OVERVIEW
Networking has become a crucial factor in the modern workplace. It is the most
effective method of developing your business or career and is a key component of
your personal brand. This one day course will teach you how to be able to build
strong business relationships, develop a level of personal credibility and
increase your network of contacts in order to enhance your visibility and create
opportunities for yourself and your organisation.
DESCRIPTION
This training course will help your participants build a professional reputation
and develop a network of connections through the two key methods available to
them; face-to-face and online.
Attendees will discover how to effectively combine these two approaches and
create a strategy for networking success that will generate their own community
and actively grow their personal network. This will result in an improved
performance in their approach to networking and consequently provide
opportunities and prospects that will increase their business success.
The training provides them with the tools and techniques to both plan a
successful, strategic approach to networking and develop their personal
communication skills, which will ensure they build effective business
relationships.
Topics covered:
* Why Network? – Establishing the importance of networking with some shocking
statistics and an activity that defines the importance of networking to the
individual. This is followed by some insight into the key aims of a
networking strategy, what puts people off, as well as some personal
revelations about networking.
* Increase Your Business Presence – Looking at the components of a strong
business presence, including; credibility, personal brand, visibility and
social capital.
* Developing a Networkers Attitude – An exercise that clarifies the perfect
attitudes and behaviours of great networkers and comparing the participants
against this. Thus identifying areas for development.
* Face to Face Networking – An overview and insight into the main types of face
to face networking opportunities available with the benefits and pitfalls of
each.
* Online Networking – An overview of the different social media and online
networking tools and how to get the best out of them. Includes; LinkedIn,
Twitter, Facebook and online forums.
* Communication Skills for Networking Success – Ensuring a good first
impression, creating an opening sound bite and writing an online profile that
promotes and engages.
* Developing a Conversation – Building on the opening sound bite and developing
a conversation through good questioning techniques and following a selection
of key networking rules. Including an activity to test and practice the
skills.
* Working a Room – A fun activity that embeds and develops learning while
encouraging practice and communication. This activity covers 10 of the main
skills required to work a room.
* Breaking into a Group – Identifying body language to spot when a group or
pair is open to new people entering the conversation or would rather not
encourage participation. Knowing how to break into a group, what to say and
how to remain professional.
* Exiting a Conversation – Developing some techniques to extricate oneself from
a conversation without causing embarrassment or rudeness.
* The Follow-Up – Using a structure to identify the most important contacts
created and establishing when and how to follow up with each group. Includes
example follow-up email and a chance to develop their own.
* Creating a Network Plan – Participants are provided with a networking action
plan to review and complete. This sets them on the journey of developing
their networking skills and ensures they have a strategy and goals to target.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Anyone who is looking to improve their networking performance, or the networking
performance of a management or sales team.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ATTENDEES
No pre-requisites required.