Maximize CHAMBER NETWORKING

Chamber of Commerce meetings are where people meet people with business in mind. Maybe your competitors are too busy to join or attend meetings and you can be there with no adversaries present. Maybe they even think it’s a waste of time and won’t help their business. But you can be there to listen and contribute. And you never know when you’ll find the golden goose at a chamber meeting or event. Most of the networking is done during the cocktail or social hour so make sure you’re there in the beginning. And if there’s a meal, sit at a table where you don’t know many people so that you can meet the new ones before the formal meeting begins.

Here are some ideas to make the most of your networking time at a chamber meeting:

* Arrive early enough to use the entire networking time.

* Walk around the area with a smile and assess who is there, and who you want to meet.

* Eat conservatively; it’s hard to talk with your mouth full.

* Keep drinks to a minimum – you’re there to network and meet people, not party.

* Have a short introduction ready to introduce yourself.

* Exchange or hand out business cards with all people who can benefit you directly or indirectly.

* Have a pen to jot notes on the back of business cards for future reference.

It’s best not to conduct business while networking—set a future appointment and call to confirm. Keep an open ear and mind for things you may be interested in talking about. Talk to as many people as you can without cutting anyone short. If you don’t find enough people who can benefit you, make friends with others who may send referrals. If there is really someone special that you meet, set a golf game and you’ll have 5 hours with them.

* Don’t leave immediately when the function is over, meet the speakers and other meeting VIPs.

* The next day, send an "it was nice to meet you" note to everyone you have a business card from.

* Follow-up with all the people you said you would call.

Driving back from the meeting, you need to decide if this is the type of function that you want to attend regularly. If not, look in your local paper for a list of other meetings, there should be many of them. Most newspapers publish the list once a week, usually on Monday. Another source of meetings is a business journal in your city or a city nearby. If you have the time to attend and network, you should see results. You are representing your company in an environment where business people meet to benefit each other.