I attended a networking event for women earlier this week in my small town. Despite the town’s size, there were more than 50 women there. During the event, I heard the short pitch of three different women that I might be interested in hiring to help me in various ways. Later, during the mix and mingle portion of the meeting, I approached all three for conversation and was struck with a strong reminder of evrything that most of us don’t know about how to get business through networking.
Networking is about building relationships and there is no better place to do that than when you are face to face with someone. Your goal for conversation should be a mutual exchange of info. Networking is never about selling – that is a conversation that occurs at a different time and another setting. People rarely buy from total strangers. How many times have you described what you do to someone and they replied, “I’ve been looking for someone just like you. When can we get to work together?” It may happen, but it is rarer than hen’s teeth.
Let’s keep relationship building in mind as you read through the following tips for effective use of networking events:
1. Focus on meeting new people – It is tempting to find the people you know at an event and use it as an opportunity to catch up. Don’t do it! If it is hard for you to talk to strangers, try positioning yourself near the registration table where people are often looking for someone to talk to as soon as they enter and before they have joined a group.
2. Spend time getting to know that person – Once you meet someone new, turn on your coaching curiosity and really get to know the person. Ask him or her open-ended questions and listen carefully to what is said in reply. Remember that people love to talk about themselves and are flattered if someone is genuinely interested. Think of networking as a game or a personal challenge to discover something you have in common with each new person. It can be common interests, goals, backgrounds or even someone that you both know. All three of the women I met turned me off by wanting to just sell to me instead of learning about me.
3. Look for ways to give to that person – As you learn about the new person, be listening for the challenges and problems he/she faces in work and life. This is important because it gives you the opportunity to find something useful to give that person. This does not mean that you will give them a free session to decide if you are the coach for them. It means you will offer them something related to solving their problem such as a website they would be interested in, an article you have written or an introduction to someone that could help them. The goal of networking is not to turn everyone you meet into a client, but to have them begin to know, like and trust you. They may never become a client but may help you and your business in many other ways if you can establish a relationship.
4. Delay talking about what you do – Eventually the other person will ask you about what you do for work. Wait for that to happen, don’t bring it up yourself. As you reply, try to avoid labeling yourself or describing what you do. Instead, you want to always formulate your answer in terms of the results you help people achieve. Be brief and turn the conversation back to the other person. Let them continue to guide you in what they are interested in knowing about your work. You will want to always have some client success stories in mind because people are most interested in how you have helped others and are intrigued by stories.
5. Finish up and move on – Plan to spend at least 15 minutes in good conversation with each new person you meet. Your goal should not be to hand out as many cards as you can, but to have memorable conversations. Remember the goal is to start a new relationship – think of it as a “first date”. Never try for too much too soon. It is better to get them interested and move on than to keep talking and trying to sell to them.
6. Follow-up – None of the three women I met earlier this week have called me although I gave them my card. Follow-up is the vital piece of networking that is most neglected. Networking is developing a relationship and this requires you to keep in touch. First, make a point to provide the items that you promised to people. Then if there are people who showed any interest in your work, find a reason to reach out to them again. Ask them for feedback on whatever you have given them and follow-up again to get that feedback. Ask questions about how it applies for them or does not. What you are doing with your follow-up is turning a casual meeting into a relationship. Over time, this new person in your network will come to understand your work, tell others about you and perhaps even become a customer. Let that process happen naturally by following the networking steps described here.
If you would like more info about networking and other business building strategies, please go to Solopreneur.Biz where Janet Slack shares her ideas on success for small business owners. You can receive her free report “What is Coaching Any Way?” that helps you talk about what you do as a coach and sign up for the free weekly business tips for coaches here.
