Now this is one of the cornerstones of B2B networking and has a constant and a variable aspect. Those of you in B2B networking clubs that meet regularly should spend a minimum of three minutes with EVERY other person in the room, at every meeting. How many of you do that?
If your club has 25 members that is a minimum of 72 minutes you need to allocate every meeting for the members, then the same time for the visitors. SO you need to ask yourself how early do I need to be there? My rule is if the club starts at 7 and you need to talk to 25 people you need to be there at 6 latest and be prepared to stay fo some time afterwards
On to large informal groups: talk to as many people as you can, I allocate no more than 5 minutes per person. After all one of the main reasons you are there is to network, so network. I start by introducing myself and immediately I ask the person what they do, followed by any pertinent questions. Once I have an opportunity I tell them what I do and what makes me special. Swap cards and move to the next person. My target is to talk to at least 6 before the meeting and 5 after the meting. After all these are all people that will probably be potential new customers, don’t be skimpy with your time.
B2B shows or exhibitions are different. However remember everyone there is there for business, so tap into it. At a recent exhibition the word from the exhibitors is “This is a networking event” which is different from 10 years ago when it was a sales event If I go to the Spring Fair I want to talk to a minimum of 25 people in the day. That is 25 people I have not met before, 25 potential new customers.
The core of networking is to put the work into network. Talking to people is a great way to start. It’s a simple philosophy and actions are far more important than focusing on how many people are at the event..
This brings us on to another issue. You need to have meaningful conversations to really connect with someone before going on to follow up and build a relationship. It’s the quality that counts. To be specific it’s the quality of the relationship you build that forges trust, and when you have trust you are much more likely to do business with the person.
So it may be better to ask that question from another angle. 'How much time do you dedicate to genuine conversations that work towards trust building?
Paul
Remember to Put the work into Network
Being a good networker is a full time thing. By that I mean you do some things every time you have the opportunity. One tip is to always carry a Name Badge with you. After all you would not knowingly go out on business without a business card would you? So why may I ask do so many of you go out without a networking name badge? You never know when it will be useful.
There are some do’s and don’ts attached to Networking badges. The biggest Don’t is this. Do not use your business card as your name badge. Just pause for a moment and think this through. A business card is to convey information and in my experience you need to be pretty close to a business card to recognize it let alone read it. I have seen some people peer at a name badge trying to work out what it is.
A professional looking networking name badges are inexpensive, (often free) and is money well spent. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has turned up to a meeting where some (or all!) of the following apply;
- Wrong Company
- Spelling Errors
- Wrong Business Category
- Barely legible hand written stickers
I prefer real simplicity and the Networking Badge I carry has three lines. Line 1 My Name Line 2 What I do Line 3 a hook line My Badge looks like this Oh I am a Distributor for a Utilities organisation
- Paul Johnstone
- Utility Broker
- Saving you money
You can have them made quite inexpensively or if you have zero budget use one of the free badge holders you get at exhibitions. But only till you can schedule the expenditure to have one made. There are some organisations who provide badges, please don’t fall into the trap of wearing these at other organisations events, it’s just bad manners, and shows you up as inexperienced or worse someone who does not care about any other organisation. You don’t need any more than those simple easy to read clear pieces of information.
Do this and you will often be the only one with a professional looking badge in the room. It will make a difference, and you will be noticed. And what’s more it is likely to start a conversation, and that could just lead to some business. To keep up to date with Business development news, and for Networking & Sales advice, business tips and information then register for our free information - tips and tricks on Business, sales and Networking.
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Paul Johnstone
Remember Put the work into network.
It has been said by much more successful people than me, that if you don’t have a goal how can you score? I guess this means set goals for yourself. Such as a goal for the number of people you'll meet, or contact with on a daily basis.
Your goal must be achievable as its no use saying I want another 40 first line connections on Linked in every day? Why is that unrealistic? Because you would end up doing nothing but work the Linked In connections. But to send out 5 invitations to connect every day is realistic.
In the face to face networking field set yourself the goal of attending two networking events every week. Now that’s a good start but lets go one step further. Identify a reachable goal based on the attendance of those events. Some you may know 20, 25 others you may not so your goal setting will have to be made as you work. But write them down and assess afterwords how successful you were.
Lets say your goal at a weekly B2B meeting is to meet 15 people, and make sure you get all their cards. Better still make a note on each card so you remember the person later. Now is that goal a) realistic and b) useful. I will agree with a but on it’s own it is just a collection of cards. Lets be honest some people take to this like ducks to water and others need time to feel comfortable in this environment. If you don't feel confident, go for less.
But don't leave until you've met your goal. So what are you going to do when you can't meet the 15 people you set as your goal? Network on line its effective. Answer a question on Linked In, You’ve all got a linked in account haven’t you? If you haven't get one they are invaluable and the basic level is free, you would be missing a trick if you let that slip by.
A colleague of mine has a trick. He uses hotel lounges for business meetings and when he walks into the lounge. He will approach every single person there and ask if they are J Smith? When they say no he gives them a card and simply says “When you need him you now know where to find him”
His business has doubled in the three years he has been using this technique.
How many contacts have you made today?
Paul
And remember to put the work into network
