Getting More Out of Networking

People often ask my advice about networking – where are the best groups, how can I get leads immediately, who should I talk to and so on?  The more that I network the more I realize that networking is all about making friends.  I have developed some fabulous business relationships from folks that on my initial meeting I did not see as potential clients.  They seemed to be moving down the right track with their business and their lives were balanced and healthy.  But once I made friends with them, they turned into clients because they learned something about what I do that could make a difference to their business or personal life.  If I had come in and out of a group like a bandit – I would have completely lost a friend and a new business.

I believe that the key to great networking is picking some great groups and developing great relationships.  These folks who have the attitude that if they just show up a few times they will make a few sales and move onto the next group will never develop a network of business contacts.  My favorite questions come from those who tell me they visited a group and “didn’t get anything out of it, so they didn’t go back”  Networking is not always about “getting something out of it”, it is not about new business as much as it is about meeting people and helping them first.

To truly get more out of networking one must put something in first.  “Givers always gain” is not just a nice thing to say, it should be a motto to live by for someone truly serious about building one’s business with friends.

Industry Expert?

Many marketing professionals will give their clients the advice that they should become an “industry expert” in what they do.  This makes them the “go-to” person for their niche and can attract clients to themselves.  For the most part I do agree with this idea, but I also want to caution people to make sure they are indeed the “industry expert” at what they do.  Don’t label yourself as something that, given the perfect storm, could reveal the cracks in your expert armor.  In other words, this is not an area where you want to “fake it ’til you make it”.

Whatever it is that you do, if you are going to be the expert you better be able to back that up.  Get good at something before you say you are an expert.  I was reminded of this when I was examining the credentials of a “business coach” I met not too long ago at a networking meeting.  This person was “talking the talk” but when I looked closer she neither had business experience nor the education required to give sound business advice.   She had simply figured out that if she told people how she managed to get clients that she was now a “business expert”.  There are lots of people like that, and all of us need to be very careful of these folks.

I have another friend who is an Action Coach.  He has spent most of his career in high ranking positions in large companies, making them a lot of money.  His educational background is impeccable.  He IS a business coach while the gal at the networking group is simply “faking it”.

Whatever your area of expertise, make sure you really are an expert before you start branding yourself as such.  Becoming an industry expert in a specific area is a great way to brand your business and attract clients, but be honest with your clients and make sure you are what you say you are.

Keep Moving and Follow the Plan

One of the most difficult things to do in small business is keep the momentum going.  Because small business, direct sales or multi-level marketing can be very energy draining, it is hard to keep going and to stay focused on the end result.

Everyone should have their business and marketing plans written out, preferably at the beginning of each year.  This can seem like a daunting task but is vitally important for consistent growth.  This document helps to focus your efforts and determine what works and what needs to be tweaked. If you don’t have one for your business their is not time like the present to work on one.

I realized the other day that it can also serve as encouragement to keep going.  I was feeling a little tired of working hard and feeling like I was not making any progress.  I always find summer a little more challenging because people are often going in many different directions, taking a vacation, looking after children home from school, doing sports camps etc.  This takes their mind off their business and therefore often slows down mine.  I decided to take a look at my “plan” and was delighted to find that I was right on track for both sales and new clients.  Additionally, I have added another business to my daily focus and was able to flesh out how to build that more efficiently.  If I did not have the plan, I would have nothing by which to measure my efforts.  From all of that I was encouraged to keep moving and follow the plan.

From time-to-time we all need to stop and take stock our our efforts.  Sometimes the things we are doing need to be changed a little.  Sometimes we just need to keep doing what we are doing and we will see results.

So how is your plan going?  It’s a good time to take a look!

The Elevator Speech

We all know that we are supposed to be ready to tell people about our product or service at a moment’s notice.  Appropriately named “the elevator speech” because we are supposed to be able to tell someone what we do in the time it takes us to ride in an elevator with them.  We give them the line, and hand them our card and hopefully we are able to peak their attention enough in 30 seconds to make them call us.  Easy to say, hard to do!

