#26: Go above and beyond the paper name tags you have to wear at many events. Be prepared with your own professional name tag, complete with company logo. They're inexpensive and stand out in a crowd. Have two or three made, and keep one in your car at all times.
#27: Name tags with magnet backs instead of pins are easier on your suits. Most promotional products companies can have them made for you.
#28: You really only need your first name (printed in big letters) on a name tag. Upon meeting you for the first time, people only need to concern themselves with your first name. If they're interested in meeting with you after your initial introduction, they'll find your last name on your business card.
#29: Name Tag Feng Shui: Place your name tag on your right side instead of your left. When you shake someone’s hand, your name will be closer to his eyes.
Join a networking and referral group like Local Business Network (LBN) or Business Networking International (BNI). This may also take the form of joining a local business association, rotary, or other similar group. Joining these groups offers you an opportunity to meet and network with other small-business owners in the spirit of bringing opportunity to one another. By getting to know your fellow entrepreneurs, you broaden your personal network—and therefore the value you bring to your prospects and clients through your ability to refer problemsolvers to them—while maintaining a finger on the pulse of the local market.
Tip: These groups can be wonderful sources of referrals, as well as training in the world of business-to-business relationship building.
Tip: Websites like Meetup.com and LinkedIn.com can also be a great source for meeting and networking with local entrepreneurs.
Know your neighbors. Especially in a retail environment, it is important that retailers work together to synchronize and support each other's activities. Likewise, the same can be true of strategic partners, where physical location isn't as important as reciprocal efforts. If you haven't taken the time to meet your neighbors (e.g., the businesses on your block, in your complex, in your part of town), you're missing out on a great opportunity. Building relationships with these folks will lead to the ability to refer business to them, as well as the opportunity to receive referred business from them.