Think you're a good networker? Make sure you're not making 1 of these 3 big blunders!

I found this article published by Ivan Misner.
He gives great networking tips on what NOT to do - or networking faux pas...
As a professional Medical Biller, it is iimportant to network - but for many, to LEARN HOW to network.
For more about this article, visit www.entrepreneur.com


Ivan Misner: Networking
Networking Faux Pas
Think you're a good networker? Make sure you're not making 1 of these 3 big blunders.
By Ivan Misner | March 28, 2007

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After two decades of running the world’s largest networking organization, I've certainly seen a lot of networking faux pas. I’ve put together a few of the most glaring blunders in networking etiquette I’ve seen over the years that you should avoid.

Faux Pas #1: Not responding quickly to referral partners
This one really troubles me. I can't imagine getting a call from a networking partner and not responding immediately, but unfortunately, this seems to happen with some regularity. Not long ago, someone I know had a referral to give a gentleman in his networking group. He called the associate and left a message at his office as soon as he knew the referral was viable. A day went by without a return call, so he called again, saying it was important to connect.

He was finally able to speak to his networking associate at their next meeting. He asked him why he didn't return his call and the associate said, "If I knew you had a referral for me, I would've called you back immediately." He still gave the referral at the meeting, and, to no one's surprise, the person referred ended up working with another vendor because no one got back to him in a timely manner.

Treating each of your networking partners as one of your best clients is critical. Return phone calls from them immediately, as it speaks to your credibility and reliability as a professional.

There are countless examples of people receiving referrals at networking groups and then contacting the referral a few days later. The old phrase, "If you snooze, you lose," is apropos here. If the referral knows you had her name and number on Monday and took your time calling, that sends a negative message about your business.

Faux Pas #2:Confusing networking with direct selling
One of my company's directors struck up a conversation with a woman business owner at a networking function. When the business owner asked our director what she did, she said she helps owners build their businesses through networking and referrals. The business owner smiled and said, "I’m really good at networking. I’ve been doing it for a long, long time."

Curious, our director asked her, "So what’s your secret?" She stood up straight and said, "Well, a friend and I enter a room together. We imagine drawing a line down the middle. She takes the left side; I take the right side. We agree to meet at a certain time to see who collected the most cards. The loser buys the other one lunch."

The director curiously inquired, "So what do you do with all those cards?" Again, proudly, the business owner said, "I enter them into my distribution list and begin to send them information about my services. Since I have all their information, they’re all good prospects, right?"

This is a classic example of an entrepreneur not understanding that networking isn't about simply gathering contact information and following up on it later. That's nothing more than glorified cold calling. It gives me the chills. I used to teach cold calling techniques to business people. And I did it enough to know that I didn’t want to ever do it again. I've devoted my entire professional life to teaching the business community that there's a better way to build long-term business.

Faux Pas #3: Abusing the relationship
There are many ways I’ve seen networking partners abuse relationships, but the following story is one of the most glaring examples.

A woman I know was invited to attend a 50th birthday party of an associate who used to belong to a networking group in which she also participated. They once had a long-term working relationship, and, out of respect, she decided to attend. When she got to the door, she looked through the window and noticed people were arranged in a semicircle, listening to a presenter in front of an easel board. When she stepped in, it was very obvious the partygoers were being recruited for a business opportunity. As resentful as the woman felt, she and other mutual friends found it difficult to remove themselves from the "birthday party," despite the fact that the only refreshment being served was the company’s diet shake!

Never mislead your networking partners. For that matter, never mislead anyone. Trust is everything when you're talking about relationship networking. Inviting people to a "birthday party" that turns out to be a business opportunity pitch isn't being honest with the very people with whom you want to build a trusting relationship.

All these faux pas directly relate to good people skills. The prevailing theme of all three is to treat your referral partners and potential referral partners with professionalism and care. Use networking opportunities to meet people and begin the process of developing a genuine relationship and treat your referral partner like you would a top client. Lastly, always network in a way that builds credibility and trust--be candid in telling your referral partners what you need and what you’re asking of them. Do these things and you’ll avoid some serious mistakes in relationship networking.

