Ben Murphy, CPA

As people and companies continue to refine their knowledge and skills within social networking venues such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and forums, many of us find ourselves neglecting the very personal and relational skills that lead to success in business as well as in life. If you are a young professional, then you may be rolling your eyes thinking, "Is this one of those 'When I was your age, this is how we did business.' speeches?"

First of all, I'd like to clarify that I too am a young professional and I recently had an experience that brought me to the conclusion that I need to work on my face to face networking skills. Last week I attended a professional networking event organized by business attorney Jeff O'Brien. To kick off the event everyone went around the room introducing themselves and their businesses in 30 seconds or less. As my turn approached I could feel myself getting increasingly nervous. "Ok," I thought, "This is not normal for me, but I am at a complete loss of words and I'm not sure if I can even fake my way through this!" It reminded me of the feeling I used to get in junior high when I had to give a speech in my Language Arts class, where my teacher would sit at her desk nearly expressionless watching her 7th graders deliver mostly half hearted speeches to their peers. Needless to say I was not comfortable talking with all ears and eyes on me.

In the end I was able to force out a brief description of who I was and what our company did without stumbling over myself. After a presentation and some great one on one conversations, I reviewed the experience in my mind and asked myself why I was so caught off guard when speaking to a group of professionals. It didn't take long to come to the conclusion that I am severely out of practice. After spending the bulk of the last 6 years studying for exams, taking exams, mastering my trade, preparing tax returns, and working on software programs, I have put networking way on the back burner.

As I move forward on my commitment to being a better networker, here are some things to keep in mind:
1. It's not about you - Meet as many people as you can and LISTEN to all of them. Learn about them and their business. Ask sincere questions and remember who they are and what they do. Too many people gloss over and forget that networking isn't just for their own benefit. Lending an ear will usually result in someone who is also willing to listen to you.
2. Have an elevator speech - and practice it. Be sure that in 40 seconds or less that you can explain what you do and the main benefits. No one can explain everything they do and all of their advantages that come from working with them in 40 seconds but you should be able to hit the top 3-5 high points in that time. Remember, how it's said is often more important than what's said. Show some enthusiasm.
3. Follow through on referrals - There is nothing worse than being told "I know someone you need to talk to", only to never get the implied introduction. If you do that, you can be assured that the act will be reciprocated.
4. Don't be shy - Let's face it, some people are born with the networking gene and some are not. Unfortunately "I tend to be more introverted" is not an excuse. When you go to an event be sure to go prepared with business cards, brochures, and a smile. The more you do it, the better you will be and the more you will enjoy it.
5. Follow though on leads - The only thing worse than not following through on a referral is not following through on a lead.

Face to face networking is something that every person should be doing on a regular basis. Networking groups are everywhere and usually carry a pretty cheap price tag that many times businesses will pay for. Industry associations, a local chamber of commerce, BNI International, meetup.com, and others, all provide you with virtually endless networking opportunities.

Whether you are in ownership, management, sales, or even working the back office, networking will help you achieve more success in business and in life. You will be more confident in presenting your company, it will improve your salesmanship, it will keep you at the front of peoples minds when they(or someone they know) need you, it will open doors for job opportunities(should you need one), and it give you personal satisfaction.