The all important one on one is one of the key elements to your networking success. Are you doing one on ones? Do you know what one on ones are? Incredibly enough not everyone knows what they are especially people new to networking. One on ones are a great way to build your referral network but more important than that, they are a great way to build relationships and trust within your network.
Remember that the purpose of your 30 second commercial at your networking events is to grab the attention of your audience and inspire them to want to know more. The best way to give them more once you’ve got their attention is to invite them to have a one on one meeting. When sharing what you do and someone says, “How do you do that?” the natural desire to tell them more right then and there kicks in. My suggestion…STOP!
This is your opportunity to invite them to a one on one meeting where you’ll be able to share more about what you do and to find out more about them and how you may be able to support one another through referrals or business. This is something I coach my clients to do and the simplicity of it has created many wonderful opportunities for them.
I highly recommend preplanning who you want to invite to a one on one meeting. If you have an opportunity to see who is already registered for your networking event, identify 2-3 people that you would like to get to know a little better. Look for the people that might be good referral partners for you because of the type of work they do and their potential client list, clients that might need your services.
If you’ve never met, ask the event host to introduce you. Introduce yourself, share your reason for wanting the introduction and invite them to a coffee meeting explaining that you’d like to get to know more about their business and see if there would be opportunity for you to support one another in business. Have your calendar handy and get it on the schedule right away, then excuse yourself to speak with the next person you want to connect with.
One on ones can make a huge impact on your business as you build relationships and trust within your network. Remember, it’s all about them. Ask lots of questions, take notes, answer their questions quickly and ask more questions.
“I’d love to know more about your business and how we may possibly be able to support one another. Please let me know your availability to connect over coffee and we’ll get it on the calendar. I’m looking forward to connecting soon!”
