Key Elements to an Effective Networking Plan
Networking = Work! Just like a Marketing Plan for your business, everyone needs a Networking Plano to grow their business exclusively with warm referrals.
- Identify exactly what type of networking you expect to engage in.
- Where do your prospects come from? Business-to-Business or Business-to-Consumer?
- What levels of management do you target?
- Do you concentrate on a particular industry?
- Include your networking goals, objectives, and basic agenda for each event.
- Evaluate the Return on Investment (ROI) that you expect to receive from attending a group or meeting.
- ROI isn’t just your “hard costs” of membership or chapter dues.
- Determine your “soft costs”.
- How much time does your networking require? Drive time?
- Are you required to do business with people in the group?
- Do you have to send a company representative in the event you cannot attend the meeting? Some organizations require this!
- Attendance requirements?
- What are the time commitments? Currently, I drive 40 miles round-trip to my weekly B2B networking.
- What about inviting guests? Whom do you know that you can invite to become members? How many guests you are required to bring if any?
- Identify the synergy partners that you have in the group. However, you do not have to have true synergy with the group as long as the other members are passionate about networking and willing to open their “little black book” to refer you consistently.
- Overall minimum required commitments of the organization? Inquire about “unwritten standards of operations.”
Before you join any organization, check them out thoroughly to determine if it is a good fit for your business goals.
Finally, the sole purpose of joining a networking group is to “Make Connections and Seize Opportunities” not to sell everyone in the room! Doing business with members is an obvious plus!
___________________________
Peggy Parker Edge © 2022
