You may be among the thousands who go to a networking event, collect lots of business cards and later can’t remember who 98% of these people are. Well, if you do not want to be among others’ 98%, you must become unforgettable during business networking, otherwise, you won’t be receiving follow up calls and you won’t be in the minds of potential customers or partners for future needs or referrals.

Here are 5 infallible tips to leave a positive mark when meeting people for business:

1. Make yourself stand out. A very nice suit, an original tie or a colorful piece of jewelry, can help you be noticeable in a good way. You do not want to be remembered just by the way you dress, but it can surely separate you from the crowd and make it easier to remember the rest of you. Make yourself a bit different from the rest in a stylish way.

2. Be present. Stay fully engaged and aware of the people around you. Pay attention when people talk, respond fast and intelligently and keep eye contact. These will come naturally if you are present in the moment, and you will certainly stand out, as most people are kind of disconnected, thinking about the past or the future.

3. Ask intelligent and caring questions. Questions like: How did you get started? Or, What do you enjoy most about what you do? are questions that show interest in the other person. However, the best questions are very specific to the person you are talking to, and will come up as you engage in a conversation with them. These will arise once you take genuine interest in others and their reality.

4. Highlight your keywords. People will mostly remember key aspects of you: name, company name, industry, product and location, thus, make these stand out during the conversation in a natural way. Tell them about the story behind your name or your company’s name, talk about something that happened close to your business, or the unexpected way in which you started your company. It can be anything, as long as it is interesting and reinforces your image in people’s minds.

5. Play a part in the group’s conversation. Don’t just say anything, respond or comment in an intelligent way and make yourself an important part of the conversation. Create value for others and you will create it for yourself.

Remember that you are your business, and the impression you give will impact it directly, thus, make it stand out and make it unforgettable!

1. If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention Meeting Wave as the original source). Have a great day!

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Rachel Clarkson
social networking