How Networking Can Make You Feel "NAKED"

When I began my business as a professional medical biller, I realized quickly that networking was very much a necessity! This made me incredibly nervous. If asked to speak to prospects about the services that I offered, I was dead-on in every appointment! Prospecting over the phone was also a strength of mine. A skill that I found challenging was standing up and speaking about my business in front of a networking group. There are many networking groups out there - I happen to be a member of a few; BNI, a Professional Services Networking Group AND a Women's Success Netoworking Group.

Upon joining, I would spend 10 minutes or so each week before my meetings writing out what I planned on highlighting about my business during my networking meeting. This helped me tremendously. It forced me to refer to an index card instead of glancing around at all of the staring eyes in the room. Basically, it made me LESS nervous, feeling LESS "Naked".

If you are learning how to network your Medical Billing Firm, I recommend that you speak with or at least visit some expert sites. I found THE BEST resources to be;
www.BNI.com
www.koolse.com
www.medicalbillingfoundation.com
www.directmatches.com
www.gobignetwork.com

These are just a few and you can search for more...

Naked Networking - Women Work Wonders!

This small blurb comes from the site www.networkingwww.com which is a women-based networking group and consulting service. They speak about the importance of networking - the benefits, the risks and of course, the rewards. The "WWW" stands for Women Work Wonders. Put it all together and you get Networking Women Work Wonders. Granted, their contact information is from overseas, but I found this little blurb had no international boundries in it's message. Take a look at their site for yourself!

Naked Networking: We all know networking has brought great successes to business – that’s why we do it

For those new to networking or not enjoying events. These are the skills for meeting strangers & it can be fun! If you are in business it is paramount to make sure you are the best networker you can be.

Stand and Deliver: Sounds easy? Often it doesn't work like that. Presenting our business can create not only a good or bad impression but maximises the opportunities for your business. From the one minute stand up to the full script doesn't it make sense to be as dynamic as you can be? There are techniques and strategies to best present your business and get your message across and reduce those uncomfortable feelings and dreaded thoughts - You can even enjoy the experience.

(Naked) Networking - Medical Billing

Networking is an essential skill for most business people, but especially for entrepreneurs. The strong association between the entrepreneur as a person and his or her business demands that entrepreneurs get out into the world and create and maintain business relationships. Here are some tips and resources to help you improve your networking skills and extend your reach.

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WHAT IS NEEDED??
1.) A Pocket Full of Business Cards
Timely and consistent follow-up is the key to successful marketing. Meeting someone once is rarely enough to bring you business -- repeated contacts are what do the trick. You always want to follow up with prospective customers, of course, but you should also follow up with potential referral sources.

2.) The Importance of Being Memorable
Have you ever attended a networking event, collected a bunch of business cards, and when you go through them the next day, you can't remember who many of them are? Well, you certainly don't want to be one of those that other people can't remember, do you? Here are five tips on how to make yourself memorable when meeting other people.

3.)Giving First: A Personal Experience
In this fourth excerpt from the newly updated Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales, Bob Burg shares his personal experience of The Law of Successful Giving and Successful Receiving in action.

To learn more about networking as a Medical Biller, visit www.MedicalBillingFoundation.com. This group of successful medical billers, offers their best and worst networking expriences, along with tips and advise!

Naked Networking - An Actual Book??

Wow - an actual reference guide to Naked Networking!
Now, WE coined this phrase as a Medical Billing term and necessary task.
I will be interested to learn more about this publication and how we can wrap it's concept back into our Medical Billing Industry.
Take a look:

Naked Networking is part of a series of books written by Howard Barefoot in collaboration with other writers.
Naked Networking was written by Joel Virtue and Jean Peterson with Howard Barefoot, MBA.

Naked Networking is part of the Naked Business series. The Naked Business series is designed to help businesses succeed by asking the tough questions that many businesses fail to ask. The goal is to invite introspection, because that is often the first thing business owners fail to do when they are neck deep in running a business.

Naked Networking is part workbook, part helpful insights into how business owners can best utilize the power of networking on behalf of their business. The book leads business owners through a series of questions designed to help them analyze their own networking practices. Throughout the book, readers will find useful information and helpful hints.

Naked Networking is meant to be a quick read, not a comprehensive guide to networking. The book is packed with a lot of information and questions purposefully designed to produce results. Business owners will walk away with ways to see results when they network.

Naked Networking will be available for sale soon.

To learn more about this illustration and MORE, visit www.MedicalBillingFoundation.com