Speed Networking
I'm a huge fan of networking and it's accounting for more and more of our business every month but last night I got my first taste of 'speed networking'.
As the name suggests, it works very much like speed dating and I'm sure one or two of you have some experience of it - networking or dating, whichever floats your boat.
Anyway, the evening proved rather effective and so I thought I'd share a few tips for making the most of this kind of event.
1. Arrive early - We landed about 20 minutes before the official start time and had a chance to network a little over coffees, it was an easy ice breaker as you could see that many of the attendees were a little anxious about the whole idea. By the time we bumped into each other in the event they were happy to see a 'familiar' face.
2. Practice your pitch - In this event we had just 1 minute to introduce ourselves and our business, an elevator pitch in miniature. Thankfully, we'd spent a few minutes rehearsing back in the office to make sure we knew what we wanted to say and hit all the key reasons to buy.
3. Listen first, talk second - this should always be the case but especially in this set up. Let your new friend tell you all about themselves first and you may immediately see ways you could help - or simply get a better feel for the type of person and/or business they are.
4. Get a preview - If possible, phone ahead and ask the organisers who'll be in attendance so that you can create a 'hit list' of people you'd like to meet.
5. Stay late - A 2 minute conversation is hardly enough time to even start doing business. As you go around, make a note of the people you like to speak to in more detail and make sure to find them after the formal networking is done - and the real networking can begin.
6. Make an impression - Big smile, firm handshake and lots of enthusiasm - you need to stand out.
7. Follow up - A quick email or phone call the next day helps keep you in people's minds and opens the door for future contact.
These kinds of events are great for two reasons. First off the formal aspect is a great ice breaker and secondly you get to meet an awful lot more people than at most events. Play your cards right and you can come away with a raft of follow up meetings with your ideal clientele - we managed 4, not bad for 90 minutes work.
As the name suggests, it works very much like speed dating and I'm sure one or two of you have some experience of it - networking or dating, whichever floats your boat.
Anyway, the evening proved rather effective and so I thought I'd share a few tips for making the most of this kind of event.
1. Arrive early - We landed about 20 minutes before the official start time and had a chance to network a little over coffees, it was an easy ice breaker as you could see that many of the attendees were a little anxious about the whole idea. By the time we bumped into each other in the event they were happy to see a 'familiar' face.
2. Practice your pitch - In this event we had just 1 minute to introduce ourselves and our business, an elevator pitch in miniature. Thankfully, we'd spent a few minutes rehearsing back in the office to make sure we knew what we wanted to say and hit all the key reasons to buy.
3. Listen first, talk second - this should always be the case but especially in this set up. Let your new friend tell you all about themselves first and you may immediately see ways you could help - or simply get a better feel for the type of person and/or business they are.
4. Get a preview - If possible, phone ahead and ask the organisers who'll be in attendance so that you can create a 'hit list' of people you'd like to meet.
5. Stay late - A 2 minute conversation is hardly enough time to even start doing business. As you go around, make a note of the people you like to speak to in more detail and make sure to find them after the formal networking is done - and the real networking can begin.
6. Make an impression - Big smile, firm handshake and lots of enthusiasm - you need to stand out.
7. Follow up - A quick email or phone call the next day helps keep you in people's minds and opens the door for future contact.
These kinds of events are great for two reasons. First off the formal aspect is a great ice breaker and secondly you get to meet an awful lot more people than at most events. Play your cards right and you can come away with a raft of follow up meetings with your ideal clientele - we managed 4, not bad for 90 minutes work.
posted by Mark at Really Practical Marketing at 8:12 PM
1 Comments:
I also attended the last Derry Chamber Networking programme, and am looking forward to the next one, I think this type of meeting is a great and inexpensive way of telling the local folks about your business and offerings, however, there was just one shortcoming that I witnessed, and that being, when the president of the Chamber announced that there was food and beverages available at the rear of the meeting room, simply put, "End of Networking." At the time of the announcement we had only had the opportunity to meet and greet about 50% of the attendees. I still think networking is a great idea, but the Derry Chamber need to take a hard look at how they conduct this type of business get together. Like you mentioned in your article, remain available after the meeting, it’s the best time to really meet the other business members, this also would be an ideal time for the food and beverage announcement. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Squire
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