Referral Marketing Tip: Results Driven Networking

“If you’re not helping someone when you’re networking, you’re just not networking!” – Zig Ziglar

The most effective networkers are people who never sell themselves. Instead, they are masters at promoting and helping other people. They prefer this strategy because it’s more comfortable talking about someone else, it’s more rewarding to help others and they truly understand the real meaning of networking. Effective networkers are typically very skilled at asking good questions and listening for opportunities for other people. Their well placed questions open up the conversation to easily enable the other person to do most of the talking. The questions are also meaningful enough to allow the effective networker to assess the newly forming relationship and explore ways to offer support and help. Focusing on the person at hand, actively listening, and following the conversation are actions that a skilled networker manages with ease.

In business, when you want results, you set a goal, create a plan to meet that goal, implement the plan, and measure the results. Business networking is no different. Results driven networking starts with a goal. For every networking event that you attend, you must have a goal in mind. Here are some sample goals:

• Introduce John (my referral partner) to two potential prospects
• Get two people to visit my networking group
• Find one referral opportunity for Becky (my referral partner)

One thing to notice is that all of these goals focus on someone else. Your main purpose needs to always be looking out for others while you’re networking.

Once you have the goal in mind, create the plan on how you will meet that goal. For example, if you want to get two people to visit your networking group, what specific things will you mention about your networking group to make someone want to visit? What professions will you look to invite? How many people will you need to ask in order to get two to visit?

I observe that most people never approach networking with such a specific agenda. Most people approach networking in a haphazard manner and totally focus on what they want to get out of it. If you create a goal centered on other people, create a plan to meet that goal and implement the plan, there is no doubt that you will reap the benefits in the long run. Results driven networking is not left to chance. Results driven networking is purposeful, meaningful, and filled with activities of giving to other people. The most effective networkers are secure in their knowledge that what they give to others is a direct reflection of what they will reap as results in the future.