Your #1 Goal at any Networking Event

Here's the secret to being successful at any networking event: Give!

Go to the networking event with the mindset that you will:

• introduce someone you know to someone new that they have not met
• help find a referral for someone in your chapter
• help someone to get involved in a networking chapter
• learn more about someone else's business so that you can better refer to them in the future
• get to know someone new, agree to meet later to learn more about helping each other's business

All of the above activities promotes giving. If you go to networking events with the sole intent to get business leads for yourself, you'll lose almost every time. I said 'almost'. Sometimes you may come away with a few leads, but once you get the reputation of 'taking' and never 'giving' you will lose momentum fast.

Guess what? I went to the CONES networking event tonight and received two solid leads. Both were a result of others approaching me asking for my help.

With the help of Brian Schiff, President of the North Outerbelt Chapter, I was able to help someone new find a chapter to join. I also made plans to schedule a future meeting to learn more about partnering with another company.

I firmly believe that these things do not happen by accident. It was because my intent was to help others get what they need, rather than focusing on my needs.