I am often privileged to meet people in the course of my day. I’m sure you are, too.   Some meetings are formal.  Others are not.  But they’re all potential opportunities to network with someone else.

Often, I’ll ask, “If I were to meet or know someone who would be a good prospect for you, how would I know?”

The responses I get usually fall into two broad groups.

Group 1:  Nebulous Ned (or, Nellie)
These folks tell me something like, “Well, y’know (actually I don’t at this point but I digress!) . . . anyone who NEEDS my services”.  Sorry, but I don’t know what means.  And, guessing at the answer might be impossible and inaccurate for me and, therefore, costly for them.

Of course, if what you do is easily understood by most people — e.g. “I run a lawn care business and I specialize in keeping BIG lawns looking good that people with BIG houses tend to have” . . . that’s pretty clear.  But prospective clients for a lot of coaches, consultants and other advisors aren’t so commonly understood or identifiable.

Group 2:  Self-Centered Steve (or, Stephanie)
Here, I’m likely to hear something like, “I’m an attorney who does litigation” or, “I’m a Chiropractor who practices low-impact spinal manipulation”.  Sounds good, right?  Well . . .

No offense, but what that means to me may very well not be what it means to them.  Plus, the burden of identifying someone of interest to them now falls on the person who is least qualified and/or able to identify a person of value and interest to this person — i.e. me.  That’s a recipe for frustration at the very least!

It’s Hard To Hit a Target You Can’t See
One of the big challenges you’ll find when networking with others is being clear about WHO is someone you would like to meet.  Getting a clear picture from another person is not common.  But if you’re clear here, you’re more likely to be referred to others.

POINT:
Build and share a clear profile of your ideal client.  It takes some thoughtful work but it’s not difficult.  And, it will help others to help you meet people who can best understand, value, desire and afford your services!

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