There is without a doubt a surplus of professional business networking events to attend as well as an increasing number of trainings to help business owners with social networking going on across the country. But, take a moment to think about your actions… Have you become a professional meeting attender??
(Yes, I am aware attender is not a real word, but attending meetings for a living isn’t a real business.)
After hosting networking events and trainings for the last 5 years it is both exciting and frustrating to see the waves of people come in and out. Everyone is “trying” to grow their business, they go out and attend everything imaginable, which is the exciting part. However, it seems like a crazy high percentage of people never implement anything at all!
Whether you are at a professional networking event or are starting to take part in social networking for business purposes the philosophy behind your objective is universal; connect with and help as many people as possible and then you will make more money. This is not rocket science.
Surely those of you who have been to a live professional networking event have encountered those obnoxious people who walk in with a stack of business cards and their only objective is to get rid of all of them, because “that’s marketing.” Is this really so different than logging onto Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or any of the other hundred social networks you are trying to use for your business and seeing the guy who thinks posting, “Hey, this is what I do! Check me out and let me know if I can help you.”
How self-centered are we to think that anyone cares about who we are or what we do?
Whether live or online the interaction that will turn into a potential business relationship looks like this:
- Introduction (Meeting and learning about one another, no pitching or looking at people like they have dollar signs shooting out of their head.)
- Identifying ways to help your new friend accomplish something in order to get them closer to a goal that they have. (Helping other people may very well help us advance our business as well… WOW, who’d a thunk it?!?)
- Then it is really all about staying on each other’s radar. Having a meeting every now and then, communicating online, and checking in to see how everything is going. (You know, developing a friendship)
(Yes, I am also aware I am being very condescending. My objective is to show you how simple the process can be if you allow it, and also to save you hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars “trying” to figure it out.)
These 3 basic principles work, and they work at live professional networking events or online when messing with your businesses social networking.
How much time should you spend networking online and in person? Well that really depends on just how friendly and resourceful you really are.
Meetings, trainings, and events are great, but when do you get to the point where you stop “trying” and start “DOING!”
I wish for you the greatest amount of success with both your professional networking efforts and in your business social networking.
Have an awesome day!