Ravi Kikan
Ravi is a Mentor at MentorEdge ( A CIIE- IIM-A initiative), A Knowledge driven enterprise. He is a Growthhacker for Startups, Online Community Builder, Startup Connector and B2B Marketing Expert.
You Are The Face Of Your Startup
Networking! That’s the easiest and the best way to get you going to not just promote your product and services but also to shake hands to bring on some smarter alliances in your startup ecosystem.
It just doesn’t require an extrovert personality to network for your startup business, all it requires for you is to understand that it is the fastest way you can communicate with like-minded people.
It is also the fastest way to reach out to awesome people and in a soft but subtle way exchange your business pitches.
LinkedIn is also a great platform to network. Its like the online version of a startup meetup but more on a global scale.
So how to network for your startup like a rockstar ?
- Chill: Almost everyone is here for the same purpose. You aren’t the only one who is trying to be different or trying to shake hands. So take a deep breath and chill.
- Relax Repeat: You don’t have to be super hyper to get your point through. Most likely understand the vibes and the background of your audience whom you would meet in person or e-meet. Work that ways. Relax , you aren’t the first person who is doing this, you won’t be the last as well.
- Prepare what you are offering: Not many understand this. You have to softly but in a nice way also set your pitches right. Whether a networking event or e-meet a prospective client or investor you should in a precise way give or share what you can offer or how you can solve an issue or how you are the right person for that job. Being well mannered or well dressed and not prepared is a sure disaster. Also thinking that that the other person may be short of time and you better be precise and right is a sure shot towards getting things right.
- Act Fresh: That is one of the best keys to networking. All prepared all fresh and ready to wake up people around you BUT with in a genuine way. People don’t take a lot of time to see the fake cover up of hyper active personalities.Know your facts, revive conversations or start one with meaningful outcomes. When you are online interacting with someone please don’t bore that person, either talk like-minded or short.
- Follow-up on people: Important and Busy people need to be followed up both offline and online but in a nice and smart way. Not all the time people act pricey but sometimes they are genuinely caught up in their chores of life or in dumps of their own work. Give a brief recall and reference to continue the conversation and do follow up.
- Be Yourself: OH THERE IS A 6th TIP TOO 🙂 My personal favorite thing. Forget all the listed points above find out your best 5 points that you may be good at, go ahead and repeat, nothing wrong in doing your own thing right. Be yourself. Remember among the 1 billion plus, you are the only one of a kind, so be yourself.
I think and believe your startup is about you, so get your flavors in your networking whether e-meet or in person…people would remember you more than your products and services and later your products and services will also have the same kind of recall.
What do you think about this ? May I invite you to share your thoughts and insights on this.
Bon Voyage!
