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Saturday, September 4, 2010

Building Your Network

Read Wide : wether it is reading the New York Times and/or Wall Street Journal, reading creditable blogs on an assortment of topics, or researching the background on someone's latest twitter feed; reading up on a large amount of subjects and current events can help you relate to a larger amount of people/clients.

Write Narrow: Stick to writing about your own experiences and or topics of expertise. This does not mean that you shouldn't incorporate some of the knowledge you learned while reading wide if its applicable, just don't discuss an issue in depth or state an opinion on a topic in which you have a minimal or one sided knowledge on. You run the risk of sounding ignorant and or misinformed by possible clients and those who can help you network.

Attend Conferences: Wether it is related to Design or not, attending conferences or workshops of differing fields can help you to spread your reach across many different professions and trades. You never know what opportunities will come your way, so try not to be to narrow minded when meeting new professionals. Be sure to ARRIVE EARLY and STAY LATE. These are the best times to network. Don't be afraid to spark conversation, because almost everyone there is looking to do the same thing as you.... NETWORK!

Meeting New People is key in a field where exposure is directly linked to obtaining clients.


SUCCESSFUL NETWORKING MEANS BEING PREPARED

- Always have business cards on hand

-Have a short elevator pitch about what you do and who you are (around 30 sec)

-Have a long elevator pitch (around 10 min)

-Have a digital version of your work or portfolio on a smart phone that you can quickly show

-Altruism: don't be selfish or self-seeking, but be willing to help others in their search for clients. They will be sure to return the favor.

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