Business Networking Secret: One to Many

You know that the conversations you have can influence and change your outcome? I am sure you have often been told time and again that you need to attend the same business networking event regularly because you only get out of it what you put into it. You have also been told that building relationships is key, and  those you meet need  to "know like and trust you"...and them you, to generate leads and opportunities. Perfect.

Make the most of Your Time

Recently a client said to me "the more regularly I go to certain events the more likely I will meet the same people...so I know them, like them and trust them but I may have run out of conversation to have with them!...should I move onto other events to meet brand new people regularly? I need to manage my time carefully."

When I deepened this conversation I discovered that the interaction my client was having really hovered around what they each do and the type of client they were each after. The approach was singular in its dimension and stopped within the party of 2.

Hoping to prompt thought, I asked how many were typically in the room of the business networking events attended and the answer was typically, between 20 and 40 . I then reshaped the question to...how many opportunities were in the room? After initially struggling with the question the penny dropped.  The answer then became 20 to 40 times each of the attendees’ networks who were not present in the room.

Everyone has connections  

Think about it. If each attendee has a network of just say 50 people, and with social media these days, it can be much bigger,  then there is the   chance to influence up to 2000 people by exploring their needs through problem solving and demonstrating your value proposition.

That is “One to Many”!  I am sure you have heard of speakers wanting to connect with a full house when they run a workshop, with networking you also have an amazing multiplier of your reach if you choose to see who is both in the room and also outside the room.

Amplify Your Reach

If you see this as the amazing opportunity it is, then you will likely change the way you interact with those you meet at a business networking event. This  includes those you have met before. It will  be way more productive to use those you know to amplify your reach than constantly relying always on new contacts with whom you need to build a relationship over time.

How can You Help

Focus on understanding not only the value proposition of those you speak to but also the dimension and diversity of their reach into their network. Ask how you can help them invest in and solve problems in each others network.

This involves positioning your perspective as a “We” and not only Me when planning your business networking approach. Two or more heads are better than one when seeking to collaborate and share knowledge.

Adopt a “We” approach

Finally, remember that thinking “one to many” and adopting a We approach is not just about lead generation through others. It is about mutual testing and measuring and piloting your respective ideas about developing opportunities, solving problems and learning new ways.

I’d be interested in your thoughts., so please comment below. By the way if you would be interested in hearing of upcoming opportunities offered by YTM or keen to join our community and benefit rom he wealth o knowledge in our portal, check out Membership HERE