5 Cringe-Worthy Networking Mistakes That Speakers Make

When it comes to networking, do you find yourself making these 5 cringe-worthy networking mistakes?

To make sure you are networking and doing it right so you can grow your speaking business instead of making these 5 cringe-worthy mistakes.

However, knowing what to do is one thing;

knowing how not make these cringe-worthy mistakes is

something else entirely.

Just when you might think you’re doing everything right, you find

you’re not making the connections you expected, then perhaps

you have fallen into these 5 networking traps out there and didn’t even realize you had.

Here are 5 common networking mistakes and how you can avoid making them in the future.

Not Maintaining Your Relationships

It’s very easy to fall out of touch with people.

Maintaining contact with your current network and all of the people

in it is going to help you grow and help you win speaking opportunities.

Follow up, follow up, follow up with people

• Your mentors
• Colleagues
• Other contacts

On a regular basis to see how they’re doing. I can’t stress this enough.

Have you heard of the saying; the money is in the follow-up?

Keep them up to date on you as well. Remember, don’t make it all about you.

You will want them to know what you’re up to while also finding out

what they’ve been up to. If you see an article that would be of interest

to them, send it to them.

Always ask how can you help them. Give first without expecting anything in return.

Smart Tip: Everyone is just as nervous and uncomfortable as you at the event but you MUST overcome your fear of networking.

Not Taking Advantage of Social Media

We live in a day and time where networking is really everything

we do every single day. Social media has made it so easy to be

connected to so many different people throughout the world,

and if you’re not using this then you’re missing out on a great

opportunity. Start using LinkedIn to make professional speaking

connections. This isn’t the only social media platform you should

be using, but it’s a great place to start and a way to get your name out there.

Not Making In-Person Connections

Yes, we are in a day and time where social media is

super-important to networking, but that doesn’t mean you have

to stop meeting people in person. You should never do that.

You can’t do everything over the internet. If your online connectionis are

not local to you, then use a multitude of different technologies like:

• Skype
• Zoom
• Join.me
• BeLive

which are at your fingertips, to make the world a much smaller place and meet up with people on the other side of it.

Not Being Grateful

Gratitude goes a long way. When someone helps you in whatever way,

being grateful will go a long way. After having a conversation with

someone in person or online, send them a quick thank you note for their time

Smart Tip: And you know what’s even better, send them a handwritten note and mail it to them. You know that thing called snail mail! It’s still useful.

Nobody hardly ever does that anymore and it will make you be remembered

and stand out. It’s a small thing, but letting people know they are appreciated

will go a long way and encourage them to want to speak with you again.

Not Making Sure It’s a Two-Way Street

When someone helps you out and makes a positive connection for you,

then you have to be sure that you give back in some way. You especially

can’t keep going back and asking for help without giving back in return.

If you can avoid making these 5 common mistakes, then you should be

able to create a large and successful network for your business.

And if you want to read how to network correctly then read Use These 4 Steps And You’ll Be Networking Like A Rockstar