So you get invited to some networking event. What to do? How do you approach it?
First, have your 30-second intro under control. Be ready to tell a new contact who you are, what you do AND (super important) who do you help & how. Gerry Weinberg here in the D taught me this and it has paid off in spades. My example … “Hi. Dorothy Twinney [hearty handshake]. I own a marketing company that works with moderate sized business owners and directors of marketing for larger companies who are usually concerned about one of two things — they are either trying to build and new brand and aren’t sure how to do it effectively in a way that drives customer traffic or they are re-branding an existing product/service or offering a new service and don’t have the marketing support to make it happen. We help. In a way that doesn’t break the bank. Know anyone we could help?”
Second, listen. Don’t overindulge in food or beverage and be prepared to listen — for a while. Offer a potential solution when the time is right. But let the contact tell you about their pain. They will. But you have to let it happen. Avoid the instinct to keep talking them into a corner. Listen to them.
It seems simple. Tell them who you are, what you do, LISTEN and then tell them specifically who you help and how. It works. I promise.
Practice your intro and then use it and perfect it until it starts driving business to you.
Happy networking. D
