and continue a business conversation?

Take advantage of more informed times.

In the last decade, people have become clearer and more understanding about the different introvert, extrovert, and ambivert preferences. Still many are unaware.

If you are reading this post, it’s highly likely you may be one of those more aware. Your awareness could be an opportunity for you to take advantage of in your networking.

Be confident in your self-knowledge. It’s okay for you to attend an event and search for a person or two who you already know. It’s also going to give you more strength to continue if you take a quiet break during an event to recharge. And when you’ve either met the number of people who set out to meet or who by name you’ve come to meet, make it okay for yourself to leave even if it’s early.

There’s more of a chance that no one will notice any of these re-energizing actions. Or if they do, they are still going to keep on with their plans.

Let’s leave the uninformed times behind us and get grounded in knowing we’re okay just as we are.

Consider how can you take advantage of being more informed about who we are as introverts in business networking?

If you’ve been bitter about networking results – let it go. If you’ve tried being more like an extrovert in networking – let that go too. If you think people don’t understand each individual is different – let it go as we do live in more informed times.

With these foundational ideas at the time of your awareness, be the best you can be at your upcoming networking encounters.

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Weber-122_print_Cropped_300x300Guest Blogger:

Patricia Weber, introvert inspirer and internationally recognized introvert authority, provides practical tools for the introvert to navigate the rules at work with ultimate success, through her books, teleclasses, speaking, coaching. She blogs almost everything introvert at http://patricia-weber.com

People can preview for free three, 3-minute videos of a 30-day training program, Introverts: The Secrets to Workplace Success at https://app.avanoo.com/first3/507

Why 9 out of 10 Introductions Go In One Ear and Out the Other

You meet someone for the first time and at some point in the conversation, in one way or another, they ask, What Do You Do?

You probably answer that question or a similar question every day … maybe several times a day. If you are like most people, you answer with your title or your job function.

“I’m a printer.” “I’m an accountant.” “I’m an attorney specializing in blahblahblah.” The likely response to any of these is, “Oh.”

A label or job title is static – that makes it a conversation stopper. And depending on what your label or job title is, it just might make people’s eyes glaze over. “I’m a social media marketer at XYZ firm.” YIKES!

Here’s an idea that will make your introductions more compelling. Instead of telling us what you are, tell us the benefit your clients get from the work you do.

How about … “I work with business owners who want to find their clients online.” Or “I show people how to Tweet their way to profitable relationships.” More engaging, right? Now a person might want to know more about what you do, how you do it … and who you do it for. They might even be starting to think about what you could do for them. And that’s the ultimate goal.

One issue is that we introduce ourselves so often; it’s easy to default to what our business card says. It’s automatic. For some people, it’s even robotic.

And we may be too attached to our label, especially if it’s a label we worked long and hard for. Getting that certification, finishing that course or passing that CPA exam was no mean feat. A person can get very insistent about laying claim to the title.

But think for a moment about why you introduce yourself at a networking event, or a professional association meeting, or your kid’s soccer game. You want to create a connection, right? You want to lay the groundwork for getting to know each other better.

To increase your chances of developing a relationship, talk about you … by making it about them. Focus on the value you provide to your clients. Not the process you engage in, but the results they get from it.

And the more concrete you can be about those results, the better. As my friend Rob Schultz of Profit Seduction says, “The bigger the outcome, the bigger the income.”

So …
• You’re a copywriter. What do people get when they work with you?
• You’re a professional organizer. How does someone benefit from your approach?
• You’re a transformational empowerment coach. Okay, there’s a coach on every corner. What’s different about the results your clients get?

When you have your answer, I’d love to hear it. Post a comment below and tell us how you describe the outcome of what you do for your clients or customers.

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Guest Blogger:

Catherine Johns coaches entrepreneurs and professionals who want to get more clients, have more impact and make more money.

You might remember Catherine from Chicago radio.
She worked with legends like Larry Lujack, Fred Winston and John Landecker.

Since she broke out of the broadcasting boys’ club,
Catherine’s been guiding executives and entrepreneurs to
speak up … stand out … and make their message more magnetic.
Because that’s how they influence their audience to take action.

Catherine is the author of Show Up and Shine: Simple Steps to Boost Your Confidence and Charisma.

http://catherinejohns.com/

A Networker’s Guide to the Holidays

Guest Post by Designline Graphics

The holiday season is upon us! Now is the time for holiday parties, seasonal networking events and catching up with old and new friends. The holidays present many different options for networking, and business cards are always a part of that. In addition to distributing business cards at events, they can also be sent through the mail. Take the time to send clients, staff members and business contacts that are near and dear to your heart a personalized note this holiday and remember to attach a business card to the note.

Personalized greetings are tangible and are a rarity in our current world, much like the business card. They show that you care and put in time and effort instead of sending a general holiday email blast or text message.

