In a networking group, you should talk about more than just business. A referral relationship is more than just, “I do business, you do business, let’s do business.” A much better approach is to find common ground on a personal level, then relate your business to it.
The longer I’ve been involved in networking, the more I’ve seen the power of personal interests in making connections. Networking is about building personal relationships. If you remove the personal from the equation, you limit the amount of business that can happen.
In one networking group I worked with, I introduced an exercise called the GAINS Exchange, in which people share personal and professional information about themselves. Two of the participants in this group had known each other for more than a year but had never done business. During the exercise, they discovered they both coached their sons’ soccer teams. They quickly became close friends and were soon helping each other conduct soccer practices. After a few months, they began referring business to each other–two guys who had barely spoken to each other the first year because they seemed to have so little in common.
By finding a common interest and starting with that, we can make connections that have a very good chance of turning into business. Try this strategy out for a while and then come back and leave a comment to let me know what your experiences have been – I’d love to hear about them!
Contributed to Entrepreneur.com by Dr. Ivan Misner of BNI
Do you consider yourself to be an experienced networker? Are you a fixture at all the local networking events, yet you’re not receiving the amount of referrals you’re hoping for, if any at all? Are you struggling to manage the network you are out there creating? Are you getting tired of the time and money investment you are making into your networking, without getting a return?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, I invite you to listen in on this exclusive interview with a superstar referral marketing guru, as he reveals the little known system, that most of the top networkers are coming to find and implement to immediately explode their network and their referrals.
Click on the audio cd image to the right to listen, and if you have any questions at all, or would like to see the system in action with no obligation whatsoever, just give Todd a call at 732-674-6572.
Twitter itself is pretty simple, but as the site continues to boom in popularity, 3rd party sites/tools are popping up like kudzu in the South. And many offer a great deal of potential for helping you tap into the networking ability of Twitter.
With the economy as bad as it is, many of us need all the help we can get in putting us in contact with people that can help us grow our businesses. Here’s some sites/tools I’ve noticed recently that help you utilize Twitter to its fullest as a networking tool:
Twitter Local – TL is a 3rd party client that lets you see tweets from Twitter users based on location. This is also great to cover a breaking news event in a certain location.
Get Marketing with the Pros and see immediate results
Twellow – Twellow shows you Twitter users organized by their industry. This also helps you answer the ‘who should I follow on Twitter?’ question. Read the rest of this entry
What the heck is a Tweet? And how can it help me with my business networking?
Well… a ‘tweet’ is a 140 character (or less) message on Twitter.com which basically answers the 1st question most people ask when calling someone on the phone: “What Are You Doing?“.
At first, many people think it’s a trivial concept. I mean, who cares if someone is ‘making oatmeal for the kids’, or ‘putting files in briefcase ‘cuz late for work yet again’, or ‘tired and getting ready for bed’…
But when you look a little more closely, you’ll soon realize it is an amazingly powerful concept. Not only in business, be it online or offline, but in many many ways, people around the world are benefitting from Twitter.
Do you think Facebook, the social networking GIANT, would offer $500 million to buy Twitter if there wasn’t tremendous value behind the brand and their platform? That, in and of itself warrants further research, wouldn’t you agree?
Watch the Common Craft video to see what Twitter is in Plain English:
Follow me on Twitter to see what I’m up to and to get the inside scoop on some networking articles, videos, and tips: My Twitter Profile
Comment on this article if you have any thoughts about Twitter and how you may be now, or envision yourself using it.
We know that marketing to existing clients returns at least five times more bottom-line profit than the same dollar spent on marketing to acquire new clients. It just makes sense to take excellent care of current clients. Keep in constant touch with them and let them know you care. If you don’t, your competitor will. Below are ten tips — ideas to help you creatively stay connected with your current clients and turn them into loyal fans.
1. Besides your regular newsletters, send letters and emails. Share something that will be of genuine value to them (books, articles, information and/or appropriate networking opportunities). Knowing and keeping in mind what they are passionate about will help you to be effective at this.
2. Call them sometimes with no sales agenda, just to see how they’re doing. Maybe ask if they have any needs you could help with.
3. Occasionally, arrange to meet in person. Ask questions and listen, and always give your undivided attention. Remember to turn off your cell phone. Make them feel important and special.
4. Make an effort to understand your clients’ needs and introduce them to others who could be of help to them.
Well, this is a question I see popping up a lot lately. My answer to put it bluntly is NO.
Is Social Networking very cool? Absolutely! Is it effective? Most certainly. Will it replace all forms of traditional ‘real world’ networking? Not even close.
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Networking in general, be it online, offline, or any other place, is all about(yes you may have seen me blog about this once or twice before ) RELATIONSHIPS.
No matter what approach you take to initially making connections with people, what’s of critical importance is that you find an effective way to build on that initial contact.
Blogging For Business can be Powerful for connecting with your target audience and building relationships. Are You Ready To Unleash The Power Of Blogs in Your Business?
It’s been simmering below the surface for years and now this power shift has finally boiled over into simultaneous national recognition. Like Goliath being slain with a lowly slingshot, the mainstream media (in the form of Dan Rather) came to the undeniable realization that they were no longer in control of information.
Within 30-minutes of that now infamous TV special on “60-Minutes II” broadcast bloggers were digging into the facts and questioning the validity of what had just been presented by the 42-year broadcast veteran. In less than one week, CBS admitted it could “no longer vouch” for the memos. And just weeks after the election, Rather announced his retirement and the blogosphere won another victory.
No matter what your political affiliation is, this incident is one very public example of the power of blogging. Blogging is quickly… Read the rest of this entry
Excellent customer service is virtually a necessity in today’s competition fierce business environment. As a product, service or solutions provider, you need to meet or EXCEED customer expectations… Do you?
In today’s world, relationships are more important than ever with your client base. You MUST make an impression. You MUST do your very best to be remembered. Keep in mind, that doesn’t have to mean some grandiose gesture. The little things really count. This is vital if you are looking for more repeat or referral business.
Learn a quick lesson from Frank the cab driver in the video below. Then go to the smart referral system to see the system he uses to make the lasting impression that you know you NEED to be making as well.
You can find more about Shep Hyken at his website.
Chris Brogan had a post on his blog last week called “Social in Real Space vs Social Networking”. This theme seems to be popping up a lot lately, and what I love about blogs, bloggers, and the blogosphere is that each of us is allowed and encouraged to continue the discussion on a variety of topics. His post is great, as it talks about how one can leverage their on-line networking activities with their in-person meet and greets. Read the rest of this entry
Why is asking for referrals so hard to do sometimes? After all, word of mouth is the most effective form of advertising, so why do we jeopardize our own efforts by hesitating to talk about them? It’s almost like a dirty deed that we fear will make us look like aggressive salespeople rather than seasoned professionals.
Asking For Referrals Demonstrates the Following Important Elements:
1. Your Level of Confident Professionalism. The opposite is actually the truth. By not discussing, you are not showing the level of confidence required to build a successful business. While some people will be so impressed with what you do they will feel compelled to tell others, there are people that won’t be sure if you are receptive to new clients. How will they know you are open to referrals unless you start asking for referrals? Read the rest of this entry
Well… a ‘tweet’ is a 140 character (or less) message on 
We know that marketing to existing clients returns at least five times more bottom-line profit than the same dollar spent on marketing to acquire new clients. It just makes sense to take excellent care of current clients. Keep in constant touch with them and let them know you care. If you don’t, your competitor will. Below are ten tips — ideas to help you creatively stay connected with your current clients and turn them into loyal fans.
.
) RELATIONSHIPS.
