Create a network of relationships with your company at its center
Problem
Not everything can rest solely on the shoulders of leaders operating at full throttle. Especially when it comes to business relationships.
CEO can't be everywhere and talk to everyone.
However, if the effort was distributed across the entire team, it would be possible to cover a much larger number of events, markets, and connection!
However, part of the team doesn't feel comfortable when faced with networking at conferences. Resistance builds up due to anxieties and them not feeling it.
They don't even know where to start!
But, what if everyone became acquainted with the concept of building business relationships? Learned best practices and recognized the value both for themselves and the firm?
Solution
My goal is to achieve a state where all employees
- can build business relationships during conferences and industry events,
- possess the necessary skills and networking supporting tools,
- understand the purpose and significance of networking in the company's development,
- can translate acquired skills into strengthening relationships with clients (account management) and key individuals in marketing contexts (thought leaders, influencers, exposure).
Context
When developing competencies related to building business relationships within an organization, it's important to consider three dimensions of collaboration:
🗺️ Strategic
Involving a managerial level within the organization. Developing a system that enables empowered employees to consciously, effectively, and in line with their beliefs, carry out activities related to building business relationships.
Just as with a sales strategy - without a properly developed system of procedures, metrics, goals, and organizational culture - even the best won't achieve much.
- Having a networking strategy aligned with the business strategy - objective, metrics, roadmap.
- Change management and fostering an organizational culture that promotes networking, relationship building, and conference activities.
- Identification and development of individual effective networking methods within the org. (Some will excel in capitalizing on their presentations, others during quick networking sessions, and yet others in highly targeted Account-Based activities.)
🧠 Mental
Involving collaborative work on the approach to networking. This is the softer aspect, mainly focusing on conversation and working on beliefs and personal philosophy.
In our culture, we often reduce networking to transactionalism and an instrumental approach to the other person - this is a harmful approach that breaking down many barriers in the mind can address.
- Employees are aware of the importance of activities related to building business relationships and accept their role in their implementation.
- Networking is not perceived solely through the lens of sales but as a flexible practice enabling the achievement of many goals - personal and corporate.
🔧 Practical
Involving familiarization with a set of potential activities and tools enabling effective relationship building both during and outside of conferences.
With only a hammer at our disposal, everything looks like a nail. But we could have a whole workshop.
- The team has a set of best practices, mental models, and procedures facilitating networking in a systematic way.
- Software and automations supporting actions on the network of contacts are explored.
The Offer
To start acting as quickly as possible, I would first conduct a company-wide meeting:
💬 Power speech and networking discussion
Preliminary meeting with a loose structure, aimed at getting acquainted and establishing the foundations of trust and common understanding with the team. Presenting my own philosophy regarding networking, along with a few "quick win" tips that can be immediately implemented.
- Philosophy of relationship building.
- Networking vs. sales - what they have in common and how they differ?
- What forms can networking take?
- Tips & tricks for the upcoming event.
- Q&A
Then, there several potential next steps:
👨🏻🏫 In-depth workshops
Covering acquaintance with a set of good networking practices - both in activities before, during, and after the event.
Additionally, participants receive knowledge in the psychology of relationship building and sales, which will be helpful in understanding and applying the acquired methods.
- Preparation for the conference. How to research and prepare your pitch.
- Behavior during the event,
- Activities after the event and account management,
- Influence psychology according to Robert Cialdini,
- Processes and tools.
🔭 Strategic workshops
How should networking, relationship building, and management translate into our long-term goal? How to systematically introduce networking activities to the overall strategy? Which processes should be created, and which should be adjusted?
- Audit of current processes and documents, team interviews, workshop segment, summary report of findings, and further plan.
- Desired Outcome: Systematized and codified networking strategy (along with success criteria/KPIs) for the organization, rooted in the business strategy. Determination of a set of tactics and roles.
🏅 Mentoring/coaching retainer
Sometimes you just need to have a chat with someone outside of your bubble. Tap into the knowledge and experiences of people who are not tied to current business affairs. It's an option for breaking the glass in case of emergency.
We're setting up a set of hours for the team to utilize:
- Consulting on communication and strategy,
- Coaching on mindset and soft skills practices,
- Subject matter mentoring
- A rubber duck function, where ideas can bounce freely,
- Operational assistance in current activities.
🪖 Pre-conference War Room
An exceptionally important event is approaching, and you need to be fully prepared to act? Let's bunker down with the entire team and prepare a comprehensive action plan for the whole team and each individual.
- Development of individual conference strategies,
- Management of task lists and responsibilities,
- Utilization of Growth Hacking methods,
- Support with communication,
- Ad-hoc assistance "on call" during the event.
Finally see the positive ROI of conferences, events, and other networking activities
❤️ Testimonials
👨🏻🏫 My Mentees
💙 LinkedIn