When sending a personalized card, there are two options to consider.

1.     A Greeting Card

This is the chance to write a special message to those you care about and drop it in the mail. Send this card to all associates, friends and family as a small hello and warm wish. When sending to your business contacts, make sure to drop a trusty business card in this note to remind them of your services and contact information. This just may be the subtle follow up that was needed to unlock a hidden opportunity.

2.     An Invitation Card

Having a holiday party to thank staff or clients? It’s time to send out an invitation with all of the event details. When sending out invitations make sure to attach a business card as a friendly reminder of your services. This way individuals know whom the invitation is from and are reminded of the value of your business.

When designing both invitations and business cards always keep quality in mind. It is your goal to impress the person on the receiving end, and by sending a valuable piece, you will do just that. With all of the social interaction taking place at this time of the year, make yourself stand out.

 Happy Holidays!

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Designline Graphics is the premier resource for high-end business cards, custom silk cards, plastic cards and promotional marketing needs. To learn more visit 4colorprint.com.

 

The Plastic Business Card … A New Take on a Classic Networking Staple

Everyone knows that business cards are a networking staple that have been used to swap contact information for years. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are printed on beautiful paper. One of the business card varieties that is often overlooked is the plastic business card. A plastic card has many advantages in comparison to a regular card and these are just a few:

Durability

Plastic cards have more durability than paper cards because of the material used to make them. Business cards are often placed in wallets, pockets and other small holders. Plastic cards do not bend or tear, they stay resilient even in the smallest of spaces.

Uniqueness

 When was the last time someone handed you a plastic business card? It probably took you a moment to think about this question, and this is why plastic cards are unique. The exchange of these cards is few and far between so when someone hands you one it stands out from the pack. This is what the exchange of business cards is all about, standing out.

Design Flexibility

Plastic cards have a variety of options for design. One of them is the ability to print on a clear background. This allows for the inclusion of logos, text and colors that are not possible on a regular business card.

Tracking

 In addition to all of the points mentioned above, plastic business cards offer the ability to track through barcodes as well. This allows for those distributing the plastic card to keep a record of potential customers with information and special offers. Regular business cards often times do not offer this option.

If you haven’t already thought about investing in a set of plastic business cards now is the time. These trusty cards are durable and offer a unique way to engage your customers. Give them both an immediate and lasting impression of your brand and services.

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Designline Graphics is the premier resource for high-end business cards, custom silk cards, plastic cards and promotional marketing needs. To learn more visit 4colorprint.com.

3 Ways a Quality Business Card Can Help You Win the First Impression

business card swapFirst impressions mean everything and in our competitive and fast-paced world, we do not often get a second chance to make an impression on a potential business partner or contact. A first meeting typically occurs at industry and networking events, times when it is crucial to have a quality business card on hand. Here are three ways that having a card can help you walk away successfully:

 1. Aesthetic Appeal

When handing out businesses cards, the more attractive and creative designs will most likely get the follow up. Think about it this way, if there is a pile of cards that someone needs to go through, which will they select? It will most likely be the card that stands above the others.

In addition to this, cards that are aesthetically appealing are also more likely to serve as conversation starters. This is a great way to strike up a discussion with your new acquaintance about a certain aspect of business.

2. Respect

If a company invests in quality business cards, they are also investing in their employees and resources. This has an extremely positive first impression on peers and potential partners. They know that if they are going to do business with you, it will be worth the investment.

3. Knowledge

A quality business card should have all of your contact information and important company contact material including website and social media links. This allows contacts to visit these destinations and see your expertise and background. Being knowledgeable leads to a positive first impression because people are more likely to trust your feedback since they know it is coming from a reputable source.

Business cards are the one aspect of your marketing material that should not be taken lightly. In order to win a positive first impression and be successful at networking events, quality counts, and that is the bottom line.

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Designline Graphics is the premier resource for high end business cards, custom silk cards, plastic cards and promotional marketing needs.  To learn more visit 4colorprint.com.

 

allBcards’ Complete Guide to Business Cards

 

book cover

First of all, I would like to thank Reno for giving me this opportunity to share with you my thoughts on business cards. When months ago I decided to write a free eBook to promote my online business card management system, I knew Reno’s book was the model I wanted to follow. I just wanted my eBook to complement his. My intention was to include easy to implement business card tips, while at the same time providing insightful and unique information.

The eBook is divided in five parts: importance of business cards today, content, design, printing, and distribution. Each part contains a number of detailed articles (35 in total) devoted to topics you might need help with: names on business cards, company’s taglines, calls-to-action, social media icons, colors, shapes, alternative materials, paper stock, online printing companies, free business cards, distribution strategies, and many more.

The eBook is free to download for people who sign up to allBcards web services, but readers of Reno’s blog can get it free. You can also read it online.

