Your Meetings Matter
Mar 04, 2025
Your Meetings Matter (296 Words)
Most referrals don’t happen in the wild. They happen in conversations. Intentional, structured conversations. And your Connection Strategy is the way to get meetings with existing and potential referral partners.
Overall, you’re finding your Core Connections. These are the 10 to 20 people you meet with regularly. You share goals. You offer support. You help each other grow. That’s where trust builds. And that’s where referrals get exchanged.
But not all meetings matter. Some waste time. Some go nowhere. The difference? Structure. Purpose. A plan.
How to Make Your Meetings Count
- Lock in a Recurring Meeting Schedule. If it’s not on the calendar, it won’t happen.
- Keep It Short. Set a time limit (like 30 minutes). Stick to it. Respect their time.
- Follow an Agenda. What’s the goal of this meeting? What will you discuss? Give each person equal time to ask for what they need - and to offer help in return.
- Do Your Homework. Check their LinkedIn. Know what they’re working on. Understand their challenges before you meet.
- Ask Better Questions. Open-ended. Thoughtful. Not something you could Google.
- Ask the Right Questions:
- Growth: “What’s your biggest goal next quarter?”
- Insight: “What trends are shifting your industry?”
- Problem-solving: “What’s your biggest challenge right now?”
- Advice: “How would you handle this situation?”
7 Listen Carefully. Not just to the words. But what’s beneath them? Ask smart follow-up questions. Show you’re paying attention.
8 Follow Up Immediately. Jot notes in your CRM. If you promised to do something, do it.
The secret to more referrals is not secret at all. Give more. Help more. Make your meetings count.
When you create value, build trust and respect time, the right people stick around. And the referrals? They flow naturally.
Jennifer Beale helps leaders build strategic partnerships for business growth. Her clients call her "the Queen of Connecting," "formidably connected," and an "ace" at matching people. Jennifer cuts through the networking confusion so you build the right connections fast. An award winning networker and event producer, her connection strategies have helped hundreds of business professionals earn hundreds of millions of dollars.
If you want to get more referrals and build strategic partnerships, Jennifer leads workshops, trainings, and interactive keynotes. Her ideas have been featured in major media including the National Post and on Global TV. If you're looking to get bigger results in a shorter amount of time through strategic partnerships, connect with Jennifer at https://www.JenniferBeale.com
