» referrals

Business Networking – Follow Up Is Not Stalking!

netfun5 — Mon, 17 May 2010 19:03:31 +0000

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What is the most important thing, in my opinion, you can do in sales and marketing?

Follow up!!

I’ll say it again, Follow Up!

Somewhere, somehow, sometime, you will get a lead for your business. It may be through the many different advertisements you put out or through your networking. It may be through a referral from an existing customer. It may be through your email campaigns or your Facebook ads or Google ads. It may be through Twitter or some other social network. It may be through your direct mail campaigns. No matter how you get them, leads have to be followed up on. Or with. So I don’t use perfect English here, so sue me.

Statistics show that most businesses follow up only once or twice. Maybe 3 times. And of course, people being as lazy or busy or distracted as they are, they don’t respond to those follow ups. It has been found that the company willing to follow up 6 or more times usually gets the response and the sale. And that’s the truth! Some may call it legalized stalking. Well, don’t forget you want to follow up, not bird dog, harass, harangue or smother. Nor do you want to lurk, ambush, slink, or skulk. Trench coats are not the uniform of the day. Business is hard work and follow up is one of the methods used to get sales. Follow up can be done in many different ways, just as advertising and marketing can be. One of the best methods besides phone calls is to send a greeting card or two. They can be set up to be sent automatically and someone else will do the printing, stuffing and mailing. You can send one for less than $1.00. If you would like to find out more, go to http://www.sendoutnow.com to try it out for FREE. Follow up is the most boring and frustrating part of the sales process and it’s very difficult not to take the non-responses as personal rejection and become discouraged and of course, give up. But once again, the one who perseveres gets the rewards.

You’ve got to be willing to do what most others won’t, and that’s follow up. Do it wisely. Do it consistently. And do it legally. But you gotta do it!

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I’d Rather Die Than Give A Speech

Steve — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 22:33:17 +0000

My wife Sara's popularity is growing on the speaking circuit. She talks mainly about business networking and associated topics. I must say that this is a GREAT WAY to become perceived as an authority on your area of expertise. And, as an added bonus, it puts you in touch with many more people at one time than the traditional networking one-on-one meetings. Granted, they only get to know you a little better and you don't get to find out what their lives and businesses are all about, but it is a "foot in the door" so to speak. What we like to do is gather the business cards of the audience to draw from for door prizes. Door prizes are generally our products or things we've bought at the store (or sometimes gifts that we've received but don't want) that we give away as drawing prizes. So now we have business cards, hopefully with email addresses or phone numbers that we can respond to by way of a Thank You For Attending Our Event, blah, blah, blah. This begins the personal relationships with those people who chose to come to our speaking event. Can you think of a better way to start personal relationships with small or large numbers of people?

"But…" you complain. "This means I have to speak in front of crowds."

Yes, you do.

"But…" you cry piteously. "I am terrified of speaking! I'd rather die than give a speech in front of a crowd. I might even pee in my pants!"

O.K. I hear you. This isn't for everyone, I'll give you that. But for most of us, that's no excuse. Now, no one's going to just throw you up in front of a crowd. First of all, you probably won't get invited to speak until you make it known that you A) want to and B) are capable. You won't want to until you feel you ARE capable. So how do you become capable?

First, you deliberately decide that you want to do this. As with anything else, you take one step at a time. And the best first step is to buy yourself a microphone and speaker and then set up on the sidewalk in front of your house. (HEY, I'M KIDDING HERE!) The best first step is to join a local Toastmasters club. They will teach you how easy it is in a step-by-step fashion and before you know it, you'll be totally comfortable speaking in front of 5 or 10 people. They will become your friends and supporters. That makes it even easier. Speaking in front of a group is to be regarded as telling stories in front of a group of friends you just haven't met yet. They don't want to see you fail – after all, they may have spent good money to listen to you. They don't want to get ripped off and you REALLY don't want them to feel that way. (By the way, always make sure there is a rear exit from wherever you're speaking. If you can afford a body guard, you might consider that as well.) Seriously, they would feel embarrassed for you, so do not think that the audience is out to be hostile towards you. And, you don't have to be perfect! Do you occasionally stumble when you are telling jokes and stuff to your real friends? Of course you do. We all do. That makes you seem genuine.

