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Answer Upon - Nine Ways to Network More Effectively
You have probably seen donation boxes or jars near the cash registers at businesses in your community. These can be a great way to gain not only money and awareness for your cause, but also publicity for your organization. Your organization can make the donation containers or your can buy professionally made containers at a very reasonable price. The ideal container is a see-through one because potential donors will be able to see that money has already been donated and will be motivated to give their own spare change at the cash register. The donation container should have an opening that is small enough so that money cannot be removed and it should have a lock. You can also simply use a large glass jar with a small opening, or a five-gallon bottled water jug to collect donations.Your organization should make sure that you produce an attractive, compelling promotional piece and affix it to the container. The more information you present the better. Let the public know basic information about your organization, how much money you need, what it will be used for, and when it will be used. For example, in the beginning of the school year, your organization could place donation boxes with businesses asking for money for a spring trip. It is usually best to collect money for a specific project. However, some o
Action item: Take a moment to follow up with a prospect today. The time it takes to write a note and the small investment of a stamp could pay off mutually in the future.
7)Continue to follow up.
While you don’t want to inundate people with unwanted contacts, you do want to make sure potential customers know you are thinking of them. The key to continuous follow up is to be genuine.
One way to subtly follow up without being a pain is to be on the lookout for articles or information that may be of interest to the potential customer. Clip it out and mail it or e-mail to them with a brief note letting them know you’re thinking of them. About one week later, give them a quick call to make sure they received the information.
Action item: Choose one prospect and send him or her an article of interest today. Make a note to follow up with a phone call in one week. Chances are you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the response. After all, you are providing something of value for nothing.
8) Don’t forget your friends and family.
When you’re running your own business, it’s easy to get caught up in day to day operations. It’s also easy to forget some of our best references and (possibly even clients) are our friends and family. Be sure to keep in touch and let them know what you’re trying to accomplish.
I was recently visiting a childhood friend, Karen. We’ve been friends since we were fiv
Thanks to the Internet, e-commerce has made its indelible stamp on the business world by completely revamping how various companies and industries operate. And under that huge umbrella of “doing business on the Internet” falls a legendary business success story: eBay. What began in 1995 as a little website where approximately 10,000 individuals traded goods with one another during the first year, now has more than 135 million registered users with a half million of those folks making a full- or part-time living with businesses that sell on eBay.So the question that begs to be asked is: Should you add eBay as a sales venue to your operation? Consider that in 2004, eBay’s annual gross merchandise sales exceeded $34 billion and $1.2 billion of that was in the business and industrial category. Statistics like this clearly indicate that eBay provides extraordinary opportunities to reach a worldwide market with different products and services.Benefits of operating a business on eBay:Targeted Traffic – Through eBay’s superb search engine optimization, customers who are specifically looking for your product will be directed to a landing page featuring your eBay store or auction page. With more than 79 million searches conducted on eBay daily, this will be a much added boost to your online marketing c
1) Don’t describe what YOU do.
Let your potential client know how you can positively impact his or her life. Explain how your product or service will improve the life of your potential client.
For example, when someone asks me, “What do you do?” my first thought is almost always to explain, “I’m a writer and consultant.” Unfortunately that response rarely piques the interest of potential clients. Instead I’ve learned to answer, “I POWERFULLY communicate business messages to get results.” This answer not only grabs their attention but stimulates more questions about how I might help that particular prospect.
Action item: Develop your value response to the question, “What do you do?”
2) Turn interest into appointments.
Once you have developed your value response to the action item above, you are well on your way to more effective networking. When you describe what you can do for a potential client they are more likely to be interested in what you do. After all, it’s all about WIIFM – What’s In It For Me!
My friend Ray is a dynamic individual. Coincidentally he runs Interlink a faith based organization. I recently overheard someone ask Ray what he does. Ray quickly replied “I help seniors and others stay in their homes as long as possible.” The person asking the question was immediately touched and wanted to know more. By providing just enough information to increase curiosity, Ray quickly gained interest and a new volunteer for his organization. Ray also learned of a senior in need through this interaction.
You can follow this same strategy. Always provide information that is of value even if the prospect doesn’t schedule an appointment or need your services right now. The idea is to partner with customers to help them - not to trick them into services they may not want or need.
