How do you network? Are you looking for love in all the wrong places?
Do you remember the old country western song about the guy going from place to place lookin for love? I was lookin’ for love in all the wrong places, lookin’ for love in too many places.
Frankly, this should be the theme song for many of the business professionals running from networking event to networking event. Unfortunately, it is a poor way to find love and an even worse way to find good business referral partners.
Many business people spend their time attending one business networking event after another, looking for leads, prospects and connections. Collecting cards, adding names to their Rolodex, their mailing list and their email list. They repeat this activity over and over again because it’s the best plan they have.
Before you go to your next networking event, make a plan. Here are a few things you may want to think about before you head out the door:
- Set 3 goals you want to achieve at this networking event?
- Who is your target market and will they be at this event?
- Who are your best referral sources and how will attending this event help them?
- What is your follow up system after the event?
- What activities will you use to build trust with your network?
- What activities will you use to give to your network?
Instead of looking for new people to build referral relationships with, take a look at who you already network with. Maybe your time would be better spent digging deeper into your existing network and building stronger relationships instead of adding additional people to your network.
Love takes time, so does building a strong network of people who will refer business to you regularly. Before you walk out the door to do more networking make a plan, you may find that the love your lookin for is already in your network.
