This month we will dive into Business Networking. Let the holiday season begin…
Way to go! Now, we have tackled and conquered the branding situation. We have a message, specialty, logo, and are now working to establish our good name in the world. This is where the rubber meets the road; ever heard of these things called “Networking Events”? Yeah, they are supposed to be valuable avenues of B2B connections. Know what generally happens? You manage to gather tons of business cards and not a single purposeful partnership prospect. Business organizations are constantly battling the issue of meaningless events that provide no real value to business owners, but one large issue they have no control over is training business owners on HOW to network.
I recall attending my very first networking event as a bright-eyed, young CEO. I returned with over 50 business cards and shook countless hands. Out of those 50, I set one appointment, and the entire meeting was spent with her rambling on and on about random events that occured in her childhood. Ultimately, she was not looking for my services at all, but was trying to boost her sales stats by increasing the number of appointments she set and attended. Clearly, she was new to the sales arena that generally frowns upon low close ratios. Regardless, I was disgusted by the epic waste of time that event seemed to be. I continued attending these events with the exact same luck. What was the problem? Here are 3 things I have learned:
1. Free events, particularly those not attached to any sort of conference, invite more people who are NOT serious about business than those that charge a fee. Aim for events that are directed to a specific group of business owners. State conferences, associations, chambers of commerce, etc. are good avenues to begin. However, keep in mind that not all chambers of commerce and other associations are not created equal. Invest time in researching the businesses that are members of your local COC and trade associations before you go about forking over hundreds of dollars for membership and events.
2. Decide what your goal is; do you want to walk out with more contacts than before? Do you want more people hearing your business name and what you do? Or perhaps you would like to practice your 30 second elevator speech about what you do. Regardless of what you decide, strategize on what it will take to achieve that goal at this event. If you want more contacts, that means spending more time in meaningful conversation and determining if this person and their company would make a viable partnership prospect. Promoting your name might mean spending less time conversating and more time shaking hands, giving your shpill, and perhaps doing some sort of sponsorship at the event. Choose your goal – Determine your strategy – Execute!
3. So…what do you do? Be prepared for this question, and no, that does not mean quoting your mission statement, slogan, or brochure. This is a less than 30 second, precise commercial for your business. Choose wisely, as first impressions are crucial. That person is going to decide whether or not to listen to what you have to say after this and whether or not you are someone they should avoid in the future. Practice what you’re going to say; be natural; and above all – actually SAY what you do. Remember to leave room for the, “Oh really, and how do you do that?” follow up question which is an open door to display your BRAND because this calls into question your UNIQUENESS.
Networking does not have to be a waste of time for a busy CEO like yourself. Be discriminating with the events you choose to spend your time attending, decide what you want to accomplish by attending this event, and be prepared to let people know exactly what you do. This is branding in action!
Regards,
Bright Biz Media Staff
Marketing for Start-Ups 