As a business owner your primary goal is to generate leads and sales. Networking groups are often looked at as a magic pill that will solve the lead generation problem, if only you were "more active" in these groups.
While networking can help build credibility, relationships and even provide referrals it cannot be counted on for consistent qualified leads. The reason being that not all business networking groups are created equal. Those in the top 10% of the most effective business networking groups will have a ratio of 30% referrals to 70% self generated leads. Furthermore, they know how to "work" their group so to speak. To become truly active in any networking group there are certain things you should be doing to actively generate leads. However, As Colin Powell rightly said, "There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure."
The following is a list of top 30 ways to make your business networking efforts more effective.
1) Find the Right Business Networking Group - Not every group is right for you and this should be determined by doing some research on these groups. This includes determining how often they meet, what kinds of businesses attend them, who is part of them and most importantly how active the members are. If you live in a smaller community than it is more beneficial to look into networking groups that focus on large accounts or referrals as opposed to general B2B networking groups.
2) Be Early - Arrive 30 minutes prior to the start time of the meeting, this gives you ample time to get settled, introduce yourself and get the lay of the land. It also shows that you are truly committed to being there which is important for building credibility with other members.
3) Be Ready - Have your elevator pitch prepared before you get there so you are ready when someone asks what do you do or what can I help you with. It is also important to have business cards ready so you can hand them out when asked for the proper contact information. If you are handing over your card already loaded with your social media links and email address (Don't worry we will add this in a later post) people will feel like they know everything about you and start asking for referrals before you get the chance to provide them value.
4) Be Approachable - It is important to make eye contact, smile and be approachable. Don't sit in a corner with your head down on your phone or looking detached from everyone else in the room. Never underestimate the power of body language when it comes to building relationships. Also note , this does not mean you should be desperate and groveling on the floor for attention.
5) Be Vulnerable - By sharing a story about yourself, your past struggles or fears people will be more willing to share with you and build a more personal connection. As Tony Robbins says "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" - Be that guy.
6) Be Enthusiastic - It is important to be enthusiastic about your business and what you do, but it doesn't mean you have the need to always talk about yourself. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care which leads me to my next point...
7) Be Interested in Other People - It is important to demonstrate interest in what others are doing, best practices, challenges they face and the types of customers they have. If you spend most of your time trying to pitch your products or services instead you will be labeled as "that guy" or worse yet no one talks to you at all.
8) Be a Resource - When people ask what can you do for them, answer their question then give one or two examples of how you have done this or what resources are available to help them or learn more. People like giving referrals if they feel like it is not expected and that you genuinely care about them and helping them succeed.
9) Be Approachable Part II - Do not go to the meeting and just camp out at your table, don't have your head down on your phone or have earphones in that are clearly blocking you from being approachable. It takes courage to walk into a room full of strangers, but it is only beneficial if you actually participate in the conversation.
10) Be a Connector - Do your best to get to know everyone, be open and create a large social network of valuable people that can one day become a valuable resource for you and others around you. People will take notice.
11) Follow up - The follow up is just as important as showing up. Don't be that guy who says they will follow up and then never does. If anything it is even more important to follow up because now you have specific topics and conversations to reference and comment on.
12) Be Excited - Be excited about what you do and people will be more willing to listen, especially if you are excited about them and what they are doing. People want to do business with people that are excited about their services or product.
13) Be Confident - Never underestimate the power of body language when it comes to building relationships, especially if you are in a room full of alpha-males (or females). If you show weakness others will take advantage of that weakness.
14) Be Proactive - When you see a relevant question on a relevant topic come up, stand up and answer the question correctly and concisely. If no one does this, offer to contact someone if they want to speak with a specific person or follow up on your original statement. People will appreciate your proactive nature and you will stand out in the crowd. If you are doubting yourself, read this article.
15) Be Patient - Even though it is easy to get excited when people like your business or product don't be overbearing and pushy in which only alienates potential customers. People want value first before they do business with anyone, so give them that value and then they will eventually do business with you.
