How To Attend A Networking Event (Lesson 3 of 3)

Well, You have now attended the networking event.

Hopefully you have followed my advice in the previous two lessons and you 3 – 5 good opportunities and many more more connections.

To recap my advice:

1. Know who your perfect customer is.
2. Make sure you listened twice as much as you spoke.

If you have done these two simple and important things, then you know a lot about the people you met with.

Here are the specific things you must do for all the cards you have collected.

1. Add them to your contact database. Include in the notes section all the things you remember or took notes about.  This is to remind you about what who they are six months from now.
2. Invite them to join you on LinkedIn.com (You can find me at http://LinkedIn.com/in/ZaleTabakman)

Yup, pretty boring, eh?

But, as you probably know, I never ever write something short. So let’s continue.

There are two types of business people

1. Those that have standardized sales process that they follow.
2. Those who reinvent their process for each new lead.

If you are the first type and have a standardized sales process, (Which you should have!!!), then you know what to do. Put these people into your process, follow the process, and close the sale, and enjoy your holiday in the sun.

If you are the second type, here is how to get started.

Do the following for the 3-5 opportunities. ( Remember an opportunity may be a possible sale or it maybe a well connected person who can get you a referral. By the way, you are more likely to close a referral made by a person you met at the networking than the person you met at the actual event.)

Find a somebody in your network to refer the opportunity to that will help the opportunity. The Best is somebody who can be their customer. They will love you. Wouldn’t you love it if somebody sent you a customer referral the day after a Networking event? How would you feel about that person? What would you do for that person?

The next best is a double hitter (each needs each other) then that will help solidify the relationship. For example, I was at a networking event recently (last night in fact) and before I went to bed, I made an email introduction to my bank manager. It wasn’t as good as a sale, but it was still a double hitter as I solidified two relationships at once. In one short e-mail I have performed a “Service with a purpose”. I provided a service to my bank manager, a potential opportunity and I did it for my own selfish purposes. Everybody wins out it. And even if both read this article, would any of them care? No, they would be happy that I was able to help both of them and I made the effort. Few people make the effort.

What is the outcome? You have demonstrated to your new opportunity that you are a person that understands the value of a relationship as opposed to somebody who works on a transaction basis.

A relationship has lot more long term value than a transaction. A long discussion for another time.

HINT: In my emails, I write specifically how I see each person helping the other. For me, I treat it as a short sales letter for the new opportunity. The new opportunity sees I have listened to them and to their needs. The person receiving the referral understands what was important and expected. You can only give the referral if you are comfortable with the person you are giving the referral to. Oh and they see the quality of my sales letters. “Service with a purpose”, again.

The next step is done for everybody.

1. Send them a VERY SHORT e-mail saying it was great to meet you. You can add at the bottom of the email your 30 second elevator pitch. If you have something specific that would help them, that is not a sales pitch and relevant to what you discussed, include it.

And now you are finished and the money will just flow.

Do you believe me? I wouldn’t.

Ok, one more thing for you do to. Setup a coffee or a meeting to discuss how you can help them. Since you have given them a referral they will give you their time and attention.

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