What to Dofiles.ctctcdn.com/2e27d75f001/ddf5e594-29ec-4933-ae33-e...Before, During, and After a Networking Event By Mary Lou Gutscher and Dave Gutscher FREE EBOOK 2 What to Do Before,

What to Do

Before,

During, and

After a

Networking

Event

By Mary Lou Gutscher

and Dave Gutscher

FREE EBOOK

http://www.magneticbusinesssolutions.com/

http://www.magneticbusinesssolutions.com/

www.MagneticBusinessSolutions.com

2

What to Do Before, During, and After a Networking Event

Introduction 3

Attending Networking Events 4

Before the Event (Preparing) 5

During the Event (Doing) 12

After the Event (Following Up) 19


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Introduction

Let us consider why you downloaded this book.

If you are self-employed, a business owner, entrepreneur, solopreneur,

salesperson, or thinking of becoming any of these, chances are you are looking for

more clients.

You are likely looking for a low-cost, word-of-mouth, referral-based marketing

strategy to increase your business and you think that networking might be a

marketing tactic you can use for that strategy.

You may have even spent considerable time at networking events, but generated

little, if any, business from them.

You want to do better. You want more leads. And you want more clients.

This book has lots of tips to point you in the right direction. After nearly 30 years

of attending mixers, networking events, conferences, training sessions, meetings,

and every other kind of social event, I’ve made lots of mistakes. Mistakes that

cost me clients, referrals, contracts, employment, and potentially fantastic

referral buddies and friends.

Every idea in this book comes from some kind of mistake I made along the way.

Learn from my mistakes so that you can reduce your frustration and generate

more leads, more quickly, and more profitably.

Happy reading!

Mary Lou and Dave


4

Attending Networking Events

What is the purpose of attending business networking events?

When I ask this question of business people, most people stumble over an

answer. At first glance, it seems obvious – to generate more business. But how?

It is quite rare to attend a networking event and walk away with a sale, or even a

referral. So what are we trying to accomplish by attending these things?

Let me make the argument that the sole purpose of attending business

networking events is to: Initiate New Relationships.

Why?

You are trying to build your business.

Your low-cost, word-of-mouth, referral-based marketing strategy is all about

building a team of people who will act as your sales force.

So, if you already have an established business relationship with someone, you do

not need to use valuable business networking time to build on it. There are better

ways to nurture that relationship, such as training one another over coffee on

how to recognize an ideal client.

Why is it important?

When you understand that your purpose at a networking event is to Initiate New

Relationships, you are less likely to hang out with your friends and colleagues,

wasting valuable time and losing the opportunity to build your sales force.

It’s your business. So, don’t waste your time. Initiate New Relationships.


5

Before the Event (Preparing)

When I first began attending networking events, I thought that preparation

required nothing more than grabbing my business cards, putting a smile on my

face and walking in the door. It wasn’t long before I realized that if I wanted to be

more effective, I needed to be better prepared. Here are some ideas that can

help you.

Business Cards

There are entire manuals written on how to design the most effective business

cards to make you stand out from your competition and build your business. But

for our purposes here, it is most important that you actually have business cards.

And if they look professional, even better. On numerous occasions, I have had

business people write their numbers on scraps of paper for me in lieu of business

cards. While it’s not the worst faux pas that can be committed at a networking

event, having business cards is an easy way to look professional and credible.

It is also important to have a system for your business cards. Know where they

are. Too many times, I have reached into my pocket and accidentally pulled out

someone else’s card. Oops. Now, I keep my cards in a case in my left jacket

pocket and put the cards I receive in my right pocket. Women have told me

frequently that their business clothes don’t have pockets. That’s okay; you’ll just

need to devise a system, such as carrying a palm-sized wallet, so that you look

polished when it comes time to exchange cards. You don’t want to be the one

who has to walk briskly across a room to retrieve a card from your purse.


6

Eat Before You Arrive

Years ago, I arrived at a 7:00 PM business event feeling quite hungry and headed

straight to the food table. While gobbling down a sandwich, a realtor introduced

herself to me. She had seen my profile on the attendee list and had been looking

forward to seeing me there because we shared the same type of clients. My

mouth was full and my fingers were covered in egg salad, so I couldn’t even shake

hands with her, let alone talk to her.

It wasn’t my finest hour.

At many networking events, finger foods are served. But they are not the main

event; they are only there to enhance the event. If you eat before you arrive, you

can focus on more important things, such as Initiating New Relationships.

