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Small Business Networking Event Strategy You Have Probably Never Heard Of
We've all heard of networking
events - like leads groups, industry groups, chamber of commerce functions, etc.
And we know we should attend more of them. At least that's what all the business
gurus tell us, isn't it?
If you're like most people, you
probably have mixed feelings about attending networking events. On the one hand,
they should be a great place to make connections. On the other hand, they never
seem to generate much business. So you stop going, or you migrate from group to
group hoping your luck will change. But it seldom does.
The fact is, many people attend
networking events with the wrong attitude. They go expecting that they can
somehow turn strangers into customers, clients or patients with the simple wave
of a business card and a quick pitch.
That rarely happens unless
someone you meet has an acute need and want for exactly what you offer, along
with the ability and desire to buy it now. More often, you must first turn
strangers into friends before you can convert them into buyers.
People will usually only do
business with those they know, like and trust. And it usually takes time to get
to know someone well enough to decide whether or not you like them and trust
them. What is the best way to make that happen? The answer may surprise you.
Instead of going to networking
events with the idea of getting business, go with the idea of giving business.
Let me explain.
The average networking event
consists of people milling around telling other people what they do and handing
out business cards. This is exactly why most networking events fail to produce
any business. People focus on themselves instead of focusing on the other
attendees.
In my experience, most people do
a very poor job of describing what they do in a way that communicates the main
benefit of what they provide in ten seconds or less.
Instead, they usually describe
their job function - e.g., "I'm an accountant," or "I'm in real estate," - or
they ramble on with what I call "name, rank and serial number" details, like: "I
work for XYZ Company. We've been in business for 10 years. We sell widgets."
What works much better is to
create a 5 to 10-second statement that describes the main benefit of what you
do, e.g.: "I'm Nick Nichols with GetSalesNow Group and I show business owners,
sales managers and professionals how to get more customers, clients or
patients."
And here's what you say next:
"Tell me, Sam, what do you do?"
Then, after he tells you, you ask, "How can I know when someone I meet needs
what you offer?"
The key is to get the person
talking about his or her business, and what kind of person makes a good prospect
for him or her.
It's amazing, but when you
encourage people to talk about themselves (usually their favorite subject), they
will remember you as being a great conversationalist! Whether you actually refer
any business to them or not, they will remember you as someone who cares about
them.
This simple trick will help you
to turn strangers into friends faster than any other networking method on the
planet. When people see you as their friend, they are more likely to refer
business to you.
Having trouble
getting customers, clients or patients?
Free Special Report reveals 3
powerful marketing concepts that are overlooked by 93% of all business people
that you absolutely MUST understand if you want to outsell your competition and
make a lot of money. (SuccessPlace.com/im)
Nick Nichols helps you create email campaigns that get results. Get his free
book, "Explode Your Profits Using Digital Marketing" here:
GetSalesNow.com
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