Networking can be a useful tool for most businesses, unfortunately many of them do not do it well. Networking has a lot to do with sales but has nothing to do with selling. Try selling at a networking event and you will fail. It is about building relationships and trust.
There is one simple thing you need to do to make networking effective – work at it. Too many people turn up at networking events without having a clear idea of why they are there. Below are seven key points:
- Have a clear goal and that should not be about sales, it should be about building relationships. So, it might be to meet two new people or to speak to specific people.
- Try different events to find the ones that work the best for you.
- Don’t just talk to the people you already know, make a point of talking to people you don’t know.
- Have a clear understanding of what you do and be able to articulate this well. If you do lots of things, select one or two that you think will be applicable to the people you are likely to meet and stick to those.
- Be helpful. Provide people with useful information, business tips and referrals. They will remember you and see you as a person to turn to for advice. This will keep you in their minds, so they are more likely to refer you to other people.
- Follow up afterwards with a short friendly message. Not a sales pitch.
- Make sure you take your business cards or have the digital equivalent. They should be high-quality and have relevant, up to date information on them. Obvious, but you would be surprised by how many people fail in this area.
To amplify on point 4, you are often asked to give a ‘pitch’ that is no more than a set time which could be 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes or, more dangerously, no time limit. In that last situation do not waffle and keep it short to avoid boring people. Prepare and practice your pitch beforehand and have different ones for the different time limits. Do not go over the limit, it is disrespectful to others in the room and shows that you do not fully understand your business. If you understand the key drivers of success, then you can say the most important thing in less than 30 seconds. And do not say “I have several hats can I have longer”. You are not special so my answer would be no. Choose the most important one for that occasion and stick to it.
For some more great tips on networking and other presentations check out Trevor Lee’s book 7 Steps to Successful Presentations.
If you want to try some networking in the South West or online use this link for a free 30-day trial to Your Partnerships.
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