5 Ways to Improve Your Return on Investment on Attending Business Events

It is extremely important to build your network before you need it. The secret to accomplishing your business objectives can be found in reaching out to other people. What distinguishes highly successful people from everyone else is the way they use the power of relationships so that everyone wins.

The next time you attend a networking event (which you should be doing at least three times a month) or industry conference remember these five highly effective tactics to maximize the ROI on your time and investment.

1. Know your targets. If possible, get the list of attendees beforehand and decide which people you most want to meet. Some smaller networking groups share the list of registered attendees in the registration area. Look at this list.

2. Strike early. There’s no reason you have to wait for the event to make initial contact. Reach out beforehand to begin your conversation or at least arrange to meet or minimum chat at the event.

3. Work the breaks at day long workshops and conferences. Between conference sessions is when you should focus on meeting people, not bolting off to return phone calls or scarfing down the free goodies (unless you are ravishingly hungry in that case strike up a conversation while gracefully eating your warm cookies!).

4. Master the “deep bump.” When you meet someone, skip the small talk as quickly as possible. Talk about your passions and struggles to create instant intimacy. Then bump — establish a reason to reconnect later and move on to meet more people.

5. Target speakers early. If you must meet the speakers, introduce yourself before their talks because afterward they will be mobbed like instant celebrities.Sometimes the best way to meet a high level executive is during their personal appearance. There are no corporate gatekeepers there to keep you away from them, so seize the moment to ask them if you can call their office to schedule a 15 minute meeting. Don't walk away without their business card and the name of their administrative assistant. Want more tips and strategies to leverage relationships? Check out the book "Never Eat Alone" By Keith Ferrazzi with Tahl Raz.

If you’re still struggling to market your business on your own, consider seeking help today! Give me a call and let's chat about the possibilities. - Shakira M. Brown, Managing Principal, SMB Strategic Media 1-888-436-0033.