I have been going to networking events since 2007 and feel that I have crafted the art of networking and follow-up. Back in the early days, I would go to an event and meet as many people as possible, tell as many people what I was up to, even if they didn't ask and tried to give out as many business cards as possible hoping for a response. The one positive with this approach was that I was able to build up a large following on social media sites like Linkedin and Facebook. Otherwise, I quickly realized my business was going nowhere and I was wasting time going to events.
Over the years, I started to observe the ways others networked and noticed that the seasoned networker asked a lot of questions and showed genuine interest in the person they were talking to. Their eye contact was fixed on the person versus looking around the room for that next person to give their business card to. I adjusted my approach and became more compassionate about helping and listening to the person's needs. After all, I offer a lot of great services from health/wellness, social networking and a large group of connections. I changed my mindset to simply go to an event and make some friends and not try to score my next client. With these changes, I noticed that the follow-up process was easier and I was starting to get referrals without asking. People were no longer avoiding me like the plague.
This brings me to the point of this blog. Go to a networking event, make a few friends and follow-up with at least a quarter of the attendees of the event. Meet them for coffee, learn more about them and then at the right time offer a solution to any of their needs or connect them to someone that can help them. Continue to stay in contact with them and eventually you will have a great connection and a friend.
Happy Networking!
