Networking survival tips

Running through your mind are a myriad of concerns:

· ‘I bet they all know each other’

· ‘How on earth am I going to make introductions?’

· ‘Am I out of my depth?’

· ‘Is this going to be worth the effort’

As the morning coffee is served, you wonder how you can explain that you returned with 0 leads at a sizeable expense to your company…

In reality, everybody is at networking events to meet strangers/potential clients, so everybody is in the same position. To help you survive the not- so- daunting networking event we have compiled some (hopefully) useful tips-

DROP THE ACT

It’s essential to be yourself, don’t introduce yourself as the person you think people want you to be. Business relationships need to be formed naturally, genuine people like (and buy from) genuine people.

MAKE NOTES

Make sure that all of your notes & contacts are written down accurately and stored safely. This will help your follow ups to stay on point, guaranteeing you get better responses.

LISTEN

Understanding potential customer’s requirements is the most important thing that you can do when you meet up with somebody for the first time, so really listen out for what they need. Leaving a conversation with relevant information to work on is much much better than garbling a standard sales pitch at somebody.

BUSINESS CARD ETIQUETTE

This may sound like an odd one, but it’s better not to give out your business card indiscriminately - only give your business card to people you have had relevant and quality conversations with .

DON'T STAND ON THE SIDE-LINES

There is absolutely no problem with joining in a conversation between others and waiting for an opportunity to speak. If you can sense that you have entered a long and serious conversation, just excuse yourself.

EXPANDING NETWORKS WORK BOTH WAYS

When you meet people at an event, they may not be the right person to help you. It is however, highly likely that they know someone who can help. At the same time, you may know a contact that will be useful for them to know. Expanding networks works both ways.

AVOID CHEWING GUM

Whilst chewing gum is great for dental hygiene, it’s not great for creating a great first impression. Leave it for the car journey.

HAVE YOUR SALES LITERATURE HAND ON

It’s key that you can hand over concise and relevant information to interested parties prior to leaving an event. This way they will remember you and your company when you follow up with a phone call.

Targeted sales literature including leaflets, flyers, brochures and booklets are an easy and high impact way to showcase any company information.

Last but not least, do not forget to follow up your leads with an email or phone call within a couple of days of the event!

Photoline design and print a huge range of high impact promotional materials that’ll help your company stand out and get noticed. For confidential advice, quotes and samples please call us on 0191 232 5454 or see our full range of same day and super fast print services here.