16) Be Open-Minded - Never jump to conclusions about someone based on your first impressions of them. Take some time to speak with people and see what they are all about before making any assumptions or judgments. You never know who you may be talking to or what their story is.
17) Be Conscious of the Golden Rule - Treat others how you want to be treated. You would hope that other people are doing this but in reality I have seen the opposite happen more times than not, especially in networking groups which leads me to my next point...
18) Don't Waste People's Time - I understand that everyone wants to make money, but if you are not confident in what you do or say don't speak at all. If I go to three presentations that waste 20 minutes of my time because the presenter is unprepared then I will leave early which means that person wasted 40 minutes of my time (3 x 20 = 60). At that point someone was just trying to fill their quota of speaking engagements for the month. Don't do that because it will backfire on you and your reputation, especially in this community where everyone talks.
19) Learn to Sell - From my experience people are scared to actually sell anything unless they are at a company or business that has an actual sales process which requires one to study different types of selling. If you are an entrepreneur, consultant or freelancer this is not the case. To sell what you do, who you are and what you believe in be comfortable with asking people questions that can help determine if they are a fit for your services and/or product(s).
20) Be Authentic - The easiest way to come across as inauthentic is by talking all about you, what you do and why they should use your services. People want to know that you care more about THEM then you do yourself. Show people how your business or product can solve a problem they have or provide them with value which will in turn build trust and a relationship.
21) Be a Giver - Everyone wants to make money but if you are not giving more than what you take from others you will never be able to build a long term business or help people. Most of my best customers, clients and friends I have met through this community because they simply provided value first before asking for anything in return which is my business philosophy.
22) Be Patient - I spent years building relationships before I started asking people to support my work and/or buy something from me so this should be a common practice for everyone else too. Do not expect to get new customers/clients overnight because it will never happen, especially if you are new or relatively new to this community.
23) Be Consistent - I meet many people who come to networking events and then I don't see them again until the next one which makes me question what impact they had on people. People want you to be there for THEM so if you are not available they will find someone else who is. If you cannot commit then don't bother showing up to events.
24) Be Unselfish - Everyone wants something, but what people truly want is someone who will give them exposure without asking for anything in return. This includes blogging about groups and events, helping others with their businesses and/or providing value first before getting any type of ROI (return on investment). This is one of the key reasons I am successful in my business, because I give more than what I take.
25) Give People What They Want - Whether you are at an event or blogging about the community always make sure to give people what they want by providing valuable content that educates and/or entertains them . People want to learn and be entertained, so give them a reason to visit your blog or click on your profile because if you cannot provide value it does not matter what else you have going on.
26) Be Confident - The easiest way for people to pick up that you lack confidence is by how you speak, dress and carry yourself. This is common in our community because people are dressed casually and speak informally about everything, which can be extremely off putting when you are potentially trying to close a business deal.
27) Remember Names - If you want people to remember you make it easy for them by remembering their name during the initial introduction so they feel important. Then when you see them again use their name in the conversation to let them know they are an important part of your business community.
28) Be Flexible - Being flexible goes hand in hand with being patient and making time for people who want to build relationships with you and/or support your work. If someone is asking for your help make sure you are available to them in some capacity because your time is valuable too.
29) Be Proactive - Find out what people want in life and then give it to them by helping them reach their dreams. For example, if someone wants to own a business start doing research on how they can do that or just share with them your experiences of how you became so successful. This is what differentiates people who struggle in this community and those who do not because they simply provide value to others by helping them achieve their goals so I recommend learning from the best such as Robert Kiyosaki .
30) Never Stop Learning - If you want to be successful in business or life then never stop learning whether it's business, personal development or life skills because there is always something new to learn which will help you grow. Just make sure not to take everything you read on the Internet as the gospel truth because most of the time people are simply full of crap and do not know what they are talking about.
