Melanie
Welcome to the Monday Morning Marketing Podcast for all decision makers and action takers. Take it away, Esther.
Esther
And welcome back to another episode of the Monday Morning Marketing Podcast. Today, we're talking about networking. Take it away.
Melanie
Networking. It's a love or hate scenario for a lot of people. Everybody knows we need to do it. Everybody knows that there's a choice of doing it now. We can do it in person or online. Although I do feel a lot of people are done with online networking now to a large extent.
Esther
Yeah.
Melanie
Especially general networking.
Esther
Yeah. There's a time and place for both. There definitely is. But I feel a lot of people are glad to get back to in-person events and meeting people face-to-face. It's a whole different scenario when you've only got the face to read off. You don't have the body language, the hand gestures. Here in Ireland, we use a lot of hands when we're talking, and it just adds to the personality of the people that you're talking to and can attract you into their conversation with those hand gestures. If they're standing with their arms folded, then you wouldn't know if that was happening online.
Melanie
No. But the reason why we wanted to bring this up is because it doesn't matter what time of year you're listening to this podcast, there is going to be an opportunity for you to meet people in person and online. Now, I find what What seems to be more effective, it certainly works for me anyway on a personal level, is I do the in-person networking and build contacts in the first place. If I need to or would like to, I then follow up, if I can't meet them in person directly afterwards, by doing it online. But by that stage, we've already established any common features between us. We already understand an element of the body language and synchronicity between us. You don't need to worry about that so much anymore because you've had that opportunity to meet each other in person.
Esther
Well, I was just remembering back to a recent event that we went to. Some of the contacts that I did were because they were already talking to other people that I knew. So the other person would bring you over and say, oh, do you know so and so? And it's a more natural way of getting introduced. There are events that will release the names of attendees beforehand, and you can research them and find them, or sometimes they share their LinkedIn link or their website link, and you can see who they are before going and know what they do and know whether or not they would be a good fit, whether to talk to in terms of working with or working alongside them, or whether it would just be a good contact to have as a stepping stone in the six degrees of separation that we like to hear about. If you don't know somebody, they might know the person that you need to or that you want to get in contact with. At the most recent event, it was, oh, hey, do you know so and so? And it was a very natural and easy intro to a lot of people. But something, again, at that event that I noticed is people didn't have any business cards with them.
Melanie
I noticed that, too.
Esther
Yeah. So it's very straight because it's one of those natural progressions that we probably haven't even really noticed that has happened. Because I fully intended to take them with me, didn't, but still ended up being able to connect with people because of the feature that LinkedIn has, that you can go on to your LinkedIn profile, click on the search button at the top, click then there's a QR code and people can connect with you through there directly to your LinkedIn. But then that got us talking before recording about what we were talking about, Melanie.
Melanie
I don't know. We were talking about a lot of different things.
Esther
Digital business cards.
Melanie
Oh, that too.
Esther
Where you can have a QR code on your phone. It doesn't even have to be a digital business card. It can just be a photograph of a QR code. It can be the QR code saved on your phone that doesn't necessarily lead them to LinkedIn. It will lead them to your mailing or it will lead them to your website or lead them to wherever you want them to go to.
Melanie
One of the things I actually liked at that event that we were both at is they facilitated the networking from the stage as well. They made a point of saying, whoever you're next to, you've most likely met and introduced yourselves. Maybe it's somebody new. This is your opportunity right now to share your LinkedIn profile so that you can connect later. And so many people did it, didn't they?
Esther
Yeah. We were just reminiscing that LinkedIn used to have a wonderful feature that you could turn it on. And if anybody else in the room had it turned on, you could connect without physically meeting them, but it is nicer to physically meet people rather than just stalking them.
Melanie
Have some random person just attach.
Esther
We were at the same event. I didn't talk to you, but hi.