Action items: Develop a response to further inquiries about your business or service and provide valuable information to potential customers that helps turn interest into appointments.
3) Give prospects more than they expect.
Sure, your time is valuable but so is the time of your potential customer. Maximize the effectiveness and value of your initial meeting by offering to meet pro bono (or for free). While I don’t advocate giving services away for free, a complimentary initial meeting is a good way to find out if your services are right for the customer…and if the customer is right for YOU.
Recently, Wade, an investment services broker contacted a marketing specialist to discuss ways he could increase his client base. The marketing specialist granted Wade a complimentary ? hour consultation and could have suggested all kinds of advertising and marketing placements that would have cost Wade lots of money. Instead, the savvy marketing specialist detected that it would be more beneficial for Wade to build networking skills and work on individual relationships to increase business. During this complimentary meeting both parties quickly assessed that they could probably work together in the future but the timing wasn’t quite right. Wade was grateful for the honest assessment and has since begun building relationships via the local Chamber of Commerce. When he’s ready to put together a marketing campaign, Wade knows who he’ll call.
Action item: Consider offering brief complimentary consultations to evaluate if you are a good fit with a potential customer.
4) Can’t assist? Try to provide a referral source.
Let’s face it. There will be customers you cannot help because their needs don’t fall within the scope of the services you provide. It’s a given. There will also be customers you don’t want to work with (which is why the initial consultation is so important). Regardless of why you won’t be working together, provide a reference to someone else who might be able to help if you can. This simple gesture continues to position you in a place of value.
Often if I have an initial consultation and find they need services I don’t provide (or if we are simply not a good fit), I keep a list of contacts handy so I can refer them elsewhere. I try to provide at least three contacts so they have a variety of providers to choose from. Yes, I even refer to other writers and consultants. I have found this actually helps rather than hurts business. I believe there is enough business to go around.
Action item: Develop a list of referral sources you can provide as added value to customers you can’t assist.
5) Collect and share business cards.
This may seem simple but oftentimes even network savvy people forget to gather business cards. Make sure to have a supply of your own cards on hand and trade cards with contacts you meet. It’s a good idea to make specific notes for future recall on the back of the cards you collect.
For example, I recently met an investment broker. So I would remember our conversation, I discreetly made notes on the back of his business card when
we were done speaking. I also noted he was an avid golfer. Now when I pull up his card, it jogs my memory about our conversation. You never know when the information might come in handy.
Action item: Make sure you have your own business cards on hand at all times. Start collecting cards when networking and noting possible projects and interests on the back of business cards. Consider creating notes in a “tickler file” if the cards are two sided leaving no room for notes. Staple your notes to the card itself.
6) Remember to follow up.
It’s the easiest yet most neglected step of networking. Many people miss out on future opportunities by simply not following up on leads.
Make it a habit to put aside time after a networking event to follow up with your new prospects. Once you get used to this step, it will become second nature. Enter their contact information in whatever filing system or software program (ACT or e-mail) you use. Now you can choose to send a quick email letting them know how much you enjoyed meeting them and/or send a handwritten note (include some additional business cards). Even if a person isn’t interested in your services right now, you want them to keep you in mind for future projects or referrals.
Action item: Take a moment to follow up with a prospect today. The time it takes to write a note and the small investment of a stamp could pay off mutually in the future.
7)Continue to follow up.
While you don’t want to inundate people with unwanted contacts, you do want to make sure potential customers know you are thinking of them. The key to continuous follow up is to be genuine.
One way to subtly follow up without being a pain is to be on the lookout for articles or information that may be of interest to the potential customer. Clip it out and mail it or e-mail to them with a brief note letting them know you’re thinking of them. About one week later, give them a quick call to make sure they received the information.
Action item: Choose one prospect and send him or her an article of interest today. Make a note to follow up with a phone call in one week. Chances are you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the response. After all, you are providing something of value for nothing.
8) Don’t forget your friends and family.
When you’re running your own business, it’s easy to get caught up in day to day operations. It’s also easy to forget some of our best references and (possibly even clients) are our friends and family. Be sure to keep in touch and let them know what you’re trying to accomplish.
