Imagine that you have just gotten back from a great event – you met so many people that were interested in you and your business. You go home, sit at your desk ready to take on the world, and you pause and think – “now what?!” You made all these great connections which are still very much warm and the last thing you want to do is let them go cold. The best thing to do is to continue to connect with people you have met. So many times we have a great conversation with people at events and then go home, get busy with….life and then forget to follow up. WCE has created for you a quick way to keep your contact and leads organized in a simple one sheet planner. But, before we go into the Contact & Lead List Planner, here are three tips to make better connections and getting those leads.
1. Avoid Sales Pitches!
When you are at a networking event we suggest that you try not to use the typical “sales pitch” behavior. You don’t want to give the impression that you are a shark with one liners and shoving your business card in people’s hands that you haven’t officially met yet. If they don’t get to know you, then why would they want to refer you to their friends or even better do business with you? Would you refer your friend to someone you don’t know? Probably not. So, make sure you are making good conversation and real connections with the other attendees.
Even though we say don’t be “salesy” that does not mean you shouldn’t talk about your business at all. Which leads us to tip number two:
2. Have Your Elevator Pitch Down!
And by down we mean down to 30 seconds or a 1 minute. This is especially important if you are able to introduce yourself to the whole room of attendees. Not everyone in the room is not interested in your whole life story. And even if they are there isn’t usually enough time for everyone to talk for a long time. To be frank, if you commandeer more time than what others have taken people may actually feel resentment towards you and not want to speak to you after introductions. We definitely do not want that! This is why you must keep that elevator pitch short, concise, yet personable! You want to get across what your business is and what problem it solves. WCE does have an elevator pitch worksheet for free download if you are struggling with it. You can download it by clicking the button below!
3. Make Your Intentions Clear!
This may seem like an odd suggestion – doesn’t everyone know what the intentions are at a networking event? Yes, they do in a sense. But, it would be nice if the person you are speaking to knows how you plan to contact them and why. Let’s use an example of a situation where you met someone that would be a good referral source for you. Let’s imagine you had a great conversation with say, Kathy, at an event. You not only spoke about your business and hers, but you found out that you both have high school seniors this year. A good way to continue this relationship is say – “Kathy, is it ok if I friend you on Facebook? It seems like we have a lot in common and I’d love to keep in touch. I also belong to a great Facebook group for parents of older kids that I think you would like.” Chances are she will say yes, especially since she knows that you aren’t going to bombard her with sales for your business.
Now if you make a connection with someone that is interested in your product you still want to be clear on your intentions when you plan to follow up with them. For example, you meet Sarah and she just loves the idea of your services. You can end the event with her by saying “Sarah, would it be ok if I get your contact info so I could email you some more details about my services? That way you can have time to look it over.” If she says yes, make sure to email her that evening. You can also, reach out a couple days later to make sure she doesn’t have any questions. You can also ask her if she wants to be friends on Facebook – social media is great way to continue connections without being too forward.
Not too difficult, right?! And these are tips you might already be doing or maybe you just need to make a couple tweaks. Now with those tips out of the way it’s time to dive into and download WCE’s Contact & Lead List Planner which you can download by clicking the button or the image below.
WCE’s Contact and Lead List Planner Worksheet is very simple to use! All you will need to do is fill out the Name, Business, and Contact info of your Lead when get back from an event. There is a spot on the planner to take note on how you met the lead and how & when you follow up. Make sure to stick to what ever method and timeframe you decide! There is also a section for you to document if this contact is a referral source or interested in your services one you also have room to make any notes about each contact. We suggest writing down anything that you talked about when you first met that way you can mention that in your correspondence to them. If you receive business cards at an event it is a good idea to jot down any of these notes directly on the person’s business card and then you can transfer your notes to the Contact & Lead List Planner. Sometimes we meet a lot of people at an event and it can be difficult to remember exactly what was said to who!
We really hope this helps you keep your leads and contacts organized. If you did find this helpful you can discover more free downloads, tips and articles HERE. You can also become a member of WCE and get access to all of our downloads and resources instantly, free networking & mastermind events, and discounts on workshops! You can join by clicking the button below:
And please check out WCE’s On-Demand Education! We have topics covering all aspects of running a business. You can find them HERE!
Like we always say our goal here at WCE is helping you find ways to make your business life easier! If you have any questions please contact us at connect@wearewce.com. And remember WCE always has your back!
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