The Art of Business Networking

We all develop certain superpowers in business over time. Of course, we also each have lots of weaknesses. None of us are great at everything. I’m a fan of focusing on our strengths in business 80% of the time.

I think my #1 superpower is the ability to walk into a room full of business people and walk out with new connections & possibilities for new business for myself - and for others. That kind of networking is a bit of a lost art it seems.

Networking at conferences and events is a big opportunity for you to amp up your business. It’s a blue ocean for you to grow into right now. It’s a big opportunity because almost nobody is doing this anymore. Nobody does it anymore because you have to take a lot of (what seems like) risk to really win it.

PLUS, most people do it entirely wrong by taking the wrong (selfish) energy into the room. Walk in with a giving, joyful spirit or don’t walk in at all.

Here’s a quick framework to follow:

• Target events w national scale where the industry leaders will show up.

• Pick one event per month for 3 months as a test (2 of 3 might be wins)

• Take the risk and spend the money (and the time) to show up

• When you get there, join in on all the group activities (again, show up)

• Bring ALL of your joyful, giving energy into the room

• Connection is the only goal. Be interested. Not interesting.

• Ask 1000 questions about all of the people you meet.

• Don’t talk very much about yourself. Just short descriptive statements.

• Get business cards (and have an amazingly creative card to offer)

• Follow up with real thank you notes & social media connections

• Only ask for a business conversation AFTER ALL of that.

• Start off that next business conversation asking more about them

You can measure ROI by keeping a list of all those contacts for all 3 events. Months later you ‘might’ be able to estimate the short-term and long-term value of those connections both objectively and subjectively. It’s not always easy to measure but this is how you start.

Bonus - this list becomes a big part of your Top 100.

I had the chance to talk about all of this on a recent podcast as well. Here’s that podcast conversation link too.