Networking; It’s a Numbers game, or is it? by Paul Johnstone

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