Mastering the Membership Maze

I’ve Got Your Card, Now What?

In our last article we discussed the six steps to networking success at big member events like the Business After Hours. To recap, we covered a networking plan for these events that included; a) Think about what type of people you want to meet; b) Plan on meeting only three to five; c) Plan to spend three to five minutes with each; d) Ask questions about them; and e) Ask for a business card. The culmination of those steps was to ask the “Million Dollar Question” and to jot the answer to that question on the back of the business card you received.

For quick review, here’s the “Million Dollar Question”. “Bob, I’ve enjoyed talking with you. You know I meet a lot of folks every day. Tell me, how would I know if I met a perfect referral for you?”

Now you have Bob’s card and the profile of a perfect referral for Bob written on the back of his card. Now what?

Here are five steps to take to ensure your efforts will bring results:

1. Send Bob a quick thank you note within 24 hours of meeting him. That’s a hand-written card or letter that quickly states that you enjoyed meeting him and that you are looking forward to the opportunity to see him again in the future. This card is only about Bob and the meeting you had. You’ll be tempted to add a tag line like “if you know anyone who needs my product or service, give me a call”. Resist the temptation. Keep it simple and focused on Bob. There will be a time and place for promoting your products and/or services.
2. Enter Bob’s information into your contact management system. Whether electronic or not, Bob’s card and/or contact information needs to be where you can access it quickly. Whether you put Bob’s information into an electronic manager or not, retain Bob’s card. Staples sells business card holders and even sheet holders for notebooks. Invest in a couple and keep Bob’s card (and everyone else’s as well).
3. Put an appointment on your calendar within three days of meeting Bob that says “Find Bob a referral”. Give yourself thirty minutes. If you haven’t found one by the time this appointment pops up as a reminder, use the thirty minutes to find someone that is a potential fit for Bob. Go through your retained business cards (see, there is a reason to keep them).
4. Call Bob with the following script: “Hi Bob, we met at the networking event a couple of days ago (he’ll remember you, you sent him a card and you only talked about him). Based on what you told me then, I think I may have someone who is right for you. Why don’t you “Meet Me At Starbucks” so we can talk a bit more about what you are looking for so I can be sure.
5. When you meet with Bob you should ask a few more questions to be sure that the referral you are about to give is a good one. Come prepared to make the introduction. “Well Bob, based on what we’ve talked about, I think that Mary would be an ideal person for you to meet. Here’s Mary’s card (you should have extras from your networking partners). Let’s give her a call right now and set something up. When you call Mary, she’s happy to meet Bob (because you told her you were going to call from the meeting). In an ideal situation you would make a personal introduction.

That’s it. Five steps to building a strong business relationship. It’s all about Bob. What about you? Do you think that Bob and Mary aren’t going to be thinking about you? We call it “The Christmas Present Law” and you can literally build your business around the simple law that when you give, you will get more in return than you could have ever gotten on your own.

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About the author: Glen Gould is an author of four books, professional speaker, and consultant to corporations and chambers of commerce. He serves as Director of Small to Mid-Size Business at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and is a sought after speaker on networking, small business management and growth, and teambuilding. Visit www.inspirationagents.com or email ggould@inspirationagents.com.

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