Guest post from Jada!!!- Networking

Hey Im not here today but my dear friend Jada has been gracious enough to do a guest post for me.
Jada is a MBA graduate, Business owner, Mentor, Public speaker and a lady of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.



Does Your NET....work? The invaluable power of networking​

A current student at my alma mater called me to interview me for the Communication department.
He asked me what advise would I give to students?!
My advise - network!
Not the “networking” you all claim to do when you go out and exchange business cards and emails yet never follow up.
See 95% of people do one thing VERY well - we never follow up.

Think about the thousands of business cards you’ve gotten over the years. When you got home did you email them and say “great meeting you, let’s get together soon!”, so they could remember who you were ?? And before we even get to the follow up - let’s start with the basics.



Steps to effective Networking:


1. 30 second rule: When a person asks you about yourself, be prepared to state who you are and what you do(or want to do) within 30 seconds. Anyone that is serious about business is not really interested in anything other than the BOTTOM LINE. How can I help you, how can you help me. Period. Point. Blank.

2. DON’T TRY TO SELL PEOPLE! Unless you’re in HR as a recruiter and literally make a living off of selling people….. don’t do it!! Get to know a person first. Rather you own a business or not, we are all in the business of building relationships. Relationships are the “bread and butter” of business. People do not do business with those that they do not like.

 3. Exchange information: Be sure to have your cards, marketing docs, or virtual business card available to exchange.
Definition of exchange - Give something and receive something of the same kind in return.
Don’t just throw your business cards out to everyone and then go home waiting on a call or email.
Which leads to step #4.

4. FOLLOW-UP! FOLLOW-UP! FOLLOW-UP!

5. Repeat #4…. No but seriously as stated in the beginning, we ALL fail to do this. Think of the people you came across and never contacted after meeting then. Days, months, or even years later you think of them and how they could benefit you or vice versa…. but you don’t have their contact info because you didn’t follow up. - Work on that!

 6. “If you want to be around IMPORTANT PEOPLE, you must go where IMPORTANT PEOPLE are…. because they aren’t coming to you!”
These great words from the mouth of my mentor (World renowned POWER networker George Fraser)
You haven’t met the person that could lead you to the rewarding career or completely turn your new business around or even turn a vision to reality…. because you’re waiting on them to walk into your life.
“Faith without works is DEAD” - Do the work! Get involved. Invest in yourself. GO WHERE THEY ARE!

 I’ll stop at 6 since that number is the best number ever! Plus you can read more in my upcoming book… “Does your Net… work?” (shameless plug LOL)
I’ll close by saying this:


Follow these basic steps and then.. REPEAT!
Want to know where important people will be.. aka - the Most Powerful minds in America???
Power Networking Conference
Intercontinental Hotel
June 27-29
Dallas, TX
Visit the following link for more information: http://www.principlesofpowernetworking.com/cmd.php?af=1529989
Or contact me directly!- jada_d@ymail.com
As always…. SHUT UP! & #KeepGrinding