Page 245 - 101 Ways to Market Your Business

101 WAYS TO MARKET YOUR BUSINESS

116 Arrange a business networking lunch

Business networking lunches are not a new idea; however,
they can be a very good way to meet people and to make
contacts that can provide your business with a boost. We
all have a few friends in business who in turn have a few
friends who can be invited. Perhaps arrange a guest speaker
paid for by a small contribution from everyone attending.

The most important point to remember when attending
networking functions is to do just that—network. Make
sure you have a pocket full of business cards and a pen
(good for jotting down notes on the back of cards after
people have given them to you).

If you arranged the lunch, try to give it a theme and
encourage people to communicate and mingle. If you are
simply going to the lunch to drink too much and have the
afternoon off then you can expect zero business. If you are
going there hungry for business, so to speak, work the
room. Be polite and friendly and talk to as many people
as possible. If you are shy try to find someone who isn’t
and stick with them. Work together to cover the room. If
you meet someone who has absolutely no possibility of
providing you with business, don’t walk away mid-sentence.
Be polite, pick your time and use the excuse of having to
go and generate some business to break away and move
onto a person with more potential.

I know this may seem like a very mechanical situation,
but the reality is that networking functions are places to
source business. Networking is a term that has become a
buzz word in the past ten years, to the point where we may
cringe whenever we are invited to a business networking
function. Regardless of that, it is without doubt one of the
best ways to source new business and establish stronger ties
with existing customers.

230