I learned yesterday that I was speaking at a breakfast meeting this morning in the 'education' slot. I asked a few questions before deciding which aspects of business networking to concentrate on.
There are a lot of opportunities for you to share your expertise and raise your profile at events. There are many more if you are prepared to speak at short or no notice! I have stepped in at the last minute on a number of occasions including some paid ones.
I don't prepare exactly what to say, but I have identified certain key messages and outlines for;
30 seconds
1 minute
2 minutes
5 minutes
10 minutes
40 minutes
1 hour 2 hours
Half Day
Full Day
I have, however, seen people refuse opportunities to speak because thay are not ready. If you don't feel ready then prepare a few options and the next time you get the opportunity take the plunge and volunteer to speak. Your audience will be on your side and it's a great way of helping people understand when and how to advocate you!
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | virtual board
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Home > Archives for May 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Who is in your inner network?
In a recent 121 meeting with another member of a breakfast network I belong to we spoke about the importance of building relationships with others who provide a complementary service to the same target market.
One of the services she provides is a diagnostic as part of the Investors in People standard. This often identifies opportunities for her as a trainer & for other professionals operating in the same space. She mentioned others involved in compliance and standards. For example HR, Health & Safety, ISO9000 & Employment Law.
A ready made list of the type of professionals for her to form close business relationships with!
In the course of your conversations with clients and prospects who else could you regularly refer? Could it be that those are the very same people who could be regularly referring you?
Find and join the networking groups where you can get to meet those other professionals regularly.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | virtual board
One of the services she provides is a diagnostic as part of the Investors in People standard. This often identifies opportunities for her as a trainer & for other professionals operating in the same space. She mentioned others involved in compliance and standards. For example HR, Health & Safety, ISO9000 & Employment Law.
A ready made list of the type of professionals for her to form close business relationships with!
In the course of your conversations with clients and prospects who else could you regularly refer? Could it be that those are the very same people who could be regularly referring you?
Find and join the networking groups where you can get to meet those other professionals regularly.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | virtual board
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Lowering the risk and increasing the speed of business development
I had a great meeting last week with someone interested in a franchise territory for the NRG-networks Business. We progressed much further and faster than normal during that meeting. The reason? We were introduced by someone we had both known for years. Someone who was a trusted contact & an advocate for both of us.
He went out of his way to make sure we spoke and arranged the meeting. A great example of how business can develop much faster when you have built close trusted relationships first.
How much time are you taking to develop relationships with a few close contacts? Contacts that operate in the same target market as you and provide services that are complementary to yours. Building the trust that lowers risk, reduces cost and increases the speed at which you can transact business when the opportunity arises.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | virtual board
He went out of his way to make sure we spoke and arranged the meeting. A great example of how business can develop much faster when you have built close trusted relationships first.
How much time are you taking to develop relationships with a few close contacts? Contacts that operate in the same target market as you and provide services that are complementary to yours. Building the trust that lowers risk, reduces cost and increases the speed at which you can transact business when the opportunity arises.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | virtual board
Labels:
Networking for Advocates,
Networking Relationships,
NRG,
Trust
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
What is your target market?
We have an aide memoire at NRG events to help people focus on the key messages that will help others to advocate them in the right situations.
The first point after Name & Company Name is "Our typical client is". If you have a specific niche this is easy. Many businesses have more than one type of client and find this difficult. They will often say something like:
"We do not have a typical client. We deal with individuals, small, medium, & large companies. Everyone or Anyone can use our service." This tells the audience absolutely nothing and they switch off.
The most effective thing is to pick the client type most relevant to the people you are with. If you are with other owners of other service businesses think about who their clients are likely to be. Talk about your typical clients in that market.
If I am with business people who have small businesses as their clients I have a specific message. NRG Business Networking Group membership is the message I want them to advocate. I say my typical client is the owner manager of a business to business professional services firm with at least a couple of employees and where that owner is the person responsible for winning new business.
In a different group I might say something different. If the clients of the people I am with are medium sized professional firms I will focus on the service we provide for regional law firms and name an example. In another group my focus will be on entrepreneurs who have been successful in growing to £1 million in revenues and who now want to take their business to the next stage.
Remember the people you are networking with are your route to market and not your market. Once you have defined your target market you can then talk about the concerns, issues & problems they have. The things that you fix!
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | virtual board
The first point after Name & Company Name is "Our typical client is". If you have a specific niche this is easy. Many businesses have more than one type of client and find this difficult. They will often say something like:
"We do not have a typical client. We deal with individuals, small, medium, & large companies. Everyone or Anyone can use our service." This tells the audience absolutely nothing and they switch off.
The most effective thing is to pick the client type most relevant to the people you are with. If you are with other owners of other service businesses think about who their clients are likely to be. Talk about your typical clients in that market.
If I am with business people who have small businesses as their clients I have a specific message. NRG Business Networking Group membership is the message I want them to advocate. I say my typical client is the owner manager of a business to business professional services firm with at least a couple of employees and where that owner is the person responsible for winning new business.
In a different group I might say something different. If the clients of the people I am with are medium sized professional firms I will focus on the service we provide for regional law firms and name an example. In another group my focus will be on entrepreneurs who have been successful in growing to £1 million in revenues and who now want to take their business to the next stage.
Remember the people you are networking with are your route to market and not your market. Once you have defined your target market you can then talk about the concerns, issues & problems they have. The things that you fix!
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | virtual board
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Grow people
In my last post I mentioned an event that Andy Lopata and I spoke at.
Andy finished with a great quote from an old proverb;
If you want to be prosperous for a year, grow grain.
If you want to be prosperous for ten years, grow trees.
If you want to be prosperous for a lifetime, grow people.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | virtual board
Andy finished with a great quote from an old proverb;
If you want to be prosperous for a year, grow grain.
If you want to be prosperous for ten years, grow trees.
If you want to be prosperous for a lifetime, grow people.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | virtual board
How many people does it take for a good networking meeting?
I attended a networking showcase event recently where a number of us introduced our own business networking organisations. Andy Lopata also spoke and mentioned a great networking event that he attends every month where there are just 2 attendees, Andy and I. We are at the stage where we advocate each other and every month we progress our business relationship further. Our 121 meeting is very productive in generating referrals. Andy mentioned one instance where my referral led him to business in an organisation he had been targetting for 4 years.
Next time you find yourself asking 'how many people will be at the event?' maybe think about another question.
'Will the people there be ones that I can build productive business relationships with?'
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | virtual board
Next time you find yourself asking 'how many people will be at the event?' maybe think about another question.
'Will the people there be ones that I can build productive business relationships with?'
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | virtual board
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Why offline business networking is vital for web marketing
Research quoted in a previous post, Word of Mouth: The real action is offline discussed how most business is driven by word of mouth.
The same is true about most websites. Most visitors find you because someone else told them about you. More vistors find you as a result of word of mouth than from the search engines! For small businesses finding the right networking groups and attending regularly are a vital part of your word of mouth marketing.
You can watch Internet Psychologist, Graham Jones, talking about the importance of networking to him below:
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | virtual board
The same is true about most websites. Most visitors find you because someone else told them about you. More vistors find you as a result of word of mouth than from the search engines! For small businesses finding the right networking groups and attending regularly are a vital part of your word of mouth marketing.
You can watch Internet Psychologist, Graham Jones, talking about the importance of networking to him below:
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | virtual board
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