Steve “The Hurricane” (00:00):
What’s up everybody? It’s Steve “The Hurricane” here. And for today’s episode of A Drink with the Hurricane, we are going to discuss networking events and specifically approaching someone new for the very first time. So raise your glass with me and let’s toast to your success. Cheers.
(00:25):
This is A Drink with The Hurricane, the Talk show discussing all things growing your home care business. This video is sponsored by Home Care Evolution where we help home care agencies adapt to changing circumstances, transform their business so that they can thrive for years to come. Alright, my friends. So it is networking time again. I know a lot of us have taken our foot off the gas, the pandemic is behind us. Things are open, there’s networking events, there’s chamber events, there’s gatherings. We have to get back out there and market our agencies. So much opportunity. So many people lost their connections and contacts during the pandemic and now that everything is open again, let’s get back into those accounts. Let’s seize the day and go after our target customers. So when you go to a networking event, the biggest challenge that people face is people don’t really know how to network.
(01:28):
People really don’t know what to say or how to get around meeting somebody for the very first time. And I think the reason for this challenge and problem is people place too much of an importance on the networking event and try to get the business from the networking event. So what I want you to write down, the takeaway here is you are not going to ever get business from a networking event. It’s what you do after the networking event. That’s where the business is gained. And if you’re a client of mine, I go over this heavily in Fast Start lesson three and advanced training lesson one and five. So if you’re a client, write that down and you could go and watch where I talk specifically about all of these items. But to the point of what I’m saying here, when you meet somebody for the first time, it can be intimidating.
(02:21):
And a lot of times people feel that they have to almost, I call it verbal vomit all over somebody or Fire Hose the person where they come up to ’em and it’s like, hi, I’m Steve, I’m from Care Choice Home Care Company, and we take care of people in the greater Middlesex County and Monmouth County areas and we have a hundred caregivers on our staff and we’re taking care of 95 patients and we’ve been in business since 2001 and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. No one caress. That is not the way to meet somebody for their first time. As a matter of fact, in hearing me pretend with you, showing you the example of what not to do, that was probably offputting. You probably felt offended or bothered by hearing me speak so fast and just talk, talk, talk, talk, talk without ever listening.
(03:17):
And that’s where people go wrong. So instead, when I come to a networking event and I meet someone for the first time, instead of me verbally vomiting all over the person, I like to come in with a plan of trying to qualify the people that I’m speaking to see if there’s a potential for something to be gained later on down the line. Fast start. Lesson three for all of my clients is where I talk specifically about creating power partners. And it is at the networking event where you are first initial contact with a potential power partner is made. So when I walk into the event, I want to find out who the people are. I want to find out what they do and what companies they represent. I want to find out if that company is going after the same type of customer that I am, but we do not compete.
(04:13):
Example, if I sell milk and I sell milk and I’m looking for convenience stores and supermarkets and restaurants that need dairy products, I want to find people that offer different products and services for those type of businesses because we could work together. So I want to find the Frito Lay potato chip person. I want to find the US foods provider. I want to find somebody who provides m and m, Mars candies and all that other good stuff. Those are just examples of people who would be synergistic with me if I sold milk. So you know all of the different entities in the healthcare setting that are going after the same type of customer as you. So now I go to the networking event, I introduce myself to the person. I just confidently say, I’m Steve, I represent Care Choice. What’s your name? And then they tell me who they are and where are you from and what do you do?
(05:11):
And then we banter back and forth. But again, I’m going to be asking them questions every time I ask them a question, start off by answering the question and then asking it something to the effect of I’m looking to form some potential partnerships and I’d love to collaborate on events. As a matter of fact, just last week I sponsored and co-sponsored wine and cheese tasting at Brandy Wine Assisted Living right up the road. Do you do events like that? What was the last one that you have done? And so I gave an example of me doing something that I’m looking to do more of. And then I asked the question of the person if they’ve done something of this effect and what was the last one that they have done? This is so that I can gauge how experienced they are, gauge if they have a budget for this type of stuff, and gauge if there is a potential for us to move forward.
(06:11):
The last point I’m going to leave you with here is if this conversation is going well, or even if it’s not going well, you want to end the conversation at the end of five minutes, do not talk to the person more than five minutes. Why? Because you’re never going to remember everything that they had to say and they are never going to remember everything that you have to say. The networking event is not where you’re going to get the business. If the conversation isn’t going well, end it and just say, Hey, there’s other people here I’d like to see. Here’s my card, let me get your card. We’ll be in touch. And that’s the end of it. If the conversation is going really well and I’d like to continue it, I still end it and say, Hey, this is going really well. I appreciate it, but there’s other people here that I would like to meet other people here that I would like to see.
(07:06):
Let me get your card. And you know what? I’ll tell you what be it. This conversation is going so well, I really do want to continue it, but I want to see other people as well. What are you doing next week? And I pull out my cell phone and I open up my calendar and I find a day and a time that works for me that I’m available. And this is what’s called book a meeting from a meeting. So I’m going to literally book a meeting from a meeting with the person to meet for a cup of coffee, meet for lunch or breakfast next week at a specific location, try not to have it at their business. You want to try and follow up with them out of their business so that if that meeting goes well, you can then book a meeting from a meeting to go to their business and continue to develop the relationship.
(07:52):
But I find that if I do this, this increases the likelihood of finding people who I could potentially power part with, power partner with forming a strategic alliance that will grow their company and mine. So there’s our tip for the week, folks. I hope you thoroughly enjoyed this lesson. If you did, make sure you hit like and subscribe below. Also, you need to come to my bootcamp. There’s always a bootcamp. We do them twice a year. If you have never been to a bootcamp or it’s been years since you’ve been to one, you need to come again. Go to my website home care evolution.com and register for the bootcamp right now where I will give you everything you need to blow away the competition.