Client Attraction Technique #2: Networking
One of the most cost effective ways of generating leads and referrals. However it’s important that you ‘work’ these opportunities in the correct way. The following techniques should make a great difference to your success rate at networking events.
In The Beginning
Networking …Not as Scary as It Sounds
Networking. What an overwhelming concept it can be at first. When starting up a business one marketing strategy is “networking,” when laid off and searching for employment one strategy is “networking.” You might be wondering what exactly “networking” is. Well, networking is: Interacting or engaging in informal communication with others for mutual assistance or support.
When I think of networking the first thing that comes to mind is “I don’t know anyone”. Ok, I do know some people. So I get my pen an paper and eventually come up with a list of names of people. The next step of personal fear is when I go into the “I don’t want to impose on friends” mode and find myself back at square one. Networking is not imposing. What you may consider imposing can turn out to be a win/win situation. If you are looking for a new position you may network with a friend that has a position open in her company. This company may have a referral award and if you get the job your friend gets a bonus. A nice word from a friend and a company may be filling an open position with a competent employee, you. As for businesses, you may have services the people you network with actually need and can benefit from. You may find the people you have chosen to network with may have services you can use as well. So free your inhibitions and network! Take this list and give them a call, be upbeat, let them know of your circumstance and move on to the next contact.
Where do you start? First take out a pen and paper and start listing friends and family. Add the ex co-workers. Do you patronize any business where you chat while doing business? (Example hairstylists, the person at the espresso bar you talk to while getting your morning coffee), college/alumni buddies, church or social activities? This list will get you started but don’t stop there. Be creative. Do you go to PTA meetings? Collect business cards!
Second, be prepared. Keep a folder in the car of resumes or brochures. Keep a healthy stack of business cards with you. Develop a verbal presentation. If it is for employment, be creative and prepared in ways to approach the subject of possible openings. If it is business related, have a verbal description of what your business is and how you can (and have) benefit others. When you are at that hairstylist, during the course of a casual conversation you may bring up you were laid off (or you have a virtual assistant business) a simple “May I leave my resume with you? If you hear of someone needing my qualifications you can pass it on” (or business cards/brochures if networking for your business). Leads can come from the simplest of situations. Having your “marketing you” speech prepared will take most of the fear out of approaching others and make networking not such a scary concept.
You will find that most people are more then willing to help out. If you find someone who passes your information back, don’t take it personally and move on to the next individual. Through your information someone else may benefit. It never hurts to ask, but you will never get a yes if you don’t ask. You never know, the people on the list you are networking with may use you for their networking needs in the future, so get out and network today!
Susan Silva is the Editor of DeskDemon, a website for office professionals of all types with useful resources, articles, message boards and a bit of fun mixed in. You can visit DeskDemon site at http://www.deskdemon.com or sign up for the monthly newsletter AdminAdvantage at http://us.deskdemon.com/pages/us/adminadvantage/signup.
Networking and Cleavage Issues
If you are into networking to help your business grow then you are already a smart marketer and a smart cookie. Often in the past when I was fully engaged in local politics, growing my business and the local chamber of commerce, service clubs and charities; I went to events and used my networking skills to advance my company and propel our efforts forward.
One thing that I found very interesting was that when a beautiful woman came in looking her best and showing cleavage that immediately the party would move over that way and the largest groups would be centered around her like a magnet. Sometimes I would take a date to such events and they would all come over like a herd of cows feeding at the trough.
The Power of Word of Mouth
Most of us remember the commercial that said, “I told two friends, and they told two friends, and so on, and so on, and…”, well you get the picture. This commercial, which represented Breck Hair Shampoo, ran so many times that even I remember who the commercial represented.
The reason I mention this particular commercial is not because of the number of times it was aired but rather because of the message it was sending. This company knew the importance of potential clients hearing something about their product or service that impressed someone else.
Fire Your Marketing Consultant; Most Business Comes from Word of Mouth
Having been in the Franchising Industry and set up franchised units in 23-states and 4 nations, which did business in 450 cities and 110 major markets, we learned early on that once we had set up the initial marketing “Bonzai and Blitz” mission that most of our franchised outlet’s business came from word of mouth, not on-going advertising.
This is why I have always said that you should; Fire Your Marketing Consultant, as most of your on-going business will come from Word of Mouth. Now then many of the most disreputable marketing consultants who write three or more books on Marketing will call this true observation into question. They will tell you that referrals and word of mouth business is not what brings in the majority of your clientele and that you must buy their books, tapes, go to seminars and even hire these scoundrels as consultants? Not so.
Making Networking Work
Many smart business people have become very educated with the networking process. They have a great elevator speech, know how to choose events carefully and how to work a room. But the important work really begins when the networker gets back to the office. Real results come from follow-up. When determining how much time to allot for a networking event, be sure to include the time you’ll spend on follow-up.
Back at the Office
Have you scheduled office time to send notes or other information you promised to share with new contacts?Have you scheduled time to enter new contacts into your database?
Do you have a contact management system so you can follow up with prospects?
Do you have a process for staying in touch with those people after the initial follow-up?
Regarding useful information the speaker or contact may have shared, have you scheduled time to digest what you learned and execute the ideas?
Marketing Essentials: The 15 Second Elevator Speech
You’re at a conference. Someone steps in the elevator, notices your name tag and asks, “So what do you guys do?” Quick — what’s your answer? You’ve got about 15 seconds before the doors open.
For most business owners, getting to the crux of what they
really do is the hardest, yet potentially most rewarding, one-minute conversation
they will ever have. In that shortest of time spans, potential customers, vendors, and
employees will make a complete assessment, deciding then and there if your
company, products or services are worth pursuing. Why? Because it’s all the time
they have before the doors open – so make it count.
Networking Clubs and Their Relevance to Contract Cleaners
If you are a new business just starting out into the world of contract cleaning then your immediate aim is to gather as many new customers as you can and constantly grow the business. The initial stages are hard and it is difficult to gain those first few customers. How gain you gain a foothold in this highly competitive market? Many of the marketing strategies you might employ have been explained in previous articles. One area that was not explored in these articles was networking.
As a new business you will probably receive a number of invitations to go along to various local networking organisations meetings. At these they will no doubt try and impress upon you the huge benefits to be gained by networking. You will also be told how much business was generated for its members over a period of time. All will seem very impressive and like myself you may very well be impressed enough to join the weekly breakfast or luncheon meetings. This could cost you anything up to £500 a year to be a member plus the cost of the meal or maybe as little as the cost of the meal. Some of the internet networking organisations charge a small monthly fee and then organise monthly local meetings.
Knowledge Communities: Transforming Best Practice into Action
Healthcare managers are discovering that a “best practice” imported from another organization is not a panacea. First, one size never fits all. Second, managers charged with process improvement often think of the search for a best practice as a one-time effort. In truth, performance improvement is always ongoing. That’s why smart organizations are intensifying the search for best practices with “knowledge communities” – groups of people who share a common interest and are committed to exchange information and solve common problems together on a continuing basis. Here’s how knowledge communities can make a difference in patient care and the organization’s bottom line.
Why the Search for “Best Practices” Fails
An Elevator Speech - An Indispensable Tool For Self Promotion
Spadework for Your Elevator Speech
An elevator speech is an indispensable tool for promoting your work. What is an elevator speech? It is a sentence or two that you can deliver in the space of an elevator ride that expresses the essence of your unique offer.