Business Networking: First stage & Follow-up
Posted on November 27th, 2009
Business networking is fundamentally about building relationships which in turn help your business grow and succeed.
Business Networking
the Beginning — the first stage
Business networking is, fundamentally, about building relationships. Contacts and conversations are all important to the success of your venture. The objective of business networking is to understand your contact’s problems, needs and concerns, and to collect their contact information. Each contact you make becomes a walking, talking ad for your service or your product. Knowing how to make these contacts is, essentially, is a common discussion point among many entrepreneurs. As with any relationship, the beginning can be an occasion fraught with questions and doubts. So, how do you start? The information below should help you get started… and keep you going.
- Know who you are, what you do and why, and why you do it differently than anyone else. You need to be able to articulate your special skill to prospective clients and contacts.
- Identify your goals before attending any event, that way you choose the event that is most useful to you. Some events are based on learning, or making contacts, or volunteering rather than on strictly making business connections.
- Collect business cards, seeing how many cards you can collect from contacts. Don’t push your business cards. Does that sound odd? Remember the purpose of a networking opportunity is to get contact information, not to sell your business.
- When you meet contacts, use the time to gather information about them: concerns about their business, problems they need solved, business needs they need met, areas where your business could fulfill their needs, and of course, their contact information.
- Attend a meeting or networking event hosted by a local group or BIA. If requested, register or RSVP as soon as possible. If there is a website, take a look and see who might be going. Plan to introduce yourself to these initial contacts; bring your business cards and a notepad. Ask open-ended questions, questions that require more than a yes or no. Listen carefully; remember you are building relationships. Volunteer to offer the group a free 15-20 minute presentation, including tips and examples from your own business experiences that would be of interest to the members.
- Visit with many groups and organizations that spark your interest. Take note of the tone and attitude in the meetings. The members should be supportive of each other and the leadership should be constructive.
- Volunteer your time and talent with organizations that interest you. This will enable you to stay visible and help those who have helped you.
the Follow-up — the second stage & third & fourth &…
Once you have taken care of the first stage, the follow-up becomes the means to expand your small, initial network. Through the follow-up you can ask for referrals and make new contacts, in effect, growing your fledgling network as you go. Whenever you make a new contact, ask for referrals to other prospects. Always contact people in your network at least once a month; more often is advised. If email is your thing, make sure you send a quick, short note. If you were given a phone number, give them a call, remind them of who you are and what you discussed. Say you appreciated the opportunity to speak with them and ask if you could get together and share ideas.
Once your network is established, try using a letter, newsletter or ezine to stay in touch. Write an article in your newsletter about hot issues in your industry, or theirs. Try demonstrating how your service has solved a problem for someone else, or offer a solution that your contacts could use to their own advantage. Your contact will then connect you with the problems you solved and your name will spring to mind when they or someone else needs your expertise.
At this point, the key idea to be stressed is business networking has no end. It does have a beginning: when you created your business. Business networking is a perpetual process by which your business grows and prospers. No successful business owner ever stops networking. There are endless opportunities to network and grow your business. Go out and enjoy it all!
Similar Posts:
- Networking Tips
- Selling Internationally? 8 Reasons why Export.gov Might Just Be Your New Best Friend
- Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn? Finding the Right Fit for Your Small Business
- SBA, SCORE, and SBDCs Explained – 3 Essential Local Resources for Small Business Owners
- How to Land That Graphic Design Job
Tags: Business Networking, First Stage, Stage
Filed under Business Directory |