Three (3) Crash & Burn Networking Fails to Avoid
Networking is a great tool. Whether you are a small business owner an executive or an employee seeking upward mobility. When done right, networking opens many doors, including some you may not have even known existed. Unfortunately while the value of networking is emphasized, its essence and even how it’s done are often neglected in the conversation. It is an art that is unsuccessfully attempted by many but those who get it right often reap immeasurable benefits. While many tell you what to do, here are three mistakes to avoid when you step out there.
The Business Card Ambush. When someone walks up to me shoves their card in my face and proceeds to spill out a list of what they do, I generally don’t hear. For starters, once you give me something to look at I start looking at it, and if you didn’t already have my attention now you are in a competition with it. When I go home and I’m entering info in my database, I won’t remember you, except maybe as “oh yeah, that lady/guy”.
Instead introduce yourself. Have a conversation with the person where both your professional information can be shared. I recently read a book by Earl Graves where he talks about finding common ground with the person on which to build relationships. I have always believed that and it was so refreshing to finally see someone say yes that’s right. These are the little things that makes the person remember you and build interest in you professionally. Whether we both used to hang at Cambridge Commons, just started golfing or remember that KFC on Park and Washington, it’s something that makes you stand out from the other 60 people in the room that day. I’m more likely to remember that person I shared even the scantiest bit of history with than the 3rd Realtor I met that day.
The Recruiter. The idea behind networking is building a team of professionals and resources. While many people do go to networking events looking to find new clients, people don’t go in looking to become clients. That was one of the main reasons that I stopped attending local networking events. It felt like every realtor, every financial planner, insurance agent… wanted me to become a client. Not only, that many of them already wanted me on their promotional team passing out business cards. I was taken aback the first time someone handed me 5 cards so I could share just 5 minutes (if not less) after we met, but I later realized that it was not so uncommon. I’ve never been in a rude enough mood to come out and ask but I’ve often wanted to say “Do you really expect me to walk around with a stack of everyone’s card to give out?”
Don’t push your services on me the day we meet. If we end up having a follow up meeting, don’t come in looking to review my retirement portfolio. I don’t know you like that and I’m not about to hand you my personal information. Whether you give me 10 cards of one, the chances are the same- I may stick one in my files. The other ones will surely find their way to the recycling bag because I can’t give you all that space. If someone says they already have a person who does this for them leave it there for now, because that either means they already have someone or are not interested in your service. Let the person know you and be comfortable enough that you become their expert in your area. One can never have too many experts in an area that they can get information from. In due time your skills and knowledge can make you The Guy. When someone sees you as the go to guy, they don’t just come to your for their needs, they send others who have the same. It does take time to cultivate these types of relationships, but they are more valuable than those walk-by carding that a lot of people do.
The Professional Rainbow. We’ve all met the individual who has 3 or 4 or more businesses and different unrelated products that they are selling and hands you a different card for each one. If there are 50 people in this room that I could potentially meet and get a card from it’s unfair for you to want me to take 3 or 4 from you. While having multiple streams of income can be a good thing, I don’t need to know about all six of your businesses in this 5 minute conversation. You end up on a whirlwind trying to monopolize the time trying to get everything in, and the other party has the trying task of attempting to keep up. And the cards! The cards! The cards! Handing someone a stack of cards, one for each of your businesses does not make the impression of someone who could be an expert in any of those things on these cards. But no worries, as I try to figure out which category to list you under my address book, I’ll probably get a call that sidetracks me from deciding.
This is where selective marketing strategies come in handy. In lieu of trying to sell all your products at once, promote one at a time. Although most Professional Rainbows I’ve met say that their “target market is everyone” you have to narrow that down. If everyone is your target market, you have no target market and need to look up the word target. Once you’ve identified target markets for each venture then you can match events and product so that you represent each business at the functions where it is most appropriate and more likely to get you the desired results or expose you to the people you need to meet for that business. If you really cannot narrow your ventures down to match business to event, do it by days. But what ever you do come to each event representing one venture and have ONE business card. It’s ok to introduce someone to just one of your businesses. If you do your networking right, as they get to know you, they will also learn about the other businesses too.
At the end of the day, networking will remain one of the most valuable tools available to you as you work your way up the ladder of success or grow your business, but you have to get it right. Do your research. Talk to people and if you must, take a course. Be sure to do your homework. You can’t expect to get the full benefits when you are not fully investing.
I’m just saying though…
Dream Big… Live Bigger…
DrJudiC
Movers 'N Shakers