Secondly, get up in front of people every chance you get. It's called "stage time." The more stage time you get, the better and more relaxed you become. This is no overnight thing, folks. As I mentioned before, like anything else, it takes time.

Third, have FUN with it! It makes you feel powerful to have the crowd laughing at your quips, sitting on the edge of their seats with your stories, taking furious notes from your valuable information which you are SHARING with them for THEIR benefit. You are actually doing this to help people! That is the key!

Sara and I were in Toastmasters for about 2 years and loved it! Sara continued to become a Distinguished Toastmaster, which is the highest achievement you can get in the organization. I chose not to go that far, but I know how to give a good speech and I'm fairly comfortable doing so. Now, I can tell you stories about the times I've screwed up in front of a crowd here, but frankly, I don't have the time.

So…if you want to turbo charge your business networking, and possibly get a little cash on the side, you should consider public speaking related to your industry. And let me know when you do – I'd love to come listen to you and I don't heckle!

To your business success!

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After 2064 Years, What Have We Learned?

Steve — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:52:11 +0000

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."

Sound familiar? Who wrote this, do you suppose? It was Cicero in 55 B.C. Holy crap! 55 B.C.! See any parallels with our society and government? So if nothing changes after 2064 years, why are you worrying about the economy? About crime? About who's in office or who's going to be in office? Who cares about who's going to be voted off the island or lose the most weight? What difference does it make who is America's next top model or who wins the dance contest? Start paying attention to the choices you make in your own life. Begin to take action on the things you actually have control over instead of fussing about things that are out of your control.

Want to know what else hasn't changed? Business practices. With the global population increases, most companies still think that advertising is the key. It's not. Advertising may get them in the door, but what keeps them coming back is relationships. Statistics have shown that 60% or more of sales comes from REPEAT BUSINESS. And there is no repeat business if there is no relationship of some kind. Good relationships make the world go 'round. Bad relationships make the world go 'round. That's what life is all about. So how do you begin a relationship? How do you grow a relationship? There is a key word here. It's called "personal." You have to get personal with people and show you care about them. If you don't like people, then this isn't going to be easy for you. Who said, "No man is an island"? I thought it was Hemingway but it turns out it was a guy named John Donne in 1624. Wow, even way back then people knew it was about relationships!

"All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated…As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness….No man is an island, entire of itself…any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." – John Donne

You may notice that there is no new thought here. All this stuff has historical precedence and all we have to do is learn/research it. But I'm saving you the trouble. Just pay attention to our blogs and you will learn all you need to know about relationship marketing and growing your business in a way that will keep it thriving.

To your business success!

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Oh, My Aching Back!

Steve — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:35:40 +0000

This past weekend, after being inspired by seeing all the wildflowers on our way to and from Austin, Texas, Sara and I went to Lowes and bought a butt load of plants and flowers and stuff to replace what we lost in the freeze this winter. I just finished my second day in a row of digging, planting and watering, and my back (among other things) is killing me! I probably should not have tried to do it all in one or two days — I could have done a little each day this whole week, but NOoooooo! Instant Gratification is my middle name.

Hey, you know what? This is just like networking! And luckily, I can make a blog out of this, so here goes.

Developing and strengthening your business depends, not on sales, but on relationships. After all, you can't have sales without relationships. People generally do business with people they know, trust and maybe even like. Low prices don't always make the sale. Sometimes is a matter of convenience to where the customer is and most times it's because the customer perceives some kind of relationship with your business. It could be good customer service. It could be that you've been locally established for 30 years and they feel you are trustworthy. It could be they heard of you by referral. It could be because they know you personally. It could be any number of relationship-related reasons. Just plain newspaper and T.V. ads don't convince people to do business with them because anyone can make an ad or commercial and when was the last time you saw or read someone HONESTLY saying, "Yeah, we aren't the best and our stuff is just like the guy down the street, but we have a really clean store and I smile a lot?" No one in their right mind is going to make themselves look like less than God's gift to whatever! So, knowing that, why would you believe anything they say?

