THE NETWORKING PLAYBOOK Making the Most of the CLDA Annual Meeting

Transcription

1 THE NETWORKING PLAYBOOK 2018 Making the Mst f the CLDA Annual Meeting

2 2 If yu re like mst peple, the thught f jumping int a rm full f strangers at a netwrking event fills yu with fear. Over the next three days, yu ll get the chance t nt nly get ver this, but t enjy it. Take advantage f every ne f ur netwrking functins, business meetings, fcus grup sessins, vendr breaks and the ne-n-ne meetings with ther members f yur industry. It s all abut selling yurself and yur business. We ve dne everything t make it easy fr yu starting nw Over the next three days yu ll Meet with shippers that have cme here specifically t develp new relatinships with carriers Develp a set f resurces that will help yu learn what it takes t be a success in this business Cultivate relatinships with ther lgistics and delivery cmpanies, shippers and vendrs wh can and will add t yur business Create a set f cnnectins that will yu as yu grw yur business. This meeting and guide are designed t give yu a jump start n that prcess. Fr a mre in-depth lk at develping yur netwrking skills, see Keith Ferrazzi s bk, Never Eat Alne: And Other Secrets t Success, One Relatinship at a Time. Yu Already Have an Advantage We create these cnferences t make it easy fr yu t netwrk with the best in the business. We have already laid the fundatin fr yu t netwrk prductively. Here s what yu can expect frm us: Speakers n tpics f critical interest t yur business Infrmatin n industry changes and the future f the industry, especially thse that will affect the prfitability f yur cmpany Netwrking pprtunities = 24 ptential hurs f netwrking At ten minutes per cnnectin = 144 new cntacts And yu wn t be ding it alne We ve gathered sme f the best minds in this business at this cnference We have ver 22 high- vlume shippers here with the express purpse f adding t their Carrier Files. Yu ll meet them at the three CLDA Exchange sessins and at the netwrking and educatinal sessins We ve added the veterans f this industry wh have the wisdm abut what yu d at their fingertips We ve set up meetings, events and scial gathering where yu can share yur knwledge and experience with yur peers We ve prvided yu with ready access t ur bard f directrs. These are men and wmen wh live, breath and lve this industry. Lk fr the blue ribbns n their name tags t find them. Intrduce yurself and let them suggest wh yu shuld be meeting.

3 3 IN OTHER WORDS --- WE VE SET THE TABLE AND WE D LOVE TO HELP YOU DINE! Here are a few tips t help yu enjy the meal and get started n yur cntacts: Befre Yu Enter the Rm Cme armed with several questins yu want discuss with CLDA veterans and shippers. Seek ut CLDA bard members. Lk fr the blue ribbns and ask them t lead yu t the shippers and delivery prviders wh can best help yu grw yur business. Set up yur prfile ur CLDA app and search fr the peple yu want t meet Pick three shippers r representatives f ther delivery cmpanies Shippers lking fr prviders in yur area Delivery cmpanies that wrk with clients similar t yurs Delivery cmpanies lking t partner with yu Smene in the business wh knws hw yu can expand yur delivery area r service capabilities Smene wh s made a name in a vertical yu d like t enter When yu arrive at the event, bard members r assciatin staff will help yu pick them ut just ask As ne f the veterans t intrduce yu t tw peple they think yu shuld knw Get t the event n time, s yu can talk t the peple yu want t meet befre they get invlved in ther cnversatins. D nt text r talk n yur cell at the event r near-by. Mve t a private area if yu must take an urgent call Peple wh talk r text at r near a meeting sends ff the message, I d rather be anywhere else. Turn ff the phne befre yu make yur entrance Yu ll live withut it fr the next tw hurs If the wrld cmes t an end during that time, smene WILL tell yu. At the Event Avid spending yur time with peple yu already knw. Yu are there t make new cnnectins. Keep the purpse f the meeting in mind- t make new cnnectins Spend mre time with the peple than the fd and drink

