You’ve seen those people who have a steady flow of incoming referrals and sales and they don’t seem to be doing anything to get them. Are they just lucky or is it something else?
I began networking like it appears that just about everyone else does. I showed up as often as possible, I passed out as many business cards as I could and I told everyone about what I did. While I enjoyed some “success” from it, it was really just a numbers game. I probably would have been more or just as successful knocking on doors.
I think fortunately for me, I like excel and data. Tracking my hours invested and comparing it to my results caused me to explore and try different things.
At the same time, I began to formulate my goals which led me to better understanding the makeup of my ideal clients.
Networking became much more productive for me. I knew which meetings to attend, who I wanted to meet and why and what I needed to say and do when I spoke with them.
Before you run out to your next networking event or knock on that next door, take some time to work on your plans, start tracking your experiences and talk to your peers.
The more sales you can make in less time, the more time you will have to go golfing, fishing, traveling or whatever it is you really like doing.