The Insider Guide To Networking

If you are already a networker or considering it (every business owner should by the way
as word of mouth referrals are the strongest lead you will receive), then this guide will help
you consider the various options and provide you with insights to enable you to get the
most out of your networking experience.

All this information may seem a little overwhelming, particularly if you are new to
networking. Don't be put off – ultimately all you really need to be at a networking event
is yourself and you're allowed to have fun.

The intention of this guide is to share some thoughts, observations and advice on how to
get the best out of the networking that you do.

Your feedback on this guide is very welcome – I can take it! Email me with your
comments.

I look forward to hearing from you – in the meantime enjoy the guide.

Here's to your success with networking.

Best regards,

Paul Green
Group Director
NN coNNect

t: 01933 375 300

m: 07949 703137
e: me@paulgreen.biz
w: www.nn-connect.co.uk
twitter: @NN_coNNect

© 2012 - Paul Green - Group Director – NN coNNect

 The Insider Guide To Networking

Are you paying the price for networking?

Having been a networker for a number of years now, it is very clear to me that networking
costs!

It soon adds up doesn't it? The joining fee, the one time admin charge for a new
member, plus a weekly/fortnightly/monthly cost for the breakfast/lunch/etc.

BNI for example will cost you just over a £1000 in the first
year with the associated fees and the cost of having to
attend every meeting. Now that's absolutely fine, as long as
you are very clear what your product/service offering is,
how to get the message across and you are confident that
whatever network you become part of, it is a viable route to
market that is going to generate you leads and ultimately
revenue.

That's a chunk out of any small business's pocket without

any guaranteed return on investment.

As far as networking is concerned, it is unlikely you are going to get immediate sales
for what you are offering and you need to be in the mindset of it being a mid- to long-term
investment of time (and money) to allow other members of the network to develop a
relationship with you.

At the end of the day we do business with people that we know, like and trust who can
either resolve an issue for us that is giving us some sort of 'pain' or that can deliver
something of 'pleasure' that makes us feel good; any purchase is an emotional one at
some level.

So, networking can be an excellent channel to market as long as you know how to use
it to your benefit and understand how to connect with other networkers.

What's your experience of networking? Contact me and let me know.

© 2012 - Paul Green - Group Director – NN coNNect

 The Insider Guide To Networking

You Must Be Mad Joining A Networking Group!

Let's take a look at the 10 questions you should consider before joining (or re-joining) a
networking group:

1. Cost

Weigh up the overall financial implication to your business and the likely
return you are going to get on your investment. 4Networking for example
could cost you over £700 in the first year (if you attended each fortnightly
meeting). What level of sales would you need to achieve before you
broke even on this outlay?

2. Time
Along with the costs associated with networking, there is also amount
of hours you spend attending networking events. Consider what time
of day works best for you - time is money after all for any business,
so choose events that co-ordinate with the rest of your business
activities. How much time are you prepared to spend (can you
afford) on networking?

3. Content

What actually happens in the meeting? Is it more of a social gathering

or is there a structure to the event? If so, what does that look like?
Most formal meetings will have a chance for you to introduce your
business, which may be on a 1-to-1 basis or possibly a 1 to many.
There may also be breakout sessions, 'hot-seats', a guest speaker or in some cases a
business growth video. What do you want from a networking meeting?

4. Chair - who is running the meeting?

And, do they know what they are doing? Unfortunately I have been to some
meetings that are pretty disorganised and not managed properly, they're
pretty much a waste of time. Whether informal or formal, someone needs to
be overall accountable and needs to run the meeting.

5. Credibility

The other thing that springs to mind, is along the lines of 'what gives the person running
the meeting the right to do so'? That may sound a little odd, but often the networking
organisations are franchises or an individual has just decided to start a group without any
specific training in that area, skill to do the job and their main intent is to just make money
out of it.

© 2012 - Paul Green - Group Director – NN coNNect

 The Insider Guide To Networking
6. Membership

What is the breakdown of the membership and is it congruent with

your business and therefore likely to lead to potential referrals? Is it
limited to business owners or are sales representatives, business
development managers, banks, solicitors, etc., welcome? Often with
this type of demographic referrals often only flow one way! Who are the typical
attendees?

7. Try Before You Buy

Why is it a lot of meetings only let you come along once or twice? Are you
really going to get a flavour of that meeting in just a few visits and establish
if it will work for your business. Often these limitations are in place to
encourage you to part with the membership fee as early on as possible
and can lead to 'buyer's remorse' once you have already committed. How many meetings
can you attend as a visitor or guest?

