The Chamber of Commerce Mixer - 12 Steps to Mastery
1. You are not there to eat. You can't talk about business with your mouth full, or shake hands with greasy fingers. Try to eat a snack first, so you don't arrive ready to inhale the cheese tray.
2. Have a goal for the event. Sample: I will collect cards from 5 prospects and 10 strategic partner potentials. Don't leave before reaching or exceeding your goal.
3. Arrive early. Meet the staff of the sponsoring organization. They are very knowledgeable and good resources to know. They can introduce you to the movers & shakers of the organization.
4. Spend no more than 5 minutes with any one person. Your time is limited. Determine quickly who you want to follow up with, ask for their card, then move on. Building rapport comes later.
5. Know your 30-second promotional. Practice it. Learn different "sound bites", and "bullet points", so you can be concise and exact. If it is not provocative enough to raise their curiosity and request more information, either it's not good enough, or they are not interested. You're done there.
6. Ignore your friends, unless they are with someone you don't know. Remember the "5 Minute Rule."
7. Don't sit down. It is too difficult to extricate yourself and move on to a different group. Keep moving. There is usually a lively crowd at the bar or in the food line.
8. Invest in a custom a nametag that states Your Company Name in large font with your name below. (Your industry or business is what is of initial interest to others.) Custom name tags are less than $10 and will increase your networking results 500%. Guaranteed!
9. Act as host/hostess. Approach the person standing alone and introduce them to others.
10. Ask people about their business and what type of customers and connections they are looking for. If you know of a contact for them, offer it. Take their card and write down the information and promise to get back to them. Then do it! They will be impressed and they will want to return the favor.
11. Take plenty of business cards. But do not offer your card unless they request it!! (Foisting cards on people who don't want them is the #1 wrong thing people do!) Keep them in your right-hand jacket pocket along with a pen, and put the cards you receive in your left. I do not take a purse. Business cards, money, lipstick, & a pen are all I need for a 2-hour event.
12. Follow-up the next day with a phone call. With a strategic partner potential, no selling! Instead, start building a relationship. Hint: You cannot build a relationship with someone if your first agenda is to sell to them. Instead, suggest that you can help each other build business. Very few people do this! They will remember you.
You can build a very good database by attending just 2 or 3 events per month. Remember, you are not there to sell. You are there to learn about others and to pre-qualify them for future business relationships. Please take advantage of the free networking resources available at http://thelinksystem.com
Copyright 2006 - Mindy J. Selinger. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, give author name credit and follow all of the EzineArticles terms of service for Publishers.
Related Tags: sales training, business networking, referral marketing, the link system, chamber of commerce
Mindy Selinger is an authorized Link System trainer and a recognized authority on business networking. She publishes The San Diego Networking Guide event calendars. The Link System is based on the popular book The Millionaire's Handbook by Mel Kaufmann. Kaufmann, of the former Wilshire Chamber of Commerce, developed The Link System to teach individuals and sales teams how to find and build strong business relationships. The Link System utilizes a proprietary method of pre-qualifying questions, guided dialogue, and gentle interview techniques. Current Link System clients include Merrill Lynch Financial Services and Wachovia Securities.
Ms. Selinger travels nationally for speaking and training. Free resources, including an audio that outlines the 4 pre-qualifying questions that are taught, can be found at http://TheLinkSystem.com - For information on networking events in the San Diego, CA area, please visit http://SanDiegoNetworkingGuide.com
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