How do you prepare for a networking event?

My wife Anne seems to think that my car is an extension of the house. There is handcream in the passenger side pocket, tissues in a little box stuck on my dash board at her side by double sided tape, and a lipstick/gloss type of thing in my glove compartment. A little holder thingy for contact lenses and lens cleaner, etc etc etc.

I wouldn't mind so much, but I have other people in my car during the course of the day and they are forever sitting on the umbrellas she leaves behind and I have to explain every time that these things are not mine.

The other day I stuck another one of her umbrellas in the boot and it ended up getting covered up with my stuff. Last night we went out for a meal and the weather was sunny so we didn't have coats, by the time we got to the restaurant it was raining heavy and she started searching around for the umbrella she left in my car and had a right good moan when I said it was somewhere in the boot.

Sitting soaking wet in the restaurant I was thinking, maybe preperation isn't such a bad thing after all.......

Are you a person who likes to be prepared in advance? What about when you are networking, do you go prepared? Do you have a plan that you use on every occassion so it becomes second nature.

Here are some tips

1. Have your networking tools with you at all times.
An informative name badge
Plenty of business cards
Brochures about your business
A pocket-sized card file
Have your killer qualifying question and your free item of value ready

2. Set a goal for the number of people you will meet.

3. Act like a host, not a guest, at events.

4. Listen, and ask the 5 "W" questions:
Who, What, When, Where and Why

5. Give a "referral" whenever possible.

6. Describe your product or service by:
An elevator pitch
60 second introduction

7. Exchange business cards with the people you meet.

8. Write comments on the back of the business cards you collect.
e.g Monday 1st October, speciality wholesale, looking for Tesco contact - send free item of value

9. Spend 10 minutes or less with the people you meet at events and do not linger with friends and associates.

10. Follow up with the people you meet

The reason why most people are innefective in their marketing and their networking isn't because of lack of knowledge or ability, it is down to lack of preparation.

If you lack preparation you increase stress levels and reduce the probability of excellent results.

What do you do to prepare for an event?