My problem was that I didn\u2019t really know what to do next. I\u2019d make attempts to email some of the promising people I\u2019d meet at these events, and I had every intent to keep in touch and ultimately win them over (or at least convince them to send me a referral or three).![\"Business](\"https:\/\/doubleyourfreelancing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/business-card-etiquette--300x201.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
But these contacts almost always ended up going nowhere beyond my sock drawer.<\/p>\n
I was too focused on selling.<\/h2>\n
You\u2019ve probably heard that networking is all about creating relationships. That\u2019s great and is totally true, but that advice doesn\u2019t tell you much about how to convert a sock drawer of cards into meaningful relationships.<\/p>\n
When I started \u201cprofessionally networking,\u201d my thought was that I\u2019d show up at these events, talk to people, and when the question \u201cso, what do you do?\u201d was inevitably asked, I\u2019d tell them I built websites and applications. And maybe<\/em> I\u2019d get the response I was looking for: \u201cOh! You build websites. We should talk. I need a website.\u201d It was a numbers game, right?<\/p>\n However, this rarely happened. To be honest, I was getting pretty burned out from all this networking. Showing up night after night and mingling with little to show for it wasn\u2019t sustainable, and I almost wrote it off completely.<\/p>\n Then a mentor of mine clued me in on what I was doing wrong:<\/p>\n \u201cBrennan, you\u2019re not giving them anything.”<\/p>\n If the purpose of networking was to match up people who need websites or whatever with those who can provide, there are far more efficient ways of doing that. Job boards are basically that.<\/p>\n True networking though, is a mutual realization that each party is capable of delivering value to the other. This isn\u2019t done when your intent is to drop a list of what you do for a living, who you\u2019ve worked for, and other bits of bait meant to lure someone in.<\/p>\n This means that instead of talking first and foremost about your business, you instead take the time to learn about someone else\u2019s. What have they been working on lately? What problems do they have? What sucks?<\/p>\n And rather than trying to make a sale, you should instead be trying to sell somebody on yourself first before selling them on your services.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been out of the dating pool now for about a decade, but I remember recently seeing a guy on YouTube who would stand at street corners and proposition women who passed by. His conversion rates were miserable. He was practicing a shock and awe campaign, and hoping that the law of numbers would be on his side.<\/p>\n This was a bit like me back when I started networking. I\u2019d shock and awe. I was hoping that someone would go home with me on that first date \u2014 and by go home, I mean become a client \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n So the obvious next question is: How can you court people you meet at networking events?<\/p>\n I\u2019ve utilized a lot of tactics to do just this, and some have worked better than others. But the single best tactic I\u2019ve come across is the \u201csuper secret club\u201d trick. (In my new course, I\u2019m covering a lot of those others tactics).<\/p>\n So what\u2019s this trick?<\/em><\/p>\n The type of people who typically attend networking events love getting new business through these events, but they also tend to really like going to these events. They often love networking for the sake of networking.<\/p>\n So here\u2019s what you can do: The \u201ccall-to-action\u201d after you\u2019ve talked to someone at an event is typically \u201cwe should stay in touch,\u201d followed by an exchange of business cards.<\/p>\n Try this next time:<\/p>\n After meeting somebody new at an event, tell them that you really enjoyed chatting\u00a0and that you want to run something by them.<\/p>\n You just so happen to organize a small, invitation-only group of local business owners who are interested in the intersection of [what is it you do] and business, and you think they\u2019d be a great addition. Ask them if you have their permission to add them to your group \u2014 let them know you occasionally organize get-togethers and often send out interesting tidbits about business. I’ve seen people refer to this as their “Insider’s Circle”, but I wouldn’t get caught up on a name \u2014 my agency ultimately had a few thousand people on our list, and we never had a proper title of any sort.<\/p>\n You now have subscriber #1 to your newsletter, or another\u00a0subscriber if you already have a list. And you now have permission to talk with them. But most importantly, you have set yourself up as an authority in that intersection of what it is you do and what they care about (their business). Whether you know it or not, you\u2019ve sown the seeds of establishing yourself as an influencer.<\/p>\n As you attend more events in the future, this list will grow. And you\u2019ll soon be able to start hosting your own networking mixers, seminars, and more. You\u2019ll also slowly build up your reputation with those in your super secret club, and you\u2019ll be kept front and center in their minds \u2014 which is hugely useful if you want them to think of you the next time they have a project or possible referral.<\/p>\nWhere\u2019s the value?<\/h2>\n
Ask them to join your super secret club…<\/h2>\n