Networking Self Test
What's Your Networking Style?

Are you ready to develop more confidence when networking, expand your contact database, and offer your services more effectively? Discover what networking style best suits you and gain invaluable tips to enhance your abilities to find, grow, and keep powerful business relationships.

Choose one response for each question. Based on your answers, you will determine how well you network, what areas you are doing well in, and where you can improve.

Make networking an enjoyable experience. We'll help you get started.

1. Networking makes you:
Extremely uncomfortable and nervous.
Think of other activities, like organizing client files.
Think of work. I only network when it is required of me.
Think of enjoyable things like being a giver, personal growth, and business success.

2. After meeting potential clients:
Their contact information seems to disappear.
I tend to get them mixed up with others I've met.
I jot down their information, put it in my pocket, and forget about it.
I write down all their information and file it as soon as I get back to the office, or enter it into my PDA on the spot.

3. What do you know about your top five customers?
Whatever our contract specifies.
Enough information to get by until our work is complete.
Their history, current business status, and future outlook.
I know them so well I consider them business partners and friends.

4. When you go to a networking event, what do you do?
Find some literature and become engrossed in reading it.
Only talk to people I know.
Speak when spoken to.
Make it a point to meet a few new contacts I can learn from and make myself available as a resource.

5. When you become a member of a professional organization, what do you do?
Nothing. I join just to put it on my resume.
Read their magazine and promise myself I'll get involved, yet never do.
Interact with the people I know at events.
I volunteer so I can build stronger connections with the organization.

6. How do you start a conversation with people who are sitting next to you at a business lunch?
Concentrate on eating to avoid them.
I look for an ice breaker in hopes of getting the conversation going.
I talk about everyday things like the weather, sports, and gas prices.
I ask them about themselves and tell them who I am with my "30-second opener," if they inquire.

7. After you meet someone at a business event, how do you follow up?
I think to myself, "They'll probably never remember me," and throw out their card.
I relentlessly call them until I can give them my pitch.
I send them our standard company form letter with a card attached and maybe follow up with a phone call.
I send them a handwritten note or personalized email and follow up with a phone call with a specific idea that may be of interest to them.

8. Your remote office is the Starbucks down the street. When you get there, you:
Read a magazine or newspaper and avoid interacting with people.
Make business calls on my cell phone and ignore everyone around me.
Walk around and drop my business card in front of people.
Strike up a conversation with someone who seems open to talking.

9. At the next family event you:
Find an excuse not to attend.
Go only if I need something from a relative.
Wear my company pin in hopes that someone will ask me what I do.
Talk, have a good time, and stay alert to opportunities that may come up.

10. What will you do with your business cards at the next networking event?
Leave them in peculiar places, such as the lobby or bathroom in hopes that someone will take one.
Randomly introduce myself to people, shove one in their hand, and walk off.
Make sure everyone I talk to gets at least one.
Give them out when asked or after I've made a solid connection.

11. If your networking style could be equated to a season, what would it be?
Winter. Leave me alone because I'm in hibernation.
Fall. I'm sometimes warm and sometimes cold.
Spring. I'm starting to warm up to the idea of networking.
All year. I enjoy networking constantly.

12. When you get a good referral for business that you cannot use, what do you do?
Throw it out.
Let it age in my briefcase.
Call the referral to see if there is anything else I might help them with.
Call the referral and if I cannot help, find a trusted associate who can.

13. You go to an appointment and have an hour wait. What do you do?
Wait in the car until five minutes before my designated time.
Bury myself in a magazine and try to ignore the people around me.
Talk with the receptionist.
Strike up a friendly conversation with those sitting around me and find a way to connect with them.

14. If you were a product on the shelf of a networking superstore, what would happen?
I'd be in the stock room and not available for networking.
Only a few people would be interested since I only network well with certain personality types.
I would probably be a good middle-of-the-road product, though not necessarily the best.
I'd be sold out. People would always want me because I put relationships first and network with integrity.

15. When your supervisor approaches you about participating in an industry organization, you:
Sign up but don't attend any events.
Go to events and leave without making any contacts.
Participate in events I think would be beneficial to my professional growth.
Become an active participant: volunteer as a greeter, presenter, or writer for their trade publication.

16. You're talking to a colleague at a sales meeting and you see people moving towards you. What do you do?
Avoid eye contact in hopes that they won't approach me.
Put on my best fake smile and stick my arm straight out to shake their hand.
Continue to talk with my colleague and widen our circle so they can join in.
Give a pleasant smile and welcome them into the conversation.

17. When you think of clients, what comes to mind?
Problems
Sales
Relationships
Advocates

18. What is your networking "education level"?
Grammar school. I'm still learning the basics.
High School. I have some experience, yet I'm not ready for the world.
College. I can network with confidence in most situations.
Doctorate. I am an expert and feel comfortable networking all the time.

19. When considering your body language at a networking event, you:
Are not aware of it.
Mimic the body language of the person I am speaking with.
Project that I'm a really down-to-earth person.
Have good posture, smile, and project a positive image.

20. In a conversation with a potential client, you try to:
Make sure all of my points come across repeatedly to the other person.
Use their points to get back to what I was talking about.
Listen and speak in equal amounts.
Remember that I have two ears and one mouth, so I listen more than I speak.