No matter what you do to be “known” in your profession: networking events, social media, blogging, videos, writing books, podcast or television interviews, etc…it all boils down to one thing…

The answer: What do you actually SAY in all those scenarios? 

Once upon a time, I used to flock to a ton of events. Sure, I was meeting a lot of people and making friends. I was also getting burned out. I wasn’t seeing a return on my investment of time spent on these activities. I considered, what’s the point of networking?

But, it wasn’t until I started asking myself, “WHO is my message for and am I getting it in front of those people?”. This was my pivot and I want to give you some things to consider, for yourself.

For many of us, we rely on “word of mouth” referrals to help our business grow. For the sake of simplicity, let’s use the example of attending networking events.

When you go to a networking event, you either: 

-See a ton of people you know and talk to them all night-Don’t know a lot of people and not sure how to approach these strangers-You are so chatty and personable that you leave the event with too many business cards

Which one of these scenarios best describes you? In any case, I imagine you feel there’s a more productive way to “network”. If so, I’ve gotcha covered.

1. Figure out who you are looking for: Take some time and define what you are looking for in your network. Be proactive and create a list of strategic alliances that you want to form. Start with industries that complement yours.

2. Write the script: I give my clients an exercise to “write out” potential conversations with people they meet at networking events. The challenge is, they have to write three scripts: 

-Their ideal client-The person that would be most likely to refer them business-The person who may never refer you any business 

3. Decide where these people are hanging out: I gotta tell you, once I started getting super focused about where my ideal client was hanging out, the better my “new client” results were.

I gave you some things to consider but, do you still need a little more direction? 

You are invited to join me for the LIVE, master training class: “Supercharge Your Brand: Connect with Your Market More Confidently"

You will walk away from the event knowing how to define your ideal audience, what to say to them, and how to stay in front of them, without sounding "salesy". 

That’s all I have for you today…Remember, you rock!

Take Care, Erica

P.S. If you crave a more effective way to target your potential clients, you will not want to miss this training! Sign up today!