If you’re anything like me, you’re probably attending AT LEAST four to five networking events every month. And that can be brutal. Because some are effective, some are fun, some are extremely boring and not worth the effort and most are just ho-hum.
Networking, in whatever form, is a necessary evil. In order to keep your pipeline filled, you’ve got to participate.
But how can you be most effective in your networking efforts?
Here are 3 tips that work every time:
1-Be sure you are networking where your ideal clients are hanging out. Ideal clients–what’s that, you say? Ideal clients are the yummy, wonderful clients you would work with, all day long for free if you could. They are the clients you can’t wait to see, have the most fun with and love serving! Start building an ideal client profile around them if you haven’t already. And be sure to ask them where they network or just hang out! Likes hang together, remember the old adage, “birds of a feather, flock together”? So be sure you are attending networking events, or social gatherings or meet-ups where other ideal client types are also hanging.
2-What’s Your Intention Before Entering The Room? You must have an intention before entering a networking meeting. Perhaps it’s meeting a specific person you know is going to be there, maybe it’s meeting a certain number of people, or maybe it’s working the four corners of the room—systematically. That, can be a challenge. Whatever your reason for attending a networking event—be sure you have an intention or goal for yourself.
3-Have a kick *ss elevator pitch! Yes, you must have a really good elevator pitch that will PULL ideal clients in towards you. You must communicate what you do in a way that a 3rd grader can understand what you do. And it’s important that people will understand EXACTLY who you work with and who they should refer to you. The more clear you are about who you work with, being able to describe who they are and what you do for them (results you bring) the more likely you are to get referrals!
While these three tips may seem obvious and you might be saying to yourself, “I already know this”. In my experience, I don’t see a lot of people practicing these three tips at the networking events I attend (and I attend a lot!)
So take stock in how you are approaching your networking and I’d suggest you incorporate these three tips to make your efforts more effective and efficient!
 Mandy works with talented, high energy self employed professionals and very small businesses who struggle to market their business effectively, stretch their capacity and play a bigger game. Mandy’s client’s receive proven, specific information on what they need to do to get more clients and grow their business. As a result, those who coach with Mandy increase their business, get more clients and make more money, faster and easier than they ever would have on their own. Sign up for her free Cd “7 Productivity Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs” right down below. |
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