FACING UP TO NETWORKING
No matter the size of your company, networking plays a vital role in growing a business – and nothing is better than meeting someone face-to-face to get business done.
But research by Cvent, the meetings, events and hospitality technology provider, reveals business owners must do more to train staff to use networking events to create business opportunities.
Only one third of people told Cvent they looked forward to attending networking events. More than a quarter felt disinterested and simply used the networking time to make calls or check emails. A further fifth just went along for the food and drink.
We asked Patrick Smith, chief marketing officer at Cvent, for his tips on how small business owners can ensure they get the most from networking events:
■ Before sending employees to a networking event, ensure they know how to gently position their sales pitch in a conversation. This could be a few key points to ‘drop in’ to conversation and guidance on which contacts they should aim to meet at the event.
■ In a digital age where millennials are more accustomed to communicating online and over digital channels, highlight the importance of face-to-face communication and focus on the value of establishing a human connection. Illustrate how it will positively impact them – both socially and professionally.
■ Our research revealed not only are staff interested in getting training to improve their networking skills, but education is crucial to build confidence ahead of networking events. One caveat: Make sure the pre-event training drills down to specific skills. Many workers said they would like help with having the confidence to go up to someone new as well as how to introduce themselves to a group already speaking. Training needs to be engaging and interactive – role play is good.
■ Make sure your staff understand the business opportunity ahead of them. You might think of introducing a ‘networking bonus’ – whether that’s a financial reward or offering the “most impressive networker” an experience outside of work – such as tickets to the theatre.