I hear complaints from sellers and business owners all the time about
how much time and effort they’ve wasted attending networking events.
The conclusion for a huge number is that networking events are no longer
part of their prospecting activity.
That’s unfortunate because networking events really can be great
places to find and connect with prospects. The problems most have
encountered with networking events is they’ve never been taught a
systematic, disciplined format for managing and working these events and
without having a way to manage the event, they become frustrated as
they realize all they’ve done to date is waste their time.
Typically, the frustrations and wasted time arise from three fundamental issues:
- Investing time at the wrong networking events
- overblown expectations
- not having a plan of attack
Networking events, especially those of a general nature organized by
the chamber or a general business organization, will not provide you
with a plate full of potential prospects. If you can walk out of a
networking event with three or four good potential contacts, you have
done well.
Unfortunately, many, especially those who are not networking junkies,
attend these functions with the hope of leaving the event with a whole
stack of business cards of great prospects. When their expectations are
not met, they conclude that networking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be
and decide their time is better spent elsewhere.
Besides unrealistic expectations about the number of prospects
they’ll meet, a great many attend networking events without thinking
through what their real goal is. Unless you are selling a relatively
common consumer or business commodity, you’re not going to sell at these
events. And since you can’t sell, what should be your primary goal?
Mine, when I attend these events, is not to talk about myself and what I
do but to listen and ask questions, to learn as much as I can about the
other person in order to qualify them, to begin building a relationship
with them, and to have them tell me what issues and problems of theirs
I’m going to address when we do get around to discussing who I am and
what I do (which, by the way, won’t be at the event).
In addition, most attendees waste the majority of their networking
time. Rather than an organized plan to maximize their benefit from the
event, they simply attend hoping to “run into” prospects.
Yet, if you attend regularly and with realistic expectations,
networking can eventually pay great dividends. There are three
“secrets” to making networking pay:
1. Know Where You’re Going
Knowing who is likely to attend the event you are considering is as
important as attending the event. If you are considering going to an
event you have never attended before, try to get a copy of the host
organization’s member roster. By examining the membership directory,
you can get a fairly good idea of the type of people you can expect to
meet. If it appears there are a reasonable number of people and
businesses of interest, plan on attending. If you can’t get a copy of
their member directory, call the organization and ask—most won’t mind
the inquiry and will be happy to give you as much information as they
can.
2. Know Why You’re Going
Go with a definite number of contacts you want to make. Determine
how many good contacts you will need in order to make the investment of
time worthwhile. Depending on your particular product or service, that
number may be only one or two—or may be much higher at five or six. By
establishing realistic, objective criteria, you can easily determine
whether or not your time was well spent and whether or not you want to
attend the event again in the future.
3. Have a System for Working the Event
For most business owners and salespeople, the real networking event
killer isn’t so much who is in attendance or even their own unrealistic
expectations, but rather the time they waste during the event.
Working a networking room requires planning and a clear vision of how
you will spend your time. I and many of my clients that I’ve taught
the following networking method have found it to be easy and very
effective. The goal of this process is to spend the time identifying
quality prospects, learning as much about them as possible in a short
amount of time, and once you believe you have a viable prospect, setting
a phone or lunch meeting with them.
Arrive about 15 minutes before the official event start time. Wear a
large, easy to read, high quality, permanent nametag that features your
first and last name, not just your first name (your company name is the
least important part of the name tag as you want them to remember you,
not your company), Of course, have lots of business cards. Business
cards should be blank on the back. Wear clothing with two easy to reach
pockets.
Station yourself close to the entry door—close enough that people
might mistake you for one of the hosts. Greet each person as he or she
enters. Nothing more than a greeting—and, hopefully, noticing their
company name. All you want is to hear a name, put a name to a face and
to make a quick judgment as to whether they might be a prospect.
When arrivals begin to slow, begin your progression around the room.
Move in one direction—left or right. Greet the first person or group
of people you meet. This round of conversations should be short—two to
three minutes at most. Your goal is to introduce yourself and
learn as much as you can in a very short span of time about the person or persons you’ve just met.
Don’t clutter the conversation with information about yourself—keep
everything focused on the person or the persons you are speaking with.
Your goal at this event isn’t to sell, it’s to qualify prospects.
This will be your second meeting with many of these people, although
you will not remember their names. Two meetings=two opportunities to
put a name with a face.
Since many, if not most, will offer you a business card, you will
begin to segregate cards into an interest stack and a non-interest
stack. When you meet someone you believe you’d like to get to know
better—i.e., a potential prospect put their business card in your
right-hand pocket. Those you don’t believe are prospects, put in your
left-hand pocket. This system allows you to immediately find the cards
of those you want to reconnect with during the event without having to
try to remember their name. Simple: Right pocket card=reconnect; left
pocket=don’t reconnect with today.
If you meet someone you believe might be a real prospect for you,
before moving on to another group let them know of your interest in
learning more about their business and ask their permission to contact
them via a phone call at a later date. Once they agree, take one of
your business cards and on the blank reverse side, write the day and an
hour span of time during which you will call: “Thursday, March 12
between 10:30-11:30.”
This day and time will be the same for everyone you meet that you want to call.
It keeps you from having to remember when you will call, but because it
is an hour span, you’ll have time to make several calls without concern
that you won’t keep your appointment.
Now, move to the next group and continue in this manner for the
majority of the event. About 30 to 45 minutes prior to the end of the
event, go into your last phase. The last phase is taking the few cards
in your right-hand pocket and seeking to reconnect with those people.
This will be your third chance to meet them and to put a name and face
together. In addition, since it will be your third meeting, they’ll
begin to feel like they know you and they will probably greet you as a
friend rather than as new acquaintance. Just as you are implanting
their name and face in your mind through multiple meetings with them
during the event, you’re planting your name and face in their mind.
This conversation will be a little more in-depth, but, again, keep
the focus on the other person. During this conversation move the
conversation to the point that instead of a phone call on Thursday, you
can invite them to lunch or to a coffee meeting. If you can’t set a
meeting, prior to moving to the next person, again reiterate the phone
call on Thursday and give them another business card with the same
information written on the back.
On Thursday, make your phone calls and close for a get to know one another meeting.
This structure allows you to “meet” a prospect three times during the
course of the event, set up a definite telephone conversation—and very
possibly a lunch meeting–and help both you and the prospect move from
the “just met” stage to acquaintance stage very quickly, and all without
having to remember any details during the course of the event.
The goal of the conversations is to learn as much as you can about the person you are meeting, not to talk about yourself.
You’re there to learn and to qualify. You can’t sell at a short
networking event unless you’re selling a commodity, but you can sure
learn a great deal and identify new prospects. But to do that you have
to listen a great deal more than talk.
Since people love to talk about themselves and if you get them
talking about themselves and their company you can learn how to laser
focus the conversation when it does get around to what you do, give them
the freedom to open up as much as possible. In addition, never finish a
conversation with a real prospect. Intentionally leave the
conversation hanging—and then invite a further phone or lunch
conversation. I never really talk about what I do until the lunch
meeting. By that time I’ve learned a great deal about the other person
and I can tailor my discussion of what I do to the exact issues they’ve
disclosed. Instead of some weak, general elevator speech, I give a
pointed response to their needs.
If you keep your expectations reasonable and focus you time during
the event on the few true prospects you meet, you’ll find your time at
networking events to be both more enjoyable and profitable.
Paul McCord -- Salesandmanagementblog.com
Janis Dinwiddie of Dinwiddie Events
