032: The Systematic Networking Playbook
How to convert new connections into clients (without being pushy or desperate).
Today’s email is for you if you’re experiencing these problems:
Your networking efforts are random and unstructured, with inconsistent follow-up and lost opportunities.
You find yourself avoiding events out of fear and insecurity in your ability to ‘work the room.’
You’re frustrated because you haven’t seen any results from all the events you’ve attended.

Review
This is the sixth installment of a series on the 4-Farmland Matrix (4FM), a simple four-part framework that helps you identify and capitalize on your most promising sales opportunities—whether they’re new prospects, current clients, or ones that got away.
So far, we’ve covered these topics:
The 4-Farmland Matrix: Overview
Farmland 1: New (Desirable fields yet to be acquired)
Preview
We continue our discussion of Farmland 1, which focuses on identifying and targeting new, high-value prospects that match your ideal client profile (ICP).
In a previous article, I introduced the “4Ms” to acquiring new customers:
Mindset:Break through mental barriers to prospecting success.Message:Craft an elevator pitch that opens doors instead of hitting walls.Measurement:Identify and track the prospecting KPIs that move the needle.Method: Identify the specific, repeatable actions that fill your pipeline.
So far, we’ve covered Mindset, Message, and Measurement to improve your prospecting effectiveness.
Today, we introduce the fourth and final ‘M’—Method.
What is that method?
We call it “Systematic Prospecting.”
Overview: Systematic Prospecting
If you ever feel tempted to use high-pressure sales tactics, it’s because your pipeline is near empty.
That’s what happens when you haven’t put in sufficient ‘touches’ per day to achieve your goals.
So, how can you produce more opportunities than you can handle?
Install these four ‘components’ of Systematic Prospecting in your sales process:
Systematic Networking
Systematic Social Selling
Systematic Outreach.
Systematic Referrals.
Today, we’ll break down the first component—Systematic Networking.
The Systematic Networking Playbook
Networking is a numbers game with a compound effect.
What does that mean?
Let’s define both terms:
Numbers game
Compound effect.
“Numbers game” means that your networking results will be proportional to:
The number of events you participate in
The number of people you meet at each event
The number of relationships you develop after each event.
“Compound effect” means that your results accelerate over time because:
Trust is a compounding asset
The more “touches” with people, the more they trust you
The more they trust you, the more they’ll recommend you—or even buy from you.
Day One of networking might feel unproductive. Same with Day Two. That’s because you’re at the initial stages of trust with people.
But by the end of Month One, you’re getting noticed and filling your calendar with 1:1 meetings.
After three months, you’re starting to get traction. 1:1 meetings are leading to new leads.
At six months, you’re hitting a tipping point as you land new business through your networking contacts.
All the relationships you’ve cultivated up to this point become “compounding assets” of trust, yielding an ever-increasing return on your networking investment.
But to make all this happen, you must overcome the most challenging part of networking—starting and sticking with it for the first three months when results aren’t obvious.
That’s why it’s crucial to be systematic about networking—so you’ll do the things you need to do when you need to do them, even when you can’t see the fruit of your labor.
What does a Systematic Networking Game Plan look like?
Let’s break it down by:
Pre-Game
In-Game
Post-Game.
1. Pre-Game
Step 1. Choose your “arena.”
Where will you focus your networking efforts?
Here are some ideas:
Chamber of Commerce Events
Dedicated Networking/ Referral Groups (e.g. BNI)
Local Chapter Association Events
Service Organizations (Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.).
Plan your networking schedule at least a month in advance.
Step 2. Set your target for each event.
One useful metric for goalsetting is the number of business cards you collect at the event.
So, what’s your number—3? 5? 10 cards?
This approach will focus your efforts and give you a tangible measure of success for that event.
Step 3. Cultivate the right mindset.
Focus on connection, not the sale.
Your job is NOT to try to sell the people you meet. That will push them away because you haven’t earned their trust.
Instead, focus on establishing new relationships that may (or may not) yield fruit down the road.
You won’t know if that relationship will grow. That’s why it’s a numbers game.
2. In-Game
Step 4. Start somewhere, anywhere.
Pick a point and person (or group) in the room and start there.
Step 5. Introduce yourself first.
“Hi. My name is Sean,” with an outstretched hand.
After they shake your hand and give you their name: “What type of business are you in?”
Step 6. Be genuinely curious.
After they tell you about their business: “I’m curious…[then ask the first question that comes to your mind]?”
Be completely in the moment and focused on that person.
