Marketing and Branding Blog | SilkCards

Once you learn how to make a strong impression on prospects, networking opportunities are everywhere.

Many people associate networking with very specific professional functions, such as conferences or “networking events.” What they don’t realize is that an unassuming event like a happy hour with friends can be as good an opportunity to meet new contacts as the annual industry meetup.

If the idea of networking somewhere informal sounds awful, you might want to reassess how you network; it isn’t always about polish and salesmanship — you want to make connections that matter. Here are five tips to stack the odds in your favor:

Every time you hand your business card out, you’re giving someone something to remember you by. How they remember you — as someone serious or light hearted, flaky or reliable, an industry veteran or a bold disruptor — depends on what your business card looks and feels like.

Even the simplest things can color someone’s memory and judgement. If your card is completely non-descript or has a small typo, they might think about you as someone forgettable or without a good grasp of the details. On the other hand, if your card is uniquely designed to reflect your personal style, it might just be enough to get that person to pick up the phone and work with you.

In this blog post we’ll look at five aspects of card design and how the decisions you make about each one can impact what your business card says about you.

It takes three seconds for people to develop an impression—three seconds to decide whether or not they think you and your business is a suitable match for them. Whether you’re trying to gain the trust of a prospective customer or are hoping to make a good impression at your first client meeting, you have a brief window to sway their opinions for the better. As daunting as that may seem, a few small tricks will make those three seconds the best they can be.

Networking is a highly effective way to build relationships for your company. Not only can it help you find new clients, but you may also meet new business partners or others who can help you grow your enterprise. It can open a tremendous amount of opportunities to you, and for most professionals today, it is necessary in order to succeed.

Networking is essential for your business to reach its full potential. Effective networking allows you to cultivate long-lasting relationships and is a low-cost way to build your brand. Your network can be an important source of referrals, new employees and potential business partners. Key influencers in your network can also help your business reach a wider market.

There are times in every attorney’s career when they will benefit from referrals from other professionals. Any attorney will occasionally receive calls from clients whose needs are beyond their range of expertise, and these clients may be referred to you if you take the time to build your referral network. Once you’ve implemented these three tips to build relationships and grow your referral network, you will find your professional standing growing right along with your list of clients.

Real estate is often a social industry with much business done through referrals and networking. Often, word of mouth has the highest closing ratio of any other lead generation efforts, yet the effort can be daunting. However, the positive reputation spread through word of mouth is easier to capitalize on when other real estate agents are involved.

Networking is an art in itself. When most people think of networking, they imagine a group of people in business suits passing out business cards in one hand while holding a cocktail in the other. That may be one type, but what about those more informal networking situations such as a friend's party or community event?

There are a number of reasons to go to a tattoo convention, exposure and networking being just a few of them, yet some tattoo artists may be reluctant to commit to going. The obvious reasons may have to do with the associated costs of travel, food, and fees associated with the convention. For some there may be the intimidation factor in meeting a variety of new people, and there may be a reluctance to move outside one's comfort zone.

With the rise in technology, the sales funnel has been improved significantly. For one to make a sale, there are various processes to follow and sales collateral to be employed.