Common Networking Mistake #3

The third common networking mistake to avoid is lousy follow up. This manifests itself most starkly when you need to help someone you just met by introducing them to someone that you know. Whatever problem they currently are facing, if it isn’t something that your business cures, will fall into the category where you need to make an introduction to solve it. The breadth of your network and your knowledge of each person in it can only be built over time when you have mastered the follow up process. This is the email sent to someone you met that day, expressing your understanding of their business and what kinds of people and problems they help solve. This is crucial because documenting this knowledge in a program that will allow you to recall that information when you find someone with that problem, is the only way you can store and retrieve it on demand. Now when you meet someone with a problem that your business doesn’t solve, instead of telling them that you can’t help them, you can say, that isn’t my specialty, but I know who you need to know and I will introduce you to them. This way you have started to build a relationship with someone that you wouldn’t have been able to without the benefits of your previous follow up. This is easily the most over looked and straight forward way of helping people! The active networker who is building a list of businesses and ideal referrals so that no matter who they meet or what their problem is, they know someone who can help solve it, is setting themselves up for success. This is a key to being remembered when someone finds the kind of people you want to meet, which will help generate revenue for your business. Networking is a circular process, the more people you help, the more people who are inspired to want to help you!