I was at a local breakfast networking event this morning when I encountered an “interesting” local photographer. As we all introduced ourselves to him, one of the folks at our table said, “Welcome to the group!” His response was, “I hope it helps.” He proceeded to tell us about his photography services, starting with more professional, high-end photography (i.e. professional headshots, photos for brochures and such, etc), but made sure to mention that he also provides family & pet photography – “on the low end” of his services. When one of the ladies said, “Oh, I bet that is going well – it’s very popular right now,” he retorted, “Well I wish you would tell me how!” He then went on a tirade about how he had tried to offer his services free-of-charge to local animal shelters, but no one took him up on the offer, and now he is “tired of putting himself out there”. Needless to say, the table fell into an awkward silence…until another lady shifted the conversation into another topic.
During the event, I watched cheese strings (from this man’s omelette) dangle from his lip at least 3 times (that I counted), as he watched the guest speaker – oblivious to the said cheese strings. As the event concluded, this man cornered me to pitch a referral program – that he would give 15% off of services to anyone that I referred his way, and that if I sent 4 people to him, he would send me and my husband to Gatlinburg, TN for a weekend getaway. His language was very brash, colorful, and uncouth, and I walked away with the impression that this man leads a very angry and sad existence. His last words to me were something to the effect of, “I’ve got to start getting more business, because I’m tired of trying so hard.”
On the one hand, I wanted to help this man. Clearly he is CLUELESS about what he is putting out there. He’s just doing it ALL so very wrong. On the other hand, I didn’t want to touch this man with a 10-foot pole, because he’s just SO. ANGRY. He’s the type that would never accept help or feedback of any kind because he’s so far in his own way that it would take a bulldozer to knock down the Wall of Defense that this man had put up to protect himself from God-knows-what.
But he got me thinking about other people who try SO. HARD. to get their businesses going – thinking they are doing all of the “right things” (e.g. social media, joining networking groups, trying referral programs, etc, etc) – only to find complete disappointment in the results. How many other people are as angry and frustrated as this man? (OK, maybe not quite AS angry & frustrated – or at least not as overtly so). If that is the case, the problem is likely not WHAT you are doing, but HOW you are doing it. You are doing many of the steps that can bring very fruitful results, but you may be putting out the wrong first impression, your message may not be clear and succinct, or you may not be going after your target audience. OR, you may be casting too many nets with poor aim and lack of a plan to make them all work together for maximized results.
I don’t claim to be an expert in marketing, but I am highly-trained and experienced in communicating with others- and networking is all about communication and relationships. So think of networking as more about making meaningful connections and less about marketing to the masses. Before you cast your next nets, take a few moments to re-evaluate WHY (and HOW) you are trying to recruit new business through networking:
1. What first impression will you make while networking? 
Are you going in with guns blazing, ready to shoot down everything in your path because you have allowed negativity and failure to dictate your emotions -OR- are you going in with a delightful, professional image and attitude that will draw people in? Remember that the point of a networking event is to get to know people, and people are drawn to smiles, professional appearance, and pleasant (or dare I say, FUN) demeanor. People are repelled by frowns, anger, slumped (i.e. “defeated”) shoulders, and an appearance that is unkempt or too casual. If you go into an event as the latter, those events won’t produce the results you are hoping for. In fact, you will achieve exactly the opposite – people will RUN AWAY from you. But the event didn’t fail you – YOU failed the EVENT.
2. What is your message?
Is your message “too hard to explain” in a quick handshake exchange -OR – is your message clear and concise, leaving people with exactly what you provide in a short sentence or two? Look, I get it – you have a lot to offer. I struggle with this one too, as brevity has never been my strength. But when you are meeting people in passing, they don’t have time for the long spiel – they need the short version in about 10 seconds or less. If you do it right, this person can still be a powerful referral source or even a warm lead for you, because you’ve given them *just enough* to want to seek you for additional info (or give your card to someone else who may need your services). You may have heard of the infamous elevator speech – the speech you give someone while riding on an elevator when asked “What do you do?” Truth is, we all need that elevator speech – and we need a GREAT one. Practice with friends, loved ones, and co-workers: Have them ask you “What do you do?” and practice your response – over and over and over. This elevator speech, along with your first impression, is 90% of the battle when networking. Master them, and I can guarantee that your networking endeavors will become more fruitful.
3. Who is your target audience? 
Are you attending events “just because” you hope they might work -OR- are you attending events because you know those events will house your target audience for future sales? Just because that group/event worked for someone else doesn’t mean that the group/event will work for you. Maybe that group/event held their target audience, but it misses the mark on your target audience. So who is your target audience? Have you clearly defined who that is? And where can you find your target audience? Once you define who your target audience is, begin to research the events and functions where you can find them. Additionally, what advertising works best for your target audience? If your target audience is the Baby Boomer generation or older, certain forms of social media honestly don’t matter – because they’re not on them – so don’t waste your time. If, however, your target audience is 20-something or younger, you better start learning how to use MANY different forms of social media, because these consumers were born and raised in a connected world. However, with the latter, email marketing and direct mail are just not as effective. Stop casting nets where your fish don’t swim, and start fishing the right streams.
So how did you do? Are you casting your nets in the right ways? Are you working SMARTER, not harder? I promise that even just these 3 small things can add up to be HUGE in the return you see from casting your nets properly.
Maybe you read through this list and thought, “I’m already doing these things, and it’s still not working.” In that case, the problem likely exists in either A) your plan (or lack thereof) -OR- B) your priorities and time management. Ready to take that next step and start seeing more fruitful results from your efforts?
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