If you go to events just to learn the content…
In my opinion, you’re doing it wrong.
You see, attending events has been one of the most important aspects of growing my business.
Not because of the content shared at the events. (sure some of it is really good)
But because of the connections & relationships that I’ve built by attending these events.
I learned early on that one of the most important skill sets you can have in the expert industry is the ability to grow relationships.
I’d estimate that as much as 50% of my success has come from the relationships I’ve built.
What I want to share with you today are my 5 favorite networking strategies to get the most out of any event or conference you attend.
Here they are…
- Join the VIP level
The quality of people that attend and join the VIP level is typically 10x that of the general admission attendee. Of course I don’t mean that from a human being standpoint, I mean this from the perspective that they tend to be more connected & knowledgeable in their field with a mindset of investing in themselves. These typically tend to be the most influential people in the room – joining the level they are in gives you direct access.
- Walk the hallways
When the content is being delivered by a speaker you’re not interested in or resonate with, get up and walk the hallways. All of the other speakers and status in the community aren’t in the sessions, they’re out in the hallways networking.
- Network for affiliates, not clients
When you’re networking don’t think about if that person can pay you money, but instead think about if they have a similar audience that you can both mutually benefit & add value to.
- Synergies and similarities
Look for quality over quantity. I’m well aware that I won’t connect with everyone. But if I connect with 1 out of 10, I’m totally okay with that. However, keep in mind that quality comes from meeting and networking with a larger quantity of people.
- Follow Up fast
Typically I follow up after the event and I try to send them something useful. About a week after that I’ll follow up and try to connect on a 20 minute call. A trick here is to not bring business cards, you can take theirs but you want to be the one in control of the following up. You give that influence to the other person when you hand them your card.
So those are the 5 strategies that you can use at your next event or conference to get the most out of it & network more effectively!
I go over these 5 strategies in much more depth on this week’s podcast. Make sure you check it out!
Episode 153 | My 5 Top Networking Tips
Podcast Description:
One of the most powerful assets I have in my business are my connections. I can confidently say that at least 50% of my success has come from my connections. With live events back in full swing, it’s important as a coach to get out there and build relationships. In this case I’m not talking about just any relationship, I’m talking about the kind that helps propel your business forward – affiliates. Over the years I’ve been to dozens of events and there are 5 networking strategies that I use at every single one of them to help me build quality relationships. In this episode, I break down these 5 strategies.
>>> ALL PODCAST PLATFORMS: listen to My 5 Top Networking Tips episode
>>> iTunes ONLY: listen to My 5 Top Networking Tips episode
Colin ‘Building Relationships’ Boyd
P.S. If you haven’t yet checked out my Conversion Story Formula™ it’s been getting crazy results for people. You’ll be able to design your signature story in under 48 hours and share it with the world.
