Productive Network Meetings for Network Marketers - Tactics

This is the continuation of an earlier post. The first post was on creating your strategy for going to network meetings. Now we are address for your tactics during the meeting.


To recap – we are ready to go to a networking meeting – our strategy is in place.

1. We know why we are going.
   
2. We know what our message will be – a product or a business
   
3. We know how we are going to sell ourselves – not just our products or or business. Our energy level is going to be high or very high.
4. We have practiced our presentation and are satisfied.
   
5. We have selected a likely meeting – we plan to get there early and stay
   late
   
6. We have created a tag line that will engage the listeners
   
7. We have scoped out the people who have RSVP'd and sent messages to some of them.
   
8. We have a specific goal in mind – e.g. identify X people we WILL call or set Y appointments
   
9. We have our materials
   

• Business cards
  
• A card holder
  
• An ink pen
  
• A pad to write on
  
• Our list of people we plan to talk to based on the RSVPs
  
• Our appointment calendar
  
• A name badge
  
• A copy of our 30 second commercial (if we still need it.)
  
• Our notes from previous meetings.
  
• Flyers – as needed
  

9. You have psyched yourself up of the meeting (motivational audios on the way to the meeting.
   
10. You have reviewed your notes from the previous meeting.
    
11. We have your game face/public persona on.
    

The last thing you need to think about as you walk into the meeting is the word RELATIONSHIPS. Networking is ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. You are there to develop them, to give to people, to get to know people NOT to make a sale.



TACTICS



Now it is time to actually take part in the meeting.



Most meetings have three distinct parts and they require different tactics.



1. Before the Meeting

• Smile - As you walk into the room you need to remember to smile. You are an approachable, energetic, positive person that other people want to get to know.
  
• Offer to help the organizer. Sometimes things are going wrong and you can be remembered as the person who saved the day.
  
• Look first of those people you sent messages to or identified from the RSVP list. Find them and engage them in conversation. Find out what they do and show them that you are interested in them. Ask probing questions and deflect the conversation back to them. You need to avoid developing “They asked about me so that gives me the right to pounce” mentality. Remember we all have verbal habits and we are working to develop good habits. You can certainly exchange cards or set appointments if that come up.
  
• Look for and engage high energy, positive people.
  
• Spend some time with the people you know from previous networking events. You need to build a strong relationship with these people. There are two basic reasons. First – they are a referral source. Second - they may become disenchanted with what they are doing and be ready to listen to what you do.
  
• Watch for people who want to talk to you. Someone who has become interested over time in your networking business will seek you out, but they usually won't rush up gushing with a “I'm ready! Sign me up!” They will walk up and wait while you are talking to others and wonder if you are going to talk to them. Watch for them.
  
• There are always other network marketers in the group. The more committed they are to their system the less time you should spend with them. I go to meetings with a lady who has been with Shackley for over 30 years. It would be a waste of time to approach her with my business.
  

In all of these conversations you are listening, listening, listening. Use phrases like “You don't say?” or “What happened next?” to get them to talk more about themselves. You are wanting to get to know these people – particularly their pain points (too little time, too little money, never get to see kids, always on the road, they hate working the phone or living in a cubical, their boss is driving them nuts.) Usually you won't get much of their pain at a networking meeting. They have their game faces on too and they are there to represent something or somebody.



Write notes – either on their cards or in your pad of paper. If you don't need notes to remember the details of the people you are talking to – you aren't talking to enough people!



2. During the Formal Part of the Meeting



Meetings have different formats, but I am going to assume that there is some type of “Share your business” segment.

• If you are going to sit during the meeting, try to sit next to someone you have targeted as a high potential candidate. You are not there to pitch them, you are there to build a relationship.
  
• Be attentive – try to identify and write notes about new people you want to talk to. It is rude to “network” while someone has the floor. You do NOT want to be identified as a rude person. It reflects poorly on your professionalism.
  
