Five Networking Tips for Making An Memorable First Impression -#51

Show Notes

In this episode Lori Vajda and Nola Boea share 5 tips to help reduce networking stress and increase your confidence, even if you’re an introvert!
Networking has changed from the days of attending an in person event and ‘pitching’ yourself and your company. Now, every conference, lecture, and social event, whether virtually or in person, is an opportunity to meet prospective buyers, build your brand reputation and expand your circle of influence. Yet, for many entrepreneurs, networking can be a real challenge. Come take a listen and find out how to improve your networking skills.

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In This Episode You’ll Learn 

• How to lessen anxiety so networking isn’t so nerve-wracking.
• Why you need to network both in person and virtually.
• How setting goals ahead of time can help you come up with questions to ask yourself (and others) about what you want to accomplish or have happen.
• Prepare to introduce yourself in a unique way as a means to make a impactful introduction

There’s a difference between ‘doing one thing and being known for one thing’. As Nola and Lori share in this episode, being able to cut through the noise so you can stand out and be memorable at any networking opportunity takes a little skill and practice. 

• (2:40:10) Knowing how networking has changed can help you be memorable whether you’re online or in person.  
• (5:19:45) Introducing yourself virtually requires a different approach than in person. This tip will help you do it in a way that is unique to the listener.
• (6:27.29) Being approachable in person looks different from being approachable virtually. These tips will help you be successful at both venues.
• (12:52.36) There’s a difference between being approachable and being memorable. These tips and one bonus will help you with the latter.
• (15:53.80) Writing your WHY statement starts with asking and answering yourself these questions. This exercise will help you develop your Big deep meaningful WHY so you can memorably introduce yourself.

