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Evening Networking & Business Growth
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The Networking Wall
Perhaps the most common misconception about networking is that it is an opportunity to sell your product or service. Take a moment to put yourself in the shoes of the person you are talking to at a networking event and ask yourself whether they are actually in the market for what it is you have to offer.
The answer is more than likely “No”. The next most likely answer is “Maybe” and the least likely response is a qualified “Yes”.
That being the case, why do people attend networking events and spend their time in “transmit mode”, talking AT other people and trying to sell to them?
In my opinion (and I could be wrong) it is because they are desperate to make some money but they are going about it completely the wrong way
So what is the right way? I don’t claim to have all the answers but the following thoughts might be of help to you when you go networking.
Humour me for a moment:
Imagine a solid brick wall in front of you with no visible doorways. Now imagine that there are magical doorways that will appear if you ask the right questions. Now imagine that in your pocket you have a set of keys that will open some or all of the doors in front of you.
This is what networking is about. The wall is the person you are meeting and the doors are the problems they are trying to fix in their business. The keys in your pocket represent not only what you can offer but also what other people you have met and trust can offer. By spending time asking the right questions, you can identify a range of possibilities that you (and others) can respond to.
There are many people offering training in ways to network more effectively. They all offer value to the attendees, but perhaps the simplest advice that I can offer is as follows:
• Be yourself and treat others the way you would like to be treated.
• Show respect and people will respect you.
• Listen to others and others will listen to you.
• Ask for help and others will help you.
• Offer help and others will remember you positively for it.
Remember that “people buy from people” and your success is simply down to the way that you approach and build relationships with others.
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