Recently while talking with another BNI Director, we talked about negative feedback and the art of listening.
The old saying we have 2 ears and 1 mouth came into the conversation, when we hear good things we listen, when we hear negative things we want to respond, but we should listen more, so we can improve.
Most negatives will be become positives if you deal with them appropriately. We should not let negative feedback we receive change our focus or goal, but we should use it, where appropriately to improve ourselves.
So what was the negative feedback about? Follow up!
With networking, the hidden key to success is follow up, and timely responses. From a BNI perspective, this is following up visitors that have attended your meeting. You need to follow them up from a business perspective, how can do you business with them if you have not contacted them and arranged to meet with them. It is also following up the referral; remember that it starts going real cold after 48 hours!
After every event or meeting you attend, diarise your follow up calls, reminders and advance notes about who to catch up with at the next event. There's nothing more embarrassing or damaging to new relationships than to make a connection with a fellow guests at one event or a BNI meeting and forget their name at the next! There is no point in attending an event without a follow up process. Real fortune is in the follow up!
Is your BNI chapter like this? YES!
If you are continuously meeting new people and following up, you are 95% there, and from experience 100% a head of the competition, because most people don't follow up.
So where does the 2 ears fit into networking?
Listen and sound interested, curious and caring. Take note of things that matter to them, for when you contact that person. These are the things that demonstrate you listened and you care. Remember, people want to know you care.
It then makes sense that 1 mouth comes in, when you call them and follow them up, using the things you listened to and noted so that when they know you are interested in them and you care, they will want to get to know you better, leading to a relationship
Follow up does a few things in networking.
• Allows opportunities to be seized, not loss
• Develops relationship
• Shows you care and are interested in them (Givers Gain)
Happy Networking
Glenn
No comments:
Post a Comment