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This week I start a new series on how to find new customers at business networking events. Word-of-mouth advertising is one of the best ways to build customers. And, if nothing else, it is, by far, the cheapest way to find new customers.

So in this series, I start with how to network to increase your sphere of influence. I give you a very simple process that works every single time. Then in the next couple of episodes, I'll show you how to find the best places to network to find new business.

If you want to get new customers from business networking events, you might want to adjust your strategy just a little. If you do, like most small businesses, and try to force a “networking opportunity,” you might just be shooting yourself in the foot. However, a networking group or local chamber of commerce can be a great place to find your next big potential client. But only if you (1) spend time building relationships and (2) network with the right people.

We are taught to create this word-of-mouth advertising by “going out and networking” within the business community. So we go to business network happy hours or professional networking events. Of course, the unstated goal when we attend these meetings is to meet new people and make new connections so that these people and connections will buy from us. If you think about it, though, why is everyone else attending?

Yup, that is correct. They are all their to try to sell or promote themselves to you as well. So a majority of the people in the room came primarily to sell to other people in the room.

See the problem?

For instance, very few chamber members go to Chamber of Commerce meetings to buy things. The odds seem to be stacked against the attendees from the beginning. So, it is no wonder why most of most leave these networking functions thinking that we just wasted their time.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though. By making just a few simple changes to your approach, you can become a center of influence in any room. You can generate new opportunities for business growth by making valuable connections with other top professionals. In effect, we can use these meetings as a way to generate significant word-of-mouth advertising.

Show Notes: Get Customers from Business Networking Events (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/increase-your-sphere-of-influence-how-to-network/)