Business is about relationships, and you have to plant the relationship seeds and water them and tend to them a lot in the beginning until the relationship roots take hold. Then you can back off a bit but continue to maintain contact in different ways. Well, just like the new plants I planted this week, it takes lots of work in the beginning, but the payoff is BIG! Like anything else, you get out of it what you put into it, and if you don't put any effort into relationships with your customers or suppliers, you're most likely going to have a bumpy business ride. I don't think that doing relationship building is going to hurt in any way, but it may take a bit of getting used to if you've never done that kind of thing before. Check out our other blogs for the step by step on how to establish and maintain relationships. You may be surprised to find that you're doing some of those things already, especially since most of them are natural. We just do what we've seen others do instead because if they're all doing it, then it must be what to do, right? On the other hand, look at how much money is being spent chasing sales and research how little it's paying off. Don't follow the business masses! Set yourself apart and be more successful! Not only is that the name of the game, but it's ultimately more rewarding on so many levels.

To your business success!

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What Do You Attract?

Steve — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:26:34 +0000

This past weekend we headed up to Austin from Houston. Along the way we encountered vistas of the famed Texas Bluebonnets. The views were indeed awesome! We also had to avoid a plethora of parked cars along the highway shoulder. It seems that many, many (did I mention "many") people who, seeing these fields, hillocks and pastures of bluebonnets felt compelled to stop and pose with each other and their families and their dogs/cats for pictures. They were standing or sitting or lying down in the flowers. They were pointing and waving and smiling. Some were sneezing and coughing and their eyes were watering and itching because of the allergies, but hey, who cares? These are BLUEBONNETS for crying out loud, and you don't get to see them but once a year! What an attraction these wildflowers have over us! If only we could monetize this somehow!

So that brings up the question, "What Do You Attract?" Or better yet, what is it about your business that attracts customers to you? Is your product or service what attracts people to do business with you? Is it your wonderful compelling marketing approach? Is it that you have pictures of bluebonnets on your web site?

Let's look at this for a minute. What makes the bluebonnets attractive? Well, they involve scarcity because they only bloom once a year. They are different from other flowers because they are …uh…blue. And look like bonnets. And they exist almost extensively only in the wild. And they are mostly unique to Texas. Does your business have characteristics similar to these? Are you providing a product or service that is unique and that people are looking for? Is your marketing different from the everyday corporate stuff you see other businesses use – for example, do you foster relationships with your customers instead of treating them as just faceless people? Do you promote once-a-year events or pricing? Do you give VALUE? What do you do to make your business stand out? What will make people pull over and park on the side of the road to check out what you've got?

How can you make your business ATTRACTIVE and not just the same old same old? Step back a bit and take a good look at your business and your business goals from an outside perspective. Start thinking outside the box. Brainstorm with other people for ideas. Take surveys. In short, if you were the guy or girl on the street, what would compel you to do business with you? What would make ME want to see what you're offering and make me want to buy it?

These are questions you should be constantly asking yourself. Everybody and their brother is trying to sell something. We're inundated with all the advertising every day in every way. If you don't want to get lost in the crowd, you need to come up with ideas to make potential customers see you and hear you and more importantly, WANT WHAT YOU'VE GOT!

As for me, I'm taking an antihistamine for my runny nose. Thank God the bluebonnets only come out once a year!

To your business success!

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After The Networking Event

Steve — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:44:17 +0000

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Business Networking – Do You Meet Quality People?

