Soar to Success July 2018

3 Reasons One-and-Done Networking Is Bad For Business By Diane Helbig N etworking isn’t about making a sale. Really. I mean it! It’s about building relationships with people who may or may not need what you have to sell. A lot of people are practicing one and done networking – and doing real damage to their businesses. One-and-Done networking is going to an event, or referral group, gathering business cards and either going into your pitch at the time or right after the event. It telegraphs a focus on selling at any cost. People who do this are only interested in making a sale. They aren’t thinking about the long term impact their behavior is having on their business. And they don’t realize that they are getting the opposite of what they are seeking. They are only thinking that they’ve entered a room full of business and they have to strike right away, make the sale, and then move on to the next event. These people forget one very important thing – the other attendees hate this kind of thing. So, let’s explore the reasons this one and done networking is bad for business. Reason number 1 – Brand Damage Every business owner wants to develop brand awareness. If you ask them, they’ll say they want their brand to be attractive, professional, and positive. They do a lot of work to build that brand status. And then they go to an event, try to sell, and SOAR TO SUCCESS / July 2018 / %XVLQHVV $FFHOHUDWLRQ 6WUDWHJLHV