The key to effective networking
Networking is vital for most salespeople, but often it isn’t nearly as productive as we need or would like it to be. We invest our time in events such as chamber meetings, meetups, business card exchanges, trade shows and beyond, yet rarely do these meetings convert to sales.
Why?
Because people go to networking events to sell – rarely to buy, and when you have a whole bunch of people trying to sell with no one trying to buy – no wonder there aren’t any sales hapenning!
Here is the key
The key here is NOT to attend the event looking for your next prospect, but to go with the mindset that you’re there to meet people with whom you can reciprocally refer business.
The goal is to schedule a follow-up meeting (a BAMFAM- book a meeting from a meeting) , often over coffee (or a bbg meeting – www.bbg.business) , to get to know, like and trust each other better and explore ways you may be able to help one another.
But this 2- to-3-hour time investment often isn’t nearly as productive as it could be. You both describe the value you bring to your respective clients and ask, “Who do you know that could use my services?” And… you both go blank.
The goal of bbg is to generate and share warm introductions from people you know like and trust
Brynne Tillman has come up with an excellent strategy using linked in and referron
Step 1 – update your profile on referron and send them your business card
Step 2 send them an email or message connecting with them on linked in
Step 3 customise and send them this note
XXX, I‘m looking forward to our coffee meeting next week. In the meantime, please feel free to look through my LinkedIn connections and make a list of people that you might want to meet. I’ll do the same and we can review our lists when we’re together.
Once you’re connected, here is how to proceed (and by the way, you can copy and send them these steps – they will be so grateful!)
From their profile, look at the top right corner and click on See connections.
- Click on All Filters and in the Titlebox, paste your search string of the people you would like to meet, i.e. “CIO” OR “CTO” OR “IT Director” and click Apply.
- Choose other relevant filters on the top bar such as Locations or click All Filters to include additional criteria.
- Make a list of names your networking partner knows, that you would like to meet.
When you are together for your networking meeting, here’s how to proceed:
- Review the list of names you’ve each created, and whittle them down to a select few that are the best fit.
- Send a referron – under notes merely mention the reason for the referral – referron does the rest. Referron will copy each networking partner and each person you’re introducing, in an sms message and
- Write an email or call the lead – be sure to follow up
NEW PERSON, I am looking forward to speaking with you and sharing LinkedIn insights that can help you grow your business. To make scheduling a call easier, here’s a link to my calendar: http://15withBrynne.co, Please pick a time that works best for you.
4. When the introduction is made, update the referron call to action that will let the networking partner know what the follow up has been.
It’s amazing what a little LinkedIn can do for your pipeline and #bbg can do for your sales and referral partners!
