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Wednesday 13 July 2011

KARREN BRADY'S GOLDEN RULES OF NETWORKING IN BUSINESS


I was lucky enough to attend a blogger event with Karren Brady at the beautiful Soho Hotel. Read on for some inspiring tips and hints from this one-woman business machine!

Karren Brady has shared some of the secrets to her success in a collaborative new campaign with cosmetics company Avon, to help guide women to achieve in business. Avon mentor, Karren has worked together with Avon’s most experienced and successful independent Representatives to draw up Avon’s Golden Rules of Networking in Business, capturing and sharing ‘must-dos’ when it comes to networking in business today.

The campaign, launched in Avon’s 125th year, sees the global beauty giant and original social network reinforce its commitment to improving the lives of women across the globe. With 6.5 million active Avon Representatives around the world, the beauty giant now facilitates one of the largest global networks of entrepreneurial women, all with a wealth of insight to share on how to tap into networking opportunities.

Karren, along with some of the UK’s most dynamic independent Avon Representatives, has taken the time to share their hard-earned insights in a short video version of the Golden Rules to be posted on YouTube, making them accessible to women worldwide.

Extending its help to women even further, Avon has shared the Golden Rules with bloggers and industry bodies such as the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the Direct Selling Association (DSA).

Karren Brady comments: “I’ve been an Avon mentor for over a year now and have truly been inspired by the talented Avon Representatives I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. I realised there was a huge wealth of knowledge within these business women that could be tapped into and shared. Networking and contact building have been crucial to my career and with increased competition in the job market it’s never been more relevant for women to identify and leverage relationships that may help them succeed in business.”

Avon Representative Baljinder Kaur Kanwal also explained how she works: “As well as running my own Avon business I work full time in financial services, which gives me a great opportunity to build my network of Avon customers. I find I’m always networking, whether chatting to colleagues about Avon in my lunch break or leaving samples in the ladies’ room with my card attached. There are now so many ways to network, both online and face-to-face – it feels like the potential to grow my customer base is almost unlimited.”

Avon’s Golden Rules to Business Networking – Compiled with Karren Brady

1. Live by the “three feet” rule
Talk to anyone that comes within three feet of you – whether you’re at the school gates, the bank, out shopping. There are thousands of potential customers or recruits out there that don’t know what they are missing

2. Use your fingers
Twitter is a great way to communicate with customers and potential customers about e.g. sale items and exciting new products as more and more people now use Smartphones and want to receive information at the touch of a button. Don’t forget to invite your customers to sign up

3. Spread the word
Giving away simple tips and sharing knowledge is the key to successful networking. Supply a great training schedule or a fantastic service and people will be inspired to talk about you and recommend your business services – the term networking is just another word for sharing

4. Embrace new ideas
Lots of people are afraid of the internet and new technology because they have little or no knowledge of it but the best thing is to jump in, get online and start learning. Be ready to give your ideas to anyone that is willing to listen – from basics to uploading and downloading of videos to blogging, creating newsletter, websites and other innovative ideas that reflect you as a business woman

5. If at first you don’t succeed…
Success in business is often a numbers game – a lot of people won’t listen to your ideas and you will be rejected, but the more people you speak to the more potential clients you find

6. Fortune is in the follow up
Never neglect a lead and never be shy about calling on a contact who can help you.

7. Approach digital as you would anything else
When networking through social media, maintain the same approach and apply what you have already learnt from face-to-face networking into this new environment. The same skills apply online as offline.

8. Apply the three minute speed dating maxim
At a social or business gathering, try and speak to each person for at least three minutes before politely moving on to talk to someone else. That way you make sure you won’t miss out on any potential new contacts that could help boost your business.

9. Follow the crowd
Facebook can be a really useful tool; the networking potential is unlimited and offers the opportunity to reach new clients. Start a group, set up a business page, post reviews, videos, photos and written collateral and engage more people with less legwork.

10. Be a networkee
The old adage of “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” still holds strong. If you are active in facilitating relationships between people you’ll soon reap the benefits when it comes to calling in a favour like a request for an introduction to a useful contact.

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