Three Costly Mistakes Made At Networking Events

TweetI attend a lot of networking events and I have been spending a lot of time refining my approach.

Firstly, I have found that networking events are a very powerful way to market your business, but you must have a plan.

Here are three major mistakes I see made at networking events and how to avoid them.

Mistake 1 – Cold Calling at a Networking Event

A networking event is not for selling.  It is for expanding your NETWORK!  Hence the name.

Putting on the full-court press with other business owners that you have never before met will make you a very unpopular person amongst those at the event.  It will be extremely damaging to your business reputation and you will RARELY make a sale.

Mistake 2 – Accomplishing Nothing

In every situation, including networking events, you should have goals.  See Mistake #1 if  your goal is selling your product or service to people you have never before met.

There are lots of other goals you could be setting as you walk into a networking event that are short of giving your sales pitch.

Here are a few goals that I set:

• X number of people agreeing to receive my newsletter
• X number of DVD videos or other content handed out to my target market.  Content that is valuable and informational to my target market.
• X number of referrals made to other people that I know that are good business people
• X number of new people that I have introduced myself to.
• I also keep my ear open for opportunities to be a speaker at future events.

Mistake 3 – No Follow-Up

It is surprising how many people do not follow up with leads, referrals, partnerships and other discussions that are had at networking events. This is a tragedy.  It is not worth going to these events at all if you don’t follow up on the opportunities that present themselves.

I keep a pen on me at all networking events and I will write, on the back of the persons business card, the details of any promising discussions.

I  write information like:

Wants to receive my newsletter.  Is interested in a possible partnership on XYZ project.  Referred her to John Doe.

All of this goes into my database at home and is available for me if I get a call, email or another physical meet-up with this person.

I also will send a follow-up email to everyone that I feel I had a business or personal connection with at the event and I do it within 24 hours.

I also look for ways to add value to that person by reviewing their business on my blog or offering to help them with some IT related problem they are having.  I will often send an email to the person and CC someone else that I feel would be a could connection for them.  I will add them on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as well.

I am certainly not the best off-line networker but I have spent a considerable amount of time refining my approach and it has paid off.  Execute on some of these strategies and you will reap considerable benefits from your future networking events as well.