“First, I’m gonna spray the room, see?”
Is this any way to start a relationship?
Back in July 2005, I attended a fantastic presentation called “Find Your Next 3 Clients,” delivered by my friend Pat Lynch, Founder and CEO of Women’s Online Media and Education Network (W.O.M.E.N.).
As an aside, she mentioned that some venture capitalists attend networking functions like Society’s A-List attends Saturday night soirees: drop in for 20 minutes, meet and greet, and move onto the next function. The VCs call it “drive-by networking” and work as a team to cover the entire room: invest 1 or 2 minutes per person swapping elevator pitches and business cards, hop back into the car, and drive to the next function. Two people each can cover 10 to 20 people per event. That’s to 60 to 120 new contacts in one evening!
All relationships with customers, clients, investors, partners, employees, and everyone else start the same way. By meeting someone. Drive-by networking starts lots of relationships.
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So what do you think about drive-by networking? What advantages and disadvantages does it have over traditional networking? Does it seem insincere? Comment below now:
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I like it. The bottom line is, most initial contacts are short anyway. Everyone is at the event to meet as many quality people as posible. Be considerate and allow them to do just that. They will appreciate the courtesy. Let me add one important step that I have found critical, in addition to exchanging power statements and business cards. I ask them if I may email them the link to my website. I have never had anyone say no. Now I have permission, and they are more inclined to open it when they have given me permission to send it.
Be Positive, Be Inspired and Serve Others.
Dwight,
Excellent extra important step and, as you said, it’s easy to get them to agree, and opens the door wide open to developing the relationship. Thanks for your comment.