I attended a networking event last night. It was very interesting, as these events always tend to be, but I was reminded of the need to:
A) qualify people quickly to ensure your time is used effectively,
B) move away from people who don’t represent potential new business – after all, you are there to find new customers, not new friends.
If you get it right, networking can be a very good marketing and new business tool. I came away with 3 strong leads yesterday and a larger network of potential partners and advocates. Great value for money as the only expense was the travel costs – about a fiver.
I found the event through Business Link for London – an organisation I strongly recommend looking up if you’re a new or start up company looking for advice.
I found the event through Business Link for London – an organisation I strongly recommend looking up if you’re a new or start up company looking for advice.
Everything you have said is great advice, the hard part is how do you move away from the individuals that are not serious at the moment? You have to be very tactful because in the future they could be a great resource.