| |
| |
|
|
Networking Information |
|
|
|
How to Get More Visibility, Increase Your Influence, and Get More Referrals
Earlier today I was helping a client develop a better strategy to generate more referrals from local businesses. While that particular client owns an orthodontic practice, the ideas I gave him will work equally well in your business. Before I tell you the specifics, let's first establish two premises: 1. Other entrepreneurs don't care about helping you as much as they care about building their own business. 2. In order to maximize the return on your time invested into networking with local professionals, you need to stop thinking one-to-one and start thinking one-to-many. Keeping those two things in mind let's explore for a moment how most professionals approach building a strategic referral partnership. The "let's have lunch" strategy. Frankly I hate wasting my precious time on chit-chatting with strangers over a so-so meal. There is just too much involved for too little in return. There is coordinating of the schedules, commute time, schmoozing and "learning" about each other's business (most often it's like probing for the best way to squeeze in one's pitch for their service or product). Finally, after 45 or 60 minutes of this "conversation", comes the dreaded experience of soliciting referrals. It goes somewhat like this: "So, now that you know what I do, who do you know that you could send my way?" Yuck! This can be draining at best and un-dignifying at worst! In any case, it's not something any self-respecting professional really looks forward to. What a terrible place to be in - expecting someone to trust us with their friends and colleagues because we did lunch together? Yeah, I know there is more to it, but play with me here for a moment, would you please? The "let's do lunch" strategy violates both premises. One - you ask someone to care about you without offering much in exchange. And two - doing it one-on-one takes a lot of time and effort for very little result. It definitely doesn't create much leverage and puts you in a position of a person asking for help ("begging" for referrals.) So how do you get local professionals and business owners to happily refer to you their friends, patients, clients and colleagues? Here is a strategy that works. First, knowing that entrepreneurs are preoccupied with creating more success, increasing sales and profits and having more time off, make it your job to help them get what they want. Or more specifically - help them get information that helps them get what they want. Second, quit doing it one-on-one, and instead exponentially increase your visibility and leverage by bringing all your potential partners together. Are you beginning to see what I'm talking about here? The strategy I have in mind is simple. Put together a small group meeting and invite a dozen or so of local entrepreneurs and professionals. One important detail - make the events exciting to attend. No one wants to show up for a 60-minute pitch for your businesses. Here are a few suggestions: ? Invite a local marketing expert to share a few tips on more effective promotional strategies. ? Bring in a real estate investment advisor who can teach professionals how to develop sources of passive revenue. ? Invite an asset attorney, who can talk about asset protection strategies for small business owners. ? Find a local "cash flow" game trainer to facilitate this fun game for your group. ? Once you get started, ask the participants of your group what they would like to learn more about and simply find a person who can teach on that topic. Does it work? You bet! Because you follow both premises of good marketing: you care about them first and you leverage your investment of time, money and effort by introducing yourself to many people at the same time. You put yourself in a position of a trusted advisor, leader, someone who knows, cares and wants to help. When members of your group come across someone looking for the type of service you provide do you think they will be more likely to send business your way or to someone who "begged" them for referrals over a lunch? The choice is clear, isn't it? Are you thinking that it's too much work? Think again. Look at it this way: each lunch or "cup of coffee" meeting takes you about 3 hours - and that's to meet just one person! Doesn't it make more sense to take five to eight hours a month and organize just one meeting where you have eight to 12 people? And, remember this: hosting this small "entrepreneurs' forum" automatically gives you more visibility and positions you as a person with greater prestige and influence. So what's next? I guess you have to pick the date for the first "entrepreneur's forum", and get busy sending out a few invites. (c) 2005 Adam M. Urbanski ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adam Urbanski, the Marketing Mentor, helps Independent Service Professionals and Small Business Owners attract more clients. For more promotional tips and a FREE 32-page marketing guide go to http://www.themarketingmentors.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Networking - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
