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Networking event vs. online groups: which actually brought in clients?
I went to a local entrepreneur meetup in Phoenix last month and spent 3 hours shaking hands and chatting. Out of 20 people I talked to, exactly one followed up and that lead fizzled out. Meanwhile a Facebook group I joined for small business owners has generated 4 solid referrals in the same timeframe without me leaving my house. But the in-person energy felt better and I got to read people's body language. Which approach has actually worked for you guys when it comes to getting real business?
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miles2791mo ago
Take the Facebook group thing and run with it but set up 3 or 4 actual coffee meetings with people you vibe with in the group. That's what I did with a local moms in business group here in Austin. I posted a few times, got some good back and forth, then just asked two ladies if they wanted to grab coffee and talk shop. One of them ended up referring me to her accountant who needed my services. That never would have happened if I stayed online only or just did one big networking event where everyone forgets your face after 15 minutes. Mix the digital reach with those one on one in-person meets, that's where the real trust builds.
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emery1991mo ago
Wait, isn't @miles279 saying it was just two other ladies, not two ladies plus the one who ended up referring work? That math doesn't quite add up, but the point still stands. Those one-on-one meetings really do build more trust than any group event.
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reese_nelson1mo ago
The part people keep missing is that coffee meetings also let you suss out who actually knows their stuff. You can hide behind a keyboard and sound like an expert for months, but twenty minutes across a table and you can usually tell if someone's full of it or not. That's a huge filter for referrals because nobody wants to send a client to someone who talks big online but can't hold a real conversation. I've seen plenty of people get referred from big events but those referrals are usually shallow, like a name thrown in a hat. But when it's a one-on-one, that person is vouching for you with their full name and reputation behind it. The stakes are higher and the quality of work that comes out of it reflects that.
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