subject: Sales Tips For Networking At Business Mixers [print this page] Get The Most From Your Next Business Mixer
How often have you attended a business after-hours mixer and come home with nothing to show for it?
When was the last time you avoided even going to networking events because you weren"t that comfortable being at those types of things?
Maybe the last time you went, you ended up just talking to people you already knew, or you parked yourself near the food table or the bar. Even though you intended to build your sales business, your discomfort forced you to retreat into old, useless behaviors.
Networking Marketing Tips
There"s a right and a wrong way to conduct yourself at business mixers. Everyone is there to network and to market their business. Some do it well and others do not.
The following tips will put you on the right track and insure that you"re making the most of the experience and generate more sales from it.
Choose to meet, not to eat. No point in just turning it into another failed social event! Instead, promise yourself you"ll meet at least five new people.
It"s more blessed to receive than to give. Don"t worry about giving out your business card. They"ll probably lose it anyway. Instead, concentrate on getting theirs. That way, you"ll be able to follow up later.
Approach open groups. People who aren"t facing each other directly but are a bit open in their body language are the ones who are receptive to your approach.
Avoid talking about your sales business. Instead, ask them about theirs. How do they like it? How long have they been doing it? What do they like best about it? How do they generate new business?
Always ask them how you can know if someone you meet would be a great prospect for them. You"re positioning yourself as a connector whose interest is in helping them generate more leads, rather than as someone who"s hungry to get their business.
Smile warmly, look in their eyes, and shake hands firmly. After a short conversation, say you"re going to go meet some more people, then thank them and move on.
Follow up. After the event, send a nice personalized card to the people you met and tell them you"ll be sure to make referrals to them when it"s appropriate.
Don"t worry about trying to get them to buy your product or service. If they like you and trust you, when they have a need, they"ll think of you!
Network Marketing For Sales
Networking, marketing and network marketing is really all about the law of attraction. Your sales will always go up when you market your business by the law of attraction.
So, in the "Givers Gain" philosophy taught by Ivan Misner, father of BNI (Business Network International), make yourself a useful, caring, friendly resource for those you meet, and you"ll have no trouble generating new business. It"s universal law!
