I attend lots of networking groups and have observed how people act and present themselves. Always, at the beginning, people are invited to give their elevator speech and introduce themselves and their business.

I often cringe or get embarrassed when people begin, because I see every mistake in the book. In an effort to be helpful I have shared a few things not to do and also what you can do instead.

1. Don’t stay seated when it’s your turn to speak.
When you stay seated you present yourself as  small and less empowered.  If other people are short or sitting further down the row from you, they won’t be able to see you at all. It’s so important to be seen as well as heard. Stand up and take ownership of  the space for that moment. When you stand. you command more empowerment and people feel that energy.

2. Don’t blab on on on.
Often people speak too long and try to say everything they can think of about their business and products. It begins to sound like a used car salesman pitch rather than an introduction. Instead say WHO your ideal clients is,  WHAT their problem or issue is, and  HOW they might benefit from your service or product. No more. It’s all about your clients, not about you.

3. Don’t use your cell phone.
You might think you can multi-task and text while you listen, but in fact it doesn’t work. The most important part of networking is listening to the other people, smiling and showing interest. If you are busy sending text messages it’s actually rude and people will feel that you really are not present. Turn off your phone so you won’t be disturbed by a call coming in. Unless your child is in the hospital, you don’t need your phone on and in that case you would likely not even be at the meeting!

When you really begin to understand how marketing works, you can build strategies that work for your business and learn the skills to  implement those strategies. It’s not hard and can make a huge difference in your business. Can you relate to any of the issues I shared?

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