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5 Tips for Using Networking and Meet-Up Groups to Get Appointments

It’s not easy to set up an appointment nowadays, especially when the person or persons in question are outside of our immediate circles.

Fortunately, joining networking and meetup groups such as those you can find on Facebook, Meetup.com and LinkedIn can give us a hand in getting appointments with potential customers.

How to Get Appointments at Business Networking Events

Just because networking and meet-up groups can be helpful doesn’t necessarily mean everyone succeeds in using them. If you want to have positive great results from these events, here are 5 tips for using networking and meet-up groups to get  appointments:

Join Niche-Specific Groups

There are hundreds and even thousands of networking and meet-up groups online, but not all of them relates to your business. By joining only the groups that are clearly focused on your specific niche, your target audience, and your locale, you can increase your chances of getting appointments.

You can find these groups by researching Google SERPs by regionally targeting with tools like a VPN server and reading industry materials.

Have a Clear Objective

What kind of appointment exactly do you want to get? You need to have a solid purpose and at least a rough idea of the result you want before you start approaching people. This will help you profile members, choose who to get an appointment from, and decide whether a candidate is worth the extra time of trying to get an appointment with them.

Become an Active Participant

You can’t use a networking or meet-up group simply for getting appointments; it will only hurt your business in the long run. That being said, you should opt to make your presence known by being an active member.

Join discussions, offer valuable insights, and be a person people look up to. Remember: respect and trust are two of the biggest things that make people agree to appointments.

Do Your Research

Once you have decided who you would like to get appointments from, it’s time to do your research. Visit your prospects’ profiles, check out their websites or blogs, and do a quick Google search to learn more about them. Interact with them more in group discussions, and engage them in one-to-one conversations.

Create a Personalized Message

Based on your research data and your prospects’ personalities, you can then create and send a message asking for an appointment. Here are some dos and don’ts for writing an appointment message:

•  Be honest with what you want to happen, but be courteous enough not to make it a “close call” (i.e., giving a time and date).

•  Do follow-ups, but send them with a few days’ interval.

•  Never make the message about you; focus on the persons instead. Talk about what they do, and discuss similar problems you two might have. Offer solutions, and ask to meet to delve into the matter deeper.

Getting appointments can be tough.  But with the right networking and meet-up groups and a well-crafted message, you can surely set an appointment with anyone, anytime. 

Annika Bansal
 

Annika "The Chick Geek" is the founder of AnnikaBansal.com. Small Business Sense shares small business ideas, tips and resources for independent Entrepreneurs and Small Business owners.

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TC

Awesome

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Michelle O

whoo, hoo I work with her!

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SmallBizSense81

Thanks guys for stopping by to check out the article!

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