How to Conduct a Successful bizblinddate Networking Meeting

1. Confirm, up-front, how much time your partner has available to meet. Typically you should alot between 45 minutes (minimum) to 90 minutes (maximum).

2. Take about 5 minutes and get to know the other person. Refer to their summary and ask about their favorite quote or "something most people don't know about me" to break the ice.

3. Exchange elevator pitches and 30 second commercials. Listen, provide feedback, and succinctly educate one another on your respective businesses.

4. Describe as clearly and specifically as possible what you are hoping to gain from this meeting. New prospect contacts? Potential employer contacts? People network for a host of reasons, make your reasons known clearly.

5. When it's your partner's turn to describe his/her business and what he/she hopes to gain from your meeting and relationship be sure to:

Listen attentively
Ask good questions and
Listen attentively some more!

Learn all you can and take notes. All avenues to creating value as a networker begin by actively listening, questioning for understanding and listening some more.

6. Present your ideal prospect profile or better still, a "wish list" that contains the names of specific companies or even individuals you are hoping to be connected with. The person across the table from you just might be able to get you that meeting of a lifetime or at least one step closer. But, you'll never know if you don't plan ahead.

7. Establish clearly defined and time bound next steps. What will each of you do as a result of this meeting within the next 10 working days? Gather and report information? Make connections to other people? Be as specific as possible in order to create maximum value

8. NO HARD SELLING! The quickest way to end your networking career is to hard sell your networking partners something they don't want or don't need. While your partner may be a viable prospect the purpose of a networking meeting is NOT to pitch your product, but rather to find mutually beneficial ways to help one another.

9. Submit your feedback as soon as you can after your meeting is complete and while your impressions are still fresh in your mind.

10. Follow-through on next step commitments made and stay in touch with a frequency that makes sense.

Site Design by Lakeshore Concepts