There are many people out there ready to help us craft that message, and pretty much everyone has a method they like to use.  As a student of human nature, I realize that the only thing that really works is to give someone a piece of information that explains what they get from doing business with me.  Since most of us really aren’t interested in anything unless we need it, (the what’s in it for me factor) the best way to get someone’s attention is by meeting a need.  Now obviously we can’t meet every need, but if we can explain that what we do meets one or two specific needs, and if the listener has one of those needs, you have made a connection and they will want to hear more.

So how to your craft your speech to meet a need.   I start by thinking about the one or two most important needs that I fill for the clients in my target audience.  In my case I would say something like, “I coach my clients in the art of attracting and keeping clients in their business, by showing them how to brand themselves and create connections.”  Everyone wants new clients and everyone wants to keep them, now I have their interest.

So what do you do for people?  Figure out the biggest benefit someone gets from your product and service and turn that information into a targeted “elevator speech”.

What are You Selling?

My father-in-law used to buy a new Ford car every few years.  He would go to the same Ford dealership, and deal with the same salesman every time.  This relationship went on for decades.  This is a a salesman’s dream, to have loyal customers coming back and telling their friends to do the same.

Now was Dad getting a good deal in reality?  Maybe.  Was it a better deal that he could get from anyone else in the dealership, probably not.  But that salesman was Dad’s guy.  They had a relationship and it worked for many years.  They knew each other by name, visited about family stuff and over the years, developed an understanding about what it would take to move a car off the lot. As the years went by, this same salesman sold a new car to each of Dad’s four sons.  Why?  Because of the relationship that was long-standing and was based on trust and integrity.

When the salesman retired, Dad tried to deal at the dealership again and he ended up going elsewhere to find his cars.  Why?  Because he had developed a “relationship” with his salesman and without him there, Dad no longer felt like he was getting a “good deal”.

So what was my father-in-law really buying?  Was it a Ford car?  Not really because Dad bought different brands of cars after his salesman retired.  Was it the deal?  No, because he was always able to get a satisfactory deal on other cars.  What Dad was really buying was the relationship.  So what are you selling?

Whatever your business is, you have customers and clients that are receiving a product or service.  And although the money for those items is nice, if you want them to keep coming back, you had better be selling YOU.  A good salesperson can sell anything, but a great salesperson sells themselves first, and has customers for life.  If you are willing to invest time and interest in your clients, you will never lack for a sale.  What are you selling?

Begin With the End In Mind

Beginning with the end in mind is one of Steven Covey’s habits for success, habit number two I believe.  It sounds so impressive but I wonder how many of us actually try to think of the outcome when we start our sales process.  Let’s face it, we just want to make a sale right?  Well yes, but that’s not all we want.

Take my service for instance, when someone hands me a check for four or eight hours of coaching, I want them to be excited at the prospect of change in their lives and their business.  I want them to walk away knowing that whatever they are trying to overcome, just got a little easier.  That purchase should be a positive emotional experience for my new client.  They should want to get started yesterday and see results.  I don’t want them to walk away wishing this will work, I want them to walk away knowing it will work.  Why?  Because that’s how they will experience the change they are seeking.  You see my “end in mind” is a happy client with a changed life or business.  I want them to love me in the morning!

So are the people you sell your products and services to happy they met you, or do they cross the street when they see you coming?  If you answered the latter, then you need to check your sales process.  Beginning with the end in mind in sales means you have a vision of how your client will respond and feel at the end of the process.  Thinking in these terms can also help you close a sale, a problem that many sales people have.  If you see your client or customer as happy at the end of the process, you will make that process interesting and inviting and you close with, “will that be cash or charge?” they will be excited.  Just kidding, don’t ever do that!

Beginning with the end in mind works on so many levels in life, but it is especially good in sales, so start thinking about your process and find ways to help your customer be the winner at the end of the road.  If you do, you will have them lining up to meet you.