The Advocacy Model: Develop Advocates

In Stage 3 of the Advocacy Model, form relationships, I wrote about moving from follow up to developing a trusted relationship. The final stage of this journey is Stage 4, Develop Advocates.

This is point at which you are prepared to promote another person actively and unreservedly. The people that you advocate will be in your mind to scout and prospect for when you go to network events. You will look out for suppliers, prospects and potential partners.

The key aspect of this stage of the networking relationship is that it requires continual nurturing. You must keep looking to provide ongoing value to the relationship, eg:
· continuing to make connections and introductions
· using your expertise to provide information to them

As you do this for others, and are seen to do this, the level of trust that others have in you will increase and others will become advocates for you. For my story on how this approach can save you time and money see, 'Networking groups save time'

For more on the Advocacy Model of building trusted relationships in Business Networking see the following posts:
How to build trust in business relationships
Business Networking: The Advocacy Model
The Advocacy Model: Making a Contact
The Advocacy Model: Follow Up
The Advocacy Model, Develop Advocates

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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The Advocacy Model: Form Relationships

I wrote last time that once you have made a good connection the best way to follow up is to arrange a OnetoOne meeting to discuss things further. Stage 3 of the Advocacy Model, form relationships, is next.

Assuming your assessment after Stage 2 is positive you should be prepared to
make a ‘qualified referral’. This is where you connect this person to another with the proviso that you have limited experience of their capability. You should also be prepared to invite them to join your network group and share helpful information and advice with them.

If appropriate you might work with them on a low risk joint project.

Your objectives are to:
· Get feedback
· Build trust in them and their capability
· Continue to make qualified referrals until you decide to move forward

When you make that decision and provided you still like them you are almost at the Advocate stage. More on that next time.

For more on the Advocacy Model of Business Networking see the following posts:
How to build trust in business relationships
Business Networking: The Advocacy Model
The Advocacy Model: Making a Contact
The Advocacy Model: Follow Up

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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The Advocacy Model: Follow Up

Once you have made a good connection the best way to follow up is to arrange a OnetoOne meeting to discuss things further.

These One2One meetings can often go wrong for 2 main reasons;
1. People use it as an opportunity to go straight into a sales pitch. Networking is NOT selling, the advocacy model for business networking is all about building relationships for the longer term. A good advocate will recommend you and your products and services time and time again without being asked or paid.
2. The meeting becomes a social chat with no agenda or purpose.

In order to get to the next stage the purpose of this meeting is to:
· Discuss mutual interests
· Validate your initial assessment (do you still like them?)
· Research their business
· Appraise qualification, experience, ability (your judgement)
· Balance potential value versus risk (your time)

If your assessment is positive then you need to undertake some actions in order to move into the forming relationship stage. With each you are extending more trust and helping your continued assessment:
· Invite them to a regular networking group you attend
· Introduce to a trusted contact
· Send some useful information to them

For more on the Advocacy Model of Business Networking see the following posts:
How to build trust in business relationships
Business Networking: The Advocacy Model
The Advocacy Model: Making a Contact

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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The Advocacy Model: Making a Contact

In 'Business Networking: The Advocacy Model' I outlined the four steps involved.

The first is making contact or connecting. When you meet someone through networking the key factors that lead to a networking relationship are:
· do I like them?
· do I find them interesting?
· are there points of contact (business or personal)?
· do I want to take this further?

This connection may not happen the first time you meet someone. It may take time attending regular meetings to get to liking someone, finding them interesting or establishing points of contact. One of the great things about interacting with people in a regular group is that you get the time to make connections with people that you might have dismissed on the basis of a single brief meeting.

In order to address the last question you need to learn enough about the person to decide. That means having a real conversation rather than a superficial one where you just exchange business cards and move on.

When the time is right and you both decide that further exploration is worthwhile then you can move to the second stage, follow up.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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Business Networking: The Advocacy Model

I mentioned the Advocacy Model in a recent post on 'How to build trust in business relationships'. I have also made reference to the various steps in many of the recent posts so thought it worth summarising the model again here.

1. Make contact
Usually a conversation at an event or networking group meeting
2. Follow up
Often a One2One interaction or smaller group to decide whether to move forward and how.
3. Form relationships
The next stage after having done something for the other person in the follow up to help them or their business. Or when they have done that for you.
4. Develop Advocates
Provide ongoing value to the relationship by continuing to make connections and using your expertise to provide information to them. Regular feedback and thanks to the ones doing this for you.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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What happens next? Part 2

A couple of days ago in my post on 'What happens next?' I shared the loose agenda structure that I use in One2One meetings to build towards a mutually beneficial and positive business relationship. The ultimate purpose being to develop networking advocates.