Hold back on talking about yourself as long as possible. The more the other person talks, the more they like you. And trust you.
Step 7. Keep moving.
Transition to leaving that conversation so you can move to your next one.
Here’s how:
“Really enjoyed meeting you. Do you have a card?”
As the other person receives your card, they’ll often say, “We talked all about me, but what about you? What business are you in?”
Give your one-sentence elevator pitch: “We provide sales systems coaching and training for growth-minded owners looking to scale their sales (without the chaos).”
Pause for their reaction. Then, gauge their curiosity level.
If you sense they genuinely want to learn more, say, “I would love to continue the conversation. If you’re open to it, let’s get together (for coffee, Zoom, etc.).”
Either way, close the loop before moving on to your next conversation by shaking hands and closing with, “It’s great meeting you. I’m glad we connected.”
Step 8. Repeat Steps 4-7 (until you’re done).
3. Post-Game
This is the most important part of successful networking that too many people neglect—the post-event follow-up.
Step 9. Add the new contacts to your CRM.
Organize them by their appropriate categories like:
Networking Contact
Lead
Potential Referral Partner
Etc.
Step 10. Send your “Great to meet you” emails.
Do this on the same day or the next day at the latest.
Example:
“Subject: Great to meet you
Hi Sam,
It was a pleasure meeting you at the Chamber’s Coffee Club today.
Let’s grab coffee sometime if you're open to it. Would love to learn more about your story.
Until then, I look forward to keeping in touch and hopefully connecting with you again soon at upcoming events.
My best,
Sean”
Step 11. Send Connect Requests to new contacts on LinkedIn.
Send the Connection Request (CR) without a note.
Step 12. Nurture your new contacts.
This is where you begin to put the Compound Effect into effect—by converting new contacts into champions, partners, referrals, leads, prospects, and clients.
How?
Set up 1:1 Coffee Connects
Engage with new contacts on LinkedIn.
Here’s what each looks like:
1. Set up 1:1 Coffee Connects.
A. Propose:
If the contact replies to your “Great to meet you” email with something like, “Yes, let’s get together for coffee,” then propose a timeframe:
“Awesome. How does your schedule look for the week of December 6? Are mornings or afternoons typically better for you?
Let me know your thoughts, and we can nail down a day, time, and place from there.
Looking forward to it.”
B. Schedule:
Once you’ve settled on the details, send a calendar invite for the meeting with the location address.
C. Confirm:
On the day before, send a confirmation email/ text along these lines:
“Hi Sam,
Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at 10 am at [location].
See you then!
My cell is 555-555-5555 in case you need to reach me tomorrow.
My best,
Sean”
D. Lead:
Lead the conversation with questions driven by curiosity. Make it about them as much as possible.
Why?
The more you listen, the more you learn, and the more trust you will build.
Be patient. Your genuine curiosity will eventually lead the other person to become curious about you and what you do.
And that’s when the doors to new opportunities will open up for you.
2. Engage with new contacts on LinkedIn.
A. Send them a Thank You DM when they accept your Connection Request.
“Hi Matthew,
A quick note…Really appreciate you connecting with me here on LinkedIn.
Hopefully, we'll get to connect again at upcoming Chamber events.
In the meantime, I look forward to following you—and learning from your content!
All the best,
Sean”
B. Love/ celebrate/ support their posts.
Avoid the “like.” You’ll stand out more when you use the other emoticons.
C. Write thoughtful comments that add value to their posts.
Every comment makes their LinkedIn post more visible. So, when you take the time to comment on their post, you’re helping that person raise their status and profile.
And that, in turn, raises your profile with them.
The Next Step
That’s Systematic Networking in a nutshell.
It’s one tool to help you uncover more Farmland 1 (New Potential Accounts).
When you invest the time with disciplined effort over at least six months, you’ll set the compound effect in motion, yielding an ever-increasing return of new leads and referrals.
Next up in the 4-Farmland Matrix (4FM) series is the second component of Systematic Prospecting.
And that’s Systematic Social Selling, which we’ll discuss here in two weeks on Friday, January 31.
In the meantime, be on the lookout next week for Episode 24 of the Systematic Selling Podcast!
See you then 👊
Sean M. Lyden is the founder and CEO of Systematic Selling, a sales systems and coaching company for growth-minded SMB founders and owners looking to scale their sales (without the chaos).
PS: Our Book is Now on Audible👇
This book is for you if you want to scale your business but keep finding yourself getting in the way.