It is Friday morning, 5.30am and the alarm clock goes off, as it did every Friday.
It was networking time, at the weekly breakfast.
Now I enjoy creating new opportunities for my business.
I enjoy getting out and meeting others.
But, I just had the wrong plan and strategy to do it successfully back when I first started.
Most people go to networking events to sell.
They see it as their marketing strategy to get new clients and therefore they waste their time and effort.
Think about it, if everyone going to the networking event is there to sell, then who is there to buy?
How many people at the event really have the pain point that you solve and are looking for a solution?
The numbers might be 1 in 50.
Sure every now and then you will come across a person who has the pain point that you solve and is looking for a solution.
But that is like finding a needle in a hay stack.
Instead what you should be doing is going to networking events to build referral sources and grow your networks with perfect people.
Every person at that event has clients, has their own inner circle, has the ability to open doors for you, has the ability to share you or promote you out to their networks.
And that is where the real magic of networking lies.
It is a change in mindset, it is knowing what to do and how to do it, it is about having the right structure and foundations in place to allow people to help you.
When you go looking to collaborate and create win/wins with others rather than trying to pitch to them, then you too will start getting a great return on networking.
PS: We have a secret society that comes together to create new referrals for one another. Would you like to be a part of it? Check it out here