-
Decide in advance whom you want to meet. Define
your ideal customer/contact. Be very specific and clear.
Recognize the opportunity and help others bring opportunity
to you. Your objective then becomes meeting individuals who
can move you closer to your ideal client. When you are in
conversation with someone new, ask questions that will help
you learn about what that other person is looking for and
then match his or her responses against what you have to
offer. Be prepared to tell your audio logo (elevator speech)
in 30 seconds or less. What you do is not your job title but
the solutions you offer.
-
Practice listening. Pay attention to the other
person's conversation. Do not interrupt. Listen to what they
are saying and not saying. Listen for opportunities where
both of you may benefit.
-
Create a tag line for your name badge that will stimulate
curiosity and conversation. For example, a coach
may use — "Will coach for chocolate" as her tag line. Think
of an interesting word or phrase that best describes what
you do. My tag line is, "The 24 Hour Secretary, The 'I
Needed It Yesterday" Company." Prospects usually respond
with, "I wish I'd met you last week when I had this big job
I spent all night working on." The conversation continues
from that point on and we discuss how we can mutually
benefit from developing a relationship.
-
Ask for help meeting people. If you don't know
anyone, ask someone at the registration desk to suggest a
member or attendee who can introduce you to your "ideal"
prospects.
-
Plan an opening statement or question to start a
conversation. It could be something as simple as,
"Why did you come to this event tonight?" or, something
totally unrelated such as, "What's your favorite color?"
Don't approach the person with a sales pitch or attempt to
hog all their time. Remember, they want to mingle and meet
potential clients, too.
-
Bring your business cards! Be prepared. Have a
ready stock in your pocket (right pocket for your cards and
left pocket for cards you receive). If a networker asks for
your card and you reply, "I ran out" or "forgot them", it
WILL leave a very bad impression. However, when you meet
people who are good prospects for your product or service
and they say they "just ran out" of cards, show them how you
make it easy for people to work with you. Pass them your
card with a pencil and ask them to fill out their contact
information on the back. Make notes on the back of the cards
you collect to remind yourself later about the people that
you've met and what you want to remember about them.
-
Keep moving! Don't settle into one place with one
person. Politely extricate yourself from a conversation, and
then move to others in the room. Plan to meet up with your
associates at the end of the event.
-
Build your own network of relationships. Identify
who you would like to be a part of your network, to refer
business to, to partner with, and those who would increase
your value to your customers. Then seek out those
individuals or groups.
-
Become memorable. Develop a follow-up system for
keeping in touch with the people you meet and communicate
with them on a regular basis. Send them tips or notes
regarding information that may be of interest to them. (The
information doesn't always have to be business-oriented. It
could be an interesting article about a hobby or trend the
person mentioned.) Before you know it, you will become a
trusted source, business associate and become their "go-to"
person.
You're on your way to
developing relationships that may lead to future business. So,
if you are the "planner" or the "attendee", there's something
for everyone at a networking event — if you know how to get
the most bang from attending.
Sharon Williams
©Sharon Williams All Rights
Reserved.
About the Author
Sharon Williams, MVA, PREVA, is president of
The 24 Hour Secretary
and provides administrative, secretarial, marketing and
internet-based virtual support services for successful but sometimes
overwhelmed executives and busy entrepreneurs. Subscribe to Smart Business =
Success, the free monthly ezine stocked with business
tips for the busy professional. Contact Sharon by email at
info@the24hoursecretary.com.
You have permission to reprint this article electronically or
in
print, as long as the text
and byline remain unedited. A courtesy
copy of your publication
would be appreciated.
Getting the Most Bang from a Networking Event - Part 2
Tips for
Attending a Networking Event
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