How Would You Handle This?

We have been talking about choosing groups to participate in that meet your needs and goals as a business professional. Once the decision is made on which groups to belong to, then a certain level of participation is required in order to achieve the individual goals set by the business professional.

Whenever I attend a function, I always have a goal of meeting ten people whom I do not already know, and finding out how I can best help them in their business. What happens, though if, when I enter the function, someone who I already know, approaches me and begins a lengthy conversation that could best be handled at a different time and place? How do I break away to complete my goal of meeting ten new people?

This has happened to me frequently and I have found this technique to work well. As soon as there is a break in the conversation, I let the person I am listening to know that I need to excuse myself, because I must meet some new people to accomplish the goal I came to the function for. I usually say what the goal is- to meet 10 new people. I also state that I would be happy to continue our conversation as soon as I have "hit my quota", ( I always say that with a smile), and also offer to continue the conversation at a later time if necessary.

The idea that someone would come to a networking function with a specific goal in mind is foreign to many participants. I suggest that you have a goal for all functions that you participate in . It is an easy way to track accomplishments. If my goal is to meet 10 people and I have a certain amount of time to work with, I know how much time I can devote to each person to accomplish my goal.

There is no reason to walk away from a networking function with unfulfilled goals because someone that couldn't help you accomplish your goals monopolized your time.

Your goal may be to meet a specific person who you know would be able to help you, if you had a chance to speak with them and build a relationship with them. Next week, I'll tell you how to break into "cliques" that may be formed around the person you would like to meet.

Nancy Roebke, is the Executive Director of Profnet Inc, a professional business leads generation corporation. We bring business professionals together in a non-competitive environment to help each other make more money.

mailto:execdirector@profnet.org http://www.profnet.org

Copyright c Nancy Roebke

---

For Market Breakthroughs, Put Timing on Your Side

In today' s marketplace, the pressure for immediate bottom-line results... Read More

Your Elevator Speech ? Have You Updated Yours Recently?

Do you have an elevator speech? Does it get people's... Read More

Marketing Operations Elevates Public Relations and Communications Professionals

Is your marketing department taking advantage of MOM and MRM?... Read More

CD ROM Business Cards - Offline Marketing For Online Promotion

It's a great concept, - and it has a 'cool... Read More

Tie-In With Others To Maximize Your Business Leverage

One of the most rewarding, inexpensive, under-used, and effective methods... Read More

Know Thy Competition

BREAK FROM HO-HUM MARKETING ? IT'S TOO BORING! Once you... Read More

Marketing Your Franchise Online

Do you want to successfully market your business franchise online?... Read More

4 Sales Strategies with Your Trade Show Exhibition Booth

Trade show booths can act as an excellent source for... Read More

10 Beer Budget Event Marketing Tips

Are you planning an event or participating in a trade... Read More

Celebrity Product Placement: A Primer

With more and more companies wanting to integrate their products... Read More

How Toyota Captured the #1 Market Share . . . Through Solid Decision-Making!

How Toyota Captured the #1 Market Share . . .... Read More

Niche with Passion and Reap Your Financial Rewards

One of the keys to creating a successful business is... Read More

The Advantage and Consequences of New Economy Marketing

Some of the research that has been done today gives... Read More

Step by Step Guide to an SMS Campaign

SMS is good for:? Short lead times and immediacy ?... Read More

Spice It Up! Rib Festival Teaches Us About Product Value

The Rib America Festival is a fun filled family event... Read More

Lessons Learned at the Harvard Business School

"If God wanted to create a perfect punishment for a... Read More

Costly Web Copy Pitfalls

One secret to a site that sells: Look at your... Read More

The Value of a Good Sales Letter!

Regardless of how many forms of promotional material you create,... Read More

The Importance of Business Marketing

Business marketing is one of the most important parts that... Read More

Terrific Titles, Happenin Headlines

You've probably heard the slogan, "You never get a second... Read More

30-Minute Marketing

Marketing your small business takes tons of time, years of... Read More

Are Your Prospects Walking Out on You?

After 11 years in sales, I've put together and delivered... Read More

Top Five 2004 Required Marketing Tips Needed to Succeed

When marketing your practice, as well as designing yourbrochure, web... Read More

Five New 5 Ps!

NO! When I say "5 P's", I'm not talking about... Read More

Dont Let Your Business Cards End Up in the Trash

Business cards are such wonderfully creative little marketing products. Most... Read More

Stay in Touch with Leads and Get More Closes

How many leads have come into your business since the... Read More

Boost Profits: Market to the Gay Community

Research shows that the gay and lesbian market is worth... Read More

Independent Professionals: What Stands Between You and Your Artist Statement?

What Stands Between You and Writing an Artist Statement or... Read More

Marketing For Just Cause

Cause marketing is a relationship between a for-profit and a... Read More

Getting Paid to Promote Yourself

We all know we can pay a magazine or a... Read More

The Newest Marketing Course

Certainly the newest earth quaking event in Internet Marketing insider... Read More

Why Referral Business Is So Valuable

With so much money invested on innefective advertising, it's time... Read More

Ten Breakthrough Marketing Ideas

Ten Breakthrough Marketing Ideas1. Create a directory of web sites... Read More