Do six things a thousand times, not a thousand things six times. -Dr. Ivan Misner

A blog subscriber recently asked me this question:

Sometimes I struggle with the "hustle" of do I go to every meeting I've found this week or do I put my nose to the grindstone and work in my business. So, just wondering for us solo entrepreneurs, is there a sweet spot?

This is a great question. We should be smart about our networking. The simple answer to this solo entrepreneur's question is no. We should not be going every meeting we find in a given week or month.

There is a sweet spot for all of us who network, although that spot will look differently for everyone. Use three factors to help you find your networking "sweet spot."

Commit Meetings to Your Calendar

Decide in advance which meetings you will put on your calendar, and don't miss them unless there is a serious life event that prevents you from attending them. Treat your networking meeting like any other meeting that's on your calendar.

Schedule the networking meetings at least a month ahead. This will prevent the "squirrel effect," which is running to every meeting that pops up on your facebook feed or that you are invited to.

An easy way to turn down an invitation to a networking meeting is to say "Oh I would enjoy that but my calendar won't let me this month." It's your calendar that is declining the invitation, not you.

Consistency Matters Most

Like the quote above, it's better to attend one meeting consistently than to attend several meetings sporadically. We may experience FOMO if when we don't attend all of the meetings we are aware of.

The mere fact that we were in the same room as Johnny, Susie, and Mary doesn't mean we have laid a foundation to build a relationship with them. If we pop into a meeting and don't return for 3 months, our return will be the same as our first visit. As humans, we can only pay attention to so many things. Our brains filter out much of what we see and experience in order to preserve room in our memory for the important people and experiences.

I recommend networking through organizations that meet weekly. Most of the weekly organizations will have a cost associated with them, that, if run properly, are well worth the investment.

If weekly meetings are not in the cards for you, choose the same monthly meeting to attend and treat it like a very important meeting on your calendar.

One to One Meetings

The indivdual meetings with those you have met at the networking meetings are the jelly to the networking PB&J sandwich.

1-2-1s, as they are referred to in most networking circles, are meetings that you set with the individuals you are networking with in order to get to know them better, and for those people to get to know you better.

1-2-1 meetings must also be factored into your networking schedule. They must carry as much weight as the networking meeting does.

If you are attending one networking meeting a week, along with one 1-2-1 meeting a week, your networking calendar might be nearing its max already. You may be able to attend one or two additional meetings throughout the month on top of the weekly meeting and the weekly 1-2-1 meetings, or you may not.

You'll need to evaluate your other obligations and determine if your calendar allows additional networking.

Example Schedules to Consider

Example 1:

Mary is a florist who has 2 full time employees and wants to network. This is what her networking might look like in a given month:

One weekly meeting (the same meeting)

One 1-2-1 meeting per week

One monthly meeting (the same meeting)

One larger chamber event per quarter (the same event)

While this is a lot, Mary has employees and will more be more likely to step away from her shop consistently to attend these meetings.

Example 2:

Bob is an insurance agent with no employees. His networking calendar might look something like in a given month:

One weekly meeting per week (the same meeting)

Two 1-2-1s per week

Because Bob doesn't have employees, he may want to limit the number of networking meetings he attends. He could ask people to come to his office for the 1-2-1s, cutting down on travel time and allowing him to more easily deal with urgent clients that may need him during the 1-2-1.

There are also those who may be able to network even more than both of the examples above. Yours truly is one of them. However even I routinely turn down offers to network, because I know that networking is not just about attending the meetings.

Go network my friend, and remember:

Consistency and careful planning are the keys to find the networking "sweet spot."

The Networker's Tour Guide, Faithann Basore, and her husband Dave have owned Window Cleaning Plus (WCP) for 10 years. Growing WCP through networking has given Faithann the desire to guide other small business owners through the networking terrain so they can feel comfortable and build long lasting relationships in their business.

Got networking questions? Email me at [email protected].