• Take notes about things that will help others. For example I make it a point to talk to new people who make common mistakes and offer them suggestions in a very non-judgmental way. For example, you can tell people that they shouldn't say things like “I'm new.” “I just go my license.” “I just started working for XYZ company.” They shouldn't lie, but there is no reason to tell people in the room that they are beginners. Nobody wants to do business with a beginner who is making all of the rookie mistakes. People remember you as the “helpful person.”
  
• If the meeting protocol calls for passing out business cards, then do so. Very occasionally you will get a referral call if people have your call. Do not expect a call that goes like this: “I heard what you said at the meeting and I am thinking about joining your business and want to sit down with you.” They happen, but they are rare.
  
• When it is your turn to speak follow this formula
  
• Stand and look the group in the eyes (or foreheads – they can't tell the difference.)
• Pick the furthest person in the room and talk so that they can hear you. (You can get your kids or your siblings to hear you across a football field. I'm sure you can project your voice into an inside room.)
• Do you best to stand so that you are facing everyone.
  
  
• Try to stay away from standing in front of bright windows (If you are back-lit, people can't see your face.)
• Say your name and then pause.
• You might say your company name – you might not. If you do, say it loud and clear. Be proud of who you are and do not swallow these words.
• Say your tag line and engage the group in a response
• Don't fidget, don't rock, don't shove your hands in your pockets – be a professional making a high energy professional presentation.
• Give them your message
• Say your name again
• Sit down (do NOT sit down while you are still speaking)
• Last but not least - don't be weird!

It helps to have a friend in the group who will critique you later. 

Getting better is critical and you must have outside observation to  get better quickly.

After the Meeting – the most critical segment.

Make the contacts you need to turn the meeting into a “productive meeting.”

Tactic 1 – have a target of X number of cards you are going to collect so that your can make Y number of calls the next day. If this is your tactic – go after the cards. Aim for high potential prospects.

• Write on the cards – notes that help you remember the person and if you heard their pain, identify it.
• Have a system for handling cards – the ones you really intend to call go in one place, the ones that were given to you are that were passed out during the meeting go somewhere else. If you don't do this you will get home and not have a clue as to which cards are which.
• When you get home – make the calls, do the followup, etc.
• There are lots of training materials on the scripts you can use to make these calls. 
  

Tactic 2 – have a target number of appointments you will set at the  meeting and go for those appointments. I personally found that I wasn't making the calls required for tactic 1 and I have heard MANY business people who regularly attend networking meetings say the same thing. The typical scenario if that the card stack is placed by the phone and life gets in the way. The next week these cards are bundled with a rubber band and placed in a box or a drawer and the new stack is placed by the phone. I've heard network marketing experts say that if you can't make those calls, then you probably aren't right for network marking. (I beg to differ.) The you have been attending meetings and have stacks of cards you have never touched, you might be a strong candidates for Tactic 2.

• Try this approach. “I really am interested in what you said during your 30 second commercial. I'd like to sit down with you and have a cup of coffee and hear more about what you do. I would really like to understand so that I can confidentially refer people to you. We can also spend some time talking about what I do.”
• You can use a referral approach - “My business might not be for you but I really would appreciate it if you would help me out. I KNOW that you could refer me to a couple of people who might be interested in working with me. Would you sit down for a cup of coffee and help me out?”
  
• You can use a direct approach - “You would be spectacular in my business. I'd love to sit down over a cup of coffee and show you what we do.”

Out of all of these approaches I like the first one best.

Once you are out of the meeting – take notes.

Another thing to remember is that you are working to develop and get proficient at a technique that is DUPLICATABLE. You want to attract and work with people would can do what you do. If you modify your approach into something that very few can duplicate, you are setting yourself up for network marketing failure.

Last but not least – plan to go back. You must go regularly to build relationships and to master making the time your spend at network meetings productive.

Networking in about planning, practice, goal setting and execution. It will become natural and it will become fun. You just have to do it wrong until you figure out how to do it right.

Hale

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