I was recently visiting a childhood friend, Karen. We’ve been friends since we were five
There are many advantages to using affiliate programs to increase your earnings but there are also a few things you should keep in mind. Most of us, especially early on, believe that the companies with affiliate programs are more than willing to pay it's hard-working affiliates a commission. After all, you're doing your part by sending them customers right? Most of the time they're above board but it's not always the case.What if I told you that by adding one simple, seemingly innocuous thing to their landing pages they can, and do, steal away you commissions?The affiliate landing page is the page you, or a visitor, "lands" on when you click the affiliate link containing your unique affiliate tracking code. That page is where you send your valuable visitors to buy a particular product or service. It's an important page and when you sign up for an affiliate program you should always check that page before deciding to link to it from your site. What could possibly be on that page that could literally steal your referrals and, in turn, your commissions like a thief in the night? It's very simple, a 1-800 number.Back in 1999 I was the webmaster for an internet mall. The mall directory was categorized by the types of products and services I thought would be useful and attractive to my visitors. I
You can follow this same strategy. Always provide information that is of value even if the prospect doesn’t schedule an appointment or need your services right now. The idea is to partner with customers to help them - not to trick them into services they may not want or need.
Action items: Develop a response to further inquiries about your business or service and provide valuable information to potential customers that helps turn interest into appointments.
3) Give prospects more than they expect.
Sure, your time is valuable but so is the time of your potential customer. Maximize the effectiveness and value of your initial meeting by offering to meet pro bono (or for free). While I don’t advocate giving services away for free, a complimentary initial meeting is a good way to find out if your services are right for the customer…and if the customer is right for YOU.
Recently, Wade, an investment services broker contacted a marketing specialist to discuss ways he could increase his client base. The marketing specialist granted Wade a complimentary ? hour consultation and could have suggested all kinds of advertising and marketing placements that would have cost Wade lots of money. Instead, the savvy marketing specialist detected that it would be more beneficial for Wade to build networking skills and work on individual relationships to increase business. During this complimentary meeting both parties quickly assessed that they could probably work together in the future but the timing wasn’t quite right. Wade was grateful for the honest assessment and has since begun building relationships via the local Chamber of Commerce. When he’s ready to put together a marketing campaign, Wade knows who he’ll call.
Action item: Consider offering brief complimentary consultations to evaluate if you are a good fit with a potential customer.
4) Can’t assist? Try to provide a referral source.
Let’s face it. There will be customers you cannot help because their needs don’t fall within the scope of the services you provide. It’s a given. There will also be customers you don’t want to work with (which is why the initial consultation is so important). Regardless of why you won’t be working together, provide a reference to someone else who might be able to help if you can. This simple gesture continues to position you in a place of value.
Often if I have an initial consultation and find they need services I don’t provide (or if we are simply not a good fit), I keep a list of contacts handy so I can refer them elsewhere. I try to provide at least three contacts so they have a variety of providers to choose from. Yes, I even refer to other writers and consultants. I have found this actually helps rather than hurts business. I believe there is enough business to go around.
Action item: Develop a list of referral sources you can provide as added value to customers you can’t assist.
5) Collect and share business cards.
This may seem simple but oftentimes even network savvy people forget to gather business cards. Make sure to have a supply of your own cards on hand and trade cards with contacts you meet. It’s a good idea to make specific notes for future recall on the back of the cards you collect.
For example, I recently met an investment broker. So I would remember our conversation, I discreetly made notes on the back of his business card when
we were done speaking. I also noted he was an avid golfer. Now when I pull up his card, it jogs my memory about our conversation. You never know when the information might come in handy.
Action item: Make sure you have your own business cards on hand at all times. Start collecting cards when networking and noting possible projects and interests on the back of business cards. Consider creating notes in a “tickler file” if the cards are two sided leaving no room for notes. Staple your notes to the card itself.
6) Remember to follow up.
It’s the easiest yet most neglected step of networking. Many people miss out on future opportunities by simply not following up on leads.
