Use our Networking Tips to Increase Your Visibility, Credibility – and Profitability.
Work Your Networking Muscles – And They Will Get You Work in Return
Our Networking Tips:
Arrive early – and leave late
Work the room – spot the connectors, open groups and “lost” people. Don’t barge into closed groups deep in conversation
Sit next to or talk to someone you don’t know
Bring a lot of business cards, and any marketing materials. If you think you are taking enough, take 20% more
Act like the host and not the guest – welcome new people, be warm and open
Book a meeting at your meeting, if you get the opportunity
Listen – givers do gain, hard sellers that talk only about themselves are perceived as rude and pushy
Have focus and an objective – what are you networking for?
Be visible, build trust – and reap the rewards. Trust takes time to develop: network regularily
Follow up, Follow Up, Follow Up after your networking event
These networking tips are of course not all there is to successful, profitable and fun networking. But with practice these first steps will get you a long way in establishing a good network and building trust – essential to getting referrals, making lasting connections and growing your business.
Much has been written about what to do when starting your own business -
and much valuable advice has been given.
One of my favourite books is “The Ten Truths for Raising a Healthy Bouncy Business” by Roland Hanekroot (www.thetentruths.com.au). It’s straightforward talk, no tome, yet gives many great insights, resources and examples. In short, it’s extremely useful. In places, Roland touches on the human element which often is a no-no in a society where not being busy is poo-pooed.
But without taking the needs of the small business owner as a human being into consideration, new starters and old hands alike are prone to exhaustion, lack of creativity and even overall business failure.
So, here are my own tips for small business owners, anyone employed – and any other hard working people.
From a perspective of the owner/worker as a human being.
1. Balance:
Look after yourself – if you are mentally and physically exhausted you cannot function, and get overwhelmed or frustrated too easily. And being a new business owner may suddenly seem too daunting. Good food, rest, exercise and, very importantly, regularly connecting with what you love (a hobby, the outdoors, etc.) and people close to you, as well making new contacts, is important. You will feel less pressured and isolated.
2. Flexibility / Openness:
If you started out with one idea, but it does not work out as you hoped or you are not happy with it in the real world – that’s ok. No need for guilt or feeling of failure. Business, as life, is constantly evolving and changing. Be agile, adapt, and you will grow that way (your business and personally). Too many new starters (and long term owners) have battled with one fixed idea, trying to make it work against all instincts and odds, to the detriment of the new business. Only flexibility, and the will and ability to adapt, be creative and to trust your gut will keep you going as a happy business owner in the long run.
3. Networking:
Getting out there to network serves many a purpose, and is good for both the owner and the business: You can exchange ideas, get referrals, find affiliates, grow your knowledge, stimulate the mind with new impressions, develop new angles and ideas, evolve your “elevator pitch” short description of what you do, how, and – most importantly – why. People buy the emotive “why” of your service, your passion and your conviction that you are offering something unique and worth having. For more on this topic check out http://thetentruths.com.au/resources/purpose/, especially the Simon Sinek video on “why”.
What are your 3 Tips to a successful and healthy relationship with your work?
Leave your comment below – looking forward to reading your ideas!
We are all prone to a good dose of procrastination or “what are my priorities again?!” struggles.
Some days (or weeks, months,… years) just don’t flow the way we want them to.
There are many, many different reasons why we tell ourselves that we will just do that particularly nasty-looking thing later: The summer sunshine is too tempting, the winter cold too paralysing and plunging us into lethargy. Or something needs to be done first, urgently. Now. Sorry, just can’t wait. Honest, the world will end if I don’t deal with that (more pleasant looking) thing right now. Uh-uh!
But let’s face it, most of these oh-so-urgent (read: preferred) things can wait a while.
What it really comes down to is this:
We all rather deal with the pretty prince(ss) than the ugly frog first.
That ugly amphibian can wait, thank you very much!
Well, it can’t.
More often than not, the things we like to do least are the ones that are the most important to tackle.
If not for what they are in themselves – the insurance for the car or business IS important, even if it is boring and mind-numbing to get through the forest of paperwork and jargon – then for the challenges they pose.
What is the real reason I keep postponing a particular task? Do I worry about spending money and my financial security, or perhaps about not understanding the insurance jargon and subsequently getting the wrong cover?
So, what to do?
I have used a few techniques to help me hone in on the nasty-looking items first, get them out of the way. I find that the smaller, less daunting tasks end up looking quite pretty afterwards – and are a lot easier and faster to deal with once the dread of the ugly toad has vanished.
To kiss the ugly frogs good-bye efficiently check out Ask Rebecca How’s own Rebecca Well’s blog here.
