As I start to attend more networking events, I have started to notice how many people arrive unprepared. They arrive in the hope that someone will find them and want their products. If business was that simple everyone would have their own business.
I thought it might be useful for people to have a few simple ideas of how to start preparing a networking strategy:
- Decide how many events you are going to attend (networking and conference events) When picking networking groups make sure they are ones you can commit to attending over a long period of time to build trust and relationships in the group.
- Create a pack of information – this could include a brochure including pictures of your work, a business card or any other marketing information you have that is branded and useful to clients.
- Create a 1-minute pitch that you can say to anyone you meet, this needs to include three keys things, who you and the company are, what the company does and who your ideal client is.
- If you are attending a conference – look up the sponsors and attendees, reach out to people before the event to arrange to meet some key people on the day. This will help you structure your time and fit in some high potential meetings rather than just walking around aimlessly.
If you can follow these four simple steps, it will start you off in the right direction. Happy networking and please feel free to add any of your tips or successes in the comments below to help others on their journey.