Do You Regularly Attend Networking or Industry-Related Events?
(Or Do You Only Go When Someone Drags You There?)
Let’s be honest.
When you hear the words “networking event,” what happens internally?
Do you picture:
- Awkward handshakes
- Forced small talk
- Name tags stuck slightly crooked
- Someone asking, “So… what do you do?” for the 47th time
Or do you picture opportunity?
Because in SELLability, networking events are not social obligations.
They are certainty-building environments.
And how you show up to them determines whether you leave with business… or just a stack of business cards you never follow up on.
Networking the Wrong Way
Most salespeople attend networking events for one reason:
To get leads.
So they:
- Hand out business cards like Halloween candy
- Launch into mini-presentations
- Try to “pitch” within 90 seconds
- Mentally scan the room for “better prospects”
And guess what happens?
They leave tired.
They feel fake.
They close nothing.
Because SELLability teaches this simple truth:
You don’t go to networking events to sell.
You go to learn.
The SELLability Shift: From Pitching to Positioning
In SELLability technology, communication and control are foundational.
If you walk into a room trying to sell, you lose control.
If you walk into a room trying to understand, you gain it.
Instead of:
“Let me tell you what we do.”
Try:
“What prompted you to attend tonight?”
Instead of:
“We’re the best in the industry.”
Try:
“What are you seeing in your industry right now that’s changing?”
When you ask questions, you:
- Build certainty
- Lower resistance
- Position yourself as a professional
- Separate yourself from the “pitch crowd”
And here’s the irony…
When you stop trying to sell at networking events, you actually sell more.
Certainty Starts Before You Walk In
One of the core elements of SELLability is preparation.
Certainty doesn’t magically appear.
It’s built.
Before attending any networking or industry-related event, ask yourself:
- Who will likely be there?
- What industries will be represented?
- What common challenges do they face?
- What questions can I ask that demonstrate knowledge?
If you prepare three intelligent questions before you arrive, you will instantly elevate your conversations.
Remember:
Preparation creates certainty.
Certainty creates confidence.
Confidence attracts opportunity.
The Professional Advantage
There’s another overlooked reason to attend industry events:
Visibility.
When you show up consistently, people subconsciously register you as:
- Active
- Committed
- Serious
- Established
If you only appear once every six months, you look like a visitor.
If you show up regularly, you look like a fixture.
And fixtures get referred.
SELLability isn’t about aggressive selling.
It’s about professional positioning.
The Referral Multiplier Effect
One of the most powerful SELLability principles is this:
You grow faster through other people’s relationships than your own.
Networking events are referral ecosystems.
Instead of asking:
“Who can I sell to?”
Ask:
“Who can I refer business to?”
Yes, refer first.
When you connect two people who can benefit from each other, you instantly increase your value in the room.
You are no longer a salesperson.
You are a resource.
And resources get remembered.
Avoiding the “Card Collector” Syndrome
We’ve all done it.
Left an event with:
- 18 business cards
- 2 lukewarm conversations
- 0 follow-up plan
SELLability teaches that communication must lead somewhere.
After each event, do this:
- Select the top 3 people you genuinely connected with.
- Follow up within 24–48 hours.
- Reference something specific from your conversation.
- Suggest a next step (coffee, call, referral exchange, etc.).
Control doesn’t mean domination.
It means directing communication toward a productive next action.
What If You Hate Networking?
Good.
That means you’re normal.
The key is to redefine what networking is.
It’s not:
- Working the room
- Performing
- Being the loudest voice
It’s simply:
- Meeting professionals
- Asking intelligent questions
- Offering value
- Following up
When you remove the pressure to “sell,” networking becomes manageable.
Even enjoyable.
The Long Game
Here’s the reality most salespeople miss:
Networking rarely produces immediate sales.
It produces relationships.
Relationships produce trust.
Trust produces sales.
SELLability is not about chasing quick wins.
It’s about building a predictable pipeline through controlled, professional communication.
Quick Self-Assessment
Ask yourself:
- Do I attend industry events consistently?
- Do I prepare before attending?
- Do I ask better questions than most people in the room?
- Do I follow up with intention?
- Do I refer business proactively?
If you answered “no” to most of those, don’t feel bad.
Feel motivated.
Because this is fixable.
The Real Question
The question isn’t:
“Do you regularly attend networking or industry-related events?”
The better question is:
“Do you attend them as a professional, or as a salesperson?”
One collects cards.
The other builds certainty.
One chases.
The other positions.
One hopes.
The other controls.
In SELLability, control, communication, and certainty are never accidental.
They are created.
And networking events are one of the most underutilized certainty-building tools available to you.
So the next time you see an invitation pop up…
Don’t think:
“Ugh, another event.”
Think:
“Another opportunity to position myself as the professional.”
Because when done correctly, networking isn’t awkward.
It’s strategic.
And strategy wins.