Make it a habit to put aside time after a networking event to follow up with your new prospects. Once you get used to this step, it will become second nature. Enter their contact information in whatever filing system or software program (ACT or e-mail) you use. Now you can choose to send a quick email letting them know how much you enjoyed meeting them and/or send a handwritten note (include some additional business cards). Even if a person isn’t interested in your services right now, you want them to keep you in mind for future projects or referrals.
Action item: Take a moment to follow up with a prospect today. The time it takes to write a note and the small investment of a stamp could pay off mutually in the future.
7)Continue to follow up.
While you don’t want to inundate people with unwanted contacts, you do want to make sure potential customers know you are thinking of them. The key to continuous follow up is to be genuine.
One way to subtly follow up without being a pain is to be on the lookout for articles or information that may be of interest to the potential customer. Clip it out and mail it or e-mail to them with a brief note letting them know you’re thinking of them. About one week later, give them a quick call to make sure they received the information.
Action item: Choose one prospect and send him or her an article of interest today. Make a note to follow up with a phone call in one week. Chances are you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the response. After all, you are providing something of value for nothing.
8) Don’t forget your friends and family.
When you’re running your own business, it’s easy to get caught up in day to day operations. It’s also easy to forget some of our best references and (possibly even clients) are our friends and family. Be sure to keep in touch and let them know what you’re trying to accomplish.
I was recently visiting a childhood friend, Karen. We’ve been friends since we were fiv
Marketing message x Credibility x Visibility = Marketing SuccessThese three variables, when working positively together, create success. Period. But determining how to get those variables to work together is the trick.Your marketing message isn’t a static entity. It can have a high or low impact on your customers. There are numerous factors at work. Often times, it’s your message that needs tweaking. Fortunately, making changes to your message is easy and very cost-effective. For instance: you may already have a website. Simply changing the headline on the home page can make a big difference.Improving your credibility is a little more elusive. Genuine credibility is earned over time through word-of-mouth, actual customer experience and subjective judgment. However, good writing and design in your marketing materials can do wonders for establishing and maintaining credibility. It reiterates that you are a quality company through the subtle statement of the quality of your communications.Lastly, visibility is how many people will see your message. Fact is you could have a great message and credibility, but if few people see you or know you, what good is it?It’s highly important to have all three variables working positively for you at the same time. If you’re doing well on two and
Action item: Consider offering brief complimentary consultations to evaluate if you are a good fit with a potential customer.
4) Can’t assist? Try to provide a referral source.
Let’s face it. There will be customers you cannot help because their needs don’t fall within the scope of the services you provide. It’s a given. There will also be customers you don’t want to work with (which is why the initial consultation is so important). Regardless of why you won’t be working together, provide a reference to someone else who might be able to help if you can. This simple gesture continues to position you in a place of value.
Often if I have an initial consultation and find they need services I don’t provide (or if we are simply not a good fit), I keep a list of contacts handy so I can refer them elsewhere. I try to provide at least three contacts so they have a variety of providers to choose from. Yes, I even refer to other writers and consultants. I have found this actually helps rather than hurts business. I believe there is enough business to go around.
Action item: Develop a list of referral sources you can provide as added value to customers you can’t assist.
5) Collect and share business cards.
This may seem simple but oftentimes even network savvy people forget to gather business cards. Make sure to have a supply of your own cards on hand and trade cards with contacts you meet. It’s a good idea to make specific notes for future recall on the back of the cards you collect.
For example, I recently met an investment broker. So I would remember our conversation, I discreetly made notes on the back of his business card when
we were done speaking. I also noted he was an avid golfer. Now when I pull up his card, it jogs my memory about our conversation. You never know when the information might come in handy.
Action item: Make sure you have your own business cards on hand at all times. Start collecting cards when networking and noting possible projects and interests on the back of business cards. Consider creating notes in a “tickler file” if the cards are two sided leaving no room for notes. Staple your notes to the card itself.
6) Remember to follow up.
It’s the easiest yet most neglected step of networking. Many people miss out on future opportunities by simply not following up on leads.
Make it a habit to put aside time after a networking event to follow up with your new prospects. Once you get used to this step, it will become second nature. Enter their contact information in whatever filing system or software program (ACT or e-mail) you use. Now you can choose to send a quick email letting them know how much you enjoyed meeting them and/or send a handwritten note (include some additional business cards). Even if a person isn’t interested in your services right now, you want them to keep you in mind for future projects or referrals.
