How to Turn Networking Into Prospecting

If you’ve been following me for a long time, you know that I don’t consider networking the same as prospecting. Too many people go to a networking event but call it prospecting simply to avoid prospecting.
Far too many prospecting events are nothing but a bunch of salespeople hanging out together trying to sell each other. Whether it’s an industry networking event, a local business open house, or a chamber of commerce event, they are typically a huge waste of time. You probably leave the event with a bunch of business cards and everyone tells each other, “yes we need to get together for coffee sometime.” If I could be very blunt, 98% of the time that’s a big fat waste of time and effort as well as a poor reason to order a low-fat mocha blend.
The issue I have is that networking by nature operates on a different timetable than