Getting Your Pitch Just Right

So you can make the most of your time at business networking events, we have prepared a few ideas to help you get your pitch just right. Its not difficult, all you have to do is give a little thought to each of these aspects.

Know your business and know it well:

Be able to describe what you do and who you do it for in a few clear sentences.

Know what you want and need from business networking and what you have to offer:

Your networking pitch generally is sometimes called a ‘lift statement’ or ‘elevator pitch’ as it should be something you can say in the time it takes to go a few floors in a lift with a perfect stranger! Remember to listen as well as talk, especially when building your confidence. Just doing it is great practice for your pitch and soon you will have it finely honed.

Also do follow up contacts even if you think they are not going to result in a lead right away. Building a large network means things are much more likely to click into place for you and your business a little way down the line.

Bring Yourself to the Fore

Of course we know that the idea of business networking is that it enables you to meet contacts and work on business relationships without becoming bogged down in chat about the weather. But we also know that people buy from people, so for informal networking after the event, remember this acronym to help you follow up your best contacts and build a good rapport from the outset.

With this it’s easy to bring yourself to the F.O.R.E.

• Family
• Occupation
• Recreation
• Education

After the event, speaking a little about these topics can help make sure your conversation is a little longer and you are remembered.