Action item: Take a moment to follow up with a prospect today. The time it takes to write a note and the small investment of a stamp could pay off mutually in the future.
7)Continue to follow up.
While you don’t want to inundate people with unwanted contacts, you do want to make sure potential customers know you are thinking of them. The key to continuous follow up is to be genuine.
One way to subtly follow up without being a pain is to be on the lookout for articles or information that may be of interest to the potential customer. Clip it out and mail it or e-mail to them with a brief note letting them know you’re thinking of them. About one week later, give them a quick call to make sure they received the information.
Action item: Choose one prospect and send him or her an article of interest today. Make a note to follow up with a phone call in one week. Chances are you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the response. After all, you are providing something of value for nothing.
8) Don’t forget your friends and family.
When you’re running your own business, it’s easy to get caught up in day to day operations. It’s also easy to forget some of our best references and (possibly even clients) are our friends and family. Be sure to keep in touch and let them know what you’re trying to accomplish.
I was recently visiting a childhood friend, Karen. We’ve been friends since we were fiv
People who talk about doing something, yet take no action end up frustrated. They have a tremendous idea, it germinates, and is fertilized a little bit. In the end; it dies. Why did it die? The "art" of taking action was probably not understood. To build a successful business you must learn to take action. It is really a simple concept; however, it is not easy to accomplish.Fear is the biggest enemy. Fear paralyzes so many people. It robs them from the success they should be enjoying. It is much easier to "play it safe" and not take the next step. Taking the next step requires action and the willingness to accept failure. Failing to take action day after day will ensure that the business will not succeed.I learned the hard way. I thought success was inevitable - if I only took the initial step. Once I beat the insecurities that lurked around the monster, fear, I took action. I fully expected success to follow.It eluded me.I became frustrated and stopped taking any more steps forward. I became paralyzed now by a feeling of failure.Why would I expect that taking the first step would ensure success? Nobody ever taught me that. Did anyone ever really teach me that "slow and steady wins the race?" Well, yeah they did, but I wasn't really listening.I didn't understand what taki
5) Collect and share business cards.
This may seem simple but oftentimes even network savvy people forget to gather business cards. Make sure to have a supply of your own cards on hand and trade cards with contacts you meet. It’s a good idea to make specific notes for future recall on the back of the cards you collect.
For example, I recently met an investment broker. So I would remember our conversation, I discreetly made notes on the back of his business card when
we were done speaking. I also noted he was an avid golfer. Now when I pull up his card, it jogs my memory about our conversation. You never know when the information might come in handy.
Action item: Make sure you have your own business cards on hand at all times. Start collecting cards when networking and noting possible projects and interests on the back of business cards. Consider creating notes in a “tickler file” if the cards are two sided leaving no room for notes. Staple your notes to the card itself.
6) Remember to follow up.
It’s the easiest yet most neglected step of networking. Many people miss out on future opportunities by simply not following up on leads.
Make it a habit to put aside time after a networking event to follow up with your new prospects. Once you get used to this step, it will become second nature. Enter their contact information in whatever filing system or software program (ACT or e-mail) you use. Now you can choose to send a quick email letting them know how much you enjoyed meeting them and/or send a handwritten note (include some additional business cards). Even if a person isn’t interested in your services right now, you want them to keep you in mind for future projects or referrals.
Action item: Take a moment to follow up with a prospect today. The time it takes to write a note and the small investment of a stamp could pay off mutually in the future.
7)Continue to follow up.
While you don’t want to inundate people with unwanted contacts, you do want to make sure potential customers know you are thinking of them. The key to continuous follow up is to be genuine.
One way to subtly follow up without being a pain is to be on the lookout for articles or information that may be of interest to the potential customer. Clip it out and mail it or e-mail to them with a brief note letting them know you’re thinking of them. About one week later, give them a quick call to make sure they received the information.
Action item: Choose one prospect and send him or her an article of interest today. Make a note to follow up with a phone call in one week. Chances are you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the response. After all, you are providing something of value for nothing.
8) Don’t forget your friends and family.
