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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Networking - The Secret To Getting Referrals

I went to a breakfast meeting when I first started my business, and met a photographer who recommended me to an accountant who needed help with his newsletter. I wrote and designed newsletters for the accountant for a couple of years until the partnership broke up. He then recommended me to a telecoms company. I produced newsletters for them for nearly five years, until they downsized. Six months later, they recommended me to another telecoms company. A year later, the new owners of the business ordered a newsletter. The original accountant has also come back for more work. All because I went to one breakfast meeting, on one occasion!

That was lucky - you don't often get a referral the first time you meet someone. It's unlikely that someone who's just met you would say: "Ooh, good, you're just what I'm looking for, let me give you the money in my pocket or pass your details to my valued contacts".

More often, it takes time to build up the relationship, to generate the understanding in what you offer and what you're looking for, to develop the trust that you deliver what you promise, and to grow the goodwill that makes people like you and want to help you. Not everyone is ever understood, trusted AND liked to the same level.

The secret of getting referrals is to:

  1. Be friendly and nice so people like you
  2. Do a good job so clients recommend you
  3. Always turn up when you say you will so people trust that you won't let them (or their contacts) down
  4. Present yourself professionally so your confidence in yourself increases other people's confidence in you
  5. Make a contribution to the group (whether it's by giving referrals, or joining the committee, or being the life-and-soul of every party) - as with anything, the more you put in, the more you get out
  6. Be memorable to impress people you meet, especially any influencers who are extremely well connected
  7. Communicate clearly so people know the kind of referrals you're looking for and how you can help
  8. Have a unique marketing message to stand out from your competitors (such as a catchy slogan summarising your USP)

To give referrals, you have to learn the trick of keeping your contacts in the front of your mind all the time, so that whenever a conversation arises where it's appropriate to recommend them, you can make the introduction on their behalf. You need to change your mindset from 'me, me, me' and recognise that you are part of a team, a group, a network. Eventually, your networking colleagues become friends, and of course we all refer our friends as easily as our friends would refer us.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackie_Barrie

Guerilla Networking at Holiday Parties

This time of year, our schedules are packed with business holiday parties. Many of us enjoy them, and many dread them.

For some, holiday parties have become a necessary evil. Not everyone enjoys interacting with coworkers on a social basis, yet the pressure to make an appearance is strong.

How can we transform our experience of the corporate holiday party from dread to enjoyment? With a little bit of planning.

First, think about your goals in the workplace. While the holiday party is not a place to conduct business, it's a perfect setting to build the foundation for a future move.

Are you hoping to get promoted this year? Maybe you'd like to make a lateral move into another department. Maybe you're sick of your company and are getting ready to make a professional leap.

Once you're clear on your professional goals, assess the players you'll meet at the parties on your calendar.

If you're looking for a promotion, it may benefit you to get noticed by senior management. It would also behoove you to make your boss happy. Think about ways you can make this happen.

For example, a well-placed comment to a senior exec about something your boss accomplished this year, ideally made in front of your boss. Be careful, though, as everyone can sniff out a brown-noser. You want to make sure your comments are timely, relevant and genuine.

If you're looking to jump ship, think about what other departments or companies may be represented at your parties. If they are entirely made up of your departmental coworkers, keep in mind that they have friends and family at other companies and in other departments. Make it your job to learn who they are. Begin to think about how you might build connections with those folks in a way that is casual yet useful.

If you're going to a mixer where you'll meet people from across multiple industries, think about which industries or job functions are most interesting to you. You don't have to be plotting an immediate move, but it will always benefit you to have contacts across multiple industries.

Do some research about the people and industries that will be represented at your party, then zero in on a few of them.

For example, if you've always been intrigued by start-ups and you know that several early-stage software companies will be represented at your upcoming party, investigate those companies and the products they're rolling out. Look for recent industry news about local players and deals.

The research you do prior to a holiday party can prime you for some useful conversations. Not only will you have a basis from which to ask useful questions about an industry that interests you, but you'll also be well-placed to build relationships with professionals who will likely think you're in touch with the world.

