In my early networking days, one of the ways I overcame my reluctance to turn out to events was to get a networking buddy.
My networking buddy was called Suzy and she was an old marketing colleague of mine. So we would go to events together, get a drink and then each take an area of the room.
This worked brilliantly for lots of reasons…
When one of us had run out of people to talk to, we’d track the other one down, who would usually be in a group. So straight away you get to meet 2/3 new people easily.
And not only that, you’re able to introduce each other in a way you’d never introduce yourself. So it’s effectively like having your own PR person in the room with you.
Now, Suzy and I couldn’t pass business to each other directly. But how good would it be if your networking buddy was someone who also served your target market?
You could both share responsibilty for finding relevant events. Supply each other with some dutch courage before the event and introduce prospects to each other.
This comes with an obvious proviso: you do have to split up when you get there. But the more you do it the easier it gets.
Go get ’em.