Name Tag, Pen, and Day Timer

I am always thankful to speak to someone who is wearing a name tag. It’s not

that I have a particularly difficult time remembering names, but name tags just

make it easier for those times when I’m forgetful. At some events, blank name

tags are provided. You can write your name on one with a marker and stick it to

your clothes, but for a more credible look, bring your own professionally-made

name tag. I prefer to wear my name tag near my right breast pocket so that when

I put my right arm forward to shake hands, my name tag is easier to read.

Make sure you bring a pen with you, even if you use some type of electronic

device to record your notes. It is surprising how frequently I receive business

cards from others that have missing information, such as a mailing address, or

even someone’s name. So if I have a pen handy, I can write that information

directly on the business card.

Having your day timer handy makes it easier to book follow-up appointments

right at the event, instead of having to go back to the office and follow up later.


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Cards with a Stamped Envelope

I always have a few generic cards with stamped envelopes with me when I attend

a business event. If I connect with someone that I think will make a great referral

buddy, I try to book a follow-up appointment that is a week or so in the future.

On my way out of the event, I jot down a note on a card, something simple like Hi

Greg. It was great meeting you at the xyz event. And I really enjoyed your story

about your renovation project. Very funny! Looking forward to our meeting at my

office on Thursday at 10 am to see how we might be able to share some business.

And then I address the envelope and drop it in a mailbox on my way back to my

car so that my new connection receives it prior to our meeting. Imagine if you

received such a card after having connected with someone for the first time.

Would it give you a bit more confidence that this is someone who might make a

great referral buddy?

Look the Part

Remember that you are always the face of your business. The way you act and

the way you dress influence others who are trying to build their networks. First

impressions are important, so it probably isn’t wise to show up at a networking

event in jeans and a t-shirt if you are a financial planner trying to expand your

network of insurance advisers and accountants.

Dress the part.

And act the part. Even if you are a brand new mortgage associate, act like you are

a seasoned broker.

By the way, if you are the type of person who flips other drivers the bird when

they cut you off in traffic, or you are the type of driver who often receives the

finger from others for your driving habits, don’t advertise your business on your

car.


8

Be Strategic – Know What You are Looking For

If you haven’t taken time to develop your low-cost, word-of-mouth, referral-

based marketing strategy, you will likely waste considerable time at networking

events. Your goal is to Initiate New Relationships, but what kind of people should

you be looking for? Here are a few ideas.

Look for people who share the same kinds of clients. If you are a mortgage

advisor, you may want to build on your network of real estate agents, insurance

brokers, and financial planners. If you are a massage therapist, your clients are

likely the same type of people who see alternative health care providers, physical

therapists, and providers of health foods and supplements. If you make custom

jewelry, you may want to connect with independent clothing retailers, wedding

planners, and image consultants. Having similar types of clients makes referral

sharing easier.

Look for people who will compliment your referral team. Where are your gaps?

Are your friends asking you if you know a good carpet cleaner? Do you have a

financial planner on your team but need another who can better help your

holistic practitioner clients? Do you need an accountant for your business, but

would prefer to work with one who would send you referrals as well?

If you are new in your industry, look for referral buddies who are also new in their

industries, so that you can both grow together over time. A brand new mortgage

broker, for example, will have a tough time bringing a seasoned real estate agent

onto her team, so why not look for those who are just starting out as well.

Look for people who share the same values. It’s very important to me, for

example, that my referral buddies contact my referral the same day they receive

it. One time, I followed up with a referral to find that she hadn’t been contacted

for nearly two weeks. This is unacceptable to me because my reputation is on the

line when I pass one of my client’s or friend’s names to someone else. I always

call a referral the same day I receive one; it’s just good business. So I expect the

same in others. What characteristics do you value most in a good referral buddy?

Look for people with those characteristics.


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Prepare Yourself Mentally

Many business networking events occur in the evening. You may attend one of

these events after having already put in a full day of work, so you may be tired.

But your work day is not finished, regardless of how tired, grumpy, or hungry you

are. Remember before you step in that door that you are the face of your

business; first impressions matter. Put on your game face, adjust your posture,

smile, and go impress someone.

Recall Who Your Ideal Clients Are

With any marketing strategy, it is absolutely vital that you know your customers,

the demographics and the psychographics. You need to know their wants,

desires, pain points, and complaints. For a low-cost, word-of-mouth, referral-

based marketing strategy, it is no different. You need to know these things. At

business networking events, you will need to be prepared to answer two

questions.

First, what kind of clients do you work with? This is a question you would ask

others to gauge whether they share the same types of clients as you, so expect

that it will be asked of you as well. It’s good to know that you are a massage

therapist, but even better if I know you deal primarily with injured athletes.

