Networking is a major part of growing a small business. If you don't get out there to meet and mingle with your target audience, your peers and leaders in your industry, you are severely limiting possible growth opportunities for yourself and your business. Whether you are networking at small business conferences, industry trade shows or various types of events in between, it's important to present yourself professionally and confidently.
拓展人脉是很多是很多小企业的要紧工作。假如你没走出来去和同行业中的顾客、从业者与领导者进行交流，那样无论是你一个人还是你的企业，都会遭到进步上的制约。无论是小型公司会议、行业贸易展销会或者各种不同形式的活动，你去拓展人脉的时候都应当维持专业与自信。
Are you networking successfully? Well, if you make any of these five networking mistakes, chances are you are not making the best first impression.
你拓展人脉的方法是不是成功?哦，假如你犯过下列5个错误，那样你非常可能没给人留下好的第一印象。
1. Not Having Business Cards
没商务名片
We may be in the technology era where we never leave home without our smartphones and spend more time with our devices than other people, but that doesn't mean virtual business cards have replaced traditional ones. Sure, there are a myriad of apps out there that provide an alternative way to share contact information while networking, but that doesn't mean paper business cardshave lost their value.
大家已经在科技年代，没方法在外面离开手机太久，也花费了更多的时间在手机而不是别的人身上，但并不意味着虚拟商务名片已经完全取代了传统的。当然，有无数的app软件出现并提供可选的方法在网上推荐联系信息，但并不意料之外这纸质的商务名片已经丢失了他们的价值。
Trading physical business cards while networkingcan be a powerful touchpoint that can amplify your first impression. Plus, business cards are still expected and treated as the norm in many professional settings. Not to mention an effective business card can be a powerful part of your brand that makes your business memorable.
传统的商务名片在互联网上可以产生强有力的触点来放大你的第一印象。并且，商务名片是相当专业和礼貌的官方专业装备。商务名片有哪些用途不止是影响力，它也可以成为你的品牌的强有力的一部分，并彰显你的工作。
2. Using DIY Business Cards
自己搞了一张名片
While not having any business cards to hand out is a major networking mistake, having unprofessional business cards that you created yourself is even worse. Just because you can buy perforated business card paper that works in your printer does not mean you should. Even if your design skills are up to par, it is almost always obvious when a business card was not printed professionally.
虽然没名片是拓展人脉的大忌，但你一个人倒腾出一张极不专业的名片尝试一场灾难。你可以买到那些打了孔的名片纸自己用打印机做名片，单着不意味着你就得这么干。即便你的设计水平不赖，但大部分状况下你的成品会看上去不专业。
Business cards are very affordable, and there are many services that provide design templates and even custom design services for a reasonable fee, so there is no reason to print your own business cards.
商务名片并不贵，也有不少的优质服务项目可以提供设计模板还有合理价格的设计服务，所以没必要自己打印我们的商务名片。
3. Forgetting about Your Elevator Pitch
忽视了简短的开场白
Networking is all about getting your business in front of people that matter, but networking situations can often be a lot like speed dating. When there are a lot of people at an event who are interested in making the rounds to meet as many people as possible, you will have a very brief period of time to introduce yourself and make a great first impression. This is why you absolutely must have an elevator pitch.
拓展人脉，最后目的还是让那些潜在顾客了解你的业务，但拓展人脉的场所很多时候就是闪电约会。当一群人在一块要勾三搭四的时候，你需要在最短的时间内让其他人了解你，留下好的第一印象。所以你需要筹备好一个简短的开场白，俗称“电梯游说”。
An elevator pitch is one| to two|minute speech that provides a succinct overview of your business, products or services. The goal is to introduce yourself and your business quickly in a way that is both engaging and memorable. If you don't have one, you should write your elevator pitch today.
一段简短开场白是一到两分钟的演讲，可以迅速而简短的介绍你的企业的业务，商品或服务。假如你现在还没如此的筹备，那样快点写一段吧。
4. only Talking to People You Know
只和认识的人说话
Remember in high school how we all tended to stick with our groups, rarely venturing into other cliques? Sticking with what we knew may have helped us survive the teenage years, but it makes for very inefficient profession
记得在高中的时候大家都是如何挑选我们的小组，且极少加入到其他的团队的呢?挑选大家所了解的可能可以帮助大家在年轻时幸存下来，但这会让大家的效率低下。
5. Neglecting to Follow Up
忽视后续工作
While the actual event is the part of networking that usually consumes most of our time and energy, successful networking doesn't end there. In fact, it's what happens after an event that can determine the success of your networking efforts. If you don't follow up with new contacts you meet during the event, you and your business will probably be quickly forgotten. Whether you follow up by phone, through email or by adding people you met as connections on linkedIn, an appropriatefollow up process after networking is vital.
虽然现实场所是大家为打造人脉花时间精力最多的，但成功的人脉拓展不应止步于此。事实上，总是是在会议后发生的事情才决定了打造人脉的成就。假如忽视了后续的跟进，你和你的业务也非常快会被忘记。无论是通过电话，邮件，或者领英，适合的后续跟进极为要紧。
Keep in mind that networking can take many forms || local events, national conferences, one|on|one meet ups and even online groups and communities. Being open to many kinds of networking opportunities can make the difference between sustained business growth and stagnation.
记住，拓展人脉的方法多种多样 ——当地的活动，全国级的会议，一对一的会面，甚至可以是互联网社群。总之，能否充分借助各种人脉途径，会决定你的事业是持续增长还是停滞不前。
（编辑：何莹莹）