8. Attendance

Do you have to be at every meeting once you have committed or

need to send a 'stunt double' if you can't make it? If you have an
obligation to be at each event this can have an impact on the
overall cost to be involved and the amount of (your valuable) time
you need to contribute. What's your commitment?

9. Restrictions

Some networking organisations restrict the number of trades

represented to one per group i.e. only one website designer, one IT
specialist, etc. The problem here is just because that particular
business has that 'slot', doesn't necessarily mean that you will
relate to them or that they are the best provider for what they do.

When all businesses are welcome at least there is choice and in a lot of cases what one
website designer or IT specialist does may not conflict in all areas with another one. Are
there any restrictions on who can attend?

10. Value

Networking is not just about referrals, so consider what else the

organisation you are considering has to offer e.g. online presence,
training, business development videos, guest speakers, etc. Each of
these can potentially help you with your business development. What
'value add' does the networking group bring to you?

© 2012 - Paul Green - Group Director – NN coNNect

 The Insider Guide To Networking
Are you preparing to fail by failing to prepare?
So you've made your choice about which networking groups you want to be part of and
you're attending on a regular basis - so now what? Well, how about some key pointers
about what you should be doing to get the most out of the event?

Go Prepared
It might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how
many people turn up without business cards! If you
have marketing material or sales brochures take
them along - sometimes there will be a specific place
at the meeting where you can display such things.

Dress Appropriately
It is said "you only have a single chance to make a first impression" - turning up in
jeans and a sweatshirt, may not do you any favours; likewise "suited and booted"
may not be right for your business. Dress according to the impression you want
to leave people with - you are representing your business.

Attitude
If you are looking to build relationships with other networkers at an event, having a
smile on your face and a positive attitude is going to go a long way towards this;
as opposed to an impression of Jack Dee or Victor Meldrew!

Name Badge
Wear your name badge on your right lapel. Hmm - now
why would that be? Although it is easier for right handed
people to put a name badge on the left side, they
correctly are worn on the right side so the person
shaking hands or greeting has easy eye contact with
both the person and the badge as a way to help
remember the name or to see where he/she is from, etc.

Elevator Pitch
Be ready to answer "What do you do?" - this will certainly be a question that
individuals at the meeting will ask you and some meetings will give you the option to
introduce yourself to the group. You'll only have a couple of minutes at best, so
make sure you are clear about your message. Practise it beforehand and write it
down, particularly if you are introducing yourself to the whole group.

Do Not Sell
No one likes the over-bearing, foot in the door, in your face type sales pitch - so
don't do it! You will come across as desperate to want business and you will turn
people off. Your job is to start to develop relationships with other networkers. If you
meet a potential prospect that you think is interested in what you have, 'sell' the next
step which might be a 1 to 1 outside of the networking meeting.

© 2012 - Paul Green - Group Director – NN coNNect

 The Insider Guide To Networking
Message
Understand who your ideal client is & tell people. This way they will be able to refer
the right type of people to you. For example mine is "I work with MD/Owners of
businesses with 5-50 staff who are based in Northamptonshire who are either
looking to grow their business or need some help".

"Two Ears, One Mouth"

Listen twice as much as you speak. You don't have
to speak 'at' people telling them all about the
wonderful stuff you do. You will generate as good, if
not better, relationship with people if you provide them
a listening ear. That isn't to say that you don't get your
chance to tell them about you - it's about proportion.
It also doesn't mean that you get stuck in the corner
with someone being bored to death (see below).

'Manage The Room'

By this I mean understand who is at the meeting (maybe find out in advance so
that you can 'target' the people you want to meet) and who would be the best
people to connect with as potential prospects or referrers of business to you. If
you get stuck with someone who is either boring or not particularly relevant to you,
don't be rude, but politely excuse yourself and move on to someone else.

Be Professional
Again, maybe an obvious one, but be conscious of how you are coming across
to the rest of the room. Don't dominate conversations, be loud or larey or appear
arrogant. You know what I mean - you've probably met them (or at least heard
them) at events you've attended.

Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up!

After the event, if you connected with someone of interest or committed to send
them something, arrange a 1 to 1 or you have a referral for them, as a minimum
drop them an email. LinkedIn is a useful place to invite people who you have met
at a physical networking meeting to connect with you online.

Don't Spam People

For example, collect all the names of the people who attended and email
them with a sales message or newsletter; especially if you didn't meet
them on the day.

Have Fun
There is nothing to say you can't have fun at a networking event. Humour and the
subsequent laughter (hopefully!) is a good way of connecting with people and
developing relationships.