If you want to manage your business cards online, you might want to try allBcards.com (as I said, sign up is free).

Finally, if you find the guide helpful, I would really appreciate if you share it with your friends and colleagues. If you have any suggestion or feedback, send me an email to oswaldo@allbcards.com. I would love to know what you think about the guide and the website.

—Oswaldo Zapata
Founder of allBcards

Your Business Card Can Be Red – – But Can It Be Read.

Steve Gobeli – Guest Blogger

When it comes to business cards I guess I can best be described as strictly “old school”. It seems with ever increasing regularity I am getting what I would describe as “new age” business cards. I think the only thing missing from some of them are pyramids or crystals, in the attempt to grab my attention and differentiate one business card from another. I understand the idea but I find it more humorous than professional, and hence more forgettable, which I think is the opposite of the business cards intent.

When was the last time you actually read a business card? In the US we have a tendency to swap cards at a meeting, casually glance at the card we have received and then tuck it in our pocket so that we can be sure to add it to the rubber band bound deck of business cards we keep in our desk drawer at the office. In some parts of the world a business card is presented with both hands, face up and oriented so that the person receiving the card can immediately read it. If you are presented a business card in such a manner and don’t take the time to read the card with the intensity associated with reading the latest Pulitzer prize winning novel, then don’t expect a fully successful meeting. You may have insulted the person who presented you the card.

This process may delay the actual start of a meeting by as much as ten seconds, but I like it and would like to see it more in the US. It demonstrates respect for the information that the person has provided you to start the meeting and by extension the information that they will provide you during the meeting.

Like I said old school.

Increasingly it seems I am getting business cards that remind me of miniature birthday cards. They now come in all sorts of colors. I think this is done in the hopes that by presenting a colorful business, it will make the presenter more memorable. I don’t remember who gives me a colorful business card. I just remember the color. He gave me a red card, or she gave me a blue one. I don’t think that was the objective, but it is the result. They now also appear to come in oversized or even folded formats. This is especially disruptive to my business card filing system as the rubber bands have a tendency to cut in and dog-ear the edges of these cards.

It is the content of the business card that is important.

The company name and logo should clearly prominent across the top of the card. If I forget your name, chances are I will remember the company and search for the card in that manner. If I can’t easily locate the company name on the card it will probably not see the light of day again.

Utilize a landscape as opposed to a portrait orientation to the business card. I have a tendency to hurt my neck as I try to turn my head sideways when I try to read improperly oriented cards. I guess I could just rotate the card ninety degrees, but that would be a little too weird for me.

Put your name in a little larger and bold font. I want to be able to locate it quickly. Put your title and area of responsibility directly below your name so that they can easily be associated. Remember to keep your title short. It would appear that people want to believe that the longer and more detailed their title, the more important they sound. This is the opposite of what is the case. The really important people seem to have titles that are one to three words long. If your title has to be reread multiple times to decipher what it is that you actually do, the chances are that your business card will be dismissed, not remembered.

The back of the business card presents an interesting situation. Simple, clean and blank is always good. I am finding myself coming around to the idea of the corporate web site or URL on the back is good as well, and even perhaps an email address. If you deal in multilingual markets, having all the business card information in the language of the market on the reverse side of a business card is very good as well. Superfluous information, catch phrases or other personal customizations detract from the card far more than they help.

I once received a card from a lady with a picture of her head on the back. Nothing else, just her smiling face. I asked her why she did that. She said she wanted people to remember her card. I don’t remember her name, what she did, why we met, or who she worked for, but I do remember her card. I guess it worked, sort of.

In returning to my earlier foreign business card example, businessmen in some parts of the world treat their own and each other’s business cards with respect. They are used as an integral part of conducting business meetings. Here in the US we now seem content to utilize our business cards for not much else other than to drop them in a bowl at the cash register where we eat lunch in the hopes that it may be drawn and we receive a free lunch next week. Maybe the reason for the proliferation of all the new business card colors, sizes and formats is not for business purposes, but really for no other reason than to increase the chances of those cards being drawn for the free lunch.

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Stephen Gobeli;   Entrepreneur – President at EarZin LLC “Better,  More Affordable Hearing”, Instructor  International Business at the University of Phoenix, General Manager – Managed Network Services at Alcatel-Lucent Inc.  Blog:  www.stephengobeli.com  Linkedin Page:  LinkedIn.com/in/srgobeli

 

Business Card or Book Mark

By Toi Thomas, Guest Blogger

I currently don’t have a business card. Not that I don’t want one, but the last time anyone actually wanted my business card was three years ago. When I tell people that I’m a writer, they ask me what I do to make a living. Then I explain that my day job is teaching. After that, no one is interested in my business card. Most people ask me for my facebook page or blog address and then type it into their phones right away. Sometime I hear from these people again and sometimes I don’t.
Many years ago when I worked in corporate America, my boss thought I should have a business card with the company logo on it, but I saw no point. I wasn’t in sales and rarely interacted clients. I’m still not sure why an accounts payable representative would need a business card.
There is one thing, at the moment, compelling me to order a brand new stack of business cards. I got the idea from somewhere, though I can’t seem to remember where exactly, but I plan to use my new business cards as book marks. I’m a writer, and fans of books and authors love to collect bookmarks. I’ve actually made quite a few “book tags” as I call them, that I’ve given away as prizes explaining that they are ideal for collecting and using as bookmarks. It just so happens that they are the same size a business card. I wish I’d thought of it sooner.

