Seven Networking No-Nos

Large-scale networking events can help you bolster your Rolodex and make connections that can land you a wealth of new contacts, connections and clients.

Coming across as both professional and engaging to those new contacts, however, isn't as simple as it may seem.

More from Yahoo! Finance:

• Questions to Ask at a Job Interview

• Lawyers Who Charge $1,000 Per Hour

• Jobs You Never Knew Were So Dangerous
Visit the Career & Work Center

"It takes about 200 times the information to undo a first impression than it takes to make one," says Devora Zack, author of "Networking for People Who Hate Networking," and president of Only Connect Consulting, a career consulting firm in Washington, D.C. Landing new clients or investors at an event requires more than just a pulled-together pitch and some original ideas.

It might seem like a lot of pressure, but remembering the things you shouldn't do may help make networking a bit easier. Here are seven of networking's biggest no-no's:

1. Don't arrive late

To make things easier on yourself, time your arrival so you can maximize the interactions you're most interested in having.

"Especially for people who typically shy away from networking, the inclination is to arrive on the later side," says Ms. Zack. "The opposite is a much better strategy. Being the first person there, it's calmer, laid back, and people haven't yet settled into groups. You won't feel like there's no one to talk to."

[More from WSJ.com: Business Lessons From the Beatles]

2. Don't just stand there

This is not the time to wait around for people to approach you. You need to work the room -- even if you're on the shy side. There are ways to step outside your comfort zone and avoid awkwardness.

Start off by asking questions, Ms. Zack suggests. And don't worry about impressing the person you're speaking with -- just act naturally.

"Many people think they're bad at networking," she says. The key is to work with, rather than fight against, your natural communication style. That way, "what were liabilities become your greatest strengths," she says.

3. Don't feel like you need to talk to everyone

As a budding business owner or executive, you might enter a networking event with a "more the merrier" mentality when it comes to making new connections. However, it might be advantageous to take a "less is more" stance instead.

[More from WSJ.com: The Lowdown on Business-Plan Competitions]

"It's better to meet fewer people and create a deeper, lasting connection than simply talking to everyone in the room," Ms. Zack says.

Instead of going to a networking event and grabbing 40 business cards in two hours, speak with fewer people for a longer period of time. Give each person you talk to at least five minutes to get to know you -- and you them -- before you move on, she advises.

This way, you'll leave networking events energized by new, true connections rather than tuckered out from meeting too many people.

4. Don't come unprepared

Once a new contact tells you what they're specifically looking for in terms of products or services, you need to be ready to tell them how your specific experience lines up with their needs.

Your goal isn't to hard-sell them right then and there -- instead, it should be to get them interested in you and what you have to offer. To do that, you need to be prepared with an understanding of what everyone from an investor to a potential client will need, and be armed with the most relevant, useful information to show that you have a solution that works for them.

[More from WSJ.com: Senate Takes Up Patent Reform]

What's "useful," you ask? Results. "Don't stand there and tell them what you do, tell them what results you get," says business coach Craig Jennings in New York. "Have examples of a situation, a problem and a solution that you can say in two breaths." Also, keep in mind that what an investor might find useful is likely different than what a customer wants to hear -- so having a mental catalog of a wealth of your previous experiences will help you fill all kinds of niches.

5. Don't forget the big picture

The bottom line is that, once you leave a networking event, you want the contacts and connections you've made to follow up with you and your services in the future.

"You should know your production and delivery capabilities, and be able to set a realistic expectation for potential customers," says Frank Dadah, general manager of financial contracts with Winter Wyman, a Boston staffing firm. You're trying to maintain the image of your company, and if you're not prepared to answer detailed questions that cover the ins and outs of what you have to offer, or if you can't offer it to them in a timely manner, they'll move on -- fast -- to someone who can.

6. Don't try to multitask

Within the first few minutes of meeting someone new, you probably don't whip out a notebook to write down what they're saying -- and that should be a rule for networking events, as well. Instead of being distracted by a pen and paper, focus intently on the conversation you're having. After you've grabbed a business card and stepped away, jot down a few things that will help you jog your memory when you follow up with them later.

7. Don't forget to follow up

"If you're not following up, you're not networking," says Ms. Zack. "You should stay in touch, without thinking about what you'll get out of the relationship."

Within 48 hours of your first meeting, you should email a note that pinpoints the most important parts of your earlier conversation, so your contact remembers who you are specifically. A timely turnaround will show that you're both interested and available to continue the conversation.

"Send them a link to a project you discussed, or ask them how the game they were going to that night ended up," advises Ms. Zack. "Give them something that is useful to them."