Or perhaps you prefer to chuck a tomato at the little blighters? Try the Pomodoro Technique.
What works for you?
How do you set your priorities & overcome procrastination?
And now, I better sort that insurance out…
Until soon, Daniela
As an entrepreneur, business owner or marketing manager, you all face the same issue: how to create engaging and on-target marketing messages, and truly connect with your audience. How to create leads and convert them into (preferably repeat) customers.
Here are five steps for creating an effective marketing message:
Identify your Target Market
Understand your Target Audience’s unique Problems, Needs and Wants
Offer a Solution to those Problems, and Fulfill Desires
Provide Testimonials (customer experiences) as a Proof of your Solutions
Differentiate Yourself from your Competitors
And remember: what your prospects and customers really want to know is “what’s in it for them” when they buy your product or engage your services. How you achieve that result for them that (i.e. what you do), is of secondary interest to them. So, your audience mainly wants to know you provide a specific benefit that’s important to them. For example, that what you sell provides security and safety – not so much the details of the insurances you offer or the technical specifications of a security system.
Read more on how to create a strong marketing message here.
Wow! Some information I gather, read, like, digest and get (very) excited about is just too spot-on to even try to change! So, here is the text of marketing “guru” Seth Godin’s latest blog offering – shamelessly repeated in its entirety.
He poses some very important questions that are worth considering before you start any new project, job, venture or adventure. I hope you will find his writing and ideas as useful and thought-provoking as I do. Enjoy!
If you’re starting out as an entrepreneur or a freelancer or a project manager, the most important choice you’ll make is: what to do?
As in the answer to the question, “what do you do?”
Some questions to help you get started:
Who are you trying to please?
Are you trying to make a living, make a difference, or leave a legacy?
How will the world be different when you’ve succeeded?
Is it more important to add new customers or to increase your interactions with existing ones?
Do you want a team? How big? (I know, that’s two questions)
Would you rather have an open-ended project that’s never done, or one where you hit natural end points? (How high is high enough?)
Are you prepared to actively sell your stuff, or are you expecting that buyers will walk in the door and ask for it?
Which: to invent a category or to be just like Bob/Sue, but better?
If you take someone else’s investment, are you prepared to sell out to pay it back?
Are you done personally growing, or is this project going to force you to change and develop yourself?
Choose: teach and lead and challenge your customers, or do what they ask…
How long can you wait before it feels as though you’re succeeding?
Is perfect important? (Do you feel the need to fail privately, not in public?)
Do you want your customers to know each other (a tribe) or is it better they be anonymous and separate?
How close to failure, wipe out and humiliation are you willing to fly? (And while we’re on the topic, how open to criticism are you willing to be?)
What does busy look like?
In my experience, people skip all of these questions and ask instead: “What can I do that will be sure to work?” The problem, of course, is that there is no sure, and even worse, that you and I have no agreement at all on what it means for something to work.
Ah, privacy…. Not the first thing that springs to mind when you are posting something out there, on the Net.
But here is a nifty little tool that allows you to shorten and also password-protect URLs. It can help you turn your very public information into something a little more private. Or you could use it for a promotion. Or just for a bit of fun…
Here is an example of how it works:
I could tweet or post on LinkedIn “Found this great mentor and coach! http://trick.ly/35O“. Anyone can see the link, but only people who can figure out my clue can discover the site my link is pointing to.
You can try for yourself on the trick.ly website here.
Are you a soloist, entrepreneur, micro- or small to medium business? If so, sometimes, as the owner of such a business, it can feel like you are all alone, out there on a big big ocean and only a few islands in sight. But you are not alone. And dry, solid land is there for the taking – if you know how to look for it and stake your claim.
In their book The Risk Takers Renee and Don Martin identify ten common traits, challenges and ultimately opportunities for entrepreneurs:
Trust your Instinct
Challenge Convention
Persist
Find your Niche
Spot Trends and Act
Fill the Gaps your Competition’s Left
Just Start – there is no Perfect Time
Get Creative in Marketing
Competitor’s Weakness = Your Strength
Never stop Changing
I like to add another point here: Be Clear and Consistent about your Brand.
Ensure you communicate clearly, regularly and in an engaging way with your target audience, i.e. your potential and existing clients.
Be relevant, give them something for free, don’t just hard-sell. Be professional, yet personal. Put yourself in the client’s shoes and think how you would like to be communicated with and treated.
There is much you can do yourself towards this aim. Everything else a good copywriter and communications expert can help you with. Help is at hand – for all budgets.
Read more on how to get motivated, find your niche and not lose the edge over your competition here.
