I am speaking on the topic of being organized for successful networking this week.  I equate networking to going on a blind date.  Just like a blind date, there are lots of unknowns at each networking event – who will be there, will I be able to find clients or strategic partners, how will the event flow?  It can be pretty scary.

But like a blind date, you do have a few things you can control.

You can do some planning:

• Decide how many networking events you will attend in a month.
• Plan follow up time on your calendar.
• Research the host and venue.

You can also do some preparation.  As a woman going on a blind date, you can spend hours in the preparation!  What to wear?!?? To prepare to network you can:

• Set some intentions, some outcomes you would like from the event.
• Have your business cards, flyers and raffle prizes ready to go.
• Prepare you commercial and decide on 1 product or service to feature.

And most importantly do the follow up.  Networking is not about passing out business cards and scooping up clients.  It is about building relationships.  Just like it is rare to have a marriage proposal on your blind date, it can be rare to close a sale when first meeting at a networking event. Follow-up can include:

• Emails (or better yet video emails*)
• Personal Notes
• Phone Calls
• Invitations to coffee or other events
• Giving a referral

Do you have a system for follow-up after your networking events?  For each hour of networking, you should plan an hour of time for follow-up.  This doesn’t have to be all done by you, get your staff or virtual assistant involved.  Be productive in your networking!

p.s. *Video emails are really awesome! And easy to do! I’ve discovered a great product for them.  Contact me for more info.

p.p.s.  Can blog posts even have a p.s.???