4 4 D nt walk arund with bth a drink and fd in hand. Yu can t shake hands like that. Hld yu drink (preferably nn-alchlic) in yur left hand. This leaves yur right hand free t ffer a warm, dry handshake. Remember the list f peple yu want t meet and make that yur pririty. If friends call yu ver, say a quick hell Tell them there are peple yu d like t meet at the event Let them knw yu ll catch them later Apprach smene yu want t meet by telling them exactly that. Peple like the idea that yu want t meet them Tell them, I m glad yu re here. I ve been wanting t meet yu because. Listen mre than yu talk. Peple will think yu re brilliant and interested if yu listen and respnd t what they are saying. Skip wrrying abut what yu re ging t say t impress them Listen and cmment n the subjects they talk abut. Avid mnplizing the cnversatin. Hld ff n talking abut yurself until yu get t knw smene a bit. Limit yurself t a brief intrductin unless asked r unless it wuld really add t the current cnversatin Understand yu re there t establish a persnal cnnectin nt t make a sale Back ff n the persnal mnlgue Ask the ther persn all f the questins yu wish they wuld ask yu. Dn t try t tp what they say. Elevatr Speech. Get yurs in rder and get cmfrtable with it ahead f time Make it shrt enugh, and meaty enugh that the persn knws exactly wh yu are in the time it wuld take fr an elevatr t g tw flrs. Avid becming ne f these peple: The Wallflwer This persn hugs the wall, the bar r a spt in frnt f the fd. They are there t watch and nt participate. If yu re ging t d that, stay in yur rm! The Ankle Hugger This persn thinks that the first persn they meet is their BFF. They never leave the first persn they meet. The best way t mve n frm such a persn (and yu want t) is t say, It s been great

5 5 meeting yu. I see smene ver there I need t talk t. Enjy yur evening. The Celebrity Hund This persn wants t leave the evening telling himself he met smene imprtant. He ll spend the whle night waiting fr a chance t say hell t the celebrity alng with 50 ther peple waiting t d the same. Meeting is nt the pint, making meaningful cntact is. If the celebrity culd be an imprtant cntact, find a way t quickly meet them and then find a reasn t fllw-up at anther time when yu tw can meet ne-n-ne. The Smarmy Eye Darter This persn never lks yu in the eye because he s searching fr smene mre imprtant amng the crwd. Yu want the persn yu re cnnecting t feel like they are the nly persn in the rm. Give them a feeling f hnest warmth, sincerity and hnest curisity abut what they are telling yu. The Card Dispenser/Amasser This persn judges the success f the night by hw many cntacts he s made. A large stack f cards frm peple wh wn t remember yu and an empty card case des nt pave the way fr prductive business relatinships. Starting the Cnversatin During the event, there s bund t be times when yu need t jump int a cnversatin. Yu re nt alne if yu dn t relish the thught f ding that in a rm full f strangers. Lk fr thers arund the edges f the rm wh are nt invlved in a cnversatin. They are in the same bat as yu They will be happy yu apprached them Yu can start ff with smething like, This is my first CLDA Annual Meeting. I dn t knw a lt f peple here. I m Jhn. What s yur name? Use ne f these icebreaking phrases t start a cnversatin with smene yu dn t knw: Why did yu cme t this meeting? What des yur cmpany d? Hw did yu get started? What d yu enjy mst abut what yu d? Tell me abut sme f the challenges yu re cmpany s facing. Have they changed ver the last few years? Give verbal clues. Yu ll make peple feel mre cmfrtable befre and during a cnversatin if yu: Give the persn a sincere smile that signals yu re pen and friendly Keep reasnable eye cntact thrughut the cnversatin between a stare and the eye dart Unfld yur arms and relax. Yu ll lk at ease and apprachable