© 2012 - Paul Green - Group Director – NN coNNect

 The Insider Guide To Networking
When it comes to networking – you're an animal
Now we all have our own styles or at least we see other people's when networking, have
you ever wondered which category of networker you fit into?

Well here goes. Which one fits you the best? (Please don't take offence - these are done
with tongue in cheek - but may strike a few nerves!).

Swan
He or she is a monogamist and only sticks to one networking group
and is very loyal to that one particular organisation. This is fine but can
lead to a level of 'stagnation' as the opportunities from that group may have
been exhausted.

Monkey
They're everywhere, attending each and every networking event going
and enjoy the social interaction although aren't necessarily that great at
generating business for themselves or other people; but they are fun to be
around and get on with.

Chameleon
These are the type of people who seem to always change the product or
service they are offering; or have a diverse range of things they can do.
This can create the 'jack of all trades, master of none' dilemma.

Chick
New and only just 'hatched' into the networking world, maybe a start up
business, and need a little help and encouragement to get on their feet
and get the most out of networking events.

Tortoise
Pretty much stay in their shell and don't connect with people naturally or
may be shy, possibly lacking in confidence. They may need coaxing a little
to engage fully and feel comfortable in a large group.

Owl
A seasoned networker who knows the business community well and
provides insightful advice and help to other networkers; as well as being
a good source of prospects and referrals.

Spider
A very good connector of people within their business network. Building up
a strong 'web' of like-minded networkers that work very well together with
complimentary services and understand the benefits of networking. Often
they get involved in strategic alliances and joint ventures.

© 2012 - Paul Green - Group Director – NN coNNect

 The Insider Guide To Networking

Bat
Blind to opportunities for other people and only interested in 'sucking the
blood' from you and letting you know all about how great their
product/service is and why you should buy it now. More of a salesman
than a networker.

Hawk
Very focused, serious and clear about what they want to get out of
networking. Able to identify their 'prey' and develop strong relationships for
mutual gain. They are highly effective when it comes to networking but may
not be the most sociable.

Magpie
Only interested in collecting your 'shiny' business card or the list of
attendees in order to add to their newsletter or spam you after the
networking meeting!

Mayfly
They are short-lived - only appear once briefly at a meeting, decide
networking is not for them and they're never seen again. Not realising that
networking is a mid- to long-term investment to generate relationships that
ultimately lead to business.

So which one of the menagerie best fits you - maybe a combination?

Hopefully it has been food for thought about how you might interact at a meeting and if
there is a different 'creature' you'd rather be?

© 2012 - Paul Green - Group Director – NN coNNect

 The Insider Guide To Networking

The Perfect Elevator Pitch

Depending on the format of the networking meetings
you attend, you could have anything from 30 seconds
to a few minutes to put across to your assembled
peers, what it is you do and what your business
offers - this is called an "elevator pitch"; derived from
the typical amount of time you would have in a lift
(elevator) should you open up a conversation.

Now whilst it might not seem a long time, you should

be able to put across what you do in a concise way
that conveys enough information either for the
audience to understand or create enough of an intrigue that they will come up to you
afterwards to find out more.

You could even stray away from 'traditional' elevator pitches and do something different
that will have you stay in people's memories. In my time, I have heard poems, had one
lady sing her introduction, a pyrotechnician light a sparkler, a wine specialist have a
rotating bottle of chocolate wine (yes ladies!) in front of him and even a fire and safety
equipment supplier let off a fire extinguisher (no really!). All of these people I can
remember what they do, most of their company names, their names and where I met
them.

So, depending on what you do, maybe you could think of something special and different
to get yourself remembered (I wouldn't necessarily adopt the fire extinguisher option -
the people sitting in close proximity to this particular gentleman were a little startled to say
the least!).

Here is a list of considerations when preparing your pitch:

Time - know the length of time that you are given at a meeting for the elevator pitch
so that you make the best use of the time and that you don't overrun.

Name, Company, Location – this might sound obvious and everyone is likely to
remember their name, but people do forget to say the name of the company they
represent and where they are based. The latter is important as it can often be the
start of something you have in common with another networker to start a
conversation about a place where you both live.

Target audience - what type of prospect are you looking for?

The more 'niche' you can be, the easier it will be for people
to potentially refer you and understand the ideal customer
you are looking for..

© 2012 - Paul Green - Group Director – NN coNNect

 The Insider Guide To Networking
Focus on benefits - rather than just say what you do, let people know the what the
benefits of doing business with you are and why they should choose you over
any competitor or alternative solution.