Write to Kelly Eggers at kelly.eggers@dowjones.com

業績衝天 路易威登品牌價值6連霸

【聯合報╱記者顏甫珉／台北報導】

2011.05.10 08:34 am


全球精品業績去年創下歷史新高，預估大陸市場今年仍將成長超過百分之廿五，圖為上海LV門口擠滿民眾等候排隊血拚。
（法新社資料照片）

年度全球「百大品牌」（BrandZ Top 100)調查榜排名第廿六的路易威登（Louis Vuitton），已是連續六年蟬聯全球最有價值的精品品牌第一名，身價超過兩百四十三億元，較二○一○年成長百分之廿三，幾乎是愛馬仕（Hermes）、古馳（Gucci）和香奈兒（Chanel）加總起來的價值。

負責這份報告的Millward Brown Optimor主管皮爾遜（Cristiana Pearson）表示，在巴西、俄羅斯、印度和中國等開發中國家，擁有LV品牌產品，就象徵著身份地位，所以需求增加快速。

無獨有偶的，全球知名調查公司貝恩與歐洲知名奢侈品協會Fondazione Altagamma，昨天共同發表的二○一○至二○一一精品調查報告中指出，二○一○年精品銷售額高達兩千兩百七十億美元（約六兆五千餘億台幣），今年更上看兩千六百五十億美元。今年預估大陸市場將成長百分之二十五、美國提升百分之八。

就現實面來看，LV今年春夏用濃厚的中國風味席捲全球，在大陸服裝賣到缺貨，也帶給西方時尚界耳目一新，LOEWE在巴黎秀結束後一個月內，立刻到北京舉辦同樣大秀。報告中也提出，大陸市場五年內對精品需求量仍持續高成長，同時吸引更多業者往二、三線城市拓點，其中珠寶、手表將高速成長。

該報告也預測未來精品行業三大趨勢，包括大者恆大、在地化精品與銷售方式多樣化。由今年路易威登集團宣布併購寶格麗等事件看來，未來精品集團化現象將更明顯，大集團將收購更多小而有潛力的品牌，藉此壯大集團架構與聲勢。

過去以歐美消費者需求為導向的精品品牌，商品也必須因應不同地區多元文化而改變，並迫使部份品牌走出歐洲。包括PRADA日前宣佈在香港成立設計工作室，並為北京舉辦專屬春夏秀，設計元素也偏向亞洲，便是一例。

報復美國 巴基斯坦走漏情資

聯合晚報╱編譯彭淮棟/綜合報導】

2011.05.10 03:22 pm


巴基斯坦情報單位上周對媒體走漏美國中央情報局 (CIA)駐巴基斯坦站長的身分，以報復美國突擊隊入境襲殺賓拉丹，但美國9日表示沒有召回該名人員的計畫。

美國官員表示，巴基斯坦三軍情報局 (ISI)走漏的站長姓名不正確。同時，官員說，ISI玩這一招，是想轉移注意力。美國要求巴基斯坦政府解釋，天下頭號通緝犯賓拉丹憑什麼在巴基斯坦最大的軍官學校咫尺之地安身五年之久。

即使在襲殺賓拉丹以前，CIA和ISI之間就已充滿猜疑，賓拉丹只是使緊張關係全面曝光。

巴基斯坦各界痛斥軍方和情報單位未能阻止美國突擊隊混進巴基斯坦作案，美國官員則說不敢事先告知巴基斯坦，怕有人給賓拉丹通風報信。突擊隊使用隱密直升機躲過雷達偵測，則突顯巴國軍隊無能。

做掉賓拉丹，並且得知他在「巴基斯坦的西點軍校」近旁生活五年之後，歐巴馬明白表示巴基斯坦政府一定有人支援賓拉丹，美國要求找ISI幹員說話，並且要求接觸賓拉丹的妻子，以便調查這些年來誰在保庇賓拉丹。

巴基斯坦一家民間電視台和一家報紙上周相繼公布CIA駐伊斯蘭馬巴德站的身分，表示公布的是其人的真實姓名。

熟悉內情的兩位美國官員表示，被公布的姓名是錯的，因此沒有必要召回那名人員。

包括ISI在內的巴基斯坦政府單位以類似手法給美國和CIA下馬威，上次曾經如願。

2008年11月，巴基斯坦好戰分子在印度的孟買襲擊一處猶太中心和其他平民目標，遇害美國人的家屬在美國興訟，ISI 及其一些幹員名列被告，巴基斯坦媒體就公布當時的CIA伊斯蘭馬巴德站長姓名，美國被迫將他召回。

【2011/05/10 聯合晚報】@ http://udn.com/