On Introducing Yourself To Strangers When a stranger walks up to you and asks, "So, what do you do?", truth be told, they really don't care what you do. They are masking the questions they really want to ask you. What are the questions on their mind? What they really want is: "How can you help me reach my goals?" and "Are you trustable?". Give them what they really want. How? Here's my quick-starter template: I work with __________ [your target market] to __________ [biggest problem you help them resolve]. Examples: I work with independent financial advisors who are ready to serve more clients. I work with financial advisors who are struggling to grow their businesses.

Anytime you have an opportunity to dress professionally and stand up for your business, do it. You only have 2-7 seconds to make a great first impression. If your business is one that dresses down, don't do it when you're networking. Even putting on a jacket (with jeans) will help you appear more professional. And even if NO ONE else has stood up at a networking event to introduce themselves -- do stand up and be counted as one of the professionals in the room!   (c) 2011 Maria Marsala, Business Strategist at Elevating Your Business,

19. Find Ways To Quickly Build A Relationship It’s not about you. It’s about saying something that will turn off a prospect from hell and turn up the ears of your ideal clients. At events, you want to spend time with people who can become prospects or who know them in bunches. The fact that you do what you do, your title, is not important. But what is important is who you do it for and the major benefits they will receive from working with you. I challenge you to create an elevator speech without your title. The basic concept can be expanded, but make a difference to your business by starting with “My name is

And what to do about it! If so, you're in very good company! Fear is a necessary part of life. Can you imagine what would have happened if our ancestors weren't afraid of fire? Or cliffs? We might not be here! As children we were warned, “Don't talk to strangers!” This helped ensure our survival. But fearing “strangers” (part of our aversion to networking) doesn't serve us as adults—or help our businesses thrive. How do you overcome fears? Don't bother trying. Instead, identify them, accept them, and create solutions that will turn fears into exciting adventures. As Susan Jeffers says, "Feel the fear and do it anyway." Below is a list of common networking fears that