Networking Mistakes You Might Be Making
Posted on February 23, 2024
In this Dawson Download, we have gone out into the wild, hurled ourselves headlong into groups of entire strangers at various times of the day and evening. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried (only happy tears!) And we have returned from this grand voyage with a powerful list to save your networking game from the clutches of cringe.
Networking events are a court where the future you imagined yesterday can be manifested today. So, let’s get into how to maximize those precious few moments to turn perfect strangers into raving fans & referrals.
Ditch the Dot Card
I’m truly sorry about this. We really wanted to love them, but there are good reasons digital cards never seem to quite take off. We lasted one networking event before retiring my dot card after its abysmal maiden voyage. They take valuable attention away from connecting and onto fumbling with devices when every second counts. Even if your contact information is successfully saved on their phone – 99% of the time, this is where it will go to die.
When a person scans a digital card QR code, it appears as a fully entered & saved contact, but it is definitely not! On an iPhone, they must scroll down and hit save, then add as a new contact. Most people close out of their contacts only having briefly viewed your contact information that was never actually saved. This takes precious time you two could be discovering you are a great fit for each other’s businesses.
In other awkward news, plan to chase down your new connection to grab the card back because they mistakenly put your one and only card in their pocket. There is no way to do this gracefully. It will happen multiple times.
We promise, time traveling to the olden days of paper cards you can give with a smile and a handshake is well worth the trip!
Don’t Show up Empty Handed
The only thing worse than a digital card is no card at all. Once, I met two people at a networking event who were in transition and looking to enter the job market (and neither had cards). The next day I met a staffing professional at a different networking event. I would have loved to make that introduction, if only I had their information. You definitely don’t need a business to have a card. I have a friend who became a full-time mom and had cards made to give other moms she met at playdates. Awesome people are everywhere, make it as easy as possible for them to find & contact you.
Keep Your Contact Information Current
The only thing worse than having no card, is one with old information you forgot was on there. No one wants their email replied to by a mailer daemon auto-responder when they were excited to connect with you! It’s very important to make sure your cards are up-to-date so you aren’t left wondering why your inbox is empty after sprinkling your entrepreneur sparkle all across town.
Email Is Still Alive
Email isn’t dead, far from it. In fact, your curated, engaged email list is the most valuable part of your business. Everyone wins when a valid email address is part of the information you exchange. Connecting on social media certainly helps nurture the connections you make in person and online, but never let it replace the value we can offer by email. We don’t own social media and our accounts can be taken away at any time for any reason outside of our control or understanding (like one wrong word on an ad). So, keep it old school and make sure you get email addresses. This way you can drop your expertise like it’s hot in emails & newsletters (like this one!).
Our skills in the networking arena can exponentially increase our success, and the great thing about skills is – they can always be improved. Whether in person or online, networking will be a mainstay throughout the journey of every successful entrepreneur, so sharpening this saw will always be a worthy endeavor. And remember, you are the solution to someone’s biggest problem, so get your cape on and your cards out and get in the networking ring, we need you!
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We are Dawson Virtual, LLC, a mother-daughter duo.
We solve one big problem for our solo and small business clients: Keeping their businesses running smoothly.
When you work on your own, it’s all up to you. Our role is to handle all the details and all the minutiae – the things you hate doing – so that you can get back to doing what you really love, and focusing on what’s important.
When you hire us, you work with us – we are your Virtual Assistants, we are U.S. based, Florida locals.