Materials: refer to Connection Points

Prepare: Have a stack of business cards or names on your FB page/database, people who are part of your tribe that you can start connecting with.

We’re going to talk about the difference between networking and selling, two things a lot of people get confused about. When you know how to network, which is really just connecting with the right people and building relationships, then selling becomes something that just happens naturally. You find that people are interested in working with you without you having to go into “sales mode”, which feels icky and unnatural to both you and them.

Let me share a couple of different scenarios that could play out at a networking event.

1-You take a bunch of business cards, which you quickly printed before the event, and you show up and you hand them out like crazy and say I think I could help you, we should talk. That’s “selling”. And it feels gross both to you and the people on the receiving end. And do you want to know that business card went?

2-You show up, ready to really connect with people, and you’re focused on them, not on you. And you’re not even thinking about promoting yourself, you’re there to learn about others and have a genuine interaction with them. This is the perfect opportunity for you to use the conversation quickstarts we talked about earlier. Because here’s the truth. People get interested in you when they feel like you’re interested in them. Most people are so in their own world, that they really don’t care about you at all since they don’t even know you. They are consumed with thinking about themselves and their problems, and their favorite word to hear is their own name.

V!P process

Here’s what that stands for:

Visibility (when they see your name they know what you look like)

Influence

Profitability

Most people think can go from visibility to profitability and skip influence, but that’s a one night stand. Even if someone does manage to buy, they may complain and ask for a refund, because you had no influence with them.

When you take the “influence” step, you have so much more profitability, because there is solid foundation and trust factor, so even if/when things go awry, they continue to want to buy from you. Your relationship is for the long haul, and they will refer business to you.

So that’s why the perfect process for developing a networking system that works is the one I’m going to introduce to you today, I call it my VIP process.

How to build Influence

Instead of going up to people and talking to them about all the problems you can solve for them, you already know because they are at a networking event, their big problem is they need clients. And you’ve already said you’re going to refer people to them. So they already feel like you’re on their side, which instantly gives you credibility and creates a positive feeling, which builds influence with them.

Here are the steps:

1. Conversation quickstarts to get to know them
2. Get two of their cards (say “I know quite a few people who might want to meet you. Who would be a good referral for you?”)
3. If you know someone you can refer to them, do it
4. Send them a thank you card branded with your info and put your business card in there. Let them know “If I ever can refer business to you I will. Let’s jump on a call, I’d love to learn more of what you’re up to”
5. They will thank you and also send referrals your way

Profitability doesn’t always come in most obvious way you think. When you build relationships, it comes in in surprising ways you’ve never expected, in ways money can’t buy. When you’re gaining influence by giving, it comes back 10 fold

!MPACT Effect Connection Points

• Pull out most one of the most recent cards you collected, and say where you believe you’re at with that person.
• Have them think of one person who is at a V from their stack of cards, and hot seat on how to take that person to an I.
• If they have a person at P, how profitable are you really? How can we increase that? how are you giving back? If time, hot seat a person on a P and how to increase it

Action Steps:

1. Look at your network
2. Write on each card where you are at with each person–V, I, or P
3. Take steps to move each person forward to a V, I, or P, or to increase P

Use the !MPACT Effect Connection Point Guide to help you know which step you cam take.