No matter what your goal or audience, the number one way to build relationships is to show interest in others. People love to be the center of attention. They love to be considered the expert, and enjoy being asked about their experiences and opinions.

If you're feeling bored at a holiday party, approach someone you don't know well and ask them about themselves (be careful not to ask questions that may be considered too personal or controversial in a business environment, like religion, politics or romantic relationships). At the very least, you'll build a relationship that will make the party more bearable. At most... well, the sky's the limit.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Miriam_Katz

How to Answer Your Prospects Questions With Confidence

Are you in some type of sales but don't like being pushing or defensive when your prospects ask you questions. This is very common for most of us in sales and even those of us that work from home who may or may not have had a traditional sales background. In this article we will discuss specifically a technique that I have used to personally market well over a million dollars worth of products from home. It's extremely simple, three key things are very important you have to have an incredible amount of integrity, be confident (integrity naturally helps with this) and don't talk too much.

First off you need to ensure that you have nothing to hide or are fearful that your client is going to find out something you don't want them to know. Just be real, legit and honest with people. Integrity still goes a long way with people. You will develop trust and build relationship with if you have an incredible amount of integrity. It begins first by not focusing on the outcome some will decide to work with you and some will not, so what! But if you can't create trust no one will work with you.

The second part that must be in place to execute this one technique is confidence. You have to be extremely confident to create confidence in your client or prospect. Integrity helps with this if you are honest and truthful then there is no "fear" that they may ask a difficult question or find out that one thing about your product/service on the internet. When you are confident it leads to increased trust and belief in you as a person. People like that and people will start to like you. Most people only buy something from people they normally like. We have all wanted a product or service and the salesman was a jerk or slimy and we walked or went else were. When you are not confident sometimes in answering question/objections you appear slimy unintentionally.

Third and final concept to utilize this one technique is not to talk too much. When a client or prospect has a question, an objection or ask for more information do not bombard them will all the facts and figures you know. They don't care what you know they care about that you care. Unintentionally we talk too much when someone ask a question. Often times it's with good intention we want our client to know everything they need to make a good decision. You should work to answer all questions precisely and to the point with as little words as possible. One way of knowing you have given enough information is just ask your client. Does that answer your question? As soon as they say yes you are finished stop giving more information it typically only leads to confusion and no one confused ever buys anything or makes a decision.

Ok now to understand the technique which I dubbed the "sandwich technique". First when a client ask a question you compliment the question, answer the question and then end with something good again. One example would be say you charge a membership for a website and the client says, " Ok it seems good so if I understand this correctly it's 69.95 a month and do I have to pay that every month"? Proper use of the "Sandwich Technique" is.

"Great question and I was concerned about the same thing when I saw this service. YES it is 69.95 a month every month. You can choose not to use the websites but at least at 69.95 a month your website and marketing system is taken care of without any additional work on your part. It's updated for us every year for free and if you choose to become an affiliate with it will become free after you refer 5 people to the website"

Stacy O'Quinn is a Christian Dad, Husband, Business Owner, Motivator and Business Developer. He currently focuses heavily on helping others create Six Figure Income from home. He's assisted several already and believes that the biggest key is being a real person and providing real guidance to a new person just starting up. He openly provides tips and techniques to anyone looking to work from home and he has a vision of creating 10 New Six Figure Income Earners.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stacy_O'quinn

Proud to Be a Networking Tart!

Through my own experience of growing my business through networking, I identified this ladder of success:

Me Me Me

Most people quite naturally join networking organisations to get business for themselves. They are in it for Me Me Me.

Team spirit

It took me a year to realise that's not how it works. Maybe I'm a bit slow, but it took me a whole year to learn how to carry the rest of my group members in the back of my head between meetings, so that when I fall into conversation about mortgages, for example, I can recommend my mortgage broker team-mate from the group.

Network the network

Having had that light bulb moment, it didn't take me long to move up to the next level. When you join a formal networking organisation, you usually join a whole network of groups. If your discipline doesn't clash with existing members, you can sometimes present your business at any group. Offer to substitute for an absent member and you even get your breakfast free, while extending your own network and seeing how another group functions.

