by Alan Matthews
HOW TO SURVIVE SPEED NETWORKING “ Speed networking “ is a contradiction in terms. The whole point of networking is to build relationships over time The point of speed networking is to see how many people you can talk You don’t have time to ask questions or have a conversation, you just So should you just avoid these events? No! But I’ve found there’s a Here are my tips to survive – and thrive – in the world of speed 1.HAVE ONE SPECIFIC GOAL My own goal at these events is to get people to sign up for the Once you know the action you want them to take, follow these steps. 2.TELL THEM WHO YOU WORK WITH Have a short, simple statement that says, “ This is who I work 3.ASK THEM TO TAKE THE ACTION YOU WANT Most people miss this, they end up saying “ Well, You have to tell them what you want them to do. For example, “ I have a free report which reveals the 6 big 4.HAND THEM SOMETHING TO REINFORCE YOUR MESSAGE My business card has a piece on the back telling people about the If your card doesn’t have this sort of information on it, give
so that people get to know and trust you.
to in the shortest possible time. The format may vary but the basic
approach is the same, you get 30 or 60 seconds to speak to someone,
then you move on and talk to someone else.
say your piece. Not very good for building rapport!
certain way to approach them which will be most productive.
Networking.
free report which gets them onto my mailing list so I can build
the relationship later through my newsletter. Yours might be to
get them to visit your website or ring a Freephone number.
AND HOW YOU HELP THEM
with and this is what I do for them .“ Focus on the client, not
on yourself. For example, “ I work with business owners who want
to get better results from their networking. I help them to
prepare and deliver a compelling marketing message so they get
more clients with less effort. “
that’s me, if you’re interested please give me a ring. “
mistakes people make when talking about their businesses. Here’s
the address you need to get your copy. Just send a blank
email.“
free report. I hand them the card, showing them the back when I
mention the address they need to write to. This way, they are more
likely to remember later when they are going through the cards they
have collected.
them something that does – a brochure or a specially made postcard.
5.FOLLOW UP This always amazes me – the number of people I meet at networking When you get back, email everyone you met and remind them of the Even if people were interested in the report when I mentioned it, Using this method, I always get a fair number of people to sign up I guarantee this is a much more powerful approach than most other © Alan Matthews About the Author
Alan Matthews is a Marketing Coach, Trainer and Speaker. To receive a copy of his free report, " Why Isn't This Working? How To Get People Interested In Your Business " email mailto:attractclients@getresponse.com website: http://www.trainofthought.org.uk
events who never follow up. They speak to me for 30 seconds, then
I never hear from them again. What was the point?
action you want them to take, e.g. “ I enjoyed meeting you at the
networking event this evening and I hope we get the chance to meet
again soon. Please don’t forget to order your copy of the free
report I mentioned, just click on this link and send an email. “
there’s still a good chance they will forget later. A brief reminder
works wonders.
for my mailing list at these events. Remember, it’s a combination of:
single message, call to action, visual material to back up message,
follow up email after the event.
people will be using and you will have far more impact on the people
you meet.
email: mailto:alan@trainofthought.org.uk