What You MUST Know to Attract Clients When Networking

I remember when I was introduced to the concept of “business networking” when I started my first business. I thought, I will NEVER be able to do this. I remember getting ready to go to my first networking event and whining to my husband (then boyfriend), “I was miserable at this kind of thing when I was dating! How could this ever help my business?”

And then I realized something about networking that I’ve come to learn about so many aspects of building a business …

It was ME that needed to change.

So here is a major EnergyRICH® Tip for you to begin to use right away so that you get the most from the time, money, and energy you invest in networking:

Shift your energy away from “getting” to “giving.”

What I didn’t like about dating was that I felt like I was on display, and that I had to prove something in order to get someone to like me. It was this same energy that I was NOT looking forward to encountering in business networking. Standing in a restaurant somewhere with a stiff smile on my face pretending that I cared what some salesy-insurance guy was saying to me?! Yuck!

Or even worse was going to an event and exchanging business cards as quickly as possible without making any real connections, then trying to follow-up with these people and “get them” to buy my service. No way!

As I was getting ready for one networking event, I thought to myself, what would happen if when I spoke about my business I really spoke from the heart (rather than worrying about saying the “right thing”), and I just CHOSE to see the light in each person I met, and to really dig deep to see what I could GIVE to each person - something of real value, something that would make a difference to them, to their business, to their life? Voila!

Everything changed.

First, I no longer felt dread and exhaustion.

Second, I started meeting some REALLY great people, including some folks that I am still in touch with to this day.

Third, business started to pick up … and often NOT from the person that I gave directly to.

One of my favorite memories is from a guest who visited my very first BNI (Business Networking International) group, who turned out to be a representative for the Trading Association on Wall Street in New York City. She sent out the information about my business (my first business was as a Nutrition and Wellness Coach) to EVERY trader in the association (FYI: most traders have terrible diets). I filled half of my practice from that connection. And that was in my first six months of business.

And that’s just my FAVORITE story like that. There are tons more.

But I truly believe, the energy is the foundation to ALL of it. If I had been closed off, angry, resentful, annoyed, frustrated about being at that meeting (What’s the point? These things don’t work anyway?), I would have had a hard time believing that connection would have happened.

Your EnergyRICH® Call To Action

1) first and foremost, you get clear about what your intention is, before any type of networking opportunity, and then you release attachment.

2) Avoid one of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen entrepreneurs make – which is to expect and be attached to getting immediate business from folks at the networking event.

3) Release yourself from attachment and open the opportunity WIDER–to include ALL the people that the folks at each networking event know.