Networking tart!

These are the people who belong to more than one networking organisation and accept just about every invitation they receive. Instead of knowing about 250 people, like average business owners do, they know 1,000 people or more. So who do you think gives and gets the most referrals? Well, it's not the Me Me Me people, that's for sure. When you're a Networking Tart, giving and getting referrals is easy! You become known as a hub of useful contacts, so people come to you to ask 'Do you know a good accountant' and you can say 'Hey, I know a great accountant', would you like his contact details?'

So where are you on this 'networking food chain'? And more importantly, where do you want to be? Like anything, the more you put in, the more you get out. So if you give referrals to people in the group, people will give referrals to you. If you belong to a group full of Me Me Me people, no-one will win much business and the group will surely fail. I recommend you shop around until you find a group with at least one networking tart, and you'll find you are soon connected with lots of new business opportunities.

Jackie Barrie is a copywriter, designer and marketeer who specialises in making complex information appear simple. She calls it 'writing without waffle'.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackie_Barrie

Networking Minute to Win It

I visited a networking group to advise certain members how to trigger more referrals in their 1-minute. After our conversation I compiled this article to summarise some of the ideas we discussed.

General

Remember you are briefing your 'sales team' to go out and find you suitable referrals each week - you are not asking for business from the people in the room (although that may happen as a by-product).

Structure

Top and tail your presentation with the same information each week, and vary the middle bit (the filling in the sandwich). Start with your name and company name and perhaps a 'tease' that gets attention. At the end, repeat your name and company name, with your catchprase or slogan as a memory hook.

Your ideal client

I find that many members are very good at describing what they do, but are not so good at asking for what they want. OK, all of us want clients that have big budgets, pay on time and don't mess us around! But requesting those clients doesn't make it easy for the people in the room to find you a referral. Instead, why not take one industry in turn from your existing client list, and ask for referrals to more of the same.

Synergies

You can also ask for referrals to people in the same industry as yourself - for example, as a copywriter it is always useful for me to meet other writers, graphic designers, web designers, printers, photographers, and others in the creative industry. Not because they will become clients of mine, but because we might have potential clients in common, I could add value to their service offering, and they could add value to mine. So who do you know that would be useful to have in your own network?

Be specific

A Facilities Manager was at a training session in Croydon, and he asked 'Who do you know that works in the Canon building in Wallington?' He knew they had an ugly old air conditioning system hanging out of their windows, and he knew he could offer them a better one. Someone in the room put up their hand, they had worked in that building for 15 years and still knew people there! The referral was made.

But do you think it would have worked if Steve had said 'Who do you know that needs new air conditioning?' or 'Who do you know that needs a facilities manager?' I know it's tempting to cover everything you do at every meeting, but if you ask for something specific, and change it every week, just see how the referrals roll in!

Trust and understanding

Testimonials and case studies sell you more powerfully than anything you can say about yourself. People love stories about people. So use your 1-minute to talk about what problem you solved for your client that week, what the solution was and what results you achieved for them. This technique gives the other members the confidence to refer you.

Be seen as an expert

How about sharing a weekly 'handy hint'? People learn something useful, it demonstrates your expertise and generates enormous amounts of goodwill.

Show don't tell

A picture tells a thousand words! So, if you have a product, then bring it along. Use a prop to demonstrate your service. Bring examples of work you have completed. This makes your presentation stand out from the rest, and visually demonstrates what you do.

Networking guru, Andy Lopata, tells the story of the IT expert who presented a red lacy bra and a can of oil and said, 'We provide support and maintenance!' He meets IT people all the time but has never forgotten her or her sales message!

Jackie Barrie is a copywriter, designer and marketeer who specialises in making complex information appear simple. She calls it 'writing without waffle'.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackie_Barrie

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Networking For Your Christian Business

The two powerful tools that help any business become successful is networking and leveraging. It is not unethical and it does not compromise either your faith or your business ethics. So as a Christian business owner, you can use these tools to help your business succeed.

