Attending networking events will be an ongoing process for your marketing plan. You are encouraged to attend, or schedule, one networking event in the next week.
We highly recommend that you spend a minimum of 1 - 3 hours in weekly networking. This can be attending networking events, taking folks to breakfast or lunch, or attending committee meetings for organizations of which you are a member.
During the networking event, use your 7-10 word elevator speech with everyone you meet: (Refer back to
The Elevator Speech)
The following guidelines will walk you through the networking event, making it the most successful it can be. Have your pocket calendar or PDA ready in order to schedule a demonstration or a complimentary consultation and carry plenty of business cards. Have fun!
Your goal should be to attend networking events for at least 1 - 3 hours per week. The following tips will support you in making the most of your networking events.
1. Plan in advance what you will say. Know your 7-10 word Elevator Speech like the back of your hand. Practice this again and again in the mirror, smiling from ear to ear.
2. Eat before you go. It is hard to eat and speak with people at the same time.
3. Use breath mints before you walk into the room. This is a must!
4. Show up ten minutes early for the event. You want to be ready to “work the room.”
5. If you attend the event with a friend or relative (which we highly recommend…it is great to have someone to get you in the door) split up once you are inside the room. You want to meet as many people as possible, and sticking with people you know will not give you the results you are looking for. Your goal is to meet up after the event and trade notes or to find someone to introduce the other person to that will benefit the parties involved.
6. Avoid drinking alcohol during the event. You want to appear pulled together and sharp.
7. Walk the room two times; looking for people who seem approachable and whom you feel you would like to meet. The more events you attend, you will begin to spot people who you want to meet. Remember, anyone can be a prospect or know someone who might be a prospect for you.
8. Have a goal of meeting at least 50% of the people in the room. Ask for business cards of each person, and request permission to contact them by e-mail or phone. If they say “No,” do not follow-up, as your e-mail or phone call will be viewed as spam or unwanted. Simply jot "No" on the back of their card so you don't forget once you get back to the office.
9. When you meet someone, speak his or her name two times very early in the conversation. When you end the conversation, speak his or her name again. There is nothing more beautiful than the sound of your own name spoken by someone who is genuine and kind.
10. Keep the focus off of you and on the person you are speaking with. Ask questions, but don’t interrogate.
- “Tell me what you do.”
- “That’s interesting…what brought you to this profession?”
- “ I have not attended this function before; what had you interested in this organization?”
- “Wow…It sounds like you are a very busy man. What do you do in your free time?”
Look for clues about what the person is interested in. If you hear basketball, ask what team he/she pulls for. If you hear kids mentioned, ask about the children. Your goal is to engage in a personal conversation but not one that is too personal. You also want to find a point of connection…you both like sports, or you both have kids, or you both like to hike, or you both enjoy antiques.
11. When you finish the conversation, thank the person for spending time with you and let them know how much you enjoyed meeting them. Ask for his or her business card, and request permission to call them after the event. If they give you permission write "Yes" on the back of the card as well as jot down any pertinent notes such as the date, function and items in common or any thing you may have promised to send to this person.
“Bob, I have so enjoyed meeting you and getting to know you. Do you have a business card? I would love the opportunity to talk with you more about what you are doing, because I support men and women like you in the work that I do. May I e-mail you or call you for lunch some time?”
12. As you close the conversation with folks you know are interested in your product or service, invite him or her to schedule a demonstration or complimentary consultation with you. Have your pocket calendar or PDA ready to schedule the session.
Consider investing in a business card scanner, which will transfer the primary info directly to your contact management system, saving you lots of valuable TIME.
