Turning Networking Connections into Relationships (and sales)

That’s what it’s all about.

Networking is not just about meeting people.
Networking is about getting to know people.
Networking is about connecting with people on a business and personal level.
Networking is about turning your connections into sales.

Networking is not about having a bunch of business cards in your pocket or purse and not remembering who they were.

Networking is about making a strategic connection with someone (not just building rapport, but establishing genuine rapport) and getting the next meeting – the lunch, the coffee meeting, or even the skype meeting.

Networking is about being memorable and standing out from the others.
Ask yourself: If you go to a 45-person networking event, who do you really want to meet, and how do you stand out to make a meaningful connection?

If youre investing time in networking, then you better turn it into relationships and sales to make your investment pay. And if not, I bet youre still cold calling. SERIOUSLY?

How many times have you gone to a networking event, met some great people, collected lots of cards and then never followed up with the people you met? Cards laying in a drawer somewhere? Or maybe, even worse, you collect the cards and then put the people on your email distribution list and expect to form relationships or make sales from that gesture. (NOTE: youre probably just pissing them off.)

When youre at an event, heres something to consider – its not about how many people you meet, its about pre-targeting who you will meet so you meet the right people, establish the foundation for a friendly, trustworthy and network-worthy relationship and secure the next meeting to grow your initial meeting into a deeper initial or existing relationship.

Heres what I do:
I figure out who I want to meet PRIOR to the event. I target my prospects before I ever meet them.
As President of a weekly networking group in New York City (email me to visit!), I look over the guest list in advance and do my research by googling the guests.
I meet the targeted people FIRST, get their cards, and write a reminder note on the back of their card of anything important that was said.
Notes on cards help me offer a follow up of value. NOTE: This is the most important step, and also the most overlooked step in the networking process.
After the meeting, I follow up with value. NOTE: Value is not more about what I offer. Value is something that helps them win, helps them profit, helps them become more successful. Value is a new connection or an introduction. Value is an article they can learn from. Value is something that builds even more trust between us and establishes confidence in our relationship. And value is something that THEY perceive as valuable.

Take a moment and write down HOW you network.
How do you choose your networking event?
How do you target people to meet?
How do you prepare to meet them?
How do you make the initial connection?
How do you ensure they will remember you?
How do you memorialize what was said?
How do you make the next meeting?
How do you follow up?

Networking is about establishing some sort of mutual connection and a bit of trust. From there its about follow up and follow through.

Your report card is very easy to score. Its not about who you met at the event. Its about who you meet after the event.