The Most Gratifying Part of Networking — and How It Helps You Big Time
If it’s 100% about you when you attend networking events, you’re not helping your brand and your business at the highest level possible.
Put more simply, to use an old axiom: You have to give to get.
When attending networking events, put yourself in the shoes of another business owner.
What are they looking for? Leads, yes — but also help solving business problems beyond new customer or client acquisition.
Here are some common business needs to keep in mind when you’re listening to entrepreneurs at in-person or virtual events:
Avoiding burnout — an especially acute issue for solopreneurs and micro business owners who don’t have any, or many, people to fall back on when they need time away (and the business needs to keep humming along)
Accounting, taxes, or other financial issues
Legal issues
Supply chain issues for product sellers — this is a biggie right now in the U.S. under the current administration’s tariff policies
Employees — they need to replace someone or fill a new role that will drive growth
Business plan development or improvement
Marketing strategy development or improvement
Website — they don’t have one, or the one they have is not meeting their goals
Starting another business
Selling a business
You could probably 4x the above list and still not cover all the major problem areas that keep business owners up at night.
My point is that, the more networking events you attend, and the more you listen to what attendees say are their biggest bottlenecks, the more fodder you have to help them — and, ultimately, yourself and your business.
Listening + Introductions or Referrals = Reciprocation based on a foundation of trust
While you can do the following at in-person networking events, virtual events often allow you to do it faster and more efficiently….
When I’m in a Zoom or other online event, here’s what I do when I hear a business owner’s problem.
Scenario 1: I search my email (which is my CRM) and/or LinkedIn for the contact info of a person(s) I know who can likely solve the problem. Then, in the event live chat screen, I “@” (direct message) the business owner and copy/paste (share) the info and add a short note saying, “I know [him/her/them] and I think they can help you with [the problem they mentioned].”
Scenario 2: In the case where there’s no event chat screen —or— there is, but I wasn’t able to follow up before the event ended and the business owner entered their contact info in the chat or I’m able to find it with a quick web search, I email the business owner in question. I send a note similar to the one above, with more context at the beginning to let the owner know that I heard their problem at such-and-such event that we both attended.
In either scenario, I’m helping the business owner out virtually in real time. I’ve found that the timing is a big component to packing a punch of personalized assistance.
Again, put yourself in the shoes of this business owner who shared a problem at an event. If you follow up with them using one of the above methods, you will:
Show that you care about them, because you really listened to what’s bothering them and what will solve the problem.
Provide one or more contacts that you personally know (and thus have vetted) who can either help them full stop, or get them further along on the path to solving the problem.
Demonstrate that you want to help without any obligation attached (there’s no sales pitch included, which could be seen as slimy).
And do it all super quickly — one the same day of the event you both attended.
What is likely to happen for you as a result?
You become your new contact’s hero, making it much more likely that they will refer or introduce their contacts to you that can benefit from what you offer.
Not only does this event-based practice help you practically — when it comes to your business leads and, thus, revenue growth — but it just feels f*cking great to help another person out.
The last sentence is as close to using profanity as I’ve come here on my blog. I feel that strongly about this practice and the many benefits that come from it.
More tactics to get the most out of virtual networking
If you’re looking for an easy-to-implement process to find great e-networking events, get the most out of these events, follow up with people you meet in a way that drives conversations and sales calls, and track events so you know which ones make the most sense to attend again — check out our Virtual Networking 2 Leads System.
