How to make it actually work
How do you make business networking actually work for you?
This is a question someone asked me recently.
And my short answer is this:
- Start from the end — in other words, what outcomes or results do you want?
- Then work backwards from there.
For instance, you may say that your end goal is to make more sales.
Fine. And my next question is, “how”? Do you want to do this directly or indirectly?
Your answer will help you determine your networking strategy, as well as help you measure whether it is actually working for you.
If you want to generate more sales directly, you’ll be looking for opportunities to meet prospective clients or customers. (This, by the way, is “prospecting” — not “networking”.)
So your strategy will involve finding ways to meet them — which may be through individual introductions, at “networking events”, conferences or trade shows, etc. It will also include ways to present yourself and what you sell, for maximum impact.
And you will probably measure your progress by the number of leads you generate, the number of sales you make, etc.
Now, if you want to generate sales indirectly — i.e., through “networking” — you may look for affiliates, joint venture partners, referral sources, a combination of these, and so on.
Most of these people will probably not buy what you sell, but rather find others who are interested in buying from you. So you will have a very different kind of conversation with them, than you would with your prospects. Also, you may or may not find this group of people the same way or in the same locations as your prospects.
How and where will you find and meet these people? What kind of working relationship will you build with them, and how will you do this?
To make business networking actually work for you, you must find one or more strategies to answer each of these questions.
And then, you must have a way to tell whether or not your strategies are working.
So how will you know whether or not your business networking strategies and tactics are paying off?
Yes, I know — “more business”!
But what else?
What intermediate “evidence” will you look for, that’ll tell you that you’re on the right track?
Because this will not only tell you whether your efforts are paying off, it will also tell you whether (and where) to make adjustments or modifications to get the results you want.
And for more details, click here.
Till next week,
– Sri
