Networking has always been an effective tool for launching and growing a business. In a past issue of Entrepreneur Magazine, I was featured in an article on building effective business alliances. What’s the reason? I had bid on lunch with Bruce Nelson, former CEO of Office Depot, in order to win his trust and Office Depot’s business. All proceeds went to a charity I believe in, Count-Me-In, which champions the cause for women’s economic independence by providing access to business loans, consultation, and education, and my $1050 investment landed me my largest client to date. Sure, I could have invested in a jazzy new web site, a new brochure or newsletter, but I’ll guarantee you, I would have spent more money and might not have had the opportunity to get face-to-face with a CEO.
Here are some networking tips you can put to use in your own business right now that will help win the business.
1. Show up – See and be seen in places that make a difference
Woody Allen once said the key to success is in showing up. How true. If you go back and look at your biggest wins in business, I can guarantee you’ll track them to being at the right place at the right time and following up. It’s great to belong to professional organizations that give your moral support; however, if your client’s aren’t hanging out at these meetings, you might be better served joining your client’s professional organization and becoming actively involved. You’ll make a positive and memorable impression and your target market will begin to know and trust you.
2. Take a risk and ask someone to lunch
It makes sense to break bread with folks who you could benefit – an editor from your client’s industry trade journal to a potential client. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know. If all else fails, do what I do. Offer to donate $1000 to the charity of their choice for 90-minutes with you over lunch. That’s a much more difficult offer to turn down. It also shows you probably have something wonderful to share with them that will benefit their business.
3. Dine in the right spot
I recently had lunch in a New York City restaurant with Geraldine Laybourne, the CEO of Oxygen Media. The restaurant she chose was like sitting in a TV station lobby and watching as nearly every person came in to take their seat was a celebrity. I met Barbara Walters; saw the head of AOL, a writer for the New Yorker, etc. It was like participating in a who’s who of media. When I return to NYC, you can guarantee, I’ll be dining in the same place. I’ve got a good feeling, my lunch date will be happy to join me there.
4. Make a specific request
It’s always wise to ask an existing client out to lunch as well. I continue to make contact with my clients well into the relationship. At times I’ve asked them a specific favor, such as, would you be willing to send a referral letter to my prospects as I look to grow my business? Usually, I offer my advice and council on how they can improve their business. I want to be perceived as their trusted advisor and friend.
5. Always be willing to return the favor
Whenever you ask a client for a favor, make it clear that you’re willing to do the same for them – in whatever way they deem appropriate. After asking a client of mine to send a letter out to my prospect base that sang my praises, I offered to return the favor and he took me up on it. About a month after the letter went out, his assistant called me and said “it’s pay back time” and asked me to attend a fundraising breakfast for a local politician for $1000 contribution. It served to be an outstanding place to network and it showed that I could be trusted with my commitment to him to return the favor.
6. Use technology to help you along
Stay connected with your customer and prospect base by having the right technology tools available. Whether it’s a BlackBerry, your cell phone or a Palm Pilot, you need to make connections while on the road or simply away from your office. Updating your web site and utilizing e-mail (not as a replacement for face-to-face contact though) can help you stay connected.
7. Relationships take time
Remember that relationships take time. However, having that face-to face and frequent contact with a customer or prospect can set you apart from your competitors. Send articles, books, announcements that may be of interest to them. Remember their birthdays, their kids names, send them thank you notes, celebrate unexpected holidays and keep them in mind at all times when servicing them. Over time, you’ll build a life long relationship by showing your value and commitment to them.
8. Establish yourself as an expert
Keep them informed of your expertise in your field and in their industry. Again, send articles, announcements of your speaking engagements, testimonials, new client announcements, etc. Everyone likes working with someone they perceive to be a professional. They’re more likely to give your name to others if they feel like you’ve got the expertise and they hear from you often.
9. Keep in constant contact
You can’t maintain a marriage or partnership without communication. You can’t maintain client relationships by keeping your distance either. Keep in touch by the ways mentioned above and keep it simple. Perhaps you send a note out in January, an article out in February. You try to set up a lunch date with a client once per month. Make your goals doable and beneficial. Keep it simple so it’s easy to execute. Use a variety of different mediums to reach your audience – the phone, snail mail, e-mail and personal contact. Variety in contact can be the spice of life.
10. Create a raving fan list
Sit down and write out a list of players in each of your client’s industry – whether you know them or not. What’s your plan for contacting each and every one of them, so they can join your list of raving fans? Don’t forget elder leaders within your client’s industry, editors of trade journals, prospects you’d like to have, and other vendors or service providers that you can align yourself with. Why not initiate contact with this group of people and begin to develop relationships that could be important to your success within that industry?
The key to never making a cold call is in creating a method in which you draw people to you – it’s having charisma and notoriety that causes the phone to ring. Your job is to get out there and develop the relationships with key players in your client’s industry in order to attract those inbound calls and clients.
Buying Your Way to the Top - To learn more about this author, visit Nancy Michaels's Website.
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Debra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
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Nancy Michaels
(Visit Nancy's Website)
Is the author of five books on marketing
for small businesses, including Perfecting
Your Pitch, (Career Press 2005) Off The
Wall Marketing Ideas, (Adams Media 2000),
How To Be A Big Fish In Any Pond, Media
Madness, and A to Z to Visibility
Served as Small Business Editor at US
News & World Report, and the Small
Business Marketing Expert for Entrepreneur
Magazine. She is a regular contributor to
Franchise Update and has been featured in
The Wall Street Journal, Fortune Small
Business (FSB), Success Magazine, The New
York Post, Franchising Magazine, among
numerous other publications
Nancy also was the publicist for Matt
Lauer (currently co-host of the Today
show)
Nancy is the President of her marketing
company, Impression Impact, which she
launched in 1990 and Founder of the Grow
Your Business Network
In the spring of 2005, Nancy became very
ill and underwent a liver transplant due
to liver failure. She is the grateful
recipient of a donor liver. Find out how
you can become a donor at www.organdonor
.gov.
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