Are YOU Wasting YOUR Time Networking?

Recently, I did a seminar on networking strategies as a guest speaker for an organization. I mentioned that since I moved to Miami, I don’t really go to networking events anymore, and even avoid one-on-one meeting. So, an attendee asked me: “But how can you tell us to do lot of networking if you don’t do it yourself?”. Well, there are lots of ways to network and you don’t always need to meet people face to face to do business with them.

First of all, my business is international. My clients are everywhere in the US, Europe and Africa. So, going to local events will not really bring me new clients. Second, I do everything over the phone and internet: coaching, consulting, networking. And for the past year, I focused on using more and more social networking websites like facebook, linkedin, viadeo (French version of linkedin), so I can network globally instead of locally. Every Friday afte
oon, I spend 2 hours connecting with people on those websites, sending messages to “my friends”, connecting with their “friends”, and very importantly reconnecting with people I didn’t hear from for a while. I contact a lot more people in 2 hours online, tha
I would do if I was going to a networking event. So if you are not on those sites yet, I definitely recommend that you start now as part of your networking strategies.

Personally, I don’t do a lot of one-on-one meeting anymore. I remember when I started my business 5 years ago, I was spending most of my time meeting people at Starbucks but after 6 months, I realized that I never really got business out of it. My technique now is to ‘pre-qualify’ the people I am meeting. What do I mean by ‘pre-qualify’? I first connect with people by email and phone, to see if there are some synergies in our business, then I will meet them only and only if I know that something will come up from this meeting, either because we will create a partnership or because this person is ready to use my services.

Everything else is just a waste of time. You need 30 minutes to an hour to get to the meeting, take the car or the subway, to speak for at least an hour, including things that have nothing to do with the business (you can say the same things in 15 to 20 minutes over the phone, and go right to the point), then you need another 30 minutes to an hour to come back to your office, and for what? 90% of the time for nothing, because you will never hear from them again.

For example, last Tuesday I attended a lunch networking, my first event in the last 4 months. The only reason why I went to this event was to physically meet somebody that I had been in contact with via emails and phone for the last 2 months. As a result of this meeting, we have decided to partner on a new service that I am offering to my French investors and clients. At the same time, I enjoyed the lunch and met a couple of other interesting people that I will probably work with. But I wouldn’t go to an event just to attend another event, or expect to get a new contact.

Your time is priceless, so make sure you use it the most efficient way. Meeting a hundred people in a month, doesn’t mean you will get a hundred new clients.

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