Steve — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:00:00 +0000

What do you look for when going to a networking event? I mean, what is your goal here? Are you actually expecting to get immediate business from some prospect? Some folks are business card collectors. Others try to talk to everyone within sight and feel like a failure if they happen to miss someone. Yet some others are standing around looking as if they are lost and can't wait to leave. Then there are those who are just waiting for someone to come up and talk to them because they don't know anyone there. I kid you not, we've even seen some who didn't bother to bring business cards with them. Which one of these are you? If you really know what you're doing at t business networking event, then you are none of these fine examples of business networkers. You are a business person who has a plan. You know what to say and do and what to NOT say and do. You are prepared. You've got your business cards, your note paper, your pen, your name tag, your firm handshake and your SMILE! Your goal is to meet 5 quality people and plant seeds of friendship. Your goal is to find out what those 5 people need and how you may be able to help them. Your goal is to make yourself stand out from the rest of the crowd by asking questions and not pushing your business. In short, you are a savvy business networker. So. How do you meet quality people? How do you determine if someone is appropriate for your business or service? Well, as I mentioned above, you ask questions. You ask what they do, what they're looking for, what they need. If you get answers that don't meet your requirements, you just politely thank them for their time and move on. Perhaps you introduce them to someone that you know at the event and then excuse yourself while they get to know each other. You only need a few quality people at each business networking event to form relationships with and from them you will get business, repeat business, referrals, friendships and introductions to other people. You don't have to collect stacks and stacks of business cards. You don't have to drone on about your business. You don't have to stand there for hours with boring people. You really don't. I remember an event we went to and while circulating, I came across a lady who was a representative for a kitchen ware company. Boy, was she a talker. She bent my ear about her product line and the parties she threw to show off the cookware to other women, and on, and on, and on….I needed to get out of there before I said something I would regret. About that time I spotted a friend of ours who was a representative for a cosmetics company. I told the first lady to excuse me for a minute and I signaled the cosmetics lady over to us. I made the introductions and adroitly bowed out while they exchanged information and such. Several weeks later I was profusely thanked by the cosmetics friend for the introduction. It turned out that the two of them came up with a way to have combined home parties with each of them representing their own company to more prospects than they would have individually. It was an opportunity that was beneficial to both of them and I didn't have to get stuck listening to someone not suited to my business needs. The goal is to meet about 5 quality people and begin forming relationships of caring and trust with them. Don't be like most everyone else, in many cases wasting their time and efforts at a networking event because they just don't know how to network effectively and efficiently. Learn. Grow. Prosper. To your business success!

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What if someone gave a networking event and nobody came?

Steve — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:34:03 +0000

Think it couldn’t happen? Well, it almost has.

We’ve personally seen networking events that only had 3-6 people attend. And the strange thing is, networking is a proven way to get the word out about your business faster than almost anything else out there. Oh, sure, you can do an email blast or something like that (after you buy leads, of course) but those people have no idea who you are! I mean, why would I use your pest control services when I already use this company I’ve been dealing with for a couple years? I already know the guy that comes to the house. I know how many kids he has, what he looks like, what he likes to do on his days off, assuming he gets days off.

But you? I don’t know you from Adam!

What makes you so special? If you want to spread your reputation, then you need to do it by word-of-mouth, because that will give you more credibility than anything else you can do, short of giving away free products and/or services. And even THAT doesn’t mean a hill of beans! People will believe their friends and relatives when they are told that so and so is wonderful or does what he says or gives a little bit extra. Can a billboard say that? Of course it can, but who really believes that advertisements aren’t blowing smoke? When was the last time you saw an ad that said, “I do an O.K. job” or “I promise to do just enough to get by” or maybe “Most of the people who use my service are satisfied?” Wow. Wouldn’t it be cool if there was some kind of Honesty Police that made businesses tell the truth?

How do you get this word-of-mouth thing going? You network. You get to know people who can spread the word. You do jobs and favors for those people you are getting to know. You try to HELP those people you meet at the networking events get what THEY want and you form relationships with them. Find out about their needs and wants, their families and their businesses. As they get to know and trust you, they will spread the word and your business will grow. Then those clients will spread the word. That’s why networking is so important. This concept transcends bad economies. Nothing else does.

So, the next time a networking event comes up in your area, GO TO IT! You never know where it will lead and if you network correctly, you can help your business grow more effectively and inexpensively than any other way.

To your business success!

If you’ve enjoyed this article, please visit www.businessnetworkingmistakes.com to get a FREE report on networking mistakes that can cripple your business.

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Are You A Nurturing Networker?