Resources 

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This episode was supported by: Be-YOU-nique
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Simon Sinek - YouTube - Start with WHY - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Nola: There was a time when the idea of networking meant meeting people face to face. But as our world has become increasingly more global, it's also become increasingly virtual, which means networking has changed dramatically. It also means the first impression you make can take place in some cases, without you even being aware.
Stick around listeners because we're giving you five powerful tips and one amazing bonus, so you can become successful networking experts, both virtually and in person.
[00:00:31] Announcer: You're listening to the Sticky Brand Lab podcast, where time-strapped professionals like you learn how to create a business you love in as little as three hours a week.
[00:00:44] Lori: Hello, there I'm Lori and this is Nola and we're your co-hosts. And we'd like to welcome you to the podcast designed specifically to help you successfully and quickly launch a profitable side business and personal brand your excited about. Today, we're giving you practical tactical tips so you can make a memorable first impression.
However, before we get started, it would really mean a lot to us if you would consider subscribing to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Not only do we love getting new subscribers, but it gives us a chance to help you. Because each week we come out with new content so you can hit the ground running and be the most awe-inspiring, magnetic, confident, powerful business owner ever. Are you ready to take your networking skills to a new level? Well, then let's get the show started.
[00:01:37] Nola: Okay. What is networking? If you ask 10 people to define networking, you would likely get 10 different answers. The dictionary defines networking as "the act of making contacts and exchanging information with other people, groups, and institutions to develop mutually beneficial relationships."
However, whether you network to make new friends, find new customers, explore new market opportunities or obtain referrals and sales leads, it's important to keep in mind that as a business owner, networking helps you make connections in a personal way so that you can build relationships of support by discovering and creating mutual benefits. It's a skillset no serious professional woman can be without.
[00:02:18] Lori: So to get started with that, many people go to networking events, but few know how to be effective networkers. It's not just location. It is opportunity as you just alluded to. So tip number one, be purposeful. As an entrepreneur, your purpose for networking is to get to know people. And part of that is to get to know people who will do business with you, and to get to know people who could potentially introduce you to other people who would do business with you. So if you want to be a successful networker, you really have to be proactive. And that means taking control of the situation rather than just reacting to it.
So, for many networkers, that requires getting out of your comfort zone. And as you kind of alluded to, and both of us have this tendency, we're not natural extroverts. So we have to kind of think about that as having a plan. So if not working and putting these five tips into place for you feels a little awkward, know it's okay. It's okay to feel awkward. It's okay to feel uncomfortable. The more you apply these techniques, the more they become natural to you and you see some success happening, the more they'll feel comfortable to you.
[00:03:39] Nola: Yep. It takes time. It takes practice.
[00:03:42] Lori: Yeah. Networking has changed a lot. It's no longer an in-person conversation. When you think of networking and you're being purposeful, you recognize that networking happens in person virtually and in hybrid situations, depending on where you are.
[00:04:01] Nola: That's actually so true, which is why nowadays you really have to widen your lens in your definition of what a networking opportunity consists of, because it's not necessarily the typical chamber of commerce, business after hours event. That's your typical networking opportunity. Now just broaden that. And in fact, you can think of all of the other opportunities you have to meet people in person as well as virtually, literally, this is one of your exercises and that is tip number 2. Be intentional. Set a goal for meeting people. To carry that out, get out a piece of paper and write down all of those times, all of those opportunities that you may be meeting people face to face. First off let's think just in-person. Are you a member of an organization or do you volunteer? Do you go to conferences even in person, even with social distancing? Do you have a church committee? Do you have like a group of friends that get together now and then? Just think of all of the times you have face-to-face interaction. Always be prepared to introduce yourself and what you do. Anytime that you may be meeting somebody as a chance to introduce yourself and your business. And that by definition is networking, especially if you can provide mutual benefit to each other. And that's in person.
Now we've got this whole new world, actually, wouldn't not say it's super new, but it's a super important right now, and that's virtual. We've got a lot of virtual networking opportunities. Just think about it. You know, you're taking online courses where there may be small groups for Q and A sessions. There you have webinars where there's also times to maybe have breakout room discussions. And you do have like your traditional networking events are now literally taking place on screen in your virtual networking rooms with activities to help augment and facilitate meeting people and getting referrals and all of that in a virtual setting.
Now, you've already thought through all of the events and opportunities are coming in-person and virtually. Now. Decide how often are you going to be attending these events? Weekly, monthly, quarterly? Pick a number and go through that list, that broader perspective of what's in person what's virtual, put them on your calendar and stick to it. Remember different networking mediums require different approaches. It's not a one size fits all approach.
[00:06:26] Lori: Exactly. So that brings us to tip number three, be approachable. And this is kind of interesting because when you go to a networking event in person, you think about that from the standpoint of smiling, making eye contact, talking, shaking, hands, turning to somebody you think about all of those things.
