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Set A Networking Goal

How is your networking going so far in 2020? Have you been to a few events, mingled, swapped cards or gotten referrals? Have you gotten the contact information on any new prospects? If not, why not? And if so, did you do it intentionally?

Sometimes we confuse networking events with socializing and seeing old friends. There's nothing wrong with catching up with people, but we need to remember that networking is part of the job of sales, and has to be treated as such. Simple things like dressing professionally or being on time indicate you take it seriously.

As I mention in my book, I like to set a goal before walking into a networking event. Preferably, I want to get 5-10 business cards from people I've spoken to while there. That means I've had a conversation with someone that includes job descriptions ("Tell me about your work.") or business conditions ("Our taxes are too high."). In other words, I didn't just walk to the table with brochures and grab 10 cards.

The short conversation usually includes me casually mentioning that I'd like to give them a call in the next week to meet over a cup of coffee, my treat of course! A large majority of the time people will say something like, "That sounds great!"  I make sure to get a card from them. When I call they already know me and have agreed to meet, so I'm not calling cold.  It adds an extra step but really helps.

Once you've gotten your own patter down, use it at often as you can. My conversation usually goes like this. "Can I get your card? I'd like to call you next week to talk more when it's more appropriate. Would that be okay?"

The "when it's more appropriate" part doesn't imply that you're doing something inappropriate, but that you think you can have a better conversation when there aren't a bunch of people milling about and listening in.

Practice this language and make it your own. After a while you'll be comfortable enough to meet strangers and talk to them anywhere. For me, I take networking events seriously, but I still find them quite enjoyable, which makes networking feel like I'm not working.


Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.

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