A wise man knows everything but a shrewd man knows everyone.
My grandparents owned a restaurant in a small town in West Virginia for over forty years. They knew everyone in town. To this day, I meet people who remember them despite the fact that it has been closed for twenty years. While my grandparents were not actively going out into the community to network as much as providing a venue for others to network, the lesson I learned from them was how they worked the room and took a long-term, relational approach to their customers.
With that said, most small business owners agree that the most cost effective method of marketing is word-of-mouth. The question is how do you establish word-of-mouth referrals? You could do it by building a reputation over a period of time by consistently delivering and meeting customer expectations.
How do you stay in the game long enough to build a reputation? Clearly, networking is one way.
Before we get too far ahead, please understand that I am sympathetic to those of you who are allergic to networking. I have heard all of the excuses and I realize that a certain percent of people do not like the networking "thing". If that describes you, perhaps by the end of this article, you will reconsider your position.
Keep in mind that networking should be one component of your Marketing Plan just like business cards, website, advertising, direct mail, cold calling, articles, signage, newsletters, flyers, brochures, trade shows, voicemail messages, workshops/seminars, etc.
Consider this: it is said that the average person knows 250-300 people. Stop and consider that you are two introductions away from 60,000-90,000 people. What do you think of the networking "thing" now?
I equate networking activities with running for office. Instead of securing votes, you are securing relationships. Just like a politician running for office, you, as the owner of a business, are always on stage, always networking, always building relationships, always building your network.
The Three Components of Becoming a Master Networker:
#1 - Paradigm Shift
#2 - Robust contact management system
#3 - Execution
In order to become a master networker, you need to embrace a paradigm shift in your definition of and expectation for your networking activities.
What is effective networking?
Effective networking is NOT:
- A short-term marketing strategy.
- About you.
- For handing out business cards unsolicited.
- About being interesting.
- About taking.
Effective networking IS:
- A long-term marketing strategy (with some short-term results).
- About them.
- About being asked for your business card.
- About being interested.
- About giving
By embracing this paradigm shift, your new primary objective when networking is to build relationships and build a network while being genuinely interested in helping the other person. Getting clients or customers immediately is no longer your goal. Your goal is to become the go-to person and expand your sphere of influence.
This is much easier if you are passionate about helping people achieve their dreams by actively connecting them with appropriate people, groups and organizations. Under the new paradigm, a great outcome of a networking encounter is that you never get an opportunity to tell the other person what you do. Sounds crazy doesn't it? Keep reading!
By giving, you are memorable in the eyes of your prospect when compared to everyone else who just wants to sell them something. You have created a friend. Never forget that people do business with people they like but they do more with people they trust.
A robust contact management system is the second component to becoming a master networker. Given that your new focus is on the other person, you must have a stout system that allows you to follow up with the people you meet. Regardless of what you use, Outlook, ACT!, SalesForce.com, Goldmine or a Shoebox, the use of a system of some sort is non-negotiable if you employ the paradigm shift's way of thinking of your networking activities.
You must have the discipline to follow up with the people you meet especially if you did not have an opportunity to introduce your business to them. In your system, record information about the person, their business and your conversation for future reference.
Execution is the third component of becoming a master networker. As a business coach, this concept is near and dear to my heart. I spend hours with my clients strategizing and building a plan to capture their opportunities and overcome their obstacles but they are the only one who can execute the plan. My role is to provide clarity, accountability and structure. To become a Master Networker, you and only you can execute the plan.
Below is an abbreviated list (in order of importance) of how to execute the plan to become a Master Networker:
- Listen to your prospect. Focus on them - - NOT yourself. Ask questions. Remember, the more someone talks, the more they like you.
- Learn about your prospect. What do they do and what do they need? Who is an ideal client or prospect for them? What makes them unique? Sometimes is helps to pretend you are a reporter and you will be required to write a story about your conversation with your prospect. Take notes on the back of their business card.
- Help your prospects by connecting them to people, businesses, groups, organizations or networking groups who will, in turn, help them achieve their goals.
- Build your network so you can refer people to each other.
- Receive referrals. If you build your network up over time, connect people to each other and pass meaningful referrals, what you get in return will far exceed your expectations. Employ these tactics and become a Master Networker.
Happy Networking!
About this Author
Shawn Brodof is the President/Head Coach of Clarity Coaching and the Executive Director of The Clarity Center of Excellence. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, he is dedicated to improving the lives of business owners, entrepreneurs and sales professionals by helping them take their business to the next level. He is passionate about helping his clients capture their opportunities and overcome their obstacles while providing clarity, structure and accountability.
His coaching programs include one-on-one, group coaching and one-day boot camps all with a focus on developing viable plans-of-attack that enable his clients to reach their goals through a process of incremental improvements. He is also a keynote speaker, teacher and trainer offering training and workshops on various business-related topics.
He can be reached at:
http://www.Clarity-Coaching.biz
http://www.twitter.com/clarityshawn
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