Neil Denny commented that the model is mostly easy to grasp and implement, except for the last one. "The next steps (typically connections to people & information) that you will undertake before meeting again."

He rightly points out that this calls for action and accountability and demonstrates credibility and commitment. Relationship building in networking this way requires that you give an increasing level of trust at each stage. It is very difficult to commit yourself to this and to making those connections to people & information unless you are wholeheartedly committed.

If you are committed to building trusted relationships where you give first and receive later then try & go a little deeper with your questions on the other person's background & business. Find out about their goals, the real challenges in their business and its development, their other interests and the people and businesses they know. See if you can establish the person or information that would make a real difference and make that connection.

Then you have the next steps in place. The action followed by the next session to get feedback and decide the next stage. With this approach you develop the relationship in the way that Neil described in his comment;

"We start to share commercial intimacy and build relationships that work, as opposed to more passive, and probably easier but less fruitful relationships."

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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How much time do you get for conversations whilst networking?

A couple of days ago I blogged about a question that is often asked, 'How many people will be at the event?'. There were some great insights shared in the comments.

The underlying theme was that context, philosophy and actions were far more important than just the number of attendees. This brings us on to another issue. You need to have meaningful conversations to really connect with someone before going on to follow up and build a relationship.

So when you are thinking about attending an event or joining a group it might be important to ask a different question.

'How much time is dedicated to genuine 2 way conversation and is the meeting facilitated in any way to assist with those conversations?'

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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What happens next?

At an event last week someone asked if he could have a private mentoring session. He said he was making good connections at networking events and was having a number of One2One meetings, but that was usually as far as it went. He said "I think my One2Ones are a bit woolly".

Meetings with no agenda or agreed outcome can often be woolly! That does not mean you have to always work to a rigid agenda or be too attached to a specific outcome. It is, however, worth taking a minute or so to agree some ground rules and set the right expectations for both parties.

The purpose of a first One2One in a networking context is often to decide whether you will both invest some time in building a relationship. If that is the case then share that with the other person. If you are taking the lead in the meeting you could open with a reminder of how you connected originally and why you thought there may be synergy between you. Then add the time the meeting will take together with what you would like to cover:
* What you would like to find out about the other person and their business.
* What they would like to find out about you and your business.
* Agreement of any continuing fit between your respective businesses.
* The next steps (typically connections to people & information) that you will undertake before meeting again.
* The date of the next meeting or catch up.



As I develop networking advocates with further interactions I always keep this loose agenda structure in mind.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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How many people will be there at your networking event?

People often ask me "How many people will be at the event?". I usually ask them what they consider to be a good number. That can prove to be a difficult question to answer. Many people will start with a fairly high number.

The question came up in a conversation yesterday so I asked the person for an example of an event with a good number. He mentioned an open Chamber of Commerce event with 150 people there. I asked him how many people he had really good conversations with during that evening and he said 2 or 3.

Then he said "I guess what I really mean is that I consider a great event to be where I can have good quality conversations with up to 6 people. More than that & I can't do the follow up".

My own experience is that the knowledge sharing and relationship building takes place much faster in a smaller group. I know from our own NRG groups that the format works very well for between 8 & 40 people. At the upper level the dynamics change and then it's probably time to open another group.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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Are you an expert?

At a seminar this week before the NRG-networks Lunch in the City of London the speaker, Sue Richardson, was presenting 'Be seen as the expert, publish a book'.

She opened by asking if everyone considered themselves to be an expert. The dictionary definition of an expert is 'a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field'.

The learning that came out of the session for many people was that we actually know far more than we think we do. We have a tendency to assume that everyone else knows what we do. This can mean that we undervalue our knowledge and insights. These have great value to our respective networks. As we share them in conversations and by presenting we build our reputation as experts.

The help we give to those others motivates them to help and advocate us. So it is vital to communicate how they can do that whilst continuing to give generously.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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Do you do much cold calling?

In a previous post, 'In a world of thousands of suppliers Word of Mouth is essential' I mentioned a recent NRG-networks seminar from author Grant Leboff on how sales & marketing have changed.

One of the things that Grant discussed was the value placed on a cold call by the recipient. Before the Internet a cold call could be a very useful way of gaining information on a subject as part of a purchasing process. A relationship would often be built in this way. A quick straw poll indicated that none of the seminar audience saw that value any more and did not take cold calls.