6 6 Nd yur head and lean in during the cnversatin. Withut vilating their persnal space. Cultivate a sincere interest in what the persn is saying Add infrmatin withut taking ver the cnversatin. Yur jb is t listen, nt talk. Cultivate a credible handshake Avid the fllwing The Dead Fish: A weak, limp, and smetimes clammy handshake that makes yu want t wipe yur hands n smething after yu ve received it. The Vise Grip: A bne-breaking grip that tingles fr hurs afterward. We gt it yu wrk ut! The Claw: A grasp with the finger-tips used in a claw-like manner. The Water Pump: An exaggerated up and dwn mvement as if pumping water frm an ld fashined well. The Germ-a-phbic: A quick, barely tuching handshake that appears t signal that the shaker has sme dramatic phbia f germs. A gd handshake is ne where yu: Keep yur fingers tgether with the thumb up and pen Slide yur hand int the ther persn's s the web f skin between the thumb and frefingers is firmly in cntact. Use a firm, but nt bne-crushing grip Shake fr abut three secnds Pump nce r twice frm the elbw Release after the shake, even if the intrductin cntinues Maintain gd eye cntact with the ther persn. Add value t thers at the meeting Yu ll get the mst ut f a business netwrking event if add value t thers. Yu can d this by intrducing tw peple wh yu ve discvered have smething in cmmn, like thse wh are facing similar issues r perating in the same vertical. Yu can think f yurself as the hst f yur wn party and intrduce thers t each ther. Yu ll add value fr bth f them. Be aware f smene n the edges f the cnversatin wh might be trying t jin yur grup. Make an pening fr them with yur wn bdy. Turn yur bdy twards them slightly Give them a welcming message t jin.

7 7 When It s Time t Mve On Avid spending the whle night with ne persn. Make a cnnectin and mve n in abut ten minutes Remember yur list Mve t the next persn n it. Make a graceful exit Cite smene yu want t meet Say yu want t freshen yur drink Say I knw there are prbably ther peple yu want t meet. I dn t want t take up all yur time. Let s tuch base t cntinue this cnversatin later in the meeting. Offer t cntinue the cnversatin if yu ve cnnected with smene with whm yu want t develp a mre in-depth business relatinship. Cnclude the cnversatin with an invitatin t cntinue what yu discussed Remind them f smething yu said yu d deliver. Keep the dr pen fr anther meeting, mentining smething they said r a shared interest. Yu seem t knw a lt abut restaurants. I d like t cntinue talking t yu. We shuld get tgether smetime. I ll send yu an . NOTE: Offering t send them a text is usually a bit t persnal if yu ve just met a persn. Fr many, this feels like stalking. r a fllw-up phne call is less intrusive. Lk fr reasns t fllw-up with interesting cntacts. Write a nte t yurself n the back f the persn s business card s yu ll remember if yu ve ffered t get them smething after the event Mentin smething that reminds them f the cnversatin in the nte Name f a gd restaurant Great summer camp fr their kid Article that cvers a pint yu discussed. Fllw-up regularly if the cntact is well-received. That can build int a valuable referral surce, business cntact r client. It helps build a netwrk that will strengthen yu firm s future. Fllw-Up n Gd Cnnectins This meeting is nly the beginning when it cmes t building pwerful business relatinships. Yu lay the fundatin f relatinships here, but yu give them substance by what yu d after yu leave. Here are sme final tips t help yu d that:

8 8 Fllw thrugh n any prmises yu made r yu ve lst what yu gained by meeting them in the first place. Drp them an t tell them hw much yu enjyed meeting them and remind them f what yu discussed. Set up an infrmal fllw-up meeting, perhaps ver a lunch r drinks t get t knw them better. Send them a LinkedIn request. Custmize that request instead f using LinkedIn s default (I'd like t add yu t my prfessinal netwrk n LinkedIn). Mentin when and where yu met (i.e. It was great t cnnect with yu at the CLDA Annual Meeting. Let s stay I tuch ). Ping them peridically with a link t an article r bk f cmmn interest. Deepen the relatinship with substance, nt sales. When yu develp trust, sales will cme. As will advice and help. Let them knw the utcmes f any advice r referrals they give yu. Peple lve t knw that yu heard them and it paid ff. The next three days will ffer yu a rich assrtment f cntacts, knwledge and infrmatin. Take advantage f them all as yu experience the CLDA Annual Meeting Thriving n Disruptin

9 9 The Netwrking Playbk is a publicatin prvided by the CLDA. Please feel free t pass this alng as a benefit f yur membership in this assciatin. The Custmized Lgistics and Delivery Assciatin is an advcate fr the prfitability and prfessinalism f cmpanies that keep the glbal supply chain running. Fr mre infrmatin see