Every year, somewhere around October, people start saying things like:
“Everyone is too busy.”
“Let’s reconnect after the holidays.”
“Nothing happens in December.”
“I’ll get serious again in January.”
BS
Q4 might just be one of the best times of the year to network, build relationships and win business, both for the business you can close now and the opportunities you want waiting for you in January.
While other people are slowing down, you can be speeding up, and you don’t have to become a networking maniac to do it. At Adrian’s Network, I talk all the time about the 3 I’s: Introductions, Invitations and Information.
Do those three things consistently in Q4 and see what happens.
Here are 10 reasons Q4 is prime networking and business development season.
1. There’s still money on the table.
Many companies have budget dollars that need to be used before year-end. If there’s money available and a project that makes sense, they may be very motivated to get something signed, scheduled or started.
Don’t assume there’s no money. Have the conversation.
2. January starts NOW.
Smart business owners don’t wake up on January 2 and suddenly start thinking about the year ahead. They’re planning in October, November and December.
They’re thinking about what they want to accomplish, what needs fixing, what they want to do differently and who can help them do it.
Make sure you’re part of those conversations.
3. Projects can be signed now and started later.
Winning business in Q4 doesn’t mean you have to deliver it in Q4. A prospect can say yes now, get you onto the calendar and kick off the work in January.
Wouldn’t it be nice to start the new year with business already booked?
4. Your competition may have disappeared.
A lot of people mentally check out somewhere between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. They stop prospecting, stop following up, stop networking and stop doing business altogether. They assume everyone else has stopped working, too.
Excellent.
Less noise means more room for you.
5. Holiday parties are networking events in disguise.
You don’t need to walk into a holiday party waving business cards and asking, “So, who needs my services?”
Instead, talk. Laugh. Ask questions. Reconnect. Meet new people. HAVE FUN. Strengthen relationships without trying to sell anything.
That’s networking, too.
And that conversation over a glass of wine or 2 in December may become business, or a terrific referral, in February.
6. People are often more receptive.
There’s something about the holiday season that can make people a little warmer, friendlier and more open to conversation.
Take advantage of that energy. Not by selling harder, but by connecting better.
Send the note. Make the call. Invite someone for coffee. Send a book. Congratulate them on something they accomplished this year.
Be a human being first. Business can follow.
7. It’s the perfect time for the Three I’s.
This is where Introductions, Invitations and Information really come into play.
Make an Introduction. Connect two people who should know each other.
Extend an Invitation. Invite someone to an event, lunch, Zoom, coffee or holiday get-together.
Share Information. Send an article, resource, contact, idea or opportunity that made you think of someone.
None of these things requires a sales pitch.
All of them keep you on the grid.
8. People are thinking about what needs to change.
Year-end naturally creates reflection.
What worked?
What didn’t?
What needs fixing?
Where did we leave money on the table?
What do we want to accomplish next year?
Those questions create opportunities for people who provide solutions.
That might be you, or it might be someone in your network whom you can introduce, and either way, there’s an opportunity to add value.
9. Networking now puts you ahead of the January stampede.
January is filled with people suddenly announcing that THIS is the year they’re going to network, prospect, follow up and grow their business.
Good for them.
You started three months earlier.
By January, you’re not introducing yourself, you’re continuing conversations that are already underway.
10. Relationships don’t follow a calendar.
Networking isn’t something you turn on when you need business and shut off when you’re busy or distracted.
The best networking is ongoing.
It’s the introduction you make in October.
The invitation you extend in November.
The information you share in December.
The follow-up you make in January.
And somewhere along the way, business happens.
Your Q4 Adrian’s Network Challenge
Don’t over-complicate this.
Between now and the end of the year, make the Three I’s part of your regular business development activity:
Introductions. Invitations. Information.
Give before you ask.
Stay visible without being obnoxious.
Reach out to people you haven’t spoken with recently.
Show up at the events.
Follow up with the people you meet.
Ask what they’re working on for next year.
And when you see an opportunity to help someone, do it.
That’s what Adrian’s Network has always been about. We’re not here to collect names or see how many business cards we can stuff into a drawer.
We build relationships and open doors. We help each other stay on the grid, and we help each other win business.
So enjoy Q4. Go to the parties. Take some time off. Eat too much. Buy the gifts. Have the cocktails. Laugh with your friends.
But don’t disappear.
Because while someone else is saying, “Let’s talk after the holidays,” you can be having the conversations that make the holidays, and the year ahead a whole lot more profitable.
Q4 isn’t the end of your networking year. It might just be the most important part of it.