Advertisers swear by the power of repetition. The more
familiar a customer is with your brand, the more credibility they attribute to
it. The first impression is designed to expose; subsequent impressions build
familiarity and comfort. Eventually, the repetition leads to assumed expertise.
When the time finally comes for conversion, the desired cumulative effect of
repetition is that your product is the first thing that comes to the customer’s
mind.
The same model holds true as it relates to business
networking. Yet in some ways even more is at stake. You may not be pitching a
multimillion dollar campaign, but you are trying to sell people on you. As a
small business owner, that equates to potential future earnings. If you come
across poorly – too arrogant, not confident, generally off-putting – you’re
digging yourself a hole.
Your goal, the first time you enter a room full of potential
contacts, is to let people know you exist. Who are you?
What do you do? Why are you there? You need to be consistent, engaging, and
positive. You are there to meet new people, but you also want them to find you
interesting. Leave a good impression. The second time you appear – preferably
at the next scheduled meeting – the intent is to build familiarity. Again,
consistency is critical. Who you are, what you do, and why you’re there should,
barring a few tweaks, be similar. Following that pattern and increasing the
positive impressions will lead to familiarity. The final step, while
maintaining that repetition, is to attain top-of-mind placement where you’re
known as an expert in your field.
Good business networking practices take time to master. But
repetition of good habits will ensure you take advantage of your opportunities.
What are some repetition strategies you employ to make the
most of business networking?
