Essential Networking: Introducing Exclusive Target Networking Events

I have now returned to London, following my month long research networking trip to New York. My purpose was to identify the differences between New York and London business networking activity. Fortunately, as I'd hoped, I received some valuable insights from both one to one interviews and speaking to delegates at networking events.
New York and London share a common bustling city lifestyle where business professionals are very busy. This has a big impact on how often they network and the choice of events they choose to attend. Consequently, being time-poor, New Yorkers face a greater need to meet quality contacts in a shorter time frame. 
The driving force and motivation for them to network, as it is for Londoners, is the need to build relationships and receive quality referrals. Networking after all starts and ends with relationships. When a New York delegate walks into a networking event the primary focus in not selling their services or seeking to win a new client on the spot, they want to make new connections with delegates that can bring lasting value to their network. This was one highlight of my research findings along with the observation that both Londoners and New Yorkers manage extremely busy lifestyles.
When I arrived in NYC, I began by brainstorming how to create a networking solution for the challenges I identified. I started thinking about the time constraints and the methodology for choosing networking events. I became inspired and created a new system called Exclusive Target Networking Events™ or -ETN-™ for short.
-ETN-™ is a formal boardroom-style networking event where delegates can choose to attend in a breakfast or lunch setting. This is an innovative form of strategic networking that goes a step further than traditional approaches by creating interconnection systems between delegates. The objective of an -ETN-™ event is to connect a number of high calibre business professionals together under one roof and in one day, thus saving the individual networker a lot of time.
The focal point of -ETN-™ is to facilitate networking with only like-minded professional delegates who are serious about networking and want to build quality relationships. To ensure a required level of quality, delegates are screened and have to meet certain criteria before being accepted to attend. Selected delegates are coached, encouraged to think strategically and to use a highly targeted networking approach in order to achieve excellent conversations from which to form essential long term relationships.  
-ETN-™ has an additional bonus to help delegates connect with their target market. Every delegate will be asked to detail which type of businesses industry personnel they want to meet prior to the networking event by completing an -ETN- Match Form. Every delegate attending an -ETN-™ event will also receive a copy of the attendee list.
There is a big difference between networking and strategic networking. Just networking for its own sake will not deliver rewarding results because there are no goals and no focus upon specific relevant industries. When they implement a strategic targeting approach, delegates will become more successful as -ETN-™ reinforces the power people need to drive relationships. 
I discovered that New Yorkers prefer to network for no more than two hours compared to Londoners who like to linger longer. They want to utilise their time wisely instead of spending hours pointlessly networking. With this in mind, each month I plan to launch an express lunch time -ETN-™ Exclusive Target Networking Event™ from 12pm to1.30pm, which will be super convenient for delegates to attend, even if they have morning or afternoon meetings.
Following my research findings, I believe the way forward for networking is to save time by incorporating focussed targeting. This is relevant because we are becoming busier every day. Networkers need to periodically identify the type of customers that have the profile of their target market. This can be achieved by identifying their industry, dividing customers in the market into segments that share the same characteristics and choosing a segment to target. This will help networkers have a more accurate profile of their desired clients to inform their pitch. 
Referrals in abundance and quality not quantity is what the -ETN-™ brand is designed to deliver.
Written by Bella Rareworld, Corporate Networking Strategist, BellaNetworking Ltd. Attend launch event for -ETN- Exclusive Target Networking™ on Wednesday 6th November at 4pm. To book tickets, visit [email protected]
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