New Jersey Entrepreneur

Speed Networking, a spin off of the recent matchmaking craze, speed dating is racing into your business life at warp speed. In a society based on wanting things fast, fast food, fast cars, fast loans, Speed Networking has come of age. Believe it not, you now have the opportunity to make new business contacts in less then two minutes. Just follow the basic rules of the road and you can accelerate your way through a room full of business owners at a break neck pace. So hold onto your seats, speed networking is fast ~ very fast and there is no slow lane in sight.

Like the rules that keep our high speed highways in check, this unique concept has some rules of its own. In an effort to help better navigate a Speed Networking event I would like to map out a few simple points for success. The Speed Networking concept is like a test track, racing around and "briefly" getting to meet someone new at every turn.

To get the most out of this quick trip around the networking track I will map out some simple ways to help you navigate the next event you attend. First and foremost fine tune your thirty second commercial (elevator pitch) before attending the event. Break your introduction down, use very few words but make it affective. Before getting into the race think of the questions you want to ask the people you are about to meet. Think of the answers you want to give about your business and make those answers effective but brief. Time is not on your side! Record the information you receive by making notes on the back of the person?s business card. This simple system will make it easier for future follow up calls. And last but not least, have fun with it all. Keep the event in proper context, you?re not leveraging contacts or expecting to come away with a solid business opportunity, Speed Networking is all about making an initial introduction and hoping it will lead to bigger and better things.

Now it?s time to decide if you?re a Mover or a Shaker! Just prior to starting the event, all Speed Networkers will be divided into two categories, Movers and Shakers. A Mover is the person moving from table to table in order to meet all the Shakers. Shakers remain seated throughout the event. Now for the speed portion, each Mover will have only two minutes to make their pitch or introduction to each Shaker. And speeders beware; a traffic cop (aka facilitator) will be documenting your speed counting every minute you?re at the table. This traffic cop will be keeping your time and when time is up, it will be the Shakers turn to make their presentation. This entire "meeting" happens within three to four minutes after which the traffic coordinator blows his whistle and makes the Movers go on to the next table. This process continues until every Mover meets every Shaker in the room. In the blink of an eye you have been introduced to twenty or thirty people.

As you can see this concept is set up like a test track, getting to "briefly" meet someone at every turn. Please keep in mind, Speed Networking is not a super highway to true business building. You should enter this race knowing at the finish line you will have a hand full of business cards and an ever so brief introduction to a persons business interests. Like every networking opportunity the key to successful in Speed Networking is follow up. Without fine tuning your results after the race is run ~ a lack of follow up will prove to be a quick road to nowhere

So get revved up and enjoy life in the fast lane as you speed your way to success. You never know who you might meet.

Robert Putt is Executive Director of the American Business Associates New Jersey Chapter.  The ABA-NJ is a business development association that meets monthly. Robert is also a published restaurant critic for Times-Ledger Newsgroup, N.Y. and President, RSP Associates hotel and restaurant consulting firm and contributing writer to Pros4Pros website.  Individuals seeking more information about the ABA New Jersey may contact Robert  at RSPutt@Verizon.net.