You know it’s critical to your success, but are you doing it with forethought and a solid strategy in place, or do you just “wing it”? This blog post will help you network like a pro so you can make all that time and talking worth your while.
Now, admittedly, most of us are squarely in the winging it category, and networking can make us feel kind of uncomfortable at the best of times. But there are some quick and easy changes you can make that will put even your most important networking tasks on autopilot.
How to network like a pro
1. Do your research
First step, find and connect with networking group leaders, potential joint venture (JV) partners, affiliates, guest interviews and speaker slots, and all the other marketing options at your disposal. Search for local events and select a few that look promising. You can always contact the host and find out more about expectations. For example, some networking groups require a certain amount of referrals to be made per month or are very strict about attendance.
With a list of requirements at hand, you can spend an hour or two on Google and bring back a list of hundreds of people you can then reach out to. What would a list of 100—or even 10—new potential partners do for your business growth? You could even hire a VA to do this for you!
2. Automate any initial connection
If you’re going to contact a number of people for the same thing, create a script or email template to use when you first reach out to potential partners. Having the script in place will accomplish two things:
- The process will be much faster than if you have to think about what to say.
- You’ll be able to tweak the script as you go to get better results. Just like you split test your emails, you can test your outreach process as well.
Just make sure that you avoid any copy/paste errors with names or businesses!
3. At the meeting
Rocking up to a meeting where you don’t know anyone can be really nerve-wracking. Do a bit of research before and try to connect online with some of the people who are likely to be there, through LinkedIn or Facebook.
When you arrive, or if you’re lucky before you arrive, you’ll probably get an attendance list. Scan through it and check out if anyone you know is there, and make a note of the people that you’d like to chat to.
Hopefully everyone will have name badges so it’s a question of taking a deep breath and introducing yourself. My favourite place to initiate a conversation is in the drinks queue! I also love to go up to other people who are looking awkward on their own and say hello to them, to put them out of their misery!
Have a stock of great networking questions ready, as well as your “elevator pitch” and your business cards!
Great networking questions are open-ended and curious about the other person:
Where do you recommend I go while I’m here? (If you’re from out of town)
What Are You Most Excited About at the Moment?
Any Big Challenges Coming Down the Line for You?
What’s the Next Big Thing You Have Coming Up?
If You Didn’t Do What You’re Doing Now—What Kind of Job Would You Have?
I LOVE asking a question or finding a way of staying in contact with new people that I meet, so I’ll often think of someone that I could introduce them to or a resource that I could send them after the meeting.
4. Follow-up
ALWAYS FOLLOW UP! The magic is in the follow-up as they say.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, create an email or phone script or template to help speed the process. You or your VA (or your email autoresponder series) can send out a series of emails to follow up on those initial connections. If you’re asking for something, you’ll might have to follow up multiple times before you get a response. Be persistent, people are busy! How can you distinguish your follow-up from everyone else’s?
5. Automate your scheduling
Using a service such as Acuity (my favourite), you can easily set up your calendar with your preferred times for interviews, webinars and such. Give your link to everyone that you’ve connected with, so they can book time with you. The meetings will automatically appear on your calendar. No more endless back and forth to discuss potential meeting times, just a single click, and your contact can choose the time that works for both of you.
Here’s a hint though: be sure to use your calendar diligently, because if you don’t you run the risk of someone scheduling time with you when you already have another commitment.
Will it take a bit of work to get these systems in place? Sure. But once you do, you’ll find that you’ll be able to network like a pro, attracting and working with JV partners, guest experts and others is much easier and more streamlined. Not only that, but with the time you save, you’ll be able to concentrate on creating new programs and services. Or maybe just hang out with the kids a bit. You deserve some time off.