I mentioned this to a couple of people today. One said that networking was his best route to market, but he still had some success with cold calling. He has a very clear idea of his target market, his proposition and the value he adds. He demonstrates his expertise and value with great questions and the connections he makes. The kind of actions that show a genuine desire to help and not just the let me help you buy my stuff kind!

Great lessons for all kinds of business development activity.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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A great way to help the people you meet business networking

Whether you are at a structured or unstructured event you will often meet someone who presents their business and leaves you with no idea what they are talking about.

I recall meeting someone regularly and getting to know him quite well. Over time I got to like and trust him & would definitely have referred him if I knew what he did. At one event we were chatting over a coffee and someone else joined us. Neither of us knew the other and eventually she turned to my friend and said "so what do you do?".

"This will be interesting" I said.

He explained what he did very vaguely to start with and then in ever more complicated fashion! That's not unusual. To her credit our new acquaintance said.

"It's probably me, but I don't really understand what you mean".
He then tried to explain again, but what came out was even more complex. He noticed her puzzled expression and said

"That's meaningless to you isn't it?"

Her face said it all, and he said, "Have you ever experienced situations at work where people need the equivalent of their heads knocking together?"

"Yes" she said.

"Well, I help teams resolve those situations."

Crystal clear all around!

So the next time someone you like isn't explaining themselves very well could you ask some questions to help give them some clarity?

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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Are you prepared to go out of your way for others?

At an NRG-networks lunch meeting yesterday someone asked me how you get others to advocate you.

Someone else shared his view and said "When I meet someone I try and find out as much as I can about them and their business. That allows me to connect them to the contacts and information they need. Recently I met someone from a fantastic conference venue. They were already doing some business with a top four accounting firm and I was able to put her in touch with someone very senior in the organisation to help cement the relationship and gain further opportunities. She subsequently gave me a great referral to a partner in another accountancy firm."

A great example of how you develop networking advocates. A networking advocate goes out of their way to recommend your goods and services without being asked or expecting anything in return. Take time to develop the relationships with key members of your network. Go out of your way to connect them to key members of your network and introduce them to people who might benefit from their services. Become an advocate for them. And, guess what? What goes round comes round. People will eventually become advocates for you – and this is where the networking dividend really pays out!

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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In a world of thousands of suppliers Word of Mouth is essential

At a recent seminar before a London NRG-networks lunch author Grant Leboff was explaining how sales & marketing have changed.

To illustrate the impact of the Internet he talked about how things were beforehand. In the world of business to business products & services if you needed something you probably had a choice of 2 or 3 local suppliers. You probably saw them all before making your purchase decision and relied on personal recommendations to help in your decision.

Now that you have a choice of thousands on the Internet how do you decide which one to use?

You cannot possibly see them all.

Are you like the seminar audience?

They said they rely more than ever on the recommendation of a trusted contact.

So in this world of enormous choice Word of Mouth is more important than ever.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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What does a company like that look like?

I received a message from a business contact last week advocating the services of one of her contacts. At the end she said would you be prepared to introduce him to any of your contacts that spend more than £20,000 per year on utilities?

Based on our relationship I said "Of course. If you are advocating him he must be good, but how would I know if a business was likely to be spending that amount?" Good question she said and put me in touch so that I could ask directly.

The person was able, very quickly, to paint a picture I could understand by describing how big the premises would be or how many offices they may have. Also how many people would be working in the organisation.

How good are the pictures you are giving to your advocates to promote you?

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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A great way of adding value to your network

The seminar before a recent NRG-networks Lunch in the City of London was presented by Mark Lee, Chairman of the Tax Advice Network, on 'How to Build Profitable Relationships with Accountants'. He explained what matters to accountants, how they work, and why they reject so many of the approaches they receive from third party service providers.

All of the things he said were great advice for building business relationships in general.

He told a great story about someone from a financial services provider when he had been an accountant in practice. This person had taken all the information they had on file from various sources and had organised it into a 'Lever Arch' file so that they could see where they were at any time. Including any gaps in their knowledge, where things were out of date and opportunities for new services.

Who do you think was referred when the opportunity arose?

Can you think of ways of adding value so you are the first person that comes to mind for an appropriate opportunity?

Good Networking
Dave Clarke
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Nothing compares to the power of trust

In 'Building trust with a new contact' I wrote about the first two steps in building a trusted business relationship in a networking context - make contact and follow up.

The four steps are:
1. Make contact
2. Follow up
3. Form relationships
4. Develop Advocates

Following on from that post my friend Frank Kanu emailed me to offer his article, 'Nothing compares to the power of trust'.