Steve — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:00:11 +0000

Are You a Nurturing Networker? What exactly is a nurturing networker, and why does being one matter? If you are in business you probably think of networking as a necessary part of marketing. You find some groups of other business people, you go to their events, and you talk about your business. Your focus is primarily on you, your needs, your sales. If you can help someone else without too much effort, you probably will, but mostly you are trying to encourage others to help you. If you attend a couple events and get few good business leads, you decide it’s a waste of time and stop going. The mindset of a Nurturing Networker is very different. And yes, being a Nurturing Networker starts in your mind. You see networking as a way of life, not a series of events you need to attend for your business. Whether in a group setting or talking to someone individually, you are networking. You think of networking as primarily a way to connect, develop relationships, and help other people. As you are listening to someone you are looking for an opportunity to make a connection or otherwise assist them with their goals. When you are alone, you spend some time thinking about your contacts and how you might be able to help them. As a Nurturing Networker, you know it’s all about the other person, and by focusing on them you will benefit much more than you will if you focus on you. Nurturing is defined as promoting the development of someone else by providing nourishment, support, and encouragement during the stages of growth. As a Nurturing Networker, you recognize that everyone is in a different place in their business and their life. You can nourish them by promoting them to others. You can support them by providing resources and ideas. You can encourage them by inspiring them with confidence and courage. You genuinely care about the whole person: their business, their family, their hobbies, their dreams. It shows in your actions. Why does being a Nurturing Networker matter? It matters because you want to make a positive impact in the world, and the only way you can do that is through your relationships. It matters because it is more satisfying to give to others than to always be grasping for what you want and need. When you are giving, what you need will come to you effortlessly. It matters because it will change the way you look at things, and your life will be richer. To your business success! This blog was posted by Sara Blumenfeld and if you've enjoyed it, please visit http://www.businessnetworkingmistakes.com to get a FREE report on networking mistakes that can cripple your business.

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Business Networking – Let’s Do Lunch

Steve — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:59:44 +0000

How do you spell business?
P.E.O.P.L.E.

If you’ve read anything else I’ve written, then you know that what makes the world go ’round is relationships. That is also what makes businesses go ’round. And it goes without saying that you can’t have relationships without people. Well…, you can, but here we’re talking about human relationships with each other. What constitutes a relationship? Interaction of some kind. It could, and generally does involve communication of some sort, perhaps verbal or nonverbal but it doesn’t have to. A non-human relationship could be a tenuous attraction by a person to a thing or organization. For example, the loyalty of a customer to a particular automobile brand. Let’s take another example – soft drinks. Does a customer have a relationship with a soft drink or the soft drink company? No, because there are no people involved other than the customer. Now, I’ve seen people talking abusively to the soda dispensing machine, but that’s not the same thing because the machine doesn’t respond back. In fact, sometimes it doesn’t respond at all. So why are people hooked on soda? Believe me, it has more to do with sugar than with people. However, I digress.

Every business entity out there knows that without people there is no business. Brick and mortar businesses need customers off the street. MLMs need people to continue the growth. I mean, even the government, (and I use that word loosely) needs people to tax. What does a telemarketer need besides a phone? Yep, people.

Before I begin rambling any further here, I’ve got to make my point. And that is, it takes people to do anything in this world. If that’s the case, if you want to establish and grow your business, then you should be interacting with people. Like you didn’t know that. What’s a good way to interact? Well, how about inviting someone to lunch? Someone you’ve been wanting to meet for a long time. Someone who could be a customer or business associate? Someone who could mentor you? Lunch is a terrific way to get to know someone, share ideas. And one of the perks of lunch is that it gets you out of the office! If lunch doesn’t work for you, then how about “Let’s do golf.” or “Let’s go to the track.” (this one depends on which state you’re in). If you’re of the female persuasion you could ask, “Let’s uh,…meet at the spa.”

My point is this – business is about interacting with people. So go out and find someone to interact with. You may be surprised at how fruitful these “lunches” become.

And remember this: don’t talk with your mouth full!
Oh, and TURN OFF YOUR CELLPHONE unless you’re expecting a call. If that’ the case, please have the courtesy to tell your lunch partner before you sit down that you’re expecting a call and ask if that’s O.K. with them! Few things are more disrespectful than having your conversations interrupted with a phone call!

To your business networking success!

If you’ve enjoyed this article, please visit http://www.businessnetworkingmistakes.com to get a FREE report on networking tips and lots of other good information.

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