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Increase Sales with these 12 Sales & Marketing Strategies – Idea #10 This is the 10th article in the series Increase Sales with these 12 Sales & Marketing Strategies. To read the orginal list of 12 strategies, click here . It's true that people like to do business with others they know and trust. Successful business owners understand that the old adage of, "It's not what you know…it's who you know," is so true in many cases. It's why business networking is so important. Why then, do I talk so often with business owners or salespeople who have no intelligent strategy for their business networking activities? This is especially true of new entrepreneurs who fall into the trap of attending too many events every week. They burn out and are not effective at developing strong relationships with the people they meet. Think about it: going to networking meetings and events takes a lot of time, energy and money. Why would you waste any of those precious resources going to networking events without a plan? For example, I was working with a client who was targeting retail and restaurant owners. However, he was only attending general networking meetings such as the Chamber of Commerce and small close-contact business referral groups (BNI). Don't misunderstand me – these are both excellent groups. When I suggested he attend, join, and become active in professional associations that support retail and restaurant owners, his networking activities became much more focused and worthwhile. Now he is becoming recognized in those associations as the trusted professional in their industry. He shows a genuine interest in their concerns and is an active member on the association committees. This is focused networking at its best. So, how do you determine which networking opportunities are best for you? Think about what your top 2 or 3 market niches are. Do you target specific industries? If so, research your local or regional association chapters for those industries. Most associations will allow you to attend one or two meetings prior to becoming an official member. Attend a meeting so you can see who is there and evaluate whether or not it's a good fit for your objectives. Another benefit of joining a professional association is that you can often acquire (either through membership dues or an additional fee) the contact information for all of the members. As you establish yourself as the visible industry expert who is active in the organization, your emails and other marketing communications will be more readily received and read (especially if you send valuable, industry-specific information that will help the members first). Of course, offering discounts or specials to association members is also another way to show your support and appreciation while building loyalty. As I said, networking via your local Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club or other broad business and service groups is fine. If this is truly your best networking opportunity, attend each event with a specific objective. Here are a few simple rules for effective networking: 1) Be interested - People think you are interesting if you show an interest in them and their business. Develop the gift of listening, not just the "gift of gab." 2) Make introductions - Introduce someone you just met to someone else at the event – let people know you see the value in making connections 3) Gather business cards - Ask people for their card and send them an email within 24 hours letting them know you enjoyed talking with them. Add their email to your newsletter list and make sure they know they can unsubscribe at any time. 4) Get involved - Don't just attend meetings. Join a committee or volunteer in some way so that you can get to know other members better. Get known as a leader and someone who manages responsibility well. Yes, it takes time, but it will only pay off with more business and loyalty from other members and their circles of influence. 5) Recruit others - Associations are only as strong as their members. Invite others in your community to join or invite existing members to become more involved. Some people think they are not needed or wanted for a particular role unless they are asked. 6) Give first! - Do not attend or join an organization and immediately ask for business from members. Give your time, your 'special offers' or offer your speaking and training services. Many organizations offer continuing education hours to their members and if your area of expertise is something that they can add to their educational calendar, it will benefit your business. 7) Create a networking plan - Determine how many hours you will devote each week or each month to your networking efforts. If you have other salespeople in your organization, coordinate your calendars to make sure you are intelligently networking for the company in as many places as possible. Make sure you are networking effectively and not just attending generic 'happy hours' that yield little or no business for you. If you create a plan for your weekly and monthly networking activity, you will eventually see great results. |