One of the keys to successful networking is knowing exactly who you want to target ahead of time. You have to visualize your dream prospect.
Are you looking for vendors to partner with? Are you looking for building owners? Are you looking for property managers? If you’re going to a building owner’s networking event – in-person or virtually – think about what subset of building owners you want to meet. For example, are you looking for owners of large buildings or small buildings? Are you targeting owners who have properties nationally or just locally? Owner-occupants, landlords, or tenants? These are the types of questions you should ponder and answer before you reach out to a new prospect or contact.
Once you know who you want to target, immerse yourself in what’s happening in their industry. If there’s a significant regulatory imperative affecting them, for example, that might be a good conversation starter.
So, how do you know what’s going on in your prospects’ industries? Research! Subscribe to their trade journals. Read their blogs and forums. Read the analysts’ reports from Wall Street. Leverage LinkedIn, which can be a direct line of communication with new prospects, as well as other social media platforms. Even with a simple Google search, you’re bound to find a variety of reports from private and public-sector sources. All of this information is very valuable and will help you maximize your networking time.
You should also consider subscribing to Segment Guides™, our comprehensive archive of insights into 24 market segments, complete with jargon, yardsticks, trade organizations and publications, profit margins, and perhaps most important, “sound bites” that link energy measures to outcomes that each segment actually cares about. Our team has done several hundred hours of research per segment so that you don’t have to. Check it out.
