Hanging out with their friends! In this week’s episode of A Drink with the Hurricane, we tackle something that happens all too often at networking events. You walk into a meeting where you see 2 or 3 other professionals having a conversation. You already know, like, and trust these people, so you immediately jump in the conversation and start shooting the breeze with them. It seems ok, you are there to make contacts and connections, and you may have not seen these people for a few weeks. But, that is not the purpose of coming to these events! You are there to make NEW contacts and connections. You are there to seek out opportunities to explore that you haven’t uncovered yet.
Think for a moment. If you show up at a networking event and hang out with 2 to 3 people you already know for the entire time you’re there, why did you bother going in the first place? If you already know these individuals, couldn’t you have set up a time to see them and catch up elsewhere? I’m not saying to be rude and not say hello, but keep it to a minimum.
I still clearly remember this one event I went to years ago. There were about 100 professionals from the local market in attendance, and I saw two of my connections from different territories within the same corporation. They were both marketing reps, and didn’t get to see one another at events often, so the second they noticed each other, it was all hugs and kisses, and chit chat. Before you knew it, they had spent 15 minutes speaking to one another. As I greeted them, I told them, “Go market!” (Ha!) They laughed and realized they had been wasting time talking to one another. I invited them both to coffee after the meeting to catch up, they accepted, and then we split and “worked the room.” That’s how to handle these type of events…work the room!
This involves getting out of our comfort zone. I know it’s not easy, but it’s what successful people do. If you have been going to events and you’re not getting business from them, you have to think to yourself, “What am I doing wrong?” This lesson could be speaking to you!
If you remember nothing else from this blog today, remember this. “It’s not how many people you know, it’s how many people know you!” Get out there, get known, and have fun. If you need help with this, give us a shout and we can schedule a free consultation on how to grow your Home Care Company’s census, revenue, and profits. Take care, everyone.