There are 7 benefits that people respond to:

more wealth
better health
feeling secure
being more popular
being more physically attractive
having more fun
getting more free time
achieving inner peace

USP (Unique Selling Proposition) - building

on the above point, you should be aware of
what your USP is. This is the key benefit or
unique aspect of your business that
distinguishes you from your competitor. It
might be that you are the leader in your field/market place, you offer a guarantee
that no one else does, you can provide higher value than your competitors, ...you
get the picture. (You don't have to have just one).

Credibility - unless you come across as credible within the product/service you are
offering, you will not gain the respect of the people you are trying to endear to you.
The best way of doing this is to quote a genuine testimonial from a customer. In
time hopefully you will have generated happy customers with the people who you
are networking with, a testimonial from their mouth rather than yours will increase
your credibility significantly.

Variety - if are a regular attendee of a particular networking meeting, you may want
to vary your pitch by giving people examples of what you do by way of a case
study that brings out some of the above points or tell a story that exemplifies what
you do. A format for a case study, given the time restriction, could be who the
customer was (or industry sector they're in), what the issue was you were resolving
and what the out come was.

Aide Mémoire - there is nothing wrong with writing down your

speech or making some bullet point notes. Talking in front of other
people is one of the biggest fears that most people have, so anything
that helps you do this is worthwhile.

10

© 2012 - Paul Green - Group Director – NN coNNect

 The Insider Guide To Networking

The don'ts:

Sell* - no one wants to be sold to at an initial meeting or regular events to be

honest. The idea of networking is to build rapport and relationships with the
other members/attendees so that they can trust doing business with you and you
them.

(* Having said this, it may be worth considering a small 'something' relevant to your
industry that you could sell for up to £10, probably £5. This is within most people's
reach and they could then refer you with confidence as they will have actually done
business with you! I sell people a discounted copy of my book for a fiver).

Drone on - don't overshoot your pitch, make sure you're within

the time specified. Nor should you be boring talking about
yourself too much or how wonderful your product/service is. Be
proud, but be humble - don't overdo it; otherwise you'll get
remembered but for the wrong reasons.

Abuse your time - as much as you shouldn't overshoot the time

limit, I think you should make the best use of the time you are
allocated - why wouldn't you? As per the above advice, know
how many seconds/minutes you are allowed and tailor your
message to fit that amount of time. Making the effort to do this will be a positive
for you and show your audience that you have taken time to ensure this.

Change - whilst variety is good, don't keep changing the message each time you
introduce yourself. Your listeners want some sort of consistency and confidence
in you and that you are the expert in what you do. If one week you are a social
media expert, the next week an IT specialist and the week after that you are a
Herbalife distributor, this will not help your credibility. Fine if you want to have a
number of strings to you bow, but stay focused on the one that you think will give
you the best return and matches the type of networking event you are attending.

Use jargon or abbreviations - it is easy if you are used to TLAs and FLAs in your
industry, however other people are not likely to know them. To avoid doubt, don't
use them or if you do, explain them. (TLA = Three Letter Acronym, FLA = Four
Letter Acronym!).

So with all the above in mind, a possible formula could be:

My name is ________ of (company name), based in ________ (location). We work with

________ (target customers) who want ________ (key need), we are a ________ (type of
organisation) that offers xxxx (main products or services). Unlike other ________ (type of
organisation) we ________ (key differentiating factor). You just fill in the blanks. One of
recent clients said ________ (highlight one or more of the points you have made
previously in the pitch).

11

© 2012 - Paul Green - Group Director – NN coNNect

 The Insider Guide To Networking

That's it! You are now "armed and dangerous".

Believe in yourself, believe in your offering and believe that word of mouth through
networking will work for your business.

If you have found this guide useful, please feel free to tell people about and forward them
a copy or send them to the website where you requested this download.

If you haven't don't tell anybody! Other than let me know what didn't work for you, so that
the guide can be improved in the future.

NN coNNect is designed for today's business owner and the current economic climate
and has taken the best of existing networking groups and made it better and got rid of the
worse.

Here are some of the benefits of NN coNNect Networking:

 Focus is on business growth

 Only £75 first time visitor membership
 60 days try before you buy
 Competing businesses welcome
 No commitment to every meeting – pay as you go
 Informal yet professional environment
 No pressure for referrals

t: 01933 375 300 ~ m: 07949 703137

e: me@paulgreen.biz ~ w: www.nn-connect.co.uk

twitter: @NN_coNNect

12

© 2012 - Paul Green - Group Director – NN coNNect