Melanie
What we would like to impart in today's talk, I suppose, is it's really important to get out there and meet people, but there has to be a point to it. Just like there has to be a point to posting, there has to be a strategy that we'd like you to come away with. Networking isn't just networking, it's building connections. That's the point of it. It's not just, oh, it's nice to meet people and be friendly and have some attention, although that is nice. It's also to build connections, too. Now, I'm going to another event in the next few days. I'm not going to date it, so this doesn't sound old in a few months time. I know exactly what this event is about. There are trade stands there. I've got some indication of the type of people that are going to be there because I understand what event it is. I'm going to be doing my research, I have actually been doing my research, and I'm going to be taking presentation packs or transformation packs to the Trade Stands. The wonderful thing about online profiles and social media profiles and that stuff is you can see the social media footprint, the digital footprint of the businesses that are going to be attending, and I can see where there are some shortfalls. My hope is that I can go in there and without directly saying, this This looks bad because it doesn't look bad, but it doesn't look great. It could be improved upon. By going to speak to the right people at the event, which is the important thing, so I don't exactly know who's going to be at the event. I just know the business is going to be. At least then I stand a chance of applying my wares. Because I'm going completely prepared, I am going to be taking my business cards with me, but I'm also going to be taking QR codes and other bits and pieces because some people don't want to take business cards anymore, which is fine. I'm going along with a great deal of planning and thought and a strategy and a call to action that I'm hoping my potential client will take in order to engage me.
Esther
It's something that you said a lot of people don't like taking business cards anymore. I really enjoyed getting business cards because then I could write on the card what they did, where I met them, and maybe points that I wanted to follow up with them on. Now that we just connect on LinkedIn, unless I see them or they've tagged me in the photograph that they took at the event, I totally forget who it was unless... I'm going to need to take a notebook with me and write that. I'm just going, Hang on a minute, I'm going to...
Melanie
Yeah, did we all run to that stand?
Esther
Yes.
Melanie
Getting notebooks because we all forgot.
Esther
Because you do need to follow up, whether it's just, Hey, how did you enjoy the event? Or, Have you had a chance to look over the information that I gave you at the event? You follow up is key as it is in anything, because they might forget who left the information at their table, or they might forget which of the 20 or 50 new faces yours was. And if you didn't do the follow up, it doesn't even have to be the very next morning or two hours after the event. It can be a few days later when you go, oh, I really enjoyed such and such about the event. What about you? And it's more of an engagement and interaction rather than a, Hey, remember me? You don't want to scare them off, but you do want that conversation to keep continuing and flowing, either on emails or through social networks like LinkedIn.
Melanie
I think also if you've got a way of engineering a conversation with somebody as well. If you've got conversation starters, asking questions about the person or the business themselves, people, especially at networking events or trade stands or that stuff, they're there for a reason. They want exposure of some description. If you open the door and say, look, tell me more about you or your brand, they will. That's the whole point of them being there. I find that when I go to networking events, especially when you're trying to build connections, I hate going first because I have no idea who's in front of me. By them telling me more about their business, I can find something I can connect with and relate with. Even if it's just talking about family, I can with that, even if I don't understand the actual business itself.
Esther
Yeah, I really enjoy connecting with people when they say, oh, and I was late because I had to take the dog to the vets or had to run the kids to school because they forgot their lunch box. Totally relate to that. There's things that you can relate to on a non-business level that can open the door to building the relationship that when they think about, who do I need for social media training, they go, oh, the woman that has the two cats that she rescued them. She was telling me about them. Oh, what's her name? But they relate you to that story that you told them about your cats. And her name's Melanie, by the way. Or, oh, we need a website and who's going to build it? Oh, the one that has the two crazy dogs. That's me, by the way. It's It can be a great way to be remembered. But in order to be able to build those into the conversations, you need to be actively listening and not just waiting your turn to be, and what about you? You need to be listening to what they said and then feeding some of that back to them going, oh, I hear what you say about the kids and dropping them off to school or having to take the pet to the vet, because I also, and it can be a great bridge, but listen effectively and listen attentively first. Two ears and one mouth for a reason.
Melanie
Well, I remember But I think it's also important that when you've done your listening and you've done your active listening in your engagement, that you go in there and make it clear why you want to speak to them as well. If you can find an area that you can connect on, great. But even if you don't have an area that you immediately connect on because of the spiel that you've heard from the person opposite you, that doesn't mean that you can't give your spiel next.