When you’re running your own business, it’s easy to get caught up in day to day operations. It’s also easy to forget some of our best references and (possibly even clients) are our friends and family. Be sure to keep in touch and let them know what you’re trying to accomplish.
I was recently visiting a childhood friend, Karen. We’ve been friends since we were fiv
Mystery shoppers are people who are hired to scrutinize employees, products and customer services of any organization. The benefits that they get from mystery shopping are:They enjoy doing a job that's fun and frolic.Mystery shoppers shop because they enjoy doing that. Mystery shoppers visit not just the stores but the restaurants and hotels too. They are supposed to evaluate products like food, drinks, spa and gym. It's obvious that they have to use the products in order to assess them. They get their money that they had spent on eating, back. To top it all they get some bucks for doing this job. Quite often, they get free meals in restaurants and free stay in hotel suites. This is really “hitting two birds with one stone.”Acting attracts themActing gives them an all time high. They even get paid for it. What more could they ask for? They get to shop in the department stores with the hidden camera. They pretend to buy stuffs and simultaneously catch the persuasive talks of the salesmen on camera. Sometimes they even color their hair and shave their beard or mustache to mingle with the shoppers. They do such funny and adventurous things to conceal their identity.They can get engaged in secret shopping at any point of timeMystery shopping is open for people of all age and
Action item: Take a moment to follow up with a prospect today. The time it takes to write a note and the small investment of a stamp could pay off mutually in the future.
7)Continue to follow up.
While you don’t want to inundate people with unwanted contacts, you do want to make sure potential customers know you are thinking of them. The key to continuous follow up is to be genuine.
One way to subtly follow up without being a pain is to be on the lookout for articles or information that may be of interest to the potential customer. Clip it out and mail it or e-mail to them with a brief note letting them know you’re thinking of them. About one week later, give them a quick call to make sure they received the information.
Action item: Choose one prospect and send him or her an article of interest today. Make a note to follow up with a phone call in one week. Chances are you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the response. After all, you are providing something of value for nothing.
8) Don’t forget your friends and family.
When you’re running your own business, it’s easy to get caught up in day to day operations. It’s also easy to forget some of our best references and (possibly even clients) are our friends and family. Be sure to keep in touch and let them know what you’re trying to accomplish.
I was recently visiting a childhood friend, Karen. We’ve been friends since we were five years old. Though we keep in touch via e-mail and letters we only see each other every few years because we live in different states. Over dinner, I learned that Karen is in the initial stages of planning a new business venture. I was able to share more about my own business and we found that we’ll be able to help each other. Karen needed resources for completing a business plan as well as help with marketing ideas. While she knew that I was doing freelance writing projects, she didn’t know that marketing and advertising plans are one of my specialties.
Action item: Never assume that everyone knows and understands what you are doing. Make a list of friends and family who may not be aware of what you do professionally. Send them a personal note along with business cards to ask for their help in prospecting. They could inadvertently become your top sales people.
9) Always thank your contacts for referrals and projects.
One of the first things we’re taught as children is to say “please” and “thank you.” Oddly enough it’s one of the first things that many business people forget.
It’s easy to fall into the mindset you are providing a valuable service and doing the work itself is enough. This is simply not true. People need to feel appreciated and valued when you let them know they are appreciated and valued. Continue to build relationships even after the sale by sending thank you cards and / or gifts. A little kindness will go a long way. Also, don’t forget to thank those who have done work for you.
Action item: Recall someone you have worked with lately you haven’t thanked. Then follow up right away.
Bonus Item: Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to invest in yourself and your business. In the spirit of offering more than is expected here is a final networking tip.
Join organizations that help you connect with likeminded people who want to succeed. You can visit www.yahoogroups.com to find these types of groups. Or do a search using www.google.com for areas of interest. Check out professional business groups you are eligible for locally. Chambers of Commerce are often a great source for networking. (If you’re a writer I can highly recommend the National Association of Women Writers. Click here to learn more www.naww.org. I have to say, as someone who POWERFULLY communicates business messages to get results, this organization has been an invaluable networking tool.)
Action item: Make a list of organizations you can join to help grow your business. Choose one to join today!
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