One of the first things I learnt when I set up in business was to tell AT LEAST 5 people a day about you and what you do. Over the next month you would have told up to and possibly beyond 140 people.
Networking is done in many places; over the telephone, over lunch, a meal or coffee and cake, in the pub, at conferences and events, via text or email and social media; like LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.
By spending time talking to people about your business, you can raise your business’ profile which may also refer clients your way.
Research
Research the networking events in your local area and go along to generate business.
HOWEVER… Remember! It is very important to research networking events and even go to a few adopting a “try before you buy” attitude before deciding on which one(s) you feel is right for you and your business.
Types
Each event is different in that some may require you to;
- be in a certain area/location or industry
- pay a weekly, monthly or annual fee. However they could also be FREE
- be there at a certain time of day – You can now Network 24/7 and yes this includes Social Media
It is possibly even more important that you don’t choose a networking event that has a lot of people from the same sector or industry as yourself as they are effectively your competition. Competition is a good thing as it means that there is business in what you do. EVERYONE does business differently, has different skills and experiences. People buy from people!
Watch this video about Networking – 23minutes and 46seconds
7 Useful Networking Tips
When attending networking events:
- ensure your target audience/ideal customer attends this event
- know WHAT you are going to say to the people you want to meet
- have a particular product/service that you want to push that week/month rather than going in there and bombarding people with every aspect of what your business does. Not only will this confuse people but being given TOO MUCH information over a short period of time turns people off
- have a strategy of WHO you want to meet and WHAT you want to get out of the event. Having the idea of meeting 2-3 specific people or people in certain industries is a lot better than trying to get around everyone in the room
- be ASKED for your business card. This means don’t give them out to everyone
- don’t take EVERYTHING with you, just take yourself and business cards. If you book a 1:1 with someone that would be the best time to give them additional information IF and only if the time is right
- don’t not sell or push your wares onto the people in the room. You don’t want to be seen as desperate
There are a lot more tips and tricks that can be given to you when it comes to networking as it requires skills to meet the right people and do business but it is also a great way for getting more confident in talking to people, saying your elevator pitch and understanding WHO you want to speak to.
Check out www.findnetworkingevents.com.
Good luck and happy networking!
An interesting read again thankyou. Networking is an amazing business generation tool. I feel I must add my input to this although my input is a slightly different take on this one. I feel the best way to generate new business is to talk about theirs, ask questions as opposed to talking about your business. If they have a need they will ask what you do and if they don’t have a need they will potentially go out of their way to find someone that does for you. You need to build a rapport before talking about what your business is or you run the risk of making them feel like you are there to sell and not
network.
A common mistake people make whilst networking is they go with the intenion of selling.
Hope this helps.
Rachel
I would say that at least 85% of my business comes from networking. Networking is a vital tool for a coach as the nature of our business is a “face to face” one where people need to get to know you personally before they make a decision to work with you. However, everyone can benefit from networking as it’s the cheapest and easiest way to gain new business.
Have a look at my networking article in this magazine: http://martincrous.com/magazine/SuccessforLife.html
Networking works as much as you work at it. There is an old saying, “The more you give, the more you get”. This is very true in networking. If you help other people, then they will mostly try and help you in return.
Don’t be one of the minority that go networking just to get business, because you won’t have much success at it.
Be patient and help others first.
That’s great advice Rachel! Most people think of networking as merely promoting themselves, but there is nothing worse than someone you have known for all of ten seconds thrusting a business card into your hand and forcefully telling you eveything their company has to offer. Not only will it put you off, but you will make a point of telling people in your networking circle to avoid the individual so effectively they have destroyed any chance of being given referrals.
Therefore, make it your prerogative to help others first and not simply see networking as an opportunity to sell yourself.
One last thing then I’ll shut up (I promise)… When networking the MOST important thing to remember is to follow up. As Wayne suggests above you get out of it what you put in. If you go and collect business cards and then do nothing with them when you return to your office chances are you will never hear from the people you conected with again.
I did some work with a company that handed me a box of business cards that had been collected over a period of 6 months (no follow up carried out AT ALL). What a waste of between £10-£20 a time.
A courtesy email should be sent just saying that it was good to meet them (I’m hoping it was), a brief outline of what your business entails, what sort of clients you can potentially work with and always remember to ask for the same by reply. This makes your recipient feel valued instead of used. I try to do this by phone but that’s because I LOVE the phone.
Having the right approach to networking is so key.
I remember when I first started out panicking when having conversations with people about when I could start pitching my business to them and getting disheartened when I left a networking event without feeling like I’d ‘sold’ anything.
I learnt over time that it wasn’t about this. The best networkers don’t focus on their own products and services; they focus on how they can help others and always put that first. By getting to know people and building quality relationships the business happens organically and a lot more effectively.
That is a great point Michelle! Helping others first is better as it shows you are willing to get involved and understand about who they are and what they do. Thank you for your tip!
Great read! Very timely as I’ve just come from a networking event this morning! And I agree with tip 2, know what you are going to say! At some networking events you have that 60 second moment where you can share what you do, keep it concise and use that moment to share what you are looking for too. For example; your wrap up could be “I’d love to be introduced to XYZ type of people” or “my ideal client is X”.
I also agree with what Rachel said – ask questions and understand more about the people you are talking to with businesses!
Some other great reminders here too! Thanks
Great read and yes I totally agree with what you’re saying. I love the “be asked for your business card” > save money and gain money by talking and marketing to those interested in your business! Thanks for a great read and I will be sure to share this.
Thank you.
Another great point! By asking to be introduced and/or telling people who your ideal client is focuses yours and their mind to get you that one step closer to the person you want to do business with! Thanks Nicola
Glad that you enjoyed it Jennifer! Thank you for sharing!
I would say they all apply to online networking too (apart from your business card obviously!). It’s not all about plugging your page or your services; it’s about building that relationship with the people in the groups you are talking with. Also making sure those groups have the right people in that you want to connect with – don’t waste your time in every group under the sun!
They are a great place to practice your networking pitch too and find out which one resonates so that you can then use them in the face to face groups and know you will hit a chord with your target market there too. Great tips!
Of course, networking is most certainly about relationships and how we can build them over time. When I first started I networked everywhere until I REALLY understood WHO my perfect client was. Now I know who they are, what they do, where they will be, I now know where I need to be in order I meet them. Thank you for your tips Alex!
Great article and great tips to be honest and I feel like saying as per all the comments above.
I especially like the tip on really planning for yourself in what presenting on the day, who you want to meet and what you want to talk about. I have walked away from the networking events that are all sell, sell, sell as it just bores me to death to be honest.
I want to know a little bit more about the person – not their C.V either to be honest – just them, why came into business, who they are and you know what… 9 times out of 10 you know if you do not need them right there and then, that you will come back to them or refer them to others – that’s why I love networking being about getting to know one another and not just a drop and run. Although sometimes I feel I have done that myself in the early days as well. Thank you great blog and article and really enjoyed reading x
Thank you Sharon! I appreciate you spending the time and also sharing this blog on Facebook too.
It’s the 3-5 second rule isn’t it. You know if you like the person just by looking at them whether you want to work with them or not and how to find out more about them even if you are not going to buy from some people straight away. I’ve met people and it’s been a few years later until I have needed their service but kept their business card and got in touch.
Relationships take time to build and it’s the same with networking and doing business.