When you go to a networking meeting, are you looking to meet clients? Will there be people in the room to whom you can sell your products and services? Will you meet someone for the first time who wants to buy from you straight away?

Many people I meet think that this is how networking works. They believe they can just turn up and find business. But here?s the thing about networking ? it?s not about just walking into a room and getting the work. There?s a lot more to it than that. Here are some things for you to think about:

• Who are your ideal clients? When you are really clear about who your ideal clients are, you can ask people you meet to look for them for you. If you think your ideal clients are anyone with a pulse and a cheque book, the people you meet networking won?t really know who you?re looking for and won?t be able to find them for you.
• What are you selling? I spent six months going to a networking group without much success. Eventually I realised that I was trying to sell the wrong type of service for the businesses who were there. Now I promote a different type of service ? one that is just what?s needed by the people I meet, who want to buy it.
• Ask for help. There might only be 20 people in the room, but think of all the people they know. While the people you meet might not need what you?re selling, tell them about it and find out who they know.
• Keep going. I?ve meet people who have been to one networking meeting, not met any new clients and so believe that networking doesn?t work. As with any form of marketing, you need to keep doing it, keep meeting the same people again and again, so you can build up relationships with them. Only once people get to know and trust you will they spend real money with you.

At our monthly networking lunch, we ask everyone who exactly they would like to meet. And we make sure they?re really, really specific. So specific that at our April meeting, one of our guests said that he?d like to meet the Maitre de of a local, top end hotel. And the lady sitting next to me knows him and can make an introduction. That?s how networking works at its best. To find out more about our networking lunches, click here.