Speaker 1: Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of
Speaker 1: performance through strong human relations, team building, and golajving. This
Speaker 1: is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul
Speaker 1: fella Aledo.
Speaker 2: Hello, everyone, welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast. It's
Speaker 2: episode four to seventy seven. Today's episode is titled Networking
Speaker 2: Tactics how to build high value Contacts. If you're listening
Speaker 2: right now, there's a good chance you've been to a
Speaker 2: trade show, a conference, or some type of professional event.
Speaker 2: You walk in, name badge around your neck, and you
Speaker 2: see hundreds of people doing the exact same thing. You
Speaker 2: are looking to make connections. But here's the hard truth
Speaker 2: of it all. Most people walk out with a pocket
Speaker 2: full of business cards end up in the trash. That's
Speaker 2: not networking, that's just collecting cardboard. So let's talk tactics.
Speaker 2: And I've mentioned this in a previous episode. I want
Speaker 2: you to leave your next event with high value contacts
Speaker 2: that actually turn into opportunities. Step one, be intentional before
Speaker 2: you even get there. Don't show uplined. Look at the
Speaker 2: attendee list, study the sponsors, scan the agenda. Identify five
Speaker 2: people that you need to meet, not fifty five. That's
Speaker 2: a manageable number, and it forces you to be selective.
Speaker 2: Write their names down and make it a mission to
Speaker 2: connect with them. Step two. Perfect your opener. Most people
Speaker 2: default two, So what do you do? And that's a
Speaker 2: week start. Instead, try what brings you to this event
Speaker 2: or what's been the best session you've heard so far.
Speaker 2: That creates conversation, and when you open strong, you don't
Speaker 2: sound like just another person fishing for their card. Step three.
Speaker 2: Listen for the hook. In every conversation, there's a detail
Speaker 2: that tells you how you can provide value. Maybe they
Speaker 2: say their company is expanding, maybe they're frustrated with staffing,
Speaker 2: or maybe they're exploring new technology. That's your hook. Take
Speaker 2: mental note and follow up with something relevant later. Step four.
Speaker 2: Don't shotgun your cards. Handing out fifty business cards is
Speaker 2: not networking. It's desperation. Wait until there's a real exchange
Speaker 2: of value before you offer yours. If the conversation isn't
Speaker 2: strong enough to justify a follow up, don't force it.
Speaker 2: Step five. Anchor the memory. You're not the only person
Speaker 2: they talk to that day. You need to be remembered
Speaker 2: the conversation with a tie back to something specific it
Speaker 2: was great talking to you about your expansion plans in Denver.
Speaker 2: I'll send you that article I mentioned that anchor is
Speaker 2: what makes you stand out when they're reviewing cards later.
Speaker 2: Step six is the immediate follow up. The event is over,
Speaker 2: you're tired, but this is where most people drop the ball.
Speaker 2: Within twenty four hours, send a short message that references
Speaker 2: your conversation. And the example is John, I enjoyed our
Speaker 2: chat about leadership training at lunch yesterday. Here's the article
Speaker 2: I promised. Let's schedule a call next week. Quick, personal
Speaker 2: and anchored. Step seven play the long game. High value
Speaker 2: contacts are not one and done. Put them in your
Speaker 2: calendar to reconnect with every ninety days, share an update,
Speaker 2: send a note of congrats if you see them in
Speaker 2: the news or EA, and just check in with a
Speaker 2: quick question. That's how you move from a random card
Speaker 2: to a trusted contact. So let me leave you with
Speaker 2: this thought. Networking isn't about adding names to your phone.
Speaker 2: It's about building relationships that matter. If you walk into
Speaker 2: your next trade show or conference with these tactics, intentional prep,
Speaker 2: better openers, listening for the hook, anchoring the memory, and
Speaker 2: quick follow up, you'll stop wasting time and start building
Speaker 2: connections that actually pay off. This has been the seven
Speaker 2: minute Leadership Podcast, and I thank you for listening.
Speaker 1: For more Paul Fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot
Speaker 1: com