Home Business Tips

Questions to Ask in a Networking Event

In home businesses where the marketing structure involves networking, a list of contacts is one of the most precious assets of an entrepreneur. This list is the greatest source of potential clients and referrals. This list shows the names of people who will most likely patronize the products and services of the home business. But this list has an end.

When the last name on the list has been approached, the home business owner faces the inevitable – he has run out of people with whom to share the benefits of his business. This means that the statistics of his sales may turn from pleasant to alarming. It means an abrupt drop in his sales.

The list of contacts, however, need not have a last entry. A home business entrepreneur may keep adding names to this list out of referrals given by the new people he meets in a networking event. So how does an entrepreneur ask for referrals from a complete stranger?

Obviously, a direct approach is out of the question. No self-respecting person is going to provide the name of his friends to a complete stranger, even though this stranger has given a decent-looking business card during a networking function.

The home business owner must first establish a business relationship. The person he approaches must first feel comfortable in his presence. And the home business owner must create a win-win relationship. This sounds like a job for a seasoned business tycoon. And it seems a tough task for an entrepreneur who is just an average guy.

There is, however, one effective technique that an entrepreneur can use so that he can establish the desired win-win relationship. The technique is to ask “feel-good” questions. These questions, unlike the usual questions of salespeople, do not invade the privacy of the prospect. They do not force a person to pay attention to the product of the home business. This is because the sole purpose of feel-good questions is to establish rapport.

The first question to ask is “How did you start your business?” This question basically invites the other person to tell his story. Most people wanted to tell the world about how they began their business. They wanted to tell about the trials they faced and the challenges they overcame. Yet few people care enough to take the time to listen to these stories.

The second question to ask is “What do you enjoy doing?”. This question gives the other person the opportunity to tell about the things he likes to do. When a person talks about the things he enjoys, he is filled with pleasant and excited feelings. These feelings will be associated with the entrepreneur’s presence. In other words, the second question makes the new prospect feel special.

The third question is about business, but not about the products and services of the home business. The question is about the business of the new prospect. And it goes something like this: “Tell me, how will I know if the person I’m talking to would be a perfect prospect for you?”

The third question basically offers professional help. It asks the new business acquaintance how the entrepreneur may help. And this cements the foundation of the new business relationship. The home business owner need not mention his own products and services. There will be a right time for that. What is more important is the business relationship.

Small/Home Business Tips, Networking 2006-02-14 Home Business Tips