When you run your own business, your time becomes even more precious as you have so many tasks to tick off and goals to achieve in order to drive your business forward. So every minute of your working day needs to be accounted for in order to get the most out of it. That includes the time that you spend building your business through networking events - perhaps virtually at first and going back to in person as the world slowly returns to normal.
- Know Why You're There
Many small business owners simply don't understand how to make the most of this time - they will attend an event, have a few casual conversations and leave without really having gotten anything out of it. By finding local networking events and treating them as an investment of your time, you can make them work much harder for you and drive results that will justify attending. Whether you're building a Web design agency or running a tax preparation franchise, it pays to be skilled at networking.
2. Make A Plan
Going into a networking event without a clear idea of your aims is asking to waste your time. Before attending, it's important to spend a moment sketching out a plan for how you approach the event and what you would like to get out of it. Thinking about how many contacts you would like to make, how you will speak to them or find an opportunity to give your elevator pitch, give yourself a set number of appointments to make or business cards to swap. Go through the guest list and do a bit of research with your current business development goals in mind - who would it most benefit you to connect with? Going into the event with a set purpose will keep you focused and is likely to lead to a much better outcome.
3. Break Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Making a success of an event like this necessarily involves pushing yourself out of your comfort zone a bit. The worst thing you can do is make a beeline straight for business contacts you already know, or attend with someone. You need to be open to talking to new people with a purpose in mind - to find out about their business and introduce yours. Growing your network can leave you feeling a little bit exposed, but it's a feeling that gets easier the more you do it. Think about the size of your network in a B2B setting as being directly related to the profits your company can turn over. The more conversations, the more opportunities to turn a profit.
4.Develop Your Listening Skills
If your mind goes blank and you worry about having nothing to say, use your listening skills instead. Asking open ended questions is a much better strategy anyway - you appear interested, you get to assess what the chance for your business might be, and it stops you feeling awkward having to talk about yourself. Try and find out what the person's 'why' is - what makes them tick. This is a great piece of reference for any future pitch meetings.
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