You know you should network. You also know that an evening event means childcare, a long day and small talk with people who might not be your clients.
Networking can work in a busy week. It just needs to be chosen on purpose.
Choose fewer, better events
Before you sign up, ask:
- Will my likely clients or referrers be there?
- Can I get there and back within the hours I’ve got?
- Is there a way to actually talk, not just listen?
Two good events a quarter beat one forgettable event a week.
Daytime and online count
Breakfast meetings, lunchtime sessions and online rooms often fit school hours better than evenings. Local chambers of commerce, enterprise hubs and industry groups often run them. You can find your nearest chamber through the British Chambers of Commerce.
Before you go
- Decide who you’d most like to meet, and why.
- Have one sentence about what you do and who it’s for.
- Plan when you’ll leave.
At the event
Ask more than you tell. “What are you working on at the moment?” opens more doors than a pitch.
Afterwards, the part that matters
- Within two days, send a short note to the people you liked talking to.
- Offer something useful: an introduction, a link, an idea.
- Add them to your contacts with a note on what you discussed.
Most of the value of networking comes from the follow-up, not the room.
If you’d like support turning contacts into steady work, Pocket Partnership (from £247/mo) gives you monthly coaching with Carlene.
Who’s one person you met this year that you never followed up with?
Thank you for taking the time to read. Stay tuned for more!
