At Axess2, we deal with various kinds of elevators, so it won’t come as a surprise to find that we’re not just about home lifts; we also specialise in commercial solutions and the like. When we say ‘commercial’, that certainly means providing lifts for business establishments of varying kinds, and we know what many of the entrepreneurs out there will be thinking at this point: ‘lifts are a great place to network’. Whilst it’s true that you can corner some promising networking opportunities in a handy lift, it’s not always good practice to do so, as you can come across as overbearing. It’s not an impossibility though, so here are some of our tips to help you get your ‘lift networking’ right…
Always Take Notice
Never just pounce upon a person in a lift. If there’s an ongoing conversation, see if it’s about work before you leap in with both feet. Take notice of the situation, and look for natural opportunities to get involved in a conversation, but don’t be so overeager that things become awkward.
Make an Introduction
If a person does choose to respond to your overture, then introduce yourself and your work. Once again, it’s about keeping things natural; if you’ve just asked about their work, then it’s pretty easy to lead into talking about what you do. Keep things casual though; you don’t want to seem too intense.
Find Common Ground
Just like taking notice, you should be trying to find common ground. If you notice they’re visiting a floor that you know, make a comment. If you see them eating lunch from a branded bag that you recognise, make a relevant remark. This’ll obviously be easier when you’ve started a conversation.
Know When to Quit
Do take note of a person’s connections if you manage to identify them, and by all means invite them to visit your office in future if they’ve shown interest, but, above all, remember to draw a line under your networking too. Express your enjoyment at speaking to them, hand them a business card and leave it at that. Don’t attach yourself to them and chase them down the corridor. Just don’t.
It’s fair to say that using a lift to network is a delicate balancing act, but, when you keep your wits about you, you can use such a chance meeting to benefit your business. However, whether you choose to network in them or simply use them to travel between floors, Axess2 can provide all of the lifts that your business will ever need, and that’s a promise. To find out more, contact us today by calling 01200 405 005 or email info@axess2.co.uk and we’ll be happy to help.