Wouldn’t you really like to have a large sales force out there, ears to the ground, listening out for those telltale clues that say your potential customers are currently looking for exactly what you supply? Imagine having that facility backing up your normal marketing and advertising! This is no dream Working closely with a group of like-minded business people can help achieve exactly this, if you go about it in the right way.
Networking events are abundant, but they have to be used properly. How many people do you only see at these meetings a couple of times and then they disappear? Think about that for a moment. They may have a unique product or service, but how happy would you be to recommend their services to your best, most long standing customer, even if he were desperate for that product? You might perhaps half-heartedly mention having met someone who might be able to help, but you would be unlikely to give a convincing testimonial for such a person. On the other hand, if you had seen him regularly over a long period, learned to trust him, taken time to understand his business and got to know some of his satisfied clients, it might be a different story.
Networking must be the most misunderstood and under used tool available to business. Most new businesses see it as a quick and easy way to get their name around and give them a kick-start. They network furiously for a few months until the work starts to roll in then push it to one side as though it were a limited-life advertising medium.
The real benefits of networking don’t kick in until long after that. Do your job well, become known and trusted. Then all those people you meet regularly will think of you first when your product or service comes up in conversation and they will have no hesitation in introducing you to their best and most valued customer. Helping in this way is seen as enhancing their own value to their customer.
Ok, so you’re sold on networking. You go to every event around, meet lots of people unril you can’t walk down the street without someone stopping to say hello. But do they really know what you do?
Could you, in just a minute or so, give an interesting and enticing summary of your business and its benefits to your clients? That’s all the time you’ve got. Take any longer than that and you’ll bore the pants off them. Take time to practise what you want to say. Try saying it several different ways and test the reaction and results. Just like any advertising, your objective is to make people want to know more, perhaps to ask to meet you later for a more in depth discussion. Take their business card, store it on a contact management system with relevant information about their business and keep in touch. Remember, you may well be able to help someone else by offering a recommendation and enhance your own value. Why don’t you offer to get together with them to help you understand more about their business. They will at the same time learn more about yours? Having a greater depth of knowledge can help both parties identify opportunities for each other. But this doesn’t happen overnight. You will have to build trust too. Give them your business card. Never be without your business cards and always have more than enough. It’s surprising how many people seem to treat them as if they are rationed. Have plenty printed and distribute them freely.
Whilst on the subject of business cards, if I look through the file of cards given to me over the years, it is surprising how many are graphically superb (or graphically ghastly!) but fail miserably to tell me anything about the company the person claims to represent or the products it sells – sometimes not clues even to the business sector they work in. I always come home with a pocket full of cards collected during the day and sometimes I struggle to remember their business line after few hours, let alone a few months. Don’t keep your business a secret; make sure you at least give some clues to your services!
Networking, used effectively is a great sales tool but it can’t be used in isolation. Marketing to everyone you meet, following up efficiently, advertising, trade shows and mailshots all work. They must not be sacrificed but used to complement your networking activities.
Stick at it. Networking is for life, not just for Christmas!
Useful Resources:
AlloyCRM 2002
