Growing your business or book of sales is a hard thing to do. Word of mouth is still one of the best ways to grow your business – especially a service-based business.
How do you build up that word of mouth? Host a networking event.
Here are 5 Tips to hosting the Perfect Networking Event
Pick the right venue.
A good networking venue will have three things,
Enough room for people to mingle without feeling claustrophobic. I would take the sitting capacity of the room and subtract 10.
Acoustics that can handle the size crowd you want. You want people to be able to talk easily without yelling. Crowds can get loud but you don’t want it so loud that people cannot network.
Good finger food and drinks.
Timing is Everything
See who your target market is and decide if you want to do a breakfast or happy hour event. You can do an informal survey of your target audience. Now, realize that no time will be perfect for everyone. I like to give people 15-30 days notice that the event will be happening.
Make signing up and signing into the event easy
There are a ton of apps that can help with ticketing, reminding people about the event, sign in and event follow up. You want to have as little friction as possible for your attendees. This also allows you to network at the event, not have the manage everything.
Market it as Exclusive.
I recommend doing exclusive events where you have a certain target and allow only a set number of people to attend on a first-come, first-serve basis. I want my attendees to feel like they have access to an exclusive group of people. Then, I post about the event during and after. You have to be invited to the event but anyone can see that the event happened.
Be the connection.
During the event, make sure you are introducing those that don’t know each other. Ask what your attendees are looking for, what their business needs, and make the connections. This will give you credibility and build your brand. People will come to see you as the person who can help build their business and will go to you when your services are needed.
Hosting a networking event is a simple but effective way to grow your personal brand and build a pipeline.
Check back soon to see the free Networking Event Checklist.
I am a true believer in corporate seminars to showcase your knowledge and bring in new customers but they need to be done right. Everyone can rent a room and have some tables put up but if you want to take the event to the next level.
If you want your event to stand out and be elite – it is all in the details.
Here are 5 tips to elevate your event.
Have the venue double up the table clothes. Most venues have the white table cloth as their standard and it is see through. You do not want your attendees looking at the bolts on the table and not your speaker. Having them double up the table clothes will alleviate this issue.
Include pens and logoed paper. Give your attendees something. To write on and with. I will often create a new landscape document and place two logos at the top. Then have a local print shop copy and cut the paper in half. You get note paper without having to pay for note books. If you do not have logoed pens, watch the sales at the office supply stores. You can get good pens inexpensively.
If the tables are round, include a centerpiece. You will want it no more than 12 inches tall so people can see over but it will break up the vast expanse of table and bring the room together.
Have a greeter – not a sign in sheet. You want your guests greeted with a smile and a welcome. Ask their name and sign them in. Do not ask them to write their name and email down. Then give them all the information they will need for the event and then welcome them to join. You then have a secondary set of greeters who will chat and network with your guests.
Provide good food and drinks with good table wear. Do not use paper plates and plastic cups at your high end events. I would suggest bringing in a catering company that also provides staff for set up, service and tear down. This is a very simple change that can elevate your event.
I have always said that anyone can put together a good event but putting together a great event is all in the details.
We all want our events to be well attended, with new prospects that match our target market. One of the best ways to do this is by partnering up with other business owners to host events.
Why Should You Partner Up
Larger Pool of Potential Attendees
Bringing on another business also brings in their customers and potential customers.
Expense Sharing
While face-to-face selling has proven to be one of the most effective ways to close a deal, there is only so much time in the day. Hosting events is a great way to talk to more people and have them come to you but they can get expensive. Bringing on a partner allows you to share the costs of the venue, foot, etc.
Brand Awareness Boost
Having your event partner market the event will boost your brand’s awareness and you can gain customers down the road.
How to Pick the Right Partner
Make a List of Potential Partners
Someone who is in your industry.
For the fashion industry Clothing and Jewelry
One of your vendors or suppliers.
Farmer that supplies the produce for your ice cream shop
A business that has referred previous customers to you
Accountant and Financial Advisor
A complimentary business
Real Estate and Insurance
A person with a large following
Local celebrity, author, chef
Narrow down the list to see whose market fits your target attendee the most.
Ask if these people want to be involved.
Have a clear idea of costs, who will pay for what, and the amount of people you want to bring in before you reach out to them.
Make it clear that you would like them to invite their customers to the event.
Have three dates for them to choose from
Make the Most of a Partner Event
Have a giveaway that allows you to collect attendee information.
Introduce your customers to your partner
Make sure to provide some value to the attendees
Networking, free food, a seminar, etc
After the event
Type up all attendee information and give the list to each partner
Do a quick meeting to discuss the following
What was good?
What could be improved?
What are the costs associated with the event?
Did we get a good return on investment?
Would we do one again?
When will we do one again?
Partner events are a great way to get your name out there and gain a bigger following. You can do them in person or online. You can also extend the partnership through guest blog posts, Facebook or IG Live Q & A’s and general promotion of each others business.
“Christmas in July” has started to reach new levels. The Hallmark Channel is airing their Holiday Movies – now, in (nearly) July! My mind flashed to the Company Holiday Party. I love planning these, but there are some pros and cons to hosting one.
