I was thinking about doing some networking and have looked at various events. A lot of them seem to be the franchise kinds, like Business Over Breakfast or Women In Business Network for example. I wonder how much use these things really are. I'm not looking for support from other trainers, I'm interested specifically in meeting people from other businesses with the possibility of finding a few new clients.
I wen to one free event years ago and it was me, a man who sells Avon and a couple of retired people who like to go to the meetings because "it gets them out". Needless to say I didn't meet any prospective clients and I never went back.
Has anyone had any particulartly positive experience at these networking events? If not, I'll take funny stories too.
2 Responses
We attend numerous networking
We attend numerous networking events. If you are looking to make a sale from an event you’ll probably be disappointed. They’re about building relationships over a period of time which can eventually lead to work. It’s also about following up on any contacts made and exploring any synergies.
We did go to one event when I was asked what we did. I replied that we provide HR and training support for businesses. His answer was “Oh you’re no good to me” and he moved on! Not quite the right way to go about it.
Well, that’s just rude. I
Well, that’s just rude. I know everyone has an agenda but really?