Ugh... Networking

Note: I believe networking is important for visibility and creating awareness for yourself and your business. But few do it well.

Many small business owners dread networking events. Why? Because they are painful, qualified prospects are rare, and most importantly, because the small business owner must be "on". In other words, networking events are exhausting.

As an introvert, it sucks the life out of me to be around too many people for too long. And, I am fairly outgoing and charming, so few realize that I am introverted. I pick and choose very carefully where, when, and how long I am around people. I need time to recharge to be my best and it took me a long time to figure this out. In consulting, I was on 16 to 18 hours per day for employees, clients, partners, etc. I never gave myself a break and it nearly killed me. Now, I limit my interactions and manage my time to ensure that I am at peak performance with each conversation and that I am not depleted.

Networking events have people in your face in overdrive! Everyone wants to sell or promote something, but few do it well. Most rush in with a canned sales pitch, with no knowledge or relation to what the target needs. Too many people just talk about themselves. I went to one event a few weeks ago where I was "talked at" for 15 minutes before the person took a breath, then got my name wrong and never listened to what my company offers. Never once was asked if I was in the market for the product, never asked about my business, never asked why I was at the event. I listened out of intrigue, like observing apes in the wild, to discern what the heck was going on with this person.

Understanding what you want to get out of attending a networking event is the first step. Visibility? Contacts? Entertainment? Social? Partnerships? Practice? As long as you are clear, you can plan your approach.

To achieve the goal, start by asking questions and listening. Everyone wants to be heard. This is important to building relationships. And, be authentic. Offer something that the other person needs, not what you want to sell them. It is pretty basic in terms of being a good listener.

• Ask questions
• Listen actively
• Learn about them/their company
• Have intention to help

Genuine connection with a few people is more profitable than imposing yourself on 100 people. Think about it. Who do you remember and would want to work with? The jerk who interrupted your conversation with their hard sell or the person who actually took a few minutes to hear about your business and had genuine interest in learning about the challenges and needs that you have?

Flip the script on networking. Instead of trying to sell your product/service, go with the intention of helping others and listening and you will see an improvement in the quality of conversations and connections you make.

I will never hard sell you or overtalk with you. If we are meant to work together, we will. If not, I will help as I can. Schedule a call at https://www.calendly.com/libby-coaching or at [email protected]. Good luck!