Networking Dos and Don’ts: Send a Sub

When you can’t be there in person, it’s important that you send a substitute. We understand that things come up—an opportunity for a big sale, client fires, or a personal matter that requires immediate attention. That’s going to happen to you, as it happens to the best of us. However, when it happens, send someone to attend in your place.

If four people are getting together for a campout and they each agree to bring one of the four meals that weekend, what happens when only three people bring food? The whole group is going to have to skip a meal, and you can bet there is going to be some animosity towards the person who didn’t bring his share. It’s the same thing with networking. If thirty people show up when they all could have been doing something “more important,” and yet they still make the sacrifice to come, and you don’t, what you’re screaming at them is, “My time is more important than yours.” That’s the last thing you want people to feel when you’re trying to build trust.

People often don’t realize how important it is to send a substitute. However, those who value networking and value relationships will take the time to find one. And honestly, finding substitutes for an NIA® meeting is not nearly as painful to find as it would be for those traditional meetings. At our meetings, they are going to be treated to real networking, a beer or wine, a nice appetizer, and the meetings are full of great business owners and decision makers.