Often at networking meetings, I am asked what a networking
newbie who has begun networking to market their business should do next. I
believe that networking is one of the best ways to market any business. You get
the opportunity to personally showcase yourself and your ability to explain
your business to a large audience, some of whom you would never have met. What
do you do next after you have made that decision and attended your first
networking meeting?
The next step that everyone should take after that first
networking meeting is to reflect back on the notes that you took during the
meeting, or shortly thereafter, and review what took place. How did you present
yourself; how did others present themselves? Who impressed you the most; who
did not impress you at all? What can you do to improve your own presentation of
yourself and your business; what can you do to be someone with whom others want
to connect and form networking partnerships?
At the same time you must do something about the information
that you collected at the meeting. All the information from those business
cards that you collected must be entered into some system so you can utilize it
at a later time. Your contact file is one of your company’s most valuable
assets. However, if you misuse it, or ignore it, it is worthless and you wasted
your time at the meeting. You must nurture your contact list and allow it to
grow, rewarding yourself with many clients, prospects, and referrals. Some
people use computer software to maintain their contacts, others use manual card
files. Use whatever works for you, but use something. This is an opportunity
where you should work smarter, not harder.
Hopefully, before you ever attended your first networking
meeting, you established a contact management system of your own. It should
contain everyone that you know. This includes your friends, neighbors, family,
classmates, everyone. Then everyone that you meet from that point on is just
added to the system. Classify each person as you chose, perhaps by their
business potential, and notice that people may fall into multiple classes. You
must maintain, and update, this file every day. Again, it is your most valuable
asset.
Each time you attend a networking meeting, and add to this
file, you should have a procedure for following up with the people that you
meet. Perhaps you send them an email reminding them when and where you met them,
perhaps a card. Then call them and follow up, asking to meet for an individual
chat to get to know them better. You are not trying to sell to them; you are
just sowing seeds of knowledge and establishing a relationship. People do
business with, and refer business to others that they know, like, and trust.
This is a multiple step process. No one can trust anyone who they met for 2-3
minutes at a networking meeting, without meeting them again for a detailed
conversation and exploring their philosophy and business theories.
Once you have met them individually, follow up again, and
thank them for meeting, with a card or an email. Use Appreciation Marketing to build
on the relationship that you have started. Can you send them referrals, do you
want to establish a client relationship, or do you never want to see them
again?
What you do after a networking meet? Let us know here, or call
me at 360-314-8691, or email me at Jim@SOC4Now.com. Remember that the
longest journey begins with a single step. Make that step meaningful and
sincere.
No comments:
Post a Comment