Knowing that you deal almost exclusively with first-time homebuyers graduating

from university sheds more light on your mortgage associate career.

Second, how are you different? By which is meant, why should I work with you?

If you already have a couple of financial planners in your network who are

providing excellent service to your clients and friends, you would want to know

how an additional financial planner would differentiate himself in order to make a

good referral buddy. I know a mortgage associate who differentiates himself by

providing a top-notch, first-time-homebuyer presentation to the potential clients


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of real estate agents. By doing so, the mortgage associate benefits by being

introduced to the agent’s potential clients and the agent benefits because some

of these people become home purchasers.

Articulating answers to these two questions is not always easy. Even seasoned

networkers can be caught off-guard when asked these questions. That is why I

find it useful, usually while sitting in my car upon arriving at an event, to rehearse

my answers. I typically have five types of client profiles that I work with, so I run

through them in my head in order to be prepared for any direction a conversation

may take.

Set Your Goals for the Networking Event

Remember that your purpose for the event is to Initiate New Relationships. You

are trying to build your business, while being as efficient and effective with your

time as possible. This is why it’s important to set goals. You want to be focused.

Some people set the goal that they will talk to x number of people at an event, or

that they will make sure that every single person at the event receives their

business cards. Sometimes you see these people, scurrying from person to

person, never engaging in meaningful conversation, only trying to get as many

business cards out as possible, thinking that this is an effective way to build a

referral team. In my experience, however, I have never seen this tactic work

effectively. Building a top-notch referral team is about learning to identify the

kinds of people who would work well with you, spending one-on-one time with

them learning how to identify and refer potential clients, and nurturing the

relationships over time. Setting a smaller goal, such as finding and connecting

with one person who you want to follow up with, can be more effective.

For my clients who are new to networking, I recommend setting goals that have

to do with skill development, such as “practicing the flip-flop technique with every

single introduction that evening”. The flip-flop is a technique designed to have

the other person talk about their business first, with a view to speaking to their


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wants, desires, pain points, and complaints afterward. We’ll learn more about

this in the next section.


12

During the Event (Doing)

It may seem like there were a lot of things you had to think about in preparation

for a networking event. But, like learning to drive a car, the good habits that

eventually become unconscious or routine require more thought and

concentration at the beginning.

Now that you are at the event, here are some ideas on making the best of it.

Don’t Sell

When meeting a person at a networking event for the first time, your focus

should be less on trying to sell that person than to connect with the 200 or more

clients and friends that person knows. If you sell that person, you’ll have one

client. But if you train that person as a referral buddy, you’ll have a continuous

stream of new clients.

Of course, if a person is obviously trying to buy from you, don’t resist. Sell him!

Personally, I am quite put off when someone tries to sell me at a networking

event. So I usually end the sales pitch right away with a bit of humour. “Oh my

goodness, you’re trying to sell me,” I’ll say with a horrified look on my face, and

then immediately follow up with, “How about you tell me what types of clients

you like to work with?” After a laugh, we’re off to a more meaningful

conversation.

Disqualify People as a Good Contact or Referral Buddy

There is enough work in a day for an entrepreneur that she doesn’t have time to

waste on people at networking events that will never be part of the team. If you

see that conversations are leading to idle chit chat and you’re not sure if the


13

person would be a good referral buddy or not, redirect the conversation so that

you can determine if this person would fits on your team. Does he have similar

clients as you? Does he fill a gap on my referral team? Does he share my values?

Don’t let conversations drag only to find out the person is not a good fit.

Disqualify (or qualify) people early.

At some networking events, participants are gathered together to introduce

themselves to the rest of the group. Often this will include the person’s name,

company name, and type of business. This is your opportunity to listen carefully

to other people and identify two or three that could make good referral buddies,

so that you can approach them after the introductions. It saves considerable time

in trying to disqualify the others one at a time.

Resist Being the First to Talk About Yourself

We all love the businesses we run and are flattered when others ask us about our

business. The temptation is strong to tell people everything about our work, but I

suggest you resist this urge. Instead, spend your valuable and limited time at an

event learning about other people first. If it is obvious they won’t make good

referral buddies, you won’t have to waste time talking about yourself.

Practice Technique

One of the most powerful conversational methods I have come across in business

networking is the flip-flop technique. As explained earlier, the flip-flop technique

is designed to have the other person talk about his business first, so that

afterward, you can tailor your message to his or his customers’ wants, desires,

pain points, and complaints.