When you're on camera, that is also an opportunity for making a first impression. When you said in the teaser that you might not even be aware of it, that brought to mind how many events I attend online in which people are multitasking while they're online and their face looks extremely serious. They don't even recognize that they're focused on sending out that email. You're on camera. And while you might not be aware of it, people looking at you are making an impression of you. So those same ideas about smiling, looking at the camera, nodding your head, the things that you would do naturally in person to convey friendliness you need to be doing when you're on camera as well.
[00:07:41] Nola: That's a good point. And in fact, there's now the need to learn etiquette for being on camera.
[00:07:47] Lori: One of the big, also missed opportunities when we're talking about being on camera is how many networking opportunities are out there in which people don't even show up on camera. And this is particularly happens with women, where they are concerned about how they're dressed, how they look, how their background might be, so they turn off their camera. Ladies, don't do that. Show up. Because you are missing an opportunity to connect with somebody who doesn't see your face, so therefore you're making an impression of being not available.
[00:08:23] Nola: That's so true. So, with your camera on here's some etiquette for these virtual networking opportunities.
Consider where your camera is on your monitor or your laptop. You want to emulate looking somebody in the eye. Try to make sure the camera is directly across from you. What you don't want is for the camera to go up your nose or under your chin. It's just really awkward. You know? That just doesn't happen in person. Also, keep in mind your lighting. Make sure the light is on in front of your face, not behind your head, because then you'll just be kind of a silhouette. You don't want to make your face a silhouette. You want to have it bright and again, approachable, right?
[00:09:12] Lori: That's a really big one, but one tip is, you can use lighting in the background to illuminate, if, especially if you've got some thing in your background for branding, good, the lighting can make that look attractive as well.
[00:09:28] Nola: Hey, good point. Another piece of etiquette is, make sure that when you're not talking, you have muted your microphone. It is so annoying when you hear somebody's dog barking or chewing their gum or sniffing.
[00:09:43] Lori: Or coughing..
[00:09:44] Nola: Yeah. Now of course, in certain webinars, they automatically mute everybody, but that's not necessarily the case, especially when everything's open for discussion. So, when you are not talking, mute that mic. When you are talking, unmute the mic, because if you start talking and you're wondering why nobody's paying attention to you, it's not because what you're saying is not important. It's most likely because you muted the mic. Get in that habit, otherwise, by the time you remember, that ship will have sailed, the topic is already gone. So yeah, practice makes perfect. Another opportunity for being virtually on camera. It's about your background. Certainly if you have a really messy office, you don't want to show it and you may be tempted to just blur the background using those filters, but really when you're on camera, you have a prime opportunity to market yourself. Basically, I would call that prime real estate. That background can be prime real estate for you to brand your business. You can get a special image that can be put in. So people aren't looking at your office necessarily, they're looking at whatever it is you want to say or put forth to represent your business.
You can also use apps to create an image that's perfectly sized for a background. And in that background, you can put, again your logo or your title, your contact information. Yes, exactly. Again, be intentional about that and just don't pass on the opportunity to let that be part of your first impression.
[00:11:18] Lori: We actually have a handout for you, listeners. It's from an episode that we did with Carol Boston. Episode seven was Ask Muse part two, and it was our recommendations for positioning and branding, so you can resonate with a virtual audience. And you'll be able to get that handout in our freebie section on our website at stickybrandlab.com, but that brings me to another point. When you're on camera and when you're face to face, you really want to dress for entrepreneurial success. This is a kind of a challenging piece. The benefit of being virtual is you literally have the party on top or the networking on top, and you can have the comfort on the bottom because people don't see from below, you know, whatever your screen level is. But we did a fantastic episode with Solita Roberts. This is her area of expertise. She's a stylist. And Episode 42 was How to Create a Signature Style for Your Business and Personal Brand. She does a fantastic job of helping individuals find their unique style. But one of the things that caught my attention with Solita is she does a lot of recordings and videos that she posts on LinkedIn. And she talked about how she developed her signature style for being on camera. And it wasn't anything really fancy, but it was what worked for her. And she shared those tips in that episode. So we highly recommend if you haven't heard it, you'll want to listen.
[00:12:51] Nola: That's right. And what you, we just gave you, were all tips on being approachable. But you also want, as we're going to say in tip number four, be memorable. You want to make a memorable first impression. And to do that, you have to be able to cut through the noise in the shortest time possible. Because frankly, you have less than seven seconds to make a positive first impression. And that's only when you're meeting somebody in person when you're on your LinkedIn page, it's as little as three seconds. And on your website, 50 milliseconds. So, good or bad, someone has sized you up, and once they do, it's really hard to change their mind. So, yeah. You want to be memorable.
[00:13:33] Lori: So, this is the exercise that we're going to give you here for how to really be memorable. It starts with creating your Why Statement and what you had hit on, which was you want to cut through the noise, you know, virtually, if you're on the screen, there could be 10 people, 20 people, hundreds of people. You have to think about how do you stand out. So, when you're in person, somebody asks you, what do you do? When you're virtual, oftentimes the host will say, introduce yourself, tell us where you're from, but you also have an opportunity to do just a quick little pitch there as well as to what your business is all about. So when you think about cutting through the noise, you think about cutting through all the competition that is there virtually during a hybrid situation and in person. And what we really are focusing on is how do you create your Why Statement and using that to then drill down into what later becomes a personal message or a personal pitch for introducing yourself.
