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Get the Most Out of Networking Events

Even though I speak to groups of financial professionals ranging from 20 people to 5,000 strong, I’m a pretty shy person when it comes to networking events. Over the years, I have learned to get pretty good at these types of business-building events. In this article, I’d like to tell you what I’ve learned, so you can turn networking events from boring affairs to business-building opportunities.

Know Who You Want to Meet

Before you decide to go to any type of networking event, you need to know what types of people go there, to be sure that they are people you want to meet. Unless you’re just out to have a good time, choosing the wrong kind of event will be a waste of your valuable time. There are three types of people you want to meet at networking events: 1) potential clients; 2) potential centers of influence; and 3) people who represent interesting products and services you might be able to refer to your clients. When deciding to go, make sure at least one of these categories are represented among the event’s attendees.

Networking is a Process

My colleague, Lynne Waymon (author of the book Great Connections) relates a story of a salesperson who once said, “I tried networking once. It doesn’t work.” Although you can often turn a single networking event into a successful experience, you usually get the most out a group when you attend several meetings, get active with the members, and begin to create a reputation for yourself.  Networking is not a one-time event. It’s a process.

Go to Give, Not to Take

One of the biggest mistakes I see at events is that many people are there to just “get” and not “give.” Yet, the folks who usually get the most out of networking are the ones who go to events looking for ways to help others. It’s amazing how that works. One of the best things you can say to someone at an event (if they are in sales or own a small business) is, “If I ran into someone who was a good prospect for your business, how would I know it? Tell me who a good prospect for you is.” After you learn about them, you can talk to them about what you do, and how you help people.

Have a Goal for Each Event

I’ve found that when I have a specific goal for an event, my results are always more pronounced. I usually set a goal of how many new people I want to meet. This keeps me from staying “comfortable” with people I already know.  Don’t get me wrong. It’s great to maintain and grow relationships with people you already know, but if you don’t stretch a little with each outing, your results will probably diminish over time. Your goal may be to meet a specific person. Having this as a goal might keep you from wimping out.

Act Like the Host, Not a Guest

The only time I’m not shy at events is when I’m the speaker. This is because I see myself as the host. When you’re the host of a party in your home, you meet everyone, and you make sure they’re enjoying themselves. When you act like the host at a business event, you’ll feel more open to meeting strangers. One great way to meet new people is to work the registration table for 30 to 45 minutes. By welcoming people to the event, you’ll feel much more comfortable going up to them later.

Write Notes on Business Cards

When you meet someone with whom you’d like to maintain contact (for whatever reason), make sure you get their business card and write notes about your conversation on the back. This way, when you take a stack of cards out of your pocket the next day, you’ll know exactly what you talked about and what your plan of action is. When you give someone your business card because they want to contact you about something later, write a note on your card as you give it to them. This will remind them why they have your card. By the way, if you do a lot of networking, be careful not to have every inch of your business card covered with type or colored ink. Make sure there’s a little space left for new contacts to write notes about you on your card.

Follow Up After Events

One of the biggest networking mistakes I see is that people fail to follow up with the people they meet at events. Either they forget that they have someone’s card, they get distracted by other business, or they wimp out. For whatever reason, if you fail to follow up, you’ve just wasted your time. The day after I’ve been to an event, the first thing I do is go through the cards I’ve collected. I send everyone either an email or a hand-written note, and I put the appropriate action step into my computer to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

Remembering Names

Here are a few tips to remember the names of the people you meet, instead of forgetting 30 seconds after the handshake.        

  • Pay strong attention during introductions.
  • Repeat their name immediately, and try to use it again a couple more times.Think of someone with the same name (first or last). Example: If you are introduced to someone named Dennis.  Think “Dennis the Menace.”  I promise you, you’ll never forget their name.”Form some other type of association with their name or how they look.Example: If they are bald, and their name is Bob, think “Bald Bob.”
  • If you forget their name, tell them and ask for it again.

Going to networking events can be an important part of how you grow your business—if you work the events during and after. Remember it’s not called Net-Sit, or Net-Eat. It’s called Net-Work.

About Bill Cates

Bill Cates
Bill Cates is the President of Referral Coach International.  His trademarked Referral Advantage™ Program has been featured in such publications as Success Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Selling Power and Research Magazine, and his own business success has been featured in Money Magazine. Bill is a regular contributing editor for many financial services publications. Visit his Web site at www.referralcoach.com. Bill Cates, author of “Get More Referrals Now!” and “Don’t Keep Me a Secret!” is offering you a free copy of his report “7 Deadly Referral Mistakes” as well as a subscription to his free referral newsletter with 30,000+ subscribers. (What do they know that you don’t?)  Go to www.ReferralMinute.com.  To contact Bill, send him an email at  Info@ReferralCoach.com or call (301) 497-2200.

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