所謂“拓展人脈”，你是否犯了這些錯？

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.
拓展人脈是許多是許多小企業的重要工作。如果你沒有走出來去和同行業中的客戶、從業者以及領導者進行交流，那麼無論是你自己還是你的企業，都會受到發展上的制約。無論是小型公司會議、行業貿易展銷會或者各種不同形式的活動，你去拓展人脈的時候都應當保持專業與自信。

Are you networking successfully? Well, if you make any of these five networking mistakes, chances are you are not making the best first impression.
你拓展人脈的方式是否成功？哦，如果你犯過下列5個錯誤，那麼你很可能沒有給人留下好的第一印象。

1. Not Having Business Cards
沒有（紙質）商務名片

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.
我們已經在科技時代，沒有辦法在外面離開手機太久，也花費了更多的時間在手機而不是其他人身上，但是並不意味着虛擬商務名片已經完全取代了傳統的。當然，有無數的app軟件出現並提供可選的方式在網上分享聯繫信息，但是並不意外這紙質的商務名片已經丟失了他們的價值。

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.
傳統的商務名片在網絡上可以產生強有力的觸點來放大你的第一印象。並且，商務名片是相當專業和禮貌的官方專業裝備。商務名片的作用不僅僅是影響力，它也可以成爲你的品牌的強有力的一部分，並彰顯你的工作。

2. Using DIY Business Cards
自己搞了一張名片

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.
雖然沒有名片是拓展人脈的大忌，但是你自己倒騰出一張極不專業的名片嘗試一場災難。你可以買到那些打了孔的名片紙自己用打印機做名片，單着不意味着你就得這麼幹。即使你的設計水平不賴，但是大多數情況下你的成品會顯得不專業。

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.
商務名片並不貴，也有很多的優質服務項目可以提供設計模板還有合理價位的設計服務，所以沒有必要自己打印自己的商務名片。

3. Forgetting About Your Elevator Pitch
忽略了簡短的開場白

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.
拓展人脈，最終目的還是讓那些潛在客戶知道你的業務，但是拓展人脈的場合許多時候就是閃電約會。當一羣人在一起要勾三搭四的時候，你必須在最短的時間內讓別人知道你，留下好的第一印象。所以你需要準備好一個簡短的開場白，俗稱“電梯遊說”。

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.
一段簡短開場白是一到兩分鐘的演講，可以快速而簡短的介紹你的公司的業務，產品或服務。如果你目前還沒有這樣的準備，那麼趕緊寫一段吧。

4. Only Talking to People You Know
只和認識的人說話

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
記得在高中的時候我們都是怎麼挑選自己的小組，且極少加入到其他的團隊的呢？挑選我們所知道的可能可以幫助我們在年輕時倖存下來，但是這會讓我們的效率低下。

5. Neglecting to Follow Up
忽略後續工作

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 appropriate　follow up process after networking is vital.
雖然現實場合是我們爲建立人脈花時間精力最多的，但是成功的人脈拓展不應止步於此。事實上，往往是在會議後發生的事情才決定了建立人脈的成果。如果忽略了後續的跟進，你和你的業務也很快會被忘記。無論是通過電話，郵件，或者領英，恰當的後續跟進極爲重要。

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.
記住，拓展人脈的方式多種多樣 ——　本地的活動，全國級的會議，一對一的會面，甚至可以是網絡社羣。總之，能否充分利用各種人脈渠道，會決定你的事業是持續增長還是停滯不前。