Why I don't neccessarily agree with networking groups

Last week, I went to a well known networking group as a visitor. While I was there, the Chair of the group gave a speech about the fact that some people go to networking events purely as hunters. These are the people who email everyone afterwards, he said, just pushing their own services.

He then went onto explain why the networking group wasn't like that and then spent the next hour trying to sell the group.

Here's where I disagree. I'm a great believer in that if you just go to a networking event once and don't contact anyone afterwards, then very little business will come out of this as a result. You do need to follow up with people.

That's why these networking groups work - because you're seeing people every time the groups meet, you're effectively following up with everyone there on a continuous basis. However, you're not selling - you're just building a relationship with them. I'm not knocking this approach - it does work!

But, if the event you attend isn't a membership group or for some reason you don't want to join it, you also need to follow up with people, albeit in a different way. This though shouldn't be purely emailing people selling your own services. My approach is to follow up with people after the event to see whether they would like to have a 15 minute chat on the phone.

The aim of this is NOT to sell. The aim of this (like the networking events) is to build a RELATIONSHIP with people. My approach has worked for me and my clients for years and as far as I'm concerned there's nothing wrong with this.

So, yes if after a networking event all you do is contact people with the aim of SELLING your products and services, I completely agree with this Chairman that you're a hunter. However, if you contact people with the aim of building a RELATIONSHIP, perhaps the networking approach and my approach are exactly the same.