 

Toi Thomas, author of Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel available at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/236158
My blog http://ecsuniverse.blogspot.com/
My facebook page http://www.facebook.com/EternalCurseSeries
Toi Thomas, author of Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel available at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/236158

Comedian Comments on His First Business Card

Brian Shirley – Guest Blogger

 

I was excited about my first business card. I had been doing stand-up comedy for a few years and the business card that said BRIAN T SHIRLEY COMEDIAN made the whole thing seem official.

I still get a kick out of my new stack of business cards. Because of business cards and wanting to make mine stand out, I put Comedian/Philosopher on the third or fourth batch of cards. I almost always got a laugh from people when they read that and now that’s the title of my website. If I had never gotten business cards, I don’t think that would have happened. My card’s now a little more fancy than they used to be, but not too fancy.

My Dad complained about the effects of his networking with business cards. One day he lamented that he would hand his cards out, then sometime later see the same people who he had given his card to at the ballpark, or the Elks Lodge or somewhere else. These people had not called on him for business, yet they possessed his card with all his contact information on the front very easily read and understood. This perplexed and aggravated my Dad terribly. I told him the next time he came into contact with one of these non-contactors, give them another business card. My father questioned the wisdom of such a move and asked me what he should say in the event that one of these folks brought up the fact that they already had one of his cards. I informed my father that he should reply that he knows they have one of his business cards, but it must not be working properly because he has not heard from them. Then say, this replacement card is from a new batch and he’s positive it will work as he’s tested some of them himself.

Comedian/Philosopher Brian T Shirley has been in the Business for nearly 20 years. His act is derived from growing up poor, coming from a broken home, his military experience, partying, women, pets, infomercial’s, sports, and much,much,more. Oh he also the author of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Club”.

To find out more about Brian Shirley his act, his books and his radio show visit http://www.briantshirley.webs.com

MONEY IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND!

By Guest Blogger Karen Carlson, Founder of Text Me Customers

Certainly by now you have seen ads that encourage you to text some word or phrase to a particular number such as Text: “SUCCESS” to “90210”.  What happens next is the registered entity (person or company) related to that message sends you a return offer, discount or message via text back to your phone.

Have you ever wondered if you can do that for your business and how to do it? Well you can and it’s a great way to add value to your business cards. Once you register with an SMS or Short Message Service like TextMeCustomers.com we will provide you with a number your clients can send a text to, and an appropriate phrase or phrases that will trigger an automatic response or offer to your prospects or clients.

This is a great way to make your business card more interactive. For instance add a line that says Text: INFO to 90210 or Text: OFFER to 90210  or Text: DISCOUNT to 90210  this prompts your client or prospect to take immediate action and get an immediate response. Right now right where they are.

This strategy is being used successfully by many large companies and now you can use texting to generate more sales using the device that is in the palm of everyone’s hand. It’s a fact! The mobile revolution is here, and now is the time.

Many people use their phone for everything, all day long. Mobile phones are working overtime whether for games, business, banking, communicating or directions. The list goes on and on. Mobile is not the exception these days, it is the rule for people in business well as every individual consumer.

Texting is not new, but how we use texting is changing. Texting is not just for socializing, now it’s business. Every kind of business can use the text platform to connect with their customers, fans, members, employees, with the click of a mouse in real time. Texting is not just chit chatting back and forth, but sharing pertinent information and conducting business via text to people asking for your information.

Consider the staggering statistics of the mobile revolution:
– 4.1 Billion mobile phones worldwide
– 86% of Americans own a mobile phone
– 68.7 million are frequent text users
– 97% of text messages are opened
– 83% are opened in one hour
– 1.56 Trillion text messages were sent last year
– Over 52,000 texts are sent every SECOND
– 90% of marketing emails are not read

These numbers continue to grow and these statistics actually become obsolete the moment they are published. Mobile is truly the way people communicate. 2010 was the year people stopped talking and started texting. Have you ever called someone, they didn’t answer, you texted, and received an instant reply? There is your proof. Need I say more?

You know that mobile is powerful. You know this will do nothing but grow, so don’t waste any more time thinking about it. TextMeCustomers.com will guide your business down the path taking you where you want to go. To learn more Text: textmecustomers to 90210 right now!