Business Networking Stinks

How many times have you attended a networking event only to be asking yourself the question, “Why am I here wasting my time?”  Believe me. You aren’t the only one!  Networking stinks.  Sounds pretty bad coming from someone who has been networking since the early 1990’s and is a representative of an organization that produces business networking events doesn’t it?

Does networking truly stink or are we just not thinking when attending these events?

Here are a few suggestions to avoid having a networking event become a waste of your time.

Before attending, do your homework and find out who is going to be there. What organizations are sponsoring or exhibiting at the event?  How long has the networking group that is hosting the event been on the scene?  Make sure the networking group is the right audience for your particular product or service.  If you know someone who is a member of the networking group, don’t be afraid to ask, ahead of time, what business they have gotten out of being a member.

Next, be prepared. Have your business cards readily available, and have your mind ready to learn from other networkers as to what their businesses are about and how you can help them.  “Wait. What? Help them? I thought I was here to grow my business through networking!”And you are.  Use these events to build up your arsenal of good, trusted contacts that you can share with other organizations to help grow their business.  The more you help their business grow, the more they are going to help you grow yours. It’s only natural.  Using this technique will allow you to become a valued networker as you are offering help, not shoving what your company does down their throats at a time that they may or may not need your product or service.

When you are asked the age old question which I can guarantee you will receive, “What do you do?”, take the advice of Mark Green, President of Performance Dynamics Group, LLC by providing a well thought out response. He says: 

 “Start with the realization that saying what you “are” is not the answer to the question “What do you do?” To figure this out, simply ask your customers why they do business with you. You might discover that the value you provide to them extends far beyond what you thought! In fact, I would wager that any one of the points of value you provide would sound a lot more impressive than “I’m a [put your profession here].”

In giving these alternative answers, you are providing information that is more emotionally oriented and value driven. They speak precisely to the results of your work. This is the type of information that does not just go into the “bin;” rather it’s usually processed into a follow-up question. And follow-up questions lead to dialogues, dialogues to relationships, and relationships to business transactions.”

Have patience.  As we all know, it takes time to develop a relationship when doing business and, provided you did your homework and selected the right event for your product or service, still don’t  be under the misconception that if you attend a networking event, you will walk away with new business at that moment.  It takes time.

Networking doesn’t stink. It’s just misunderstood. If you do you research the event prior to attending, and think before you attend, you should never run into an event that becomes a waste of your time.  Use these suggestions to help you before your next networking event.  See you there!