But let me talk a little bit about why the Why Statement is so important. Our, why is what motivated us to start our business, or in our case, our podcast. It's our purpose, it's our inspiration, and it's what sets us apart because no matter what somebody else does, that's in a similar marketplace, they're not doing it for the same intention that you are. So the Why Statement really helps you stand out. Often when we introduce ourselves, we tend to talk about how we do something or what we do or what our offer is or what we sell. And that's the wrong approach to introducing yourself.
[00:15:23] Nola: When you create your Why Statement, you've heard the expression, you're speaking my language. Well, that's what it feels like to the person you're talking to. When you're able to succinctly articulate your why, why you are in business, the why you have your business, using the language of your ideal customer makes it easy for them to identify with you and to align with you and to even want to buy from you. It literally is how they will get to know, like, and trust you.
[00:15:53] Lori: To help you get started on developing a why and using it to come up with your creative, inspiring, or captivating response to the question, what do you do? We're going to take you through this simple exercise. And keep in mind while it's a simple exercise, it doesn't mean it's an easy thing to do, and it also doesn't mean one and done. Here's an example of what we're talking about. Say that I'm a realtor. I could introduce myself as, Hi, I'm Lori Vajda. I'm a realtor. Or, I could say something like this. So if somebody asked me, what do you do? I could say, I help women purchase vacation rental property so they can diversify their income and wealth.
[00:16:32] Nola: Ooh!
[00:16:34] Lori: Exactly. It's a quick statement. It's captivating. So as a realtor, I could sell you commercial property. I could sell you residential property. If I just say realtor to somebody, you don't know if they're in the market. But by saying "I help women purchase vacation rental properties so they can diversify their income and wealth," I'm using a statement that captures your interest first, it doesn't say what my title is. Second, I want to know more because I don't know what you do exactly yet. So I have to raise that question because I can't pigeonhole you into a box, right?
[00:17:12] Nola: It's definitely a conversation starter and now I want to know, okay, how does that apply to me? I think if somebody were to say I'm a realtor without even thinking twice, I would think, well, I'm not buying or selling, so, okay. I guess I'll move on. But that statement, I'm thinking, okay, I'm a woman. Hey, purchasing vacation rental property sounds intriguing. And diversifying income and wealth? Okay, I'm going to lean in.
[00:17:38] Lori: Exactly.
[00:17:39] Nola: And speaking of leaning in, we did have a guest on episode 17, Creating Business Outside the Lines, where Kelly Vitale also created a one-liner. So she's the founder of Strategic Philanthropy. And when people said, okay, so what do you do? She said, I help give away other people's money. Now can you imagine the kind of conversations that started?
[00:18:00] Lori: Absolutely. And she went on and developed iterations of that depending on the circumstance or who she was talking to. But the point of it is, she said something that perked up your ears because it wasn't traditional. It's stopped it, cut through the noise. It got attention. So what we're about to do here is how do you develop your Why. Our Why Statement the actually Sakichi Toyoda. I don't know if I'm saying his first name correctly, but from Toyota, you know, the automotive, he used the Why purposefully to help determine the core of what the problem was, and then went on to develop or think about what the solution would be.
So the idea here is asking why five times. We're using that to help you drill down your Why Statement. So you come up with your big meaningful why, and you'll use that to help you develop your creative statement. But to give you an example of how that works, we're going to take you through this exercise. So you ask why five times.
[00:19:04] Nola: So here's our example. Lori, why do you want to podcast?
[00:19:08] Lori: Because we want to help and support women to become successful entrepreneurs.
[00:19:13] Nola: Why do you want to help and support women to become successful entrepreneurs?
[00:19:17] Lori: Because we always wanted to be successful entrepreneurs ourselves.
[00:19:22] Nola: Why have you always wanted to be successful entrepreneurs?
[00:19:25] Lori: Because we felt that being a successful female entrepreneur, especially as an older woman, and we're not that old, but we're still not 20, was something that was not encouraged or supported in our lives growing up.
[00:19:40] Nola: Okay. And why did you feel like being a successful mature female entrepreneur was not encouraged or supported in your lives growing up?
[00:19:48] Lori: Because we live in a culture where who's considered an ideal candidate for running a highly profitable company, or getting financial capital to create a successful startup, doesn't include women like ourselves. And that includes us.
[00:20:02] Nola: Right. And fifth time, why would you have wanted to feel included?
[00:20:08] Lori: Because we would have been capable of achieving so much more, had we been encouraged and supported as children to explore entrepreneurship. You know, even reading that I, we wrote this awhile ago and it's still gives me chills as I read that.
[00:20:23] Nola: Because we've hit the core. You just peeled off the layers with each Why and you got down to the core essence. And that essence when articulated in that way, really resonates loudly and clearly. And that's why when you make a Why statement out of this, with the core essence and motivation being the anchor reasoning, it's going to resonate with the people who are meant to hear it. With the people who will align with you.
[00:20:56] Lori: When you're doing the Why process, I like to think about it from going from your head, what comes to mind at the top of your head, and drilling down. By the time you get to the fifth Why, you are at your heart center. And when you're at your heart center, you now can develop the messaging for your big Why.
[00:21:16] Nola: Now that you've reached the core, you've gone through that exercise. Now, the second step of this exercise is to articulate your authentic, Why into an overarching statement that you can refer to again and again. Again, this is for you. You've now gotten down to the essence. Put that into a big Why Statement that you can refer to. So, we're just going to give you an example of a Why Statement that we have fashioned after uncovering these layers from the head to the heart. We've made several actually different alternatives. This is just one of them.