If you have frequented networking events, you will have noticed that the most

common question asked after an introduction is What do you do? or some

variation of that. The flip-flop technique is quite simple. If you are asked about


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what you do, respond slowly and vaguely, and then flip it back to the other

person. Here are some examples:

(For a web-site designer) What do you do? I do a bit of creative design. How

about yourself?

(For a mortgage associate) What business are you in? I’m in finance. How about

yourself?

(For a clothing store retailer) What do you do for a living? I’m in retail. How

about yourself?

There’s no need to be cute – I help women look beautiful and professional by

putting them in high-end designer clothes so that success for them in the

workplace is inevitable, and I do it with industry-leading customer service – no,

you just want to speak slowly, be vague, and flip it back to the other person.

Why is this technique important?

Once the other person has talked about his business, what he loves about it, what

types of clients he works with, and the wants, desires, pain points and complaints

of his customers, he will run out of material and will eventually come back to you

with something like So you said you did a bit of creative design? At which point

you respond with something like Yes, and I actually do quite a bit of work with

people just like your customers who are experiencing x challenge. And now you

are speaking directly to the problems of some of the 200 people he knows,

instead of blindly stabbing in the dark after an introduction. This is a fast track to

getting referrals.

Let’s try an example. Let’s say you are concierge, and you have many client

profile types – busy executives, dog owners, seniors, soccer moms, etc. – and you

meet a carpet cleaner. After being asked what you do – I do some task work for

people here and there – you flip it back to the carpet cleaner – How about

yourself? After probing with a few questions, you determine that the carpet

cleaner does quite a bit of work for seniors, particularly seniors with pets (hence

the carpet cleaning) and that those seniors aren’t very mobile. Now, when the

conversation comes back to you, you can say, I do a lot of work with seniors just

like yours with the mobility challenges. I am often able to help them by _______


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(fill in the blank: cooking meals, walking the dogs, running errands, buying and

delivering groceries, doing the yard work, etc.) Now you’re speaking to the carpet

cleaner’s clients. You’re helping him because his clients have problems that he

can’t solve, but you can. And no doubt you have clients who are seniors and who

also have carpets. It’s the start to a potentially profitable relationship.

More Listen and Less Speak – Ask Questions

By this point in the book, you will understand that the only way you will be able to

qualify a person as a potentially good referral buddy is by listening to them. So

resist talking about yourself. Focus on gathering information from others. People

like to talk about themselves and their businesses, so encourage them. I bet

you’ll see more success that way.

Here’s an example. A number of years ago, I submitted a proposal for a contract

with a health care company. I managed to make it through a couple of the

decision-making levels, but needed to meet the Vice-President of Western

Operations for a final blessing. We met for an hour. He asked me one question,

which I answered. And then I followed up conversationally with a question of my

own. I let him speak. He loved the company. He loved the people. He loved the

work he was doing. He was excited about the future of western operations. We

talked for an hour, but I spoke for only a few minutes. Twenty minutes after the

meeting, I was offered the contract.

If you are new to business networking, you may wonder what types of questions

you should ask. Here are a few that I often use:

What got you started in the industry? I like to hear a compelling story; I like to

work with people who are passionate about what they do. I also want to work

with people I know will be in business for the long term.

What do you like best about what you do? This often reveals what they are most

excited about and most competent in doing. Their passion and strengths could be

valuable to my clients.


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What’s your favourite type of customer? With this question or another like it, you

can determine if you share the same types of clients.

What do your customers say about you (or your service)? I look for an honest

answer to this question. I like confidence mixed with humility, and I will probe

further if the answer seems overly self-flattering.

What are your biggest obstacles at the moment to reach your business goals?

Regardless of what obstacles are faced, I almost assuredly know someone (either

myself or a referral buddy) who could help him overcome them, if he’s looking for

help.

How’s business? Sometimes people answer with I’m just so busy, which makes

me wonder if they could handle another client if I were to refer one. I like

answers such as We’ve just landed a couple of long-term contracts, so we’re hiring

a couple of new employees.

Where else do you network? If the person is someone I think I can do business

with, I like to know about other hubs he’s attached to.

There are lots of other questions you can ask; just try to gather information that is

important to you to make a decision about whether or not you are talking with a

potentially great referral buddy. And with practice, you can make your questions

seem conversational, rather than making the person feel like he’s being

interviewed.

Ask to Write on Their Business Cards

When you receive a business card from someone with whom you intend to follow

up, take a good look at the card. Make sure the person’s name is actually on the

card, since some companies use generic cards for their team members. Ask about

the address on the card – If I were to send something to you in the mail, is this the

address I would send it to? This is important if you intend to drop a card in the

mail for them when you leave the event.


