Most people hate networking. That used to be me before I realised how useful it is. So much so that I can’t get enough of it now. It’s so much fun, I run my own property networking meeting. Embrace it. Share the love. And you’ll be rewarded.
Here are 3 quick fire tips to improve your property networking game fast. And a bonus to keep you going when it gets tough.
Property Networking Is The Key To Success
Your network is everything. And we are all networking everywhere, all the time. Even when we don’t realise.
You’re Better At Networking Than You Think
When you’re talking to your partner or friends, you’re fine right?
When you interact with colleagues everything’s OK, some of those people have even become friends. You’re perfectly good at all those interactions.
Property networking is really just talking to people.
Property networking is no different than chatting to people. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of it.
And just one more thing before I get to the list … your network is everything. It’s the single most important thing.
You just need to know the right people, work hard and the world’s your oyster. It really is. Yes, some knowledge is helpful. Vital sometimes. But even so, if you know the right people, even having the right knowledge can be taken care of by your network.
So, how do you make the most of property networking:
Come prepared.
Know what you want, or what you have to offer, and what you’re going to say. What’s the most important thing for your property investing right now? What would help you the most? What would move you forward the quickest?
Or, to borrow a phrase what’s the ‘MINS’ … the Most Important Next Step? Know what that is. And then practise how you’re going to communicate that.
Practise what you’re going to say. The actual words. In the mirror, as you’re driving to the event. Say them out loud. Again and again.
Try different versions. Find the best words. Get comfortable saying them. Over and over.
When you’ve found the right combination, say it out loud at least 10 times. If it doesn’t feel right, keep tweaking and try again. Then once you’ve got it right, stop. When you’re in the room, it’ll just come out. Maybe exactly word for word. Maybe not. But it doesn’t matter. You’re communicating what you want, and doing it clearly. Priceless.
Be friendly. Smile.
‘Lean in’. This is so underestimated and sounds a bit too easy, a bit lame. It’s not. It’s important. People like happy people. People who are engaged and engaging. Who smile. Who are enthusiastic. It’s infectious.
If you’ve got nothing else, enthusiasm goes a long way. It will rub off and people will remember you and want to talk to you again.
Make sure you do actually network!
It’s a networking meeting. It’s OK to network. If you find yourself on your own, go and talk to someone. Talk to the lonely person skulking in the corner. Talk to the pair who seem deep in conversation.
It is OK to interrupt
It is 100% OK to interrupt and join in a conversation that is 1-to-1 when you’re in a networking meeting. You’d never do it in another situation, but the whole point is networking.
They’re there to be interrupted. That’s the point of the meeting. And lots of people fall into the trap of only speaking to people they know.
Interrupt them, and you get to meet 2 people in 1 go, and they meet someone new. And if you find yourself in conversation with someone and it’s running dry, it’s OK to move on.
Move On When It’s Time
Be polite, and communicate. If you’re not sure how, try this …
As the conversation finishes, confidently shake their hand and say something like ‘It was lovely to meet you. I promised myself I’d meet at least 3 new people so I’ve still got 2 more to go’.
Read that bit back again and then tweak the wording to make it your own, so you feel comfortable.
And the most important tip of all … get NETWORKING! It’s the single most important step towards your success in property investing. If you’re a bit tired of it, give this a go …
Be honest about the time you have to devote to networking. If you need a way to free up your evening, organise things so that you can go out in the evening working guilt-free.
If you need to book the evening out in advance with a partner, or organise a babysitter, be organised. Get things set up right. It’s important you can go networking guilt-free and give it your full attention without getting distracted by what’s happening at home.
And then give it enough time to work. Lots of people go once, expect miracles and never go back. That’s unrealistic.
Set a realistic networking goal
Set yourself a realistic time frame and a goal … maybe it’s 6 months or a year.
Long enough to get results but short enough that you can get through any rough patches if it starts to feel a bit thankless.
Try 6 Months of Networking
Maybe try 6 months initially. Set yourself a goal to achieve out of networking in that time. It might be to find an investment, someone to learn from … or any number of things.
Commit and Give It Time To Work
Then commit to going every time you can, on the evening you’ve organised, for those 6 months. And DON’T judge success or failure before your time’s up. Give it the full 6 months. If it hasn’t worked, then stop. It wasn’t for you. If it has worked, you can reset expectations, and give yourself another 6 months.
Want to test out your property networking skills?
Join us at The Property Meetup on Thursday 29th October at 7PM in Southampton. Tickets here
Want great value help with your property investing? Take a look at group mentoring for direct access to Rob
