Learn About Attendees - You know who you want
to meet, so take a few minutes to do a bit of research
-- you can learn their interests, what schools they
attended, organizations they support, maybe even
a hobby. So when you get in conversation, bring up
one of these insights to help make you more
memorable. But be careful not to go too far: stalker
alert.
The Strategic Hit - How many times have you
arrived at an event and it’s the last place you want
to be? It doesn’t matter how long you’ll be there,
you can’t shake the feeling of wanting to be
elsewhere, but it’s your job. On those occasions, I
identify the two or three people that are important
for me to meet. If you’re interested in meeting a
speaker or the host, do it before the speeches begin.
Meet them and get out. With luck, you can be out
the door in 20 minutes (just don’t let them see you
ducking out early).
Review the Guest List - - If you’ve developed the
right relationships, you can sometimes get the
attendee list before the event. This will allow you
to plan who to meet and ask for an introduction
from a respected source. If you can’t get a sneak
peek, take a look at the nametags on the check-in
table.
Relationship Building - You’ve met the person,
their contact information is in hand. It’s time to
move from just another contact to a trusted
relationship. Become a resource. Send relevant
articles. Check in just to say hello. Use what you
learned about them and ask about their family or
talk about their favorite team. Become someone
they want to do business with.
If you try these simple tips, networking will become
so much easier for you and you’ll look forward to
it. Remember, you are not in a competition to collect
business cards, you are there to build relationships.
ALEX PEREZ, President, Phelps Total Market
http://www.phelpsagency.com
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Strictly Marketing Magazine May/June 2016