Howard Meyer is our Chamber of Commerce member. When Howard polled the PRO membership, most of us claimed to be excellent networkers. Howard offered us a series of suggestions that would improve our networking effectiveness. Chambers of Commerce provide a resource for networking, strategic planning and educational opportunities to its members. Howard stated that you never know who you will meet in the Chamber that will take your business to the next level. Ken Dermer mentioned that he promotes his resource network as a value added benefit to his business.

Building a network of resources requires building trust that is not necessarily measured by how many cards are in your collection. You have to work to build trust, elevate yourself as a expert. Membership in PRO, a networking experience, can become an effective tool to grow your business. Your PRO card caddy give your instant access to the PRO network of trusted business referrals.

When networking, take the time to learn about your potential business contact, some of their personal details may be critical to understanding their business. Don’t monopolize the conversation. Use open ended questions that will start a discussion while minimizing your sales pitch. Make sure that you have an adequate supply of business cards on hand and follow through with a phone call or email to the people whose cards you collect. Be prepared to be able to say what type of contacts you are looking for and also keep an ear open to how you can help your contact with their business.

Remember Howard Meyer and the Skokie Chamber when you hear your associates mention that they are looking to expand their business