Why be an organised networker?
Networking is a significant investment in time and money. If you want the best returns on that investment you need to be an organised networker.
What do I mean by ‘organised networker’?
Some people see networking as something they fit on when they can. They book last minute, do little preparation and not a lot of follow up. As a result, they rarely get results and may sign up to the ‘networking doesn’t’ work brigade.
The organised networker treats networking as a priority business activity. They schedule events well in advance, prepare for them and follow up afterwards. So how do you become an organised networker?
Understand your why.
There are numerous reasons why you might network. For some it is all about winning business. It might be about overcoming the loneliness of the solopreneur. You may wish to build your confidence through speaking or hosting. Many networkers seek collaborative partners or suppliers. Others are looking for learning, inspiration or research opportunities. And nearly every networking organisation talks about support.
The chances are that it will be a combination of these things.
The organised networker will know why they are networking and will test out a number of events before deciding what works for them.
Becoming a member.
Once they have sampled their options the organised networker will join one or more best fit communities. They will complete any joining information, connect on social media and plot regular events into their diary (most will use the repeat event button inside their online calendar). They will join any member groups and introduce themselves.
Before a meeting
The organised networker will book into meetings well in advance and plot time for preparation and follow up in their diary too.
They will read any marketing or introductory information about the event and use it to prepare. For example, we have a different theme for our introductions each month. The more organised amongst us think about their introductions each month. We decide whether we need visual aids or maybe a testimonial to support that introduction. We may also bring some specific marketing collateral to support our call to action.
I like to keep a bag prepared with what I need for a networking event. Contents usually include…
- Business cards
- Marketing materials
- Notepad and pen
- An A3 pop-up banner to promote my business
At the meeting
The organised networker will make use of the display table if there is one. They’ll make their business cards and marketing material available even if there isn’t a business card shuffle. They will ensure that they have the names and contact details for any new people they meet.
Those notepads will come out during the introduction round and be used to capture new information and calls to action. Our organised networker will note any promises they’ve made or any ideas they’ve had.
After the meeting
This is the really important bit. Our organised networker will add details of the new people they’ve met to their CRM system or spreadsheet. If they have permission they’ll add their new contacts to their mailing list. They will connect on social media.
The next bit is where the gold is found… they will follow up.
It might be a pre-prepared email with a link to a website or maybe their calendar. The best emails are topped and tailed to personalise them. You might mention where you met, a promise you made or something that particularly interested you.
It may be an invitation to another event or to book a 1-2-1. Or you may have promised an introduction or some further information. This where those notes are handy. Our organised networker knows that thy may forget important information if it’s not written down.
And finally… our organised networker will add a reminder to their diary or to do list if they committed to action in the future. That might be an invitation to another meeting or it might be a delayed follow-up.
How organised a networker are you? I’m very much a work in progress but these days there are more tools that allow us to be more organised. That’s the subject for another article. In the meantime if you’d like to be more organised at booking events ahead here’s our events calendar. Why not book some events now?
