"Last night I attended the Oregon Chapter meeting for the National Speaker's Assoc. Each person I met had a smile on their face, and consequently "sounded" like they had a smile in their voice. These professional speakers plan, prepare and practice their thoughts and words, so they sound polished and professional, yet natural and confident when they speak one-on-one or to a group."

Preparation through Practice Produces Prosperity. Focus on how you can help people grow and growth will come to you.

Whatever “technique” you employ to communicate should be comfortable to you. Assimilate the ideas, thoughts and methods you read here, but above all be you. Measure and experiment, networking is a never ending learning process.

Two eyes, Two ears, one mouth. Eye Contact, Listen, speak to question and clarify. People will want to talk to you and establish relationships.

Lauren, - Thanks for starting this thread.

This was absolutely outstanding. Ilse has gained a fan. I look forward to reading her book.

Judy Dunn had some great comments. When someone starts to talk to me, rushing through their spiel while shoving their business card up my nose, I put it in the “probably not” pocket for appropriate disposal when I get home.

Judy, The real name is Chuck.
I see a lot of people that are unprepared, think that a networking does not work because they are unprepared,, and leave with a bad feeling about networking. Therefore those that go to networking events and wing it lose sight of the real purpose of networking: to build business relationships, either direct or indirect.

I totally agree with everything you say:

"Yes, you do need to know exactly who you are, what you offer and who your ideal customer or niche market is. And your core message does need to stay the same. That's a great place to start."

Listening is the key and I agree.

"you do need to know exactly who you are, what you offer and who your ideal customer or niche market is. And your core message does need to stay the same."

"It took me some time to reach the point of being able to tune in, think on my feet and truly communicate in authentic ways"

It took some time for me to be able to do this also, introvert that I am, but with input from good examples like you and this forum. I learned.

Thanks

CHUCK

The type of networking event, the organization of the event and the physical layout of the room or rooms have a direct bearing on how you communicate with the other attendees. You need to know the type of networking event to be able to prepare before the event so you can act accordingly at the event. Having a basic message is imperative to gain the first good impression. Spontaneous speechs often lead to spontaneous combustion. Making that well rehearsed message sound natural takes work. Consistency is required so people know who you are and what you do. Getting to know someone after that initial good contact is necessary to give referrals based on trust. As Bob Burg says in "Endless Referrals", we do business with those we know, like and trust. If you are too busy trying to figure out what to say spontaneously, you are not listening. Listening is key to getting to know someone and focusing on how you can help them, learn about them and determine whether or not you can trust them enough to refer someone to them. Preparation, then, is necessary if you are serious about consistently good results from your network marketing efforts. Focus on the other person and you will benefit greatly.