As Frank states in the article,

"There is nothing magical about trust and relationships—as long as one follows some simple rules".

The rules that Frank outlines in the article (available at this link) support the findings of our own research into the importance of developing trust in business relationships as part of networking.

Assuming you are still positive after the follow up stage you are ready for the 'Form Relationship' stage. By now you would probably be prepared to make a ‘qualified referral’ where you connect the person to another with the proviso that you have limited experience of their capability. As you get feedback you build further trust in them & their capability. The tactics you need to employ to form relationships as highlighted by our research into this stage include:

1. Making qualified referrals
1. Introducing to high value suppliers
2. Actively looking for potential clients/customers for them
3. Providing a testimonial
4. Arranging a business meeting to introduce 2 of your contacts to each other
5. Introducing them to a trusted contact at a networking event

As before you are being proactive and giving more trust as the the relationship develops.

If things progress well during this stage you are well on the way to the final stage, 'Develop Advocates'.

Good Networking
Dave Clarke
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Is Facebook good for your business?

I am often asked "Should I be on Facebook?". The people who ask are often the ones who think they can 'get business' from Facebook.

Facebook is a Social Network, not a Business Directory. See Social Networking in Plain English for a great quick video on the subject.

Participants in a network are involved in relationships around some sort of mutual exchange. Social networks like Facebook are great for keeping up to date with your friends, acquaintances and peers.

The subjects discussed in social networks include business so should you spend business time interacting with people on Facebook? That really depends on what you are selling so ask yourself a question;

'Is facebook a good place to find and connect with those people with access & influence in my market?'

If the answer is yes then join and start adding value in groups that are relevant. Start your own group to interact with those people that you already do business with and they like interacting on facebook. I do that and generate well qualified paying guests for our membership groups. They are attracted or invited by people they know, like and trust already.

Participants in a Network like facebook or subsets of it may be part of your target market so the question to ask then is 'Does facebook have good numbers of potential customers?'. If that answer is yes then you may want to investigate facebook advertising.

Good Networking
Dave Clarke
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Building trust with a new contact

In a One2One meeting with an NRG-networks member last month the person said to me,

"My business has always come from recommendation (word of mouth). Usually as a result of some work I have done for a client where I have done a good job and built a relationship. My problem is that with a relatively small client base I am not getting enough referrals. I understand that networking is all about building relationships first, but how do I move from meeting someone to starting a business relationship?"

That question is not unusual and the answer is all about how you engage and follow up after making contact. I thought it worth sharing the first steps that some of the successful networkers use intuitively. These were confirmed in the findings of the NRG business networking research I mentioned in 'How to build trust in business relationships'.

In order to start building a relationship you have to have some sort of agreed follow up. When you meet someone you will have an initial impression of whether you like them or not. If you do or feel you may in time then the first thing is to give full attention to them. Ask questions about them and their business to establish common ground. Once you do that you will get an impression of whether you can help this person over time. Do you know people or information that will be useful to them?

Your follow up can take a number of forms;
1. agreeing to chat at the next group meeting
2. keeping in touch with email if you have permission
3. putting them in touch with someone
4. sending some useful information
5. committing to a group the other person is a member of
6. arranging an informal (One2One) meeting to get to know them better

The informal meetings are the key way of establishing trusted relationships. This will not be appropriate as a first step in many cases, especially at one off meetings. Joining a group of like minded individuals in some sort of membership group is a sign of commitment and a signal to the others that you are placing some trust in them. Like many things that you want to receive you must give first.

So to gain trust you give trust first.

Good Networking
Dave Clarke
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How to build trust in business relationships

I read a great piece from Benjamin Ellis recently entitled 'On-line Trust, More than Liking'. It's well worth a read if you have time. The issue of building trust is vital in both online and offline networking and some of the advice contained is excellent:

* Be open and transparent.
* Be predictable and consistent.
* Be visibly accountable.

A few years back we conducted some research into the importance of developing trust in business relationships as part of networking. The article 'Have you unlocked the benefits of business networking?' includes a link to the full findings.

Building a trusted business relationship in a networking context is a simple process:
1. Make contact
2. Follow up
3. Form relationships
4. Develop Advocates

Like many simple things that does not mean it is easy!

I will highlight some of the ways you can build trust at each stage of the process over the next few posts.

Good Networking
Dave Clarke
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Social Media in Plain English

Another great video by Lee LeFever of Commoncraft.com explaining 'Social Media in Plain English'.



Good Networking
Dave Clarke
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