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Don’t be afraid to write notes on the card, such as the date and time of your

follow-up appointment. But ask first before you write on the card. I’ve noticed

that some people can be quite particular about their business cards.

At one time, it wasn’t a problem to sign people up for your newsletter. But the

current privacy laws require that you ask permission to add a name to your

newsletter list. The exchange of business cards is a good time to ask. Would it be

OK to send you my bi-weekly e-newsletter? It has a few tips about eating healthier

and doesn’t take more than a minute to read. I think you and your clients might

find it useful. And if you don’t like it, you can unsubscribe. My feelings won’t be

hurt. Although a few have unsubscribed over the years, I have never had anyone

flatly refuse when I’ve asked.

Politely Move On or Decide on Follow-Up Action

After a few minutes of discussion with someone at a networking event, you are

going to make a decision about whether or not you think the person will make a

good referral buddy. If so, decide together how you are going to follow up. If you

both have your day timers, you can book a get-together right then and there.

Otherwise, you’ll have to decide how you will connect later. If the person will not

fit into your referral team, don’t let the conversation drag. End the conversation

politely. You may be one who struggles with ending a conversation, particularly

with people who are quite clingy. Just practice being gentle yet firm I would like

to meet a few more people this evening, but it was nice talking with you and I wish

you the best in your business. You’re a busy business person; find a way to end

unproductive conversation with those whom you do not intend to share business.

Hang Out by the Reception Table

I’m more introverted than extroverted, so I struggled to engage in conversations

with strangers at networking events. One of the best pieces of advice I received


18

over the years was to hang out at the reception table. Act like you are part of the

greeting committee and it will be easier to approach these people again later in

the event. The added bonus is that you can often learn a bit about their

businesses without committing to longer conversations, which helps you screen

for potentially great referral buddies.

Avoid Your Friends

Recall that your purpose at a networking event is to Initiate New Relationships. It

is very difficult to do that if you spend your time with your friends and colleagues.

As comfortable as they may be, you’re there to build your business, which means

you need to meet new people.

However, if you insist on hanging out with your friends, that’s okay. Consider it a

social event and don’t complain that networking doesn’t work for business

building.


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After the Event (Following Up)

Once the networking event is over, the real work begins. Here are a few ideas of

things to do after the event.

Follow Up as Decided

You may have met someone at the event that you think would make a great

referral buddy. If you have made an appointment, it’s time to get prepared for it.

Put together one or two client profiles. Your buddy will need to know what kind

of people you are looking for as clients, what problems they have, how they are

trying to solve them, what they are doing, what they are saying. You may want to

talk about some of the goals of your company, such as intended new hires, new

markets you are entering, or new products and services you are introducing. How

will you build more credibility with this person? Be prepared to talk about your

credentials, your passions, and your personal story. You’ll want to make the

person feel confident that they have chosen you to get to know beyond the

networking event. And you want to have the same feeling, so be prepared to ask

questions in return.

If you haven’t already booked a meeting, then follow up with the person in the

way you agreed to, by phone, email, or other means.

Review Your Performance at the Event

After an event, you will find it useful to take a few minutes to evaluate your

performance at the event. You set some goals going into it. How successful were

you in achieving those goals? Did you use the flip flop technique? Did you

practice moving on from people you knew wouldn’t work well with your referral


20

team? Did you meet at least one person with whom you wanted to follow up?

Did you read and comment on the business cards you received? Having a quick

review of your performance right after an event helps to train the mind for

improvements at future events.

Manage the Business Cards you Received

What will you do with the business cards you received at the event? For those

who agreed that you could add them to your newsletter list, do it quickly, either

that evening or the next day. Add them also to your contact list. And for those

who thrust their cards into your hand, and whom you will never do business,

discard them. I know people who save everyone’s business card. The drawers of

their desks are filled with them. And even though they can’t remember where

they received them, or the people they came from, they hold onto them, thinking

somehow that they may still do business with those people. If that sounds like

you, do yourself a favour and throw them in the garbage. You will feel liberated.

And remember, it’s not the quantity of the people you meet that matters, it’s the

quality. You could have 5,000 names in your contact list, but it’s the 20 that you

share referrals with regularly that really matter the most.

I hope you find some of these ideas useful in building your low-cost, word-of-

mouth, referral-based marketing strategy. I wish you success in your business

endeavours.

Progress, not Perfection.

Documents

What to Dofiles.ctctcdn.com/2e27d75f001/ddf5e594-29ec-4933-ae33-e...Before, During, and After a Networking Event By Mary Lou Gutscher and Dave Gutscher FREE EBOOK 2 What to Do Before,