Networking Before And After The Event

Not all networking events are created equal. At some it can be difficult to get to talk to the right people, approaching someone can be a hit or miss affair. At others you may find yourself sharing the same table with people you have already talked to. So it is vital to get the most out of each and every event, after all they take up a lot of time and effort. The following suggestions will help you to stay on track at your next event and in your follow up actions.

Before you go:

Plan what you are going to say.

Use this suggested format:

Hello
My company helps
Because
We do this by
Which means that
Which really means that
What I would like to do is
Sign off

For help and advice on preparing your pitch please call Gareth Morgan on 01226 290288 or email gareth@gapmanagement.co.uk

Business cards, take plenty. I have lost count of the number of times I have lost count of the number of times I have heard people say things like “ I didn’t bring any cards” or “ I have run out of cards.”

Know why you are going. This is particularly important if your manager is sending you. Make sure they tell you what they expect.

Literature. What are you taking and why?

Business cards from people attending how will you store these at the event?

At the event:

Arrive early for your next event, sounds obvious doesn’t it? This can help you plan who you want to talk to and have useful conversations before the main event. This can help you decide whether or not you want to follow up with these contacts. Try to avoid just giving business cards out for the sake of it.

Your Approach talking to people at the event will also help you to decide how to follow up with them. For some it may be a formal meeting for others a beer or a coffee.

Seek permission to contact at a convenient time. This could be letter, email or phone.

After the event:

Record details after the event record some basic details on the back of the card and then enter them into your database or record system. If you made a date to call put it in your planner and keep to it.

Select and prioritise the contacts that are worth following up and decide the best approach.

Plan your approach what are you going to say? What is the outcome you are looking for?  If you are planning a meeting what is the purpose of the meeting? Have an idea of how you may be able to help the person you met. Be prepared to answer the question “Why should I do business with you?”

Some suggested approaches:

“ Hello Carl this is Gareth from GAP Management. We met art the Chamber Lunch the other day and you suggested I give you a call. Do you have a few minutes available now?”

“We did not get the time to talk at the breakfast the other day, but I picked up your business card and was wondering if you had time now to discuss your services”

“Hello Pam we met at breakfast last Tuesday. I would like to discuss some of your ideas further. Would you like to have a coffee or plan a meeting next week?”

Always identify who you are and where you met and ask if it is convenient to talk.

Ice Breakers “What was your impression of the event?” is a good start to a conversation as it encourages more than a yes/no reply similarly “What are you thoughts about the event the other morning?”

Finishing the call. Always confirm the action points from here and thank the person for their time.

Extra touches.  Could you offer a promotion or invite the person to another up and coming event?

Avoid these traps

• Wondering who you gave your business cards to because you did not keep a record
• Looking at the collection of cards you collected and not following up with anyone
• Not keeping a record of where you met
• Not putting the contacts you made on your suspect or prospect list or signing them up for your newsletter
  
  

Telephone tips

If you find it difficult to make follow up telephone calls follow these simple guidelines:

• Create enough time for the call
• Prepare what you will say to the gatekeeper and your contact
• Clear space on your desk
• Have the contact’s business card in front of you and a blank sheet of paper for any notes. This can become your contact record sheet.
• Have your diary ready
• Focus on your objective for the call

And finally

Practice makes perfect both in attending networking events and in developing your follow up approaches. At networking events you will meet a large variety of people offering all sorts of services. Some you may never use, some you may use in a business capacity. There may only be a few that can use your business services either now or in the future. If you can meet these and follow up these valuable contacts at every event you will reap the rewards.

About GAP Management

GAP Management helps business owners and managers to focus their marketing efforts to be more effective and to find win and keep customers, to grow their businesses and be successful whether they market in person, in print or on the web.

For personal help with marketing and sales to grow your business contact us on 01226 290288 or email Gareth@gapmanagement.co.uk