by: Alan Matthews
“ Speed networking “ is a contradiction in terms.
The whole point of networking is to build relationships over time so that people get to know and trust you.
The point of speed networking is to see how many people you can talk to in the shortest possible time. The format may vary but the basic approach is the same, you get 30 or 60 seconds to speak to someone, then you move on and talk to someone else.
You don’t have time to ask questions or have a conversation, you just say your piece. Not very good for building rapport!
So should you just avoid these events? No! But I’ve found there’s a certain way to approach them which will be most productive.
Here are my tips to survive – and thrive – in the world of speed Networking.
1. HAVE ONE SPECIFIC GOAL
My own goal at these events is to get people to sign up for the free report which gets them onto my mailing list so I can build the relationship later through my newsletter. Yours might be to get them to visit your website or ring a Freephone number.
Once you know the action you want them to take, follow these steps.
2. TELL THEM WHO YOU WORK WITH AND HOW YOU HELP THEM
Have a short, simple statement that says, “ This is who I work with and this is what I do for them.“ Focus on the client, not on yourself. For example, “ I work with business owners who want to get better results from their networking. I help them to prepare and deliver a compelling marketing message so they get more clients with less effort. “
3. ASK THEM TO TAKE THE ACTION YOU WANT
Most people miss this, they end up saying “ Well, that’s me, if you’re interested please give me a ring. “
You have to tell them what you want them to do.
For example, “ I have a free report which reveals the 6 big mistakes people make when talking about their businesses. Here’s the address you need to get your copy. Just send a blank email.“
4. HAND THEM SOMETHING TO REINFORCE YOUR MESSAGE
My business card has a piece on the back telling people about the free report. I hand them the card, showing them the back when I mention the address they need to write to. This way, they are more likely to remember later when they are going through the cards they have collected.
If your card doesn’t have this sort of information on it, give them something that does – a brochure or a specially made postcard.
5. FOLLOW UP
This always amazes me – the number of people I meet at networking events who never follow up. They speak to me for 30 seconds, then I never hear from them again. What was the point?
When you get back, email everyone you met and remind them of the action you want them to take, e.g. “ I enjoyed meeting you at the networking event this evening and I hope we get the chance to meet again soon. Please don’t forget to order your copy of the free report I mentioned, just click on this link and send an email. “
Even if people were interested in the report when I mentioned it, there’s still a good chance they will forget later. A brief reminder works wonders.
Using this method, I always get a fair number of people to sign up for my mailing list at these events. Remember, it’s a combination of: single message, call to action, visual material to back up message, follow up email after the event.
I guarantee this is a much more powerful approach than most other people will be using and you will have far more impact on the people you meet.
© Alan Matthews