Some great tips for successful business networking.

1. Business
Networking
Strategy

2. Business Networking is a powerful way to start
to get yourself known and see how your business
idea lands. But 99.9% of business owners do it
wrong and miss out on forming deep relationships
and clients.
If you follow my advice below you will start to
enjoy business networking and see the rewards
fast.
PRE EVENTS
Choose 5 Business Networking Events
Go to Twitter and follow each networking event.
Connect with the networking leader on Twitter
and start to tweet before the event and make
yourself known.
If the chosen networking events have a list of
people who attend (BNI and 4 Networking do)
then try and connect with them on twitter too and
say you will be going to the event. That way when
you go to the event you will already have a
relationship built with them and it will be:

3. a) less scary
b) less cold
c) you will already have something to talk about
Facebook
If you can connect with people on Facebook (some
people use Facebook for work as well as personal)
then go and connect with the leader and those who
attend before the event.
Do not be worried if they do not add you on
Facebook, they may keep it friends only.
LinkedIn
As with Twitter go and add them on LinkedIn and send
them a message that you will be attending their
networking event. See if they can recommend any
good groups for reaching your ideal audience, see who
their ideal client is so you can refer people to them.
The more work you do before the networking event
the more you will get out of the event.

4. AT THE EVENTS
Relax, be friendly, and ask questions. Do not sell. The
aim of business networking events is to build
relationships not sell to people when you don’t know
them.
Unless they ask you, make the conversation about
them. Knowledge is power and with the knowledge
you will know if you can help them.
Either with your services, or refer someone else.
Business Cards
You will of course take business cards with you. But
the aim when you are networking is to get information
from others, not give your cards out willy nilly.
When you get a business card from someone, take time
to look at the card, and then ask them if they would be
happy for you to send them your free eBook/join your
very informative newsletter/whitepaper/blog etc.

5. Then write on the card either YES/NO (whilst they are
still standing in front of you) so that when you get
back to the office you can add them and send them
the eBook/whitepaper/blog that was fitting for them.
If you haven’t already connected on the social
media channels, make sure you ask them if they
are on social media, and would they like to connect.
This way you can continue the relationship after the
event.
AFTER THE EVENTS
Send all who wanted to hear from you a ‘great to
meet you’ email with the free eBook etc. to them.
Add them to your newsletter list if they agreed to
hear from you.
Connect on LinkedIn and Facebook and jump on
Twitter, follow them and do a shout out and share
one of their tweets.

6. When you have added them on LinkedIn make sure
you tag them (this is possible when you look at your
contacts, there is a tagging option). Use the
networking event as a tag name so that you know
where you met them first.
If there is anyone that you really felt you connected
with arrange a 1:1 with them and spend 30mins
getting to know them better outside of the
networking event.
If there was anyone at the business networking
event you really wish you could have spoken with but
didn’t then make sure you reach out to them and
connect. LinkedIn is the perfect way to do so.
If you follow this simple networking process you will
find you spend more time building relationships than
just going to networking events, eating breakfast or
lunch, and wasting your time. Remember the 4 hours
you spend at networking events is very precious. If
you imagine your time is worth at least £250 an hour
it cost you £1000 to go to that networking event.
Do not lose sight of the power of deep relationships
when building your business.