Synopsis

When you attend networking functions, you’re potentially walking into a room full of business–but only if you can identify the behavior styles of the people there and react appropriately. Here are the four main networking behavioral styles.

* The go-getter: this is someone who is hustling, impatient, and results-oriented. They’re so focused they can appear aloof.

* The promoter is an active supporter of someone or something. These people are extremely social and outgoing.

* The nurturer provides care and protection. Nuturers are patient and good listeners. They make excellent team players but are risk-averse. They develop deep, strong networks.

* The examiner analyzes everything and everyone in detail, and asks a lot of questions. They need a lot of information and make decisions slowly. They tend to be emotionally reserved.

Understanding a person’s predominant behavioral style allows you to develop a stronger working relationship with potential networking partners.

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Brought to you by Networking Now.

Complete Transcript of Episode 454 –

Priscilla:

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Official BNI Podcast, brought to you by NetworkingNow.com, which is the leading site on the net for networking downloadables. I am Priscilla Rice, and I am coming to you from Live Oak Recording Studio in Berkeley, California. I am joined on the phone today by the Founder and the Chief Visionary Officer of BNI, Dr. Ivan Misner. Hello, Ivan. How are you and where are you?

Ivan:

Hi Priscilla. I am doing great. I just got back from our US National Conference in Cincinatti, Ohio. I just love going to conferences. I have been to now- we have had 22 years of conferences, so I have been to 50 or at least 60 conferences. I always learn something new, you know.

One of our core values is education and lifelong learning. I really recommend that people, whenever possible, go to association conferences or training programs because if you really want to sharpen your ax, it is important to participate. I always learn something from programs like that.

Priscilla:

Yeah, that is great.

Ivan:

It was great.

Priscilla:

Okay. Well, tell me a little bit about what this topic is about.

Ivan:

Well, I wrote a book a few years ago called Room Full of Referrals with Dr. Tony Alessandra and Dawn Lyons. It was a great book and I wanted to talk a little bit about the content that is in there. That is the behaviorial styles that you need to know when you are networking.

If you are listening to this podcast, you have to ask yourself if you have ever walked into a room full of people and thought, how am I ever going to make connections with these people? How can I ever build relationships with these people and get to know them?

I am sure you have. You probably have, Priscilla. I certainly have. As business people, we walk into rooms full of people all the time and we recognize these as ideal opportunities for relationships. If you don’t know how to effectively build those relationships in those situations, the opportunity is lost.

When you attend networking functions, you are potentially walking into a room full of business. However, you have to remember that networking is more about farming than it is about hunting, which means that you have to get to know the people that you want to build that professional relationship with?

With that in mind, how can you identify and react appropriately to the behavioral styles of others and have your behavioral style attract them in return?