Networking for Prospects: Building

Relationships One Person at a Time

 

by Larry Baltz

 

 

A drink in one hand and a stack of business cards in the other. Yippee, you're on your way to networking success.

 

Is that really all it takes? If you listen to some of the so-called experts, yes. They think handing out your business card to everyone you meet is your most important networking tool. What a shame. And pity the poor fools who believe that.

 

Networking isn't a numbers game — a contest to see who gives away the biggest stack of cards. Networking in its purest form is a system for sharing information among individuals having a common interest. The key components are "sharing" and "common interest". Everyone involved is interested in a similar outcome — generating new prospects.

 

Networking success won't happen for you unless you have a give-and-take attitude. You have a responsibility to talk with the people you meet and make yourself available to them, just as much as you have personally to gather information from them. Certainly you can hope each is a prospect but treat them like a person, with courtesy and respect.

 

Follow these simple steps and the networking process will be an effective strategy for you.

 

1.    Know Your Value

 

This is critical for any marketing activity, especially for networking. You have about 8-10 seconds to make an impression. You must, without hesitation, know how you add value and be able to clearly communicate it. No one will care what you do if they don't know how you can help them. A roomful of hungry prospects are only valuable if you can simply and plainly express your value.

 

2.    Learn and Practice the Art of Listening

 

Networking events are demanding because most of us attempt to meet a large number people in a limited amount of time. We want to rapid-fire our introduction and elevator speech and then move on to the next person. That's not effective networking. You will only get results when you take the time to listen to an individual, learning a bit about her and showing genuine interest in what she has to say. Great networkers are great listeners first.

 

3.    Understand Networking is Not a Sales Pitch

 

Networking is only a first step in the marketing process. Is a sales pitch an appropriate step before you get to know someone? Of course not, and yet it happens over and over again at networking events. Your goal should be to build a relationship with a prospect and networking events can be a valuable vehicle to jumpstart that process.

 

4.    Master the Business Card Exchange

 

Passing out your business card to everyone you meet isn't an effective strategy. More importantly, focus on gathering cards from those you have met. When you have their contact information, you now are in control of the follow-up phase. If your only interest is in handing out cards, the relationships can only be continued and strengthened if they choose to follow-up with you.

 

5.    Dedicate Yourself to Timely and Consistent Follow-up

 

Once you have their cards, determine who the key prospects are for you. Let's face it, your time is limited. Only follow-up with those you can stay in touch with on a regular and consistent basis. As soon as possible after the event, make initial contact with them. The opportunity to build a relationship will grow cold quickly and you can easily lose the momentum gained at the networking event.

 

Networking can be a demanding and time-consuming process. But if you follow a few simple guidelines, it can also produce a rewarding and prospect-building outcome.

 

Larry Baltz works with small business owners who want to Stand Out, Get Noticed, and Lead the Pack. He runs a company called Big Dawg Marketing. Larry is a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach and small business marketing expert. For his free report, "Big Dawg Marketing - 10 Creative Ideas to Stand Out and Get Noticed", go to www.BeTheBigDawg.com for your copy.