Esther
Yes.
Melanie
Because they may find something to connect with you instead.
Esther
Yes.
Melanie
I find some people can sometimes be a bit, Oh, well, I don't understand what this business was about or who this person is clearly, so maybe this isn't right for me. But you can just say, oh, that's so interesting. Maybe this is somebody else here who might be interested in this particular industry or offering that you're providing. Would you like to hear what I do? And then just launch into it before they say no. There's no reason why you shouldn't do that. That's why you're there. That's the point of the event. And nine times out of 10, they will find something that might be relatively connectable for them, either to themselves personally or maybe somebody else in the room just like you.
Esther
Yeah. There's a local networking group that I attend, and it's on every month. And the chairman of the group always says, who are you looking for? What type of people do you want to attract? And tell us that, because if we're not here in the room, then we might know of somebody immediately. And even though I've been attending the group now for about nine years, and there's always one person that will say something different about their business or somebody that they've helped. And some of those have really resonated with me going, never thought that you could help that type of people. So now I know that I can refer my friend or that I know I can refer my teenage son or something like that because of... He's a hypnotist, by the way, a clinical hypnotist. But I can... You never think of this. I always think hypnotists, Oh, they help people stop smoking, they help people with stress, they help people with fear of heights. No, there's so much more. And every time he comes out with the different story, he's like, Never realized that you could also help with that. I never thought. I wonder who does dogs as well. But anyway, if you don't ask for what you want, if you don't say, I'm looking for people who need a new website, people who need training in social media or people who need help to get to the next level of their understanding in X, Y, Z, or I'm looking for... I'm always going back to the candles, aren't I? I'm looking for husbands, boyfriends, spouses who want to surprise their wife with a signature smell of a candle.
Melanie
I was wondering where that was going then. I was like, we're looking for a husband.
Esther
No. To sell to. I've got one. I've got a husband. It's more than enough. But ask for what you want. And like you said, if the person opposite you isn't that person, then you can just say, hey, if you ever hear of anybody who needs my services or would like my product, Let them know about me. Be sure to tell your friends and family.
Melanie
But it shouldn't just end there. Obviously, you then have to exit gracefully or as best you can. That could be really awkward when you find there is no synergy.
Esther
Yes.
Melanie
That can be very difficult. In the past, I've just said, it was a really pleasure to meet you. I'm here to continue mingling. Don't make any promises that you don't feel you can follow up with. Don't say, oh, we should have a coffee sometime. It's not true. You're never likely to. But if you are going to say that, then, as Esther said earlier on, it's so important to do that follow-up, to actually arrange that coffee. Even if it's an online coffee, if you meet somebody from quite a distance away, you can both have a coffee opposite one another in a Zoom, which is what we did actually before we started recording, wasn't it?
Esther
It is.
Melanie
It is. It's just trying to be honest with the people that you're approaching because honesty sells, I think. I know people say sex sells, but I don't think so. I think honesty sells. If If you can be sincere in what you're offering and what value you can give people, they remember that far better. Even if you don't find a direct synergy, which it does happen, or worse still, you meet somebody who's in exactly the same space as you. Yikes. Then you found your competitor.
Esther
Well, you could also find a collaborator. You could have found somebody who is having a difficult time with with a client or a situation that they're going through, so you can offer advice and support. I mean, there are lots of ways that you can work with your competitors and help them. And if at the end of the day, they've got a nightmare client that they can't help, you could take that person off their hands and they might not be a nightmare to you.
Melanie
Yeah. There's always space for some synergy. If you just spent the time with each other, you might find something that works.
Esther
Yeah, agreed.
Melanie
So it is time for us to go. We hope you found the topic of interest today. I hope it helps you prepare for your next networking event. If you've got any other suggestions that we need to include, do let us know and we'll do this again. We'll be back next week with another podcast. Bye.
Esther
Bye
Melanie
I waved and I remembered rainbow..
Esther
Your way of saying bye did sound a little rainbow-esque. It's in my head, too.
