I recently posted on LinkedIn asking my network to connect me with people in Spain and Portugal so that I could do some in-person networking while I’m traveling.
That ONE post generated over 80 comments and 31 new super-warm connections. I’ve spent more hours than I can count connecting with and DMing all these new people and getting to know them and setting up some in person meetings.
And I just left Barcelona, where I was able to attend an in-person networking event and meet a long-term colleague IRL for the first time! 🥳
If you’ve been in my world for even a minute, you probably already know that networking has been a key strategy of mine, and that those word-of-mouth referrals have built my business and helped me to have predictable, consistent revenue for years. And yes, that one post got so much traction in large part because of the network I’ve been building and nurturing for 9+ years.
But when I first started networking in year 1 of being an entrepreneur, I had a REALLY hard time creating clients from it.
I was doing all the right things, but without any real strategy.
I was networking my butt off…I also mean that literally, if you count all the San Francisco hills I climbed to get to in-person networking events and entrepreneur meetups 😉
I was SO accessible and available, had tons of coffee chats, and I was making a lot of new connections with quality humans. But I didn’t know how to turn those connections into paying clients or referral partners.
Fast forward to today, I’ve had so many new clients come to me when they’ve hit a wall with networking because they ran at it like I did, but have no real ROI to show for it.
So if you want to up your networking game and make it work better FOR you, it’s time to get more strategic and that’s exactly what this Substack Live is all about.
You don’t need to have 100 coffee chats, or join 5 networking events a week. You just need a simple networking strategy that creates actual paying clients!
I’ll be diving into some of the most effective networking strategies that actually work. And also leave you with plenty of space in your calendar to serve those clients you sign, and for a life outside of business too.
We dive into:
🌴 Strategies to help you streamline your networking efforts so you don’t feel exhausted, and so you actually get an ROI
🌴 What most people know they “should” do but don’t…and how to shift back into adding this strategy back in.
🌴 What most people think is NOT a networking strategy (or is totally separate from their networking) but is actually incredibly helpful and helps make your networking results compound over time
And if this is a topic you’d like to hear more on, DM me with your thoughts and questions and I’ll come back with another live to dive in further in the future!
I mention my virtual networking events several times in this livestream and I’d love for you to join us. Real Connections is every 2nd Tuesday of the month and it’s completely free. Come meet your next colleague, client, collaborator and referral partner! Sign up for the next Real Connections event here: www.lauralivingston.co/events
Reminder for next time: I’m glad you made it here to the replay but, if you join me live next time, you’ll get to ask questions, participate in the conversation, AND you’ll be entered to win a free mini coaching session!
If you want to be notified of the next livestream on Substack, subscribe to The Fulfilled Founder.
And if you’d like some 1:1 focused attention and support to help you discern whether your next great idea is a shiny object, or to simply help you grow and scale your business YOUR way, let’s talk! Book a free consultation and let’s explore working together and how I can help you make more money and get everything that you want.