What if someone gave a networking event and nobody came?
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!
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