My experience attending local events~
Clayton Hammock, (2021, February 25)
Walking into any new experience can be a daunting task, but add the pressure of meeting business owners, and you quickly start to feel overwhelmed. Networking events are a strange environment for a multiplicity of reasons. Firstly, these events are inherently self-serving, as everyone is there to better their company; however- the phrase “networking” is almost a dirty word in these circles. Billed as an exercise in meeting and talking with other like-minded business owners quickly becomes a pageant for boasting and self-congratulating one’s own business. The first time I attended one such meeting, I had no expectations- feeling curious more than anything else. My pitch would be a simple one, and I had rehearsed it for days.
I started a humble videography company a few months prior, and I had a big problem I needed to solve: I needed a portfolio to show prospective clients. I realized there was no way to create this portfolio out of thin air; I needed a plan. Two weeks passed when I get a call from a friend of mine, asking if I’d like to tag along with him and attend a local networking event for small business owners in the golden triangle neighborhood. At this moment, I realized how I was going to create my portfolio- I would make videos for these people, completely free.
The night before the event, I stayed up all night and compiled a keynote presentation on why video was an effective marketing technique. Then I threw together a collection of videos I had shot in the neighborhood, spliced in some drone footage of the city, and ended it with a logo for the neighborhood I found on Google.
I had my pitch, I rehearsed my proposal, and picked out an outfit- it was-go time. When it was my time to give the proposal, I stood up, gave my presentation and played my video, and ended it by asking everyone in the room a straightforward question:
“I want to make each of you one free video for your website or social media platform; all I want in return is that you use it on your platforms and give me credit.”
After a few moments of silence, I had my first taker, and by the end of the meeting, I had signed up 14 businesses requesting a free video. This would set in motion what would become my primary source of income from 2018 to the present.
I would continue to attend these networking events until the pandemic hit in March of 2020 and have made many close friends because of them. If you’re ever going to participate in a networking event, the best advice I can give is to be authentic. Moreover, recognize that most networking events are, in a way, incredibly self-serving. If you embrace this simple truth, you’ll have an easier time presenting what you have to offer.