5 minute read
OPINION
Network to Success
BY DEREK DICKOW
Some call it the chicken-dinner circuit, but it goes by many names. The cocktail hour. The meet-and-greet. The networking reception. The lunch and learn.
I’m talking about business events where people mingle over food and drinks. You attend hoping to meet new people and create some professional connections, and perhaps win some potential clients or investors.
At too many business events, though, you walk away thinking you missed another opportunity and you’re unsure of what you got out of it. Sure, you handed out business cards. But did you make any lasting business connections?
Don’t despair.
I’ve built my career teaching people from all industries how to make business events not just enjoyable, but profitable. I know what it takes to make powerful, lasting connections, even in a crowd full of business professionals checking their watches and looking over your shoulder to see who’s coming up next.
Here are five ideas to implement at your next business event. They won’t make the food any better, but they could change the trajectory of your career forever.
Meet three people. Some events have 30 attendees. Others have 300, and large conferences might have 3,000 people in the crowd. Ignore the size. Just find three people. If you walk into an event without a plan but the notion of “meeting anybody, everybody, or somebody,” you’re setting yourself up for failure. Focus on meeting three people you can have a meaningful conversation with. Just three solid conversations is my definition of a successful business event.
Get their number. No one wants your card the second you meet them. If a conversation goes well, be in control of the relationship and, instead of hoping they’ll call you (trust me, they likely won’t), pull out your phone and ask for their email or cell. If they have an unusual name, politely hand them your phone and ask them to add it to your contacts.
Offer help. Instead of thinking about your deal and what’s important to you, think about what’s important to the new person you’re meeting. How can you help them close their big deal? When you ask engaging questions instead of trying to sell your product or service, you give people a window to share what’s important to them, who their ideal client is, and what pain points they might have.
When people are sharing what’s important, ideally you should think of someone else who can help them solve the issue. The greatest way to advance a relationship with a new contact is by making a qualified introduction to someone you already know through which both parties can benefit.
Networking isn’t generally an overnight success. There’s no silver bullet, other than having an intentional approach to helping others without expecting anything in return. Having a plan, executing it, and asking thoughtful and engaging questions will help separate you from the masses — and put you in position to be successful.
Follow up. After the event, it’s time to follow up properly. Keith Ferrazi, author of “Never Eat Alone,” says this about following up: “Good follow-up alone elevates you above 95 percent of your peers. The follow-up is the hammer and nails of your networking tool kit.”
Have breakfast. Don’t send your new contact an email with an attachment of all the ways they can buy from you. Trust me, this new prospect doesn’t care, and they don’t want to buy yet. Save that email for the fifth, sixth, or even seventh touchpoint after you’ve built rapport. Your job now is to invite them to breakfast and learn more about their goals, their family, and what else is important in their world. Why breakfast?
It’s cheap, quick, healthy, and easier for high-level professionals to squeeze in before the workday. When you meet, leave your phone in your pocket. Ask the person sitting across from you about their upcoming vacations, what projects they’re working on, and what they’re hoping to achieve over the next six months. Have a notepad ready and take notes on key points you’ll follow up on. At the conclusion of the meal, thank them for their time and then pay the bill.
Above all, show your authenticity and sincerity. Sending a handwritten thank-you note and making a few introductions to contacts important to them are a few ways to demonstrate your own relational deposits in this new relationship.
Networking is so much more than simply meeting and chatting with people at an event. It takes planning, consistency, and a proper follow-up. In business we often hear, “you get paid to prospect,” and this is an important reminder that the true fortune is made in the follow-up. Implement these strategies, and soon you’ll be enjoying those business events and using them to supercharge your career. You’re one handshake away from the life you’ve always imagined.
what’s important, ide else who can help way to advance a by making a quali you already know benefit. overnight success. having an inten without expecting executing it, and questions will help and put you in posi time to follow up “Never Eat Alone,” “Good follow-up alone your peers. The fol of your net your attach buy pros don’t for touch Your breakfast their important in easier squeeze business we often hear, “you get paid to prospect,” and this is an important reminder that the true fortune is made in the follow-up. Implement these strategies, and soon you’ll be enjoying those business events and using them to supercharge your career. You’re one handshake away from the life you’ve always imagined.
DEREK DICKOW
Founder of Steward Media, a political and public relations firm in Bloomfield Hills, Dickow helps people and organizations raise their profile and generate more revenue through the art of connection. His formula for cultivating connections is shared through The 5 Pillars of Purpose-Driven Networking. Dickow hosts a wide variety of industry events and provides private one-on-one coaching and corporate bootcamps for professionals at every level and in any industry. For more information, visit derekdickow.com.