Pros
It is a time for employees to mix outside of the office.
It will bring remote employees together.
It is a place to recognize great performance.
It is a chance to celebrate company wins.
Cons
Political correctness.
Liability. You have two major liabilities with the Company Holiday Party.
Drinking – In most states, if something happens to an employee or because of an employee after drinking at the office party, you can be held responsible.
Sexual Harassment – This has caused many companies to cancel their holiday party. Training and responsible drinking are the best ways to combat this.
Best Practices to lessen liability
Hire a licensed bartender and give them permission to cut people off.
Offer to pay for transportation, either public or a ride share.
Include food and have bread and water available at all times.
Planning the Party
Start planning early if you are setting the date in November or December. Restaurants, venues, and caterers will book up fast. Then ask yourself what is the purpose of the party?
Team to Mix and Mingle
Awards Ceremony/ Recognition
– Do a buffet or heavy appetizer stations. This encourages people to move and talk to each other.
– Do a seated, plated meal. You will want people to have a place as you are talking.
– No meal selection is required here.
– Meal selection required along with a seating chart and/or meal cards
– Less tables and chairs are needed but you will need to include high top tables.
– You will need a chair for everyone +10% if you are doing a seating chart. Add 20% if you are not creating a seating chart.
– A/V is optional
– A/V and a Stage are needed.
If you plan to do a presentation, keep it to 1/4 of the entire party. If you want a 1-hour presentation, then you need to have a 4-hour party.
Best of luck in planning your Company Holiday Party!
Don’t disappoint your new team member with a terrible first day – or week.
“A first day isn’t an event. It is just another day of long orientation and a day of lost work.” That is how so many managers think – even if they won’t admit it out loud. Take a step back and think about the impression you are giving your newest team members.
Are you showing them that you value their time and the commitment they made to you? Or, are you showing them that they will never matter and need to be grateful that you are employing them? No, really stop and think about it.
Does the new hire have the following?
A working computer at their work station, fully loaded with all the software they will need and with enough processing power to use that software.
A phone, phone list with titles, and a map of the office where everyone sits
Email set up, with a welcome email that explains where to find
How to use the phones
How to set up email signatures
Time card login info
Any training documents needed for software
Schedule of training for the first week
Who they should contact for questions, their email, and phone number
A desk with the basics needed to do their job
Pen and paper should be obvious but do they need a stapler, a headset, or even a pencil? Think about this persons job and what they will need.
Logins for any software systems they may need and the steps to reset their passwords.
This is the basic, no new hire should arrive to a computer that has no email and that they have to spend hours with IT to ensure that they have the systems needed. Or worse yet, a desk without a computer.
So many companies talk about how they value their staff, team members or employees but never follow that up with actions.
Treat your new employees like a customer – be fully prepared for their arrival with everything they could need. This will show them that you value them and their time and are excited about them coming to your team.
This is their first impression of your business outside of the interviews, don’t send them to their desk with nothing to do. There is a high probability that they will get right back to job hunting and the quality of the candidates you receive for future jobs will drop with each bad experience.
If you went to a gala dinner and there were no chairs at the tables and the food came without silverware you would be outraged – so why are you treating your new hires this way?
Site Visits are when you look over a venue before you sign a contract to host your event at that location.
Why do the site visit?
You can see the venue in person. We have all booked the hotel that has beautiful pictures and arrived to find that they used clever camera angles and outdated photos. Seeing the venue in person can make all the difference.
You get a better feel of the space. You see if there is enough room to have your event, look at the parking your guests will be using, see any obstacles, and observe the on-site staff at work. You are also able to observe the flow of the space and how people will move around.
Peace of Mind. As an event planner, this is huge for me, knowing what I am walking into makes all the difference. If I know the venue, I am calmer and able to cut the items I pack by about half. If I do not know the venue, I have a whole box of contingencies that I bring along from pens, zip ties, duct tape, and extra decorations.
When to do the site visit?
Do a ton of research before you consider doing site visits. You will want to read reviews and read venue websites for restrictions such as required vendors or hard cut off times.
Narrow your list to your top three venues and contact them. Ask them to send over pricing, rules, and venue layouts. Ask them for a list of past customers that will speak with you about their experience.
If you feel comfortable with the venue, schedule a site visit before you sign a contract.
What to look for during the site visit?
Does anything odd stand out?
If they provide tables and chairs, are they sturdy? If they already have a table set up – ask for them to pull out one more just to ensure.
Do you still like the venue?
Do you like the on-site team?
For most small businesses, you will be hosting events within your driving distance. I consider driving distance 2 hours. If this is the case, always do the site visit. If you are hosting an event out of town and have the funds to visit, always do the site visit.
If you cannot make the visit but are still set on having your event at the venue I would suggest the following;
Do you know someone in the area of the venue that can visit it for you?
Will the venue manager do a video call and walk you through the space?
Does the venue have stellar online reviews?
Site visits can be the difference between a perfect event and a catastrophe. Do them whenever possible.
A quick side note, speak with your accounting professional on how business travel can affect your taxes. Some travel is tax deductible but please confirm with your accounting professional before assuming this. Each state and industry have their own regulations to follow.
