10 Ways To Develop Confidence In New Situations

ummary: Very few people are at ease striking up a conversation in a room full of strangers. Here are some simple ways to make network meetings more productive and more fun.

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Do you enjoy one-on-one networking, however, the thought of walking into room full of people you don't know horrifies you?

You're not alone. Yes, even a social butterfly, President of the Social Committee in High School and avid networker knows how you feel. Here are some of my tricks. And they have all worked!

• A great way to network at a conference is to volunteer at the registration desk. Why? You get to say hello to everyone who registers in your line and everyone who registers gets to see you behind the registration table. At the event, you'll feel more comfortable talking with people because you've "met" them already. And if those aren't enough benefits, people will "recognize you" from the registration desk, and be more likely to come talk with you.

• Once you join a new group, ask the Chairperson what volunteer opportunities are available. Take on a small or large task, based on what you like to do and/or do something that may quietly help you market your business.

• If you teach a class or speak, go into the room early. Get a feel for it, change it around if need be, and greet everyone who walks in with a big "hello my name is ...". Bring name tags or recycle the tops of old manila folders, have each person put their name on it, and put it on the table in front of them.

• When you are planning to attend a meeting for the first time, call up whomever you can from the organization. Ask them if you can meet them at the meeting. Then you'll "know" someone that you can look for when you arrive.

• Carry a nametag in your glove compartment. Make one for personal use, another for business use. Then people will feel more comfortable walking up to you in meetings.

• Put your notes on the back of duplicates of pictures (photography) you've taken. Then they won't stick out so much from the podium (like white paper or index cards do.)

• Practice some opening lines and your handshake before you attend the event. Practice using a mirror and ask your family to let you practice on them, too.

• Develop two a 30-second commercials (also called elevator speeches, USP - unique selling propositions). One is for personal use, and the other would be for business use. On a recent telelclass I attended, provided by Jay Levinson of Guerrilla Marketing fame, suggested creating a 7 word commercial, too.

• Remember that everyone in that room is a human being, too. Everyone has their own fears to deal with... and they might even be the same as yours.

• Find other ways to build your confidence, too. Email me the ones that work for

Facebook & Twitter For Businesses

Every month two Social Media giants grow significantly: Facebook and Twitter. Nearly every adult and countless businesses have a Twitter or Facebook page, or both. Utilizing these powerful social tools will help businesses expand their presence on the web and draw more traffic.

With Facebook, businesses may create a "fan" page and connect with people. An option to post status updates allows the business page to quickly broadcast a short message to fans. When new fans click the "like" button to connect to and follow a business page, that activity will show in all of their connections' activity feeds. In essence, when one fan joins the business page and in turn their friends see that activity, many more will likely join or be curious enough to visit the page. Keeping these ideas in mind, it is important to create a very attractive Facebook homepage. The "info" tab will allow the option to write a detailed paragraph about the company. Keep the information short, concise and informative. Be sure to communicate the nature of the business and why it should be trusted.

Twitter is a very simple but powerful tool, focusing only on status updates. Each user posts an update, or "tweet" as they are referred to in the Twitter community. Tweets are very short messages designed to communicate important news about the user. Users may choose to follow other users and receive their tweets. Unlike Facebook a Twitter homepage will only consist of updates with minimal homepage information.

When Facebook and Twitter friends feel a business is worth mentioning, they will tell their friends via tweets or suggestion tools. Here are a few ways to expand web presence by impressing fans and followers:

1. Post daily status updates that are worded to captivate attention. If fans see continual information from a business being posted, they will become more familiar with the business and remember it.

2. Seek interaction with fans and followers by asking for feedback. Everyone wants to be heard and share his or her opinion. Clients and customers will choose a business, which values their opinions over one that simply keeps communication one-way.

3. Offer exclusive rewards for fans and followers via status updates, but make sure the reward will benefit the business also. For example, instead of simply offering a reward to the first customer who replies, offer a reward or discount voucher for the first fan who refers 20 new fans. Be sure to emphasize that these offers are only for Facebook and Twitter fans. Also mention on the company's landing page of the home website that phenomenal exclusive offers exist for Facebook and Twitter fans. Convenient Facebook and Twitter connection buttons are available to install with this text, giving fans an easy one-click option to connect.

4. Keep the readers engaged by replying to their comments and discussions. On Facebook, discussion boards are an excellent way to interact regularly with clients. Conversation is key to good client relations; in turn good client relations will result in beneficial referrals for the company. what the eventual outcomes could be.