Network like a B.O.S.S
You hear it all the time, well at least I do! It's the phrase of the year: Like a Boss! What does it really mean? Well, where I come from, it means that you'll take care of what ever situation it precedes, "Talk like a boss." Means to take an authoritative position.
Whenever I add "like a boss," the word or words that precede it have to do with one of three things. They are, create content like a boss, work like a boss and my favorite, which I'll be speaking on today, Network like a Boss. The word boss has several meanings for me but today, I'm going to touch on only two. The first boss is:
B usiness
O wner
S ocializing
S uccessfully
When we're out networking as business owners, we need to incorporate the second meaning of B.O.S.S. which are these simple but effective ways to get more leads.
Before you go to any type of networking function, prepare! If you have a way of knowing who will be there, you can take a few moments and look where they spend the most of their time on social networks, you'll know what he/she might be interested in and if their company and your company might be able to partner, work together or if that person just may be a potential client.
Objectives: Have a clear vision as to what you'll accomplish while at the event, not only are you at the seminar or conference to learn, you're might be there to find like minded people in other industries that you can have access to. Maybe you're going to the meetup just to network but you need to have an objective other than picking up business cards and maybes.
Socialize: Get there early with the intent of finding those people you know you want to get to know better. Make it a point to greet them in the hallway during breaks, take photos with them and follow them on the network they give you as their best way to correspond. Also, during your socializing, make sure to get plenty of photos, videos and if at all possible do some quick interviews by way of Periscope/Meerkat or Blab. Trust me, it can be used for an entire 2 months worth of content if you repurpose it.
Share: You may want to get back to your room or office and post the photos/videos right away but resist that temptation! You'll need to create a content strategy before you post. Think about how you can use it to strategically post throughout the entire month. Here's a thought, wait a week after the event and tag a person in a photo on Twitter with a thank you post. You could also find that person on LinkedIn and write a small blog post referral (who doesn't want a referral, right?)
Keep this blog post in mind when you're planning to attend your next networking event, seminar or conference. I can guarantee you'll see a change in your ROI.