Targeting your network

You are blessed. As a Christian business owner you have access to the best developed and powerful network of relationships that share the same value system. It is your very own personal network, built over mutual trust, often the same parish and church. Within this network you have your own centre of influence, comprising of people who know you well, who trust you. These are people who will prefer to buy from you and value your judgment. This is excellent for your business.

Make the relationship mutual

Remember, for succeeding in your business, you need to make your relationship mutual. This is not just excellent business sense, it is also ethical. These are people who trust you and purchase products and services from you. If you are benefiting from them, extend them the same favor. Healthy relationships are built on reciprocation. Your family can visit the dentist who buys from you and you can get your taxes done by a person who purchases from you.

Social Media Tools

Creating your own profile and networking using Facebook, Twitter and MySpace is an excellent way to do business. Sign up and make your profile. It is an excellent way of reconnecting with long lost friends and acquaintances. Moreover, often your renewed relationships will be beneficial for your business. This way you build both your personal as well as professional network. Social media tools give you another wonderful opportunity. You can use these tools to leverage and widen your social and business network. This in turn means a wider market for your goods.

However, you need to remember that there is a thin line dividing business and spamming. Be very careful. On social media sites you need to put business secondary and your interaction first. Otherwise you lose out a lot. People take offense and stop dealing with you altogether.

Use Forums

Here again as a Christian business owner, you have the advantage of becoming a member of a number of forums that have members of the shared faith and similar value system. You can join these forums, interact with fellow members and build your network. This often translates as greater traffic for your website and greater sales.

Create an effective, full proof follow up process

Have an efficient follow up system in place. You need to follow your referrals within the shortest possible time, so that you can reap the benefit. Your ideas should be clear and logical, your sales pitch convincing and it should not contravene your faith and your values. This will ensure that your customers will be comfortable dealing with you.

By following the steps outlined above, you can benefit from your Christian network to help you build your business in an efficient and responsible way.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Guy_Yancey

10 Business Networking Tips

Business Networking is the process of establishing a relationship with other business professionals and potential clients/customers that benefits all participating parties.

1. Remember that networking is about being genuine and authentic. The ultimate goal is to build solid relationships through trust.
2. Ask yourself what your goals are in participating in networking groups or meetings. You should join groups that will help you find what you're looking for. There are several types of meetings. Be careful when making your selections because some are learning based or volunteer driven as opposed to being focused directly on making business connections.
3. Have business cards and/or marketing material on hand. If you're at a networking meeting, the ultimate goal is to connect with people. Most people aren't going to remember your name or your company website. Always be in a position to hand out business cards or marketing material. Your material should stand out in a way that encourages the recipient to want to go on your website or call you to learn more.
4. Be on TIME. Perception is everything. If you want people to use your services or give you referrals it's key to make a good first impression. Being tardy can give others the impression that you are not prepared or that you're an amateur in the industry.
5. Ask open-ended questions during your networking conversations. This means questions that ask who, what, where, when, and how as opposed to those that can be answered with a simple yes or no. This form of questioning opens up the discussion for real communication and it shows that you are interested in what the other party has to say.
6. Become a good resource. When others feel that you are knowledgeable in your industry or field, they will come to you for advice and/or a request for services. Don't you feel more comfortable doing business with someone you feel is an expert in their field?
7. Know Your Business. In order to get referrals, you must first have a clear understanding of what you do that you can easily explain to others. You should be able to explain what makes your company different and how it benefits others. Know why they should choose you over the competitor.
8. Be able to articulate what you are looking for and how others may help you. If you want help or to build connections, you have to be able to explain what you're looking for.
9. React quickly and professionally to referrals. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them.
10. Don't be afraid to contact those you meet who may benefit from what you do and vice versa. Express that you enjoyed meeting them, and ask if you could get together and share ideas.

Trena Stubbs, owner of Apex Bizness Solutions has over 11 years of experience in the small business industry.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trena_Stubbs