If you’re looking to gain quality leads and find new business partners, you can achieve both these things at networking events. But it can be a hard ask for the uninitiated. Many entrepreneurs struggle to make the most of networking sessions.
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You don’t have to wind up in this category. If you’d like to get better at pitching your services at networking events, here are six steps you can take to do so.
Work With A Goal
You have to decide what you want to achieve at a business meet-up session before you attend it. Targets you may set include the number of people you want to converse with, how many persons you’d like to hand your business cards to, and the number of decent leads you’d want to pick up. Having such a goal in mind will allow you to tailor your pitch accordingly.
Craft An Elevator Pitch
Next, come up with a short introduction you can use on networking occasions. It should include your name, your business’s name, what it exists to do, who your clients are, and your business’s accomplishments.
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Make it brief– not longer than 60 seconds. Also, design it to be as persuasive as possible, and capable of sparking the interest of your conversation partner.
Aim For Clarity
You’ll want to be as clear as you can be in your discussions. Try to be straightforward with your responses to questions. Don’t use jargon, as the people you’re talking with may not be familiar with terms specific to your industry.
Emphasize Solutions Over Features
When you talk about your product or service, make sure to consistently emphasize the benefits it provides for the people who use it. This approach will likely get your listener interested in your offering, as they may belong to your target demographic. Merely talking about your product’s features may not elicit the response you want.
Make It A Two-Way Conversation
Give your conversation partner the chance to express themselves. They may share useful suggestions with you. Ask them what they do as well. They will appreciate you for this. It’ll show that you’re genuinely interested in them as people, and not just as potential clients.
Give Them A Call To Action
The persons you speak with should know what to do with the information you share with them. For example, you may ask them to visit your website for more details, give your service a try, or let their contacts know about your offerings.
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You could make it easier for them to take the required action by giving them your business card. The card should have your business’s contact details in it (email, phone number, social media handles, and website).
What Business Networking Events Should You Attend?
Perhaps you’re wondering what business networking events you should attend. There’s one we can recommend: the Connect Nigeria Business Mixer.
The Connect Nigeria Business Mixer is a monthly gathering of entrepreneurs, founders, and business executives– just what you need to make valuable business connections. It also invites guest speakers drawn from across multiple industries, who share their preferred business growth strategies with attendees.
If you would like to find out more about the Connect Nigeria Business Mixer, call 0809 800 5000. To register for the Business Mixer, click here.
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