September 23, 2008
Networking is a popular buzzword these days. Every blogger seems to be talking about Networking, Buzz Marketing and Word of Mouth Marketing. However, not many of them seem to be presenting specific strategies for making the most of local networking groups. This is why I decided to write this article.
There are a variety of organizations that run networking groups across the country. The largest group is probably BNI, which offers members the chance to attend weekly meetings and develop new professional relationships to help them grow their business. some chambers of commerce are now organizing “leads groups” for their members as well. These groups are intended to offer members a way to connect with each other and potentially refer each other business.
In most “leads groups” each group allows no more then one representative from any industry, so if the group has a mortgage broker other mortgage brokers have to join another group or wait for the seat to open up. The idea is that by restricting membership, you eliminate competition within the group.
The agenda at most structured networking meetings is pretty straightforward. Each member is given an opportunity to introduce themselves, then there is a short presentation by one or two members (each member gets the chance eventually). The meeting ends with members discussing potential referrals for each other. This means that most of the members get about one minute to present who they are and teach the other members of the group how to refer to them.
Most people do a great job of presenting themselves. However, most people do not think to ask for referrals. At most networking events, you are not expected to ask for a referral or explain what a good referral for you is. However, at a leads group it is not only acceptable, it is expected!
I am involved in a number of networking groups and have used the simple outline below to create my elevator pitch (quick introduction). When I deliver my elevator pitch to a leads group, my goal is to educate everyone in the room about my company and what I do, as well as to teach them the best way to refer others to me. In addition, I want to make sure I actually ask for a specific referral. I will go through each piece of the outline in detail, but here are the basics.
* Introduction
o Name
o Position + company name
o Location of the company
o Overview of services
* Tell a story
* Call to action
The introduction piece of your presentation should stay the same every time you give it. You might say something like, “My name is Joe Smith. I am mortgage broker at ABC mortgages in Anytown, USA. We offer a full line of residential and commercial mortgage products.” You can add some additional detail, but you should really focus on keeping this short and on point.
At each meeting, you will have the chance to differentiate yourself from the competition by telling a short story during your presentation. The story can be related to a specific challenge you helped a client overcome, a unique feature of your product or service, or you can simply talk about a new development at your company. Consider writing out your stories in advance so you know what you are going to say at each meeting. In addition, you can schedule the content so that the other members of your group learn more and more about you at each meeting. You need to focus on educating your group a little more each week.
The “call to action” is very important and the piece that most people overlook. You need to tell the other members of your group exactly what type of referral you are looking for. For example, our mortgage broker, Joe Smith, might say, “Today a good referral for me would be a Realtor at XYZ real estate company.” Joe may also say, “Today a good referral for me would be anyone who purchased their home more then 10 years ago.”
I alway recommend that your “call to action” is as specific as possible. If Joe stands up and says that a good referral would be anyone who needs a mortgage, the rest of the group will have a harder time thinking of people to refer. If Joe asks for an introduction to a specific person at a specific company, someone in the group may know that person or know someone at that company who can facilitate Joe’s introduction. The more specific the request, the more likely it is to trigger someone else in the group’s memory.
A last minute hint:
Keep focused on the networks of the people in the group, not on the people themselves. In other words, when you are participating in a networking or leads group, you should not focus on gaining the business of the people at the table. Instead, you should focus on gaining their trust so that they will refer you people in their network.
— ABOUT THE AUTHOR —
More information about Stephen can be found on his blog at stephenlabuda.com. Stephen is also a frequent contributor and consultant to SalesBrief.com, where you can find tons of articles to help you sell more now!
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September 19, 2008
If you are a new business just starting out into the world of contract cleaning then your immediate aim is to gather as many new customers as you can and constantly grow the business. The initial stages are hard and it is difficult to gain those first few customers. How gain you gain a foothold in this highly competitive market? Many of the marketing strategies you might employ have been explained in previous articles. One area that was not explored in these articles was networking.
As a new business you will probably receive a number of invitations to go along to various local networking organisations meetings. At these they will no doubt try and impress upon you the huge benefits to be gained by networking. You will also be told how much business was generated for its members over a period of time. All will seem very impressive and like myself you may very well be impressed enough to join the weekly breakfast or luncheon meetings. This could cost you anything up to £500 a year to be a member plus the cost of the meal or maybe as little as the cost of the meal. Some of the internet networking organisations charge a small monthly fee and then organise monthly local meetings.
When I started out into the field of commercial cleaning I was willing to try anything that might generate business so I joined a number of these organisations. So how successful was this as a means of expanding my business?
I did in fact persevere with some of these breakfast meetings for a whole year, having paid the yearly subscription it was in fact something of a necessity. However it does not take long to realise that the people who attend these meetings are not in fact your likely customers. Many of the individuals who attend networking meetings are just starting out in their business and are operating as sole traders working from home and not in any way, shape or form likely to be your potential customers. Others are well established but still operate as single entities such as business coaches and have no office as such. Others may be proprietors of shops just starting out and these are potential customers.
However you as a contract cleaning company are looking to clean offices and office complexes and these are inhabited by well established companies who do not by and large participate in local networking groups. So you are not going to come in contact with the group who are going to provide the more lucrative cleaning contracts.
