08. Getting Specific to be Terriffic in Networking with Richard Sweet

**About Richard Sweet**

Richard Sweet is the owner and CEO of Vantage Point Risk, a commercial risk and insurance provider for the Pacific Northwest. With a background in mechanical engineering and business management, Richard has worked in various industries, including wood products, waste and recycling, and insurance. He is a master networker and has found success by building relationships and using technology to drive his business forward.

**Summary**

Richard Sweet shares his insights and tips on effective networking. He emphasizes the importance of being intentional and specific in your networking efforts, focusing on building relationships with the right people who can bring value to your business. Richard discusses the power of being specific in your messaging and educating your network partners on the types of referrals you're looking for. He also highlights the importance of protecting your time and being selective in the networking groups you join. Richard shares his own experiences and success in networking, including how he has generated $800,000 in premium through BNI referrals.

**Key Takeaways**

- Be intentional and specific in your networking efforts, focusing on building relationships with the right people who can bring value to your business.
- Educate your network partners on the types of referrals you're looking for, making it easier for them to refer you to the right people.
- Protect your time and be selective in the networking groups you join, focusing on groups that align with your target market and can provide valuable connections.
- Networking is an investment of time and effort, but when done effectively, it can lead to significant returns and business growth.

**Quotes**

- "How do we human optimize what we do so we can build connections, drive it with technology, and that gives me more time to go out in the field and talk to people, network with relationships, build those partnerships with people that are." - Richard Sweet
- "Specific is terrific. How do you educate your people to be specific? If you stand up in a BNI meeting and say, 'I'm looking for somebody that has a dentist office with between ten and 20 employees,' out of the 30 people in my room, there might be two people that can give me a referral. But I tell you what, they're giving me a specific referral. That is somebody I can work with." - Richard Sweet
- "When you can be specific about your target market and the problems you solve, it resonates with people and opens the door for more referrals." - Richard Sweet
- "Networking is an investment. If you can associate money somehow to your networking efforts, it helps people understand the value and motivates them to invest their time and energy into it." - Richard Sweet

 

**Connect with Richard**

Vantagepointrisk.com