I won £50,000 of business from one networking event
Overview
Brickell says 98% of his business comes from networking. He once
won £50,000-worth of business just from attending one event. In
short, he is a super-networker.
How he does it
Brickell says networking opportunities come all the time. He
doesn't segregate his work and social life when it comes to meeting
new contacts. "It can be at the bus stop, a party, just meeting
somebody on the train." He advises anyone new to networking to know
what's going on in the world, so you have something to talk about.
"And be able to sum up your business in a colourful way." That
means peppering speech interesting anecdotes and talking with
passion. You also need to be yourself. "Naturalism is one of the
most attractive traits about people - and one of the most
underused."
But what's really key is taking the time to get to know someone -
finding out what makes them tick. "The more you get onto the
personal stuff, away from business, the more they will enjoy it and
the more you'll get out of it." It's about discovering the other
person's best bits, rather than just banging on about your own.
"Every single person has something about them that is interesting -
and they have a skill." And that's the bit that comes in
handy.
Brickell only tends to keep in touch with people he likes. He says
it's more valuable to leave a networking event with one or two
cards from people you really hit it off with, than 20 who will
forget you. He helps out the people in his network where he can,
referring them to each other. But he says not to expect anything in
return. "It puts pressure on people. If they like you, they'll help
you back."
Tips
"The secret of communication is in bringing the best out of the
other person."
Overview
Brickell says 98% of his business comes from networking. He once
won £50,000-worth of business just from attending one event. In
short, he is a super-networker.
How he does it
Brickell says networking opportunities come all the time. He
doesn't segregate his work and social life when it comes to meeting
new contacts. "It can be at the bus stop, a party, just meeting
somebody on the train." He advises anyone new to networking to know
what's going on in the world, so you have something to talk about.
"And be able to sum up your business in a colourful way." That
means peppering speech interesting anecdotes and talking with
passion. You also need to be yourself. "Naturalism is one of the
most attractive traits about people - and one of the most
underused."
But what's really key is taking the time to get to know someone
- finding out what makes them tick. "The more you get onto the
personal stuff, away from business, the more they will enjoy it and
the more you'll get out of it." It's about discovering the other
person's best bits, rather than just banging on about your own.
"Every single person has something about them that is interesting -
and they have a skill." And that's the bit that comes in handy.
Key lesson
Brickell only tends to keep in touch with people he likes. He
says it's more valuable to leave a networking event with one or two
cards from people you really hit it off with, than 20 who will
forget you. He helps out the people in his network where he can,
referring them to each other. But he says not to expect anything in
return. "It puts pressure on people. If they like you, they'll help
you back."
Top tips
"The secret of communication is in bringing the best out of the
other person."
Smarta Business Builder
To help you on your business journey, we've created Smarta Business Builder, the complete online
tools package for growing your business. Website
Builder, Business
Plans, Accounting
Software, Legal
Documents and Email - all in one place
- from just £20 per month with no contract! Try it out today.