Original Article by Kate Nankivell, BNI Member – BNI Metro
Contributed to/edited by Richard Foulkes, BNI Director Consultant – Auckland
Create A Relationship Action Plan
If you want to network more productively then, like any other goal, you need an action plan.
Your plan should include:
1. Who you want to build connections with.
2. How you intend on doing it.
Make Two Lists
1. People you want to meet.
2. People you’ve met and want to strengthen your relationship with
Create An Action Plan
1. People you want to meet – where can you meet them? Online, face to face, places they go to..?
2. People you have met already – how to stay in contact? Newsletter, email, Facebook, regular call, coffee, one to one?
Decide on the actions you are going to take to strengthen your relationship with each person. It has to be appropriate for them.
If You’re Meeting For The First Time
• Focus on making a great first impression.
• Spot the deliberate error!
• Be on time, be present, dress well, listen, ask questions, don’t talk too much, set a time limit, and leave some things for a subsequent meeting.
• Once you leave the meeting, update your CRM system with their details and set a reminder for the follow up action you need to take and when you need to take that action.
• Differentiate between potential clients and people that will give you clients
Or if you already know the person
• Find ways to talk to them more often.
• Use your CRM system to diarise follow ups and actions.
• Use the method of communication they use, be interested in what they are interested in.
• Refer business to them or invite them to events they would enjoy going to.
Update Your Relationship Plan Regularly
• As you foster connections and develop new goals make sure you are always looking to move the relationships forward and fill the funnel behind those that drop off.
• Review what has worked and repeat!
• Summary: The more deliberate you are in your networking efforts, the faster you’ll build relationships and the more business you’ll generate together.