I can look back on my time with these networking groups as a learning experience and we probably just about recouped our membership fees. Other than that very little long term benefit was derived from the experience. Networking it would seem from my own experience is not a path I would necessarily recommend to the start up cleaning business. Use that time period to utilise other marketing techniques which are more useful to the cleaning business entrepreneur. If you do fancy the idea of networking then you must target a different audience. That is the established businesses, and to do that you will need to join such organisations as the Chamber of Commerce where your networking will not be so overt and often done in a more sociable and relaxed atmosphere.
David Andrew Smith is the owner of http://www.wesparkle.co.uk a cleaning services company which operates over much of the UK.
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September 9, 2008
If you do a lot of networking then you know that if food is served it is a good time to throw out a few one liners, make eye contact with other guests and get some grub. However let me tell you a little secret about this. Sure get in the food line, but get in the back of the line not in the front with all the “free food free loaders” and carefully select only a few items even if you are hungry.
The best thing to do is to eat prior and not be such a pig a networking events sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce or other such civic group get togethers sponsored by service clubs, charities, political action committees or non-profits. I call this my: “Networking; The Dine and Dash Technique.”
First the people at the back of the line are your more influential people, they have been doing this party thing all their life and they are not interested in being first in line like a bunch of first graders. Indeed they also eat well, as they are successful and have seen a million shrimp plates and fancy food platters in their life.
Additionally, you can do a lot better when breaking the ice when you do not have food in your mouth and it is nearly impossible to hand someone a business card if they ask for one, while holding a drink and a napkin under it and a small paper plate of the latest and greatest treats of the hour.
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August 31, 2008
When you register or join an Internet marketing forum, you will be asked to choose a username. This username is used to identify you when you make a post on the forum.
If you haven’t registered on a particular forum yet, my advice is to use your ‘real name’ as your username.
It’s common practise for most people to use a weird ‘made up’ username on forums, but I think that’s a mistake. Every time you make a new post on a forum, it’s an opportunity to build up your name recognition amongst your target market.
Whether you have your own website now or in the future, people are more likely to buy your products, or those that you recommend if they already know you.
Think about it…are you more likely to buy something from a complete stranger, or someone you already know?
It’s obvious isn’t it?
You may have made a thousand posts on an Internet marketing forum, and be considered as someone who really knows their stuff and is worth learning from. However, all that trust and respect you’ve built up could mean nothing away from the forum, if people don’t know your real name.
I see so many forum posters contributing some great information, but I haven’t a clue who they really are. They are really losing out on a prime ‘name branding’ opportunity.
When someone visits your website for the first time, they are much more likely to buy your product, or click on your affiliate links, if they recognize your name. That’s why it’s important not to waste your forum posts, by hiding or forgetting to include your name with every post.
All Forum Signature Ads Are Not Created Equal
When you make a post on most marketing forums, you have the option of including an ad in your signature. If you have your own product, this provides you with an opportunity to promote it with every post you make. If you don’t have your own website yet, you can use this space to promote an affiliate program you recommend.
Again, this is where making your real name visible to people is going to really help you.
Consider this…
You see two forum posts with the exact same signature ad, ‘word-for-word’. Which ad are you more likely to click on?
1. The anonymous person with the obscure username.
2. The person using their ‘real name’ to identify themselves, and who seems willing to put their name behind what they are recommending.
If you already use a nickname on forums, you might want to consider signing off your post with your real name at the bottom.
Also, don’t make the mistake of assuming that because you’ve made a number of posts, everyone on the forum knows you. There are thousands of new people coming onto the Internet every day. They won’t know who you are or what you are about.
For those people, building up your name recognition with them, will often start with the last post you’ve just made. So make it a good one, and make sure they know who you are, by making your name visible to them.
Jason Lewis is the author of the highly acclaimed ‘Business Brainwaves’ Newsletter. Uncovering new business ideas and marketing strategies. Subscribe today, while it’s still free! New Business Ideas and Marketing Strategies
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August 28, 2008
Building Backlinks! There are several ways to build backlinks. We have discussed Directory Submissions, Article Submission, & Press Releases. The next simple easy and free way to get a back link as well as free traffic is the Forum Signature Tags.
Forums that do get indexed in the search engines create individual pages per thread. Your hyper linked signature tag is now a back link.
If you are a member of any forums throughout the Internet, fantastic. They are usually very informative and helpful. If you are not a member in any forum, find one that interests you and join.
Most Forums allow a user to add a signature tag line to their posts. Usually in the member’s area of most forums, you can edit, add and create a forum signature.
When creating your signature tag it is best to use your real name. Also use a hyper linked URL and briefly describe your service or product. An example of a good signature tag would be:
The Authors Name
“Your Product line description in less than 10 words”
www.yourwebsite.com
Your signature tag can also be an Alt text hyperlink to create a keyword target backlink.
For Example:
The Authors Name
” Your Product line description in less than 10 words”
This entire phrase would be a hyperlink.
Your Product line description in less than 10 words
Each post that you make in a forum is now a back link to your site. Remember though not to spam and that your behavior in a forum can be extremely profitable or detrimental based on your attitude.
When posting in a forum, remember that you are in a public arena. If you are helpful, courteous, friendly, kind and post intelligently you will get traffic from people clicking on your signature tag besides the backlink. If the above does not describe you, then maybe you should avoid the benefits of a hyper linked signature tag ?
Forums allow individuals to build trust and familiarity that is normally not present through the Internet. As trust grows, people will click on your signature tag and will purchase your product or service.
Edward Charkow is the webmaster for http://www.nichesitespecial.com and seotactics.info - reprint rights are granted as long as this resource box remains intact.
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