62 Ways to MAXIMIZE Your Approachability If you walk into your local bookstore and pick up any random title on interpersonal communication, the majority of the books will simply remind you to "always be approachable."Wow, you think, thanks for the advice. It Pays to be Friendly Most small business people do not take advantage of human relationship issues. They do not understand that being nice and friendly, out going and enthusiastic pays high dividends. Are You Sitting With The Right Company? When I walked into Dallas's famous Y.O. How to Announce a New Product How can the introduction of new products affect the way I network at meetings?When I have a new product to launch, I make sure that I have a 20 to 30 second pitch ready for the next networking event I attend. I also make sure that I have a supply of product announcements offering a free sample. Lesson 14 - Whats In A Handshake? The StoryAs a child growing up, one of the many life lessons instilled in me was to wash your hands before eating and after using the restroom. As a child I often played in the dirt and places where germs customarily manifested. Land the Ideal Job Using Social Networks With at least 60% of job-seekers finding employment through networking, it's no wonder that people are turning to their colleagues and acquaintances for advice and help in finding employment. The old adage, "It's not what you know, but who you know" rings true when it comes to sources of labor in today's economy. Communication Is A 2-Way Street (The Networking Factor) The Personal Touch 1There is a simple art to networking and the good news is, should you choose to put forth a conscience effort to improve the way you communicate, networking can and will become second nature to you, it is really just that simple. A personal touch big or small makes a big difference in how others perceive you professionally and personally as well. Small File Box With Resumes to Help Customers I bet you have not thought about it much, but there are many ways you can help your customers in their daily lives. If you have a customer who just got laid off from their job, tell them you will be glad to take a few of their resumes and put them in a file box and when Corporate Executives come into the store you will be sure to put a good word in for them. When Gifts Say More What's a gift mean? If you're like me, you probably focus on the giving and the getting.But, have you thought of gifts as a medium, a channel, for communication? In a book called The Gift, French anthropologist Marcel Mauss argues that gifts are universally used to create and manage relationships. People Know People I recently entered the keyword "networking" into Google. In 0. Network Your Way to Success, and Remember: Its Not About You! Quote of the week"The answer is always no.. Networking: Breaking into the Buzz Breaking into conversational groups is one of the things people ask me about when I'm conducting networking sessions. There's a buzz that hovers over a crowded room that comes from all those people conversing. Networking - How To Do It Networking is probably the oldest, easiest, most effective and least expensive way to get more business. It doesn't necessarily involve selling your product or service but it does mean selling yourself. How Speakers, Exhibitors, Consultants, and Meeting Planners Partner-Generate More Money and Value ? "Make Every Moment Count" is the title of a CD that a pharmaceutical company gave away at their exhibit booth at two major conferences.Half of the CD covered the company's new product news and "how-to's"; the other half featured tips from a speaker at those conferences. Strategic Networking: Take the Shortest Path to Success Do you use Ryze or LinkedIn to promote your web based business? If so, you may have noticed that everything is linked to everything else. Here's how to take the shortest path to networking success: use keywords and a targeted linking strategy. Follow-Up with Your Contacts What happens when you meet a potential client at an event and you do not follow up?So now the event is over and you have collected a number of business cards, taken notes on the best prospects, divided the cards into Y(es), N(o), and M(aybe), now what? It is time to follow up. The best follow-up is immediate - they will remember you best if you go home that night and enter their information into your database and send a personal email or hand-written note. Five Stumbling Blocks To Successful Networking And How To Overcome Them The ability to connect with people is essential to success in any business. Professional networking events present opportunities to interact with others on a personal level and to develop profitable relationships. Five Steps for Expanding Your Customer Base with Guerilla Networking As a single company, it is impossible to provide your customers with all the services they desire for every aspect of their life; but with guerilla marketing, you can come close. By partnering with companies that provide different, yet complimentary, services to your business, you can create a network of reliable resources for your customers. Real Business Networking Doesnt Happen at Networking Events Real networking isn't about handing out business cards at a networking event, or seeing how many you can collect before the event is over. Real networking is about relationships that, when cultivated properly, will breed referrals and positive word of mouth about you and your company. Why Cant I Start A Conversation With You? One out of every ten Americans has a fear of talking to strangers. When you enter a room full of new faces, to start these conversations seems like an impossible task.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