So here we go. "We want to be a powerful force and change agents for shaping the entrepreneurial landscape from one that rallies behind young, bootstrapped Silicon Valley types, to one that validates and celebrate older, wiser women. Those audacious women who challenge the status quo by daring to launch a startup, whether that is a side business or their main business, so that females of all ages know how powerful, smart, and absolutely brilliant they are and how successful they can be."
[00:22:18] Lori: And listeners, we actually have two more iterations from that heart central Why that we developed so that you can see those examples of our big Why. They'll be in the freebie section as well for the resource page on our website.
[00:22:35] Nola: Perfect. So you've made that overarching Why statement. And the third step is to nutshell that statement into something like a one-liner. The one-liner introduction that will capture interest and provoke conversation. You'll still have your Why Statement, but now you know how to focus on what it is you need to nutshell.
[00:22:56] Lori: And there's two parts to this next piece. When you're creating that narrow version, that kind of pitch the goal is to say something that no one else is going to say. You want to be authentic to who you are and why you started your business. And so you can try on different ways of saying that, but let me give you an example that we use.
So, Hi, I'm Lori Vajda. I'm a multihyphenated creative entrepreneur. I could stop right there. I could also say, Hi, I'm Lori Vajda. I'm a multi-skilled creative entrepreneur. Or I could say Hi, I'm Lori Vajda. I have a multiplicity of interests. Currently, those interests include, and I could go on and list any one of those.
But the point is I have a way of calling myself an entrepreneur rather than a copywriter, a podcaster, content strategist. I'm not going there. I'm simply raising attention. Now my follow-up to that is where you'll see that big meaningful Why come into place. So if I said I was multihyphenated creative entrepreneur, somebody would likely want to know what does that mean or what is that?
[00:24:15] Nola: Tell me more.
[00:24:17] Lori: Well, I support audacious professional women so they can change the entrepreneurial landscape to one reflecting a more balanced and diverse business experience.
[00:24:27] Nola: Well, that just sounds even more intriguing. Tell me how you do that and how can I get involved?
[00:24:35] Lori: Yeah, the point there is exactly what you just did, which is I haven't given a title. I haven't told you my how or what I sell. I'm simply catching your attention. And that's the point like in Kelly, "I give away other people's money." It gives her a chance to talk about her passion for philanthropy and helping companies be philanthropic and mindful in the way they give away their money. But if she just said that that might get a glazed look from someone. So the idea here is to really cut through the noise.
[00:25:12] Nola: Absolutely. So listeners, just to know, just to give you a heads up in upcoming episodes, we will be talking about how to use your, Why Statement to make a positive first impression digitally, because remember, I mean, in LinkedIn three seconds to a good impression, website, 50 milliseconds, and you can still use those with your nutshelled Why statement. Just to give you a little teaser, I mean, for example, we've taken some of the concepts of our Why Statement and put on our website, "what drives us? Empowering women to attain personal and professional satisfaction, creative autonomy, and financial independence through entrepreneurship. At its core, it all comes down to one thing. Freedom.
[00:25:53] Lori: Yeah, I get chills because I know what the passion is. I love that I still get chills in these messages that we've created. And the point here is when you do your Why, and you move from your head to your heart, and then you create your big Why Statement and you realize what the key messaging is that's in there, that's when you can narrow it down to your pitch statement, the thing that grabs people's attention, a way of describing who you are and what you're about and what your purpose is, in order to get the other person, the listener to lean in.
But it's not just about you delivering a message. Tip number five is, be willing to give. And in that case, what we're really talking about is the listener wants to know what you do or what your passion is or what drives you, focuses on them. The what's in it for me or the M M F I make me feel important.
So when you've had the chance to talk about where you're coming from, you really want to open up the idea of asking the other person what they're about. And that can simply be, why did you start your company? What was the motivation behind getting started? It could be a question of what challenges are you currently facing? Cause I would love to help you with that if I can.
[00:27:23] Nola: Practicing the networking art of giving more than you take, will make a big difference in taking that relationship deeper than the, Hi, how are you? What do you do? And so, you can give things like a free template a checklist or, even a book, or you can provide your connections or your introductions. You can set up a meeting to even hear more about their business and to explore other ways that you can collaborate or just help.
[00:27:53] Lori: We want to hear from you. Tell us what your big, meaningful, Why is if you do this exercise. We would love to know.
[00:28:00] Nola: Thank you so much for listening to this episode. We hope it makes all the difference in you getting started on your side business so you can create your best and most exciting life. Not sure how to craft a compelling Why or create a response when networking? Contact us at stickybrandlab.com/contact. We'd be happy to help you. If you found the information helpful and you decide to start working on your crafting your business Why, or you want to share your Why or introduction statement, let us know by posting here, where you're listening, or on our Facebook page. This way we can read your amazing and captivating networking differentiator, offer feedback, and send you love, encouragement, and congratulate you on the amazing and badassery decision you've made.
[00:28:43] Lori: Be sure to come back next Tuesday and every Tuesday for another informative, inspiring and motivating episode. And remember. Actions create results. So tap into your desire to create a business and brand you love by taking 1% action every day. Small steps, big effects.
[00:29:03] Nola: Do you have questions about creating a personal brand, side hustle or small business? Sign up for one of our clarity sessions. For more information, contact us at stickybrandlab.com/contact.

[OUT-TAKE]
We'd be helpy to hap you.
[00:29:20] Lori: We would be happy to hap you.