Networking for Fun and Profit

The Dreaded Question - “So, what do you do?”. Why is this such a hard question to manage? This is supposedly your passion. What you spend your days doing. Yet business owners trip over at every event I attend.

Our First suggestion is not to feel compelled to describe what your business is. Or how it functions. Focus on the specific problem that you solve for the clients you want to attract. What is the outcome they experience when you have done what you do? One financial planner said "I help our clients have better sex... because worrying over money is the number one problem in the bedroom".

Your sole purpose at any event is two fold - ONE - DETERMINE SUITABILITY - is this person a suitable prospect? SECOND - if yes then book an appointment for later - get to the next step. You are not going to sell your service at the event. There are too many distractions and interruptions. So don't try.

The vast majority of people at any networking function are really not there to listen to your sales pitch. They want to secure new business for their company not to engage in yours. So they are more compelled to tell a story than listen to one. But that is okay. Let them talk. Listen. Make interested sounds and comments. Determine suitability.

If this person is not a suitable prospect thank them for their time and move on. The art of Dis-Engagement is just as important as engaging. Keep this person in mind as a possible connection to someone else in the room. The best way to disengage is to hand someone off to another person in the room.

If the person is a suitable prospect then thank them for their time. Say how interested you are in hearing more about what they do. Book a time and place to meet with them in the next 1-5 days (you both have your calendars on your phone). And Move On.

Conversation is NOT Conversion. The difference is two letters. AT. Conversion occurs AT the right time and the right place. A place and time of your choosing. When you have your materials. When you have their attention. Networking is a time for Conversation and quickly moving on with a booked appointment in hand.

Networking is without question the single most cost effective way to locate and secure new business. But you are not there to collect business cards. You are not there to make new friends. You are there to book appointments later in the week with possible prospects.

The best networking comes from genuine relationships, not a business card exchange. No matter whom you’re trying to build a relationship with, treating that person as a friend rather than a business contact will take you much further with the relationship. So, think about how you would approach a potential friend. Find something you have in common with them, keep it light, make jokes, and above all, show that you care. You simply want a connection.

Wisdom Writing Works

Get it “out-of-your-head” and onto the Page! If you want to tell a more compelling story to the right audience then make a script. Rehash & Rework your Raw material until it sounds clean and natural. Networking events are not the place to adlib. In most cases you will only have ONE chance to engage this potential client. Don't blow it with a mousy weak story. Make it compelling and memorable. You want to be different, to Stand out. You may have to step outside your comfort zone... maybe waaaaay outside. All you need it some practice and a little direction.

That is why we created the TAKE ONE Community. Every week we get together and brainstorm each others "elevator" speech and their one on one interactions. We practice. We polish. We dig deep for the exact benefit that makes each of us unique in the marketplace. This is the perfect blend of networking club and Mastermind group. You not only get business to and through our community members but you will learn to passionately, precisely and powerfully answer the next time you are asked. "What do you do?"

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