I was interrupted last week at a networking group meeting by someone who wanted to commend something to the group. Positive interruptions that enhance your message are always very welcome! He said it had been a really useful exercise to go through all the business cards he had collected over a couple years after reading the NRG workbook on developing your business networking plan.
He had separated these cards into the four categories suggested in the workbook. He uses Outlook to manage his contacts so he then created these categories in Outlook. He entered the details of any new contacts into his Outlook Address Book and then put all his contacts into those categories. This means he can now manage the interactions he has with his network more effectively. He can also see, at a glance, who he needs to focus his networking activity with.
The four categories of contacts are your Outer Network, your Resource Network, your Inner Network and your Advocate Network.
Your Outer Network is made up of the people that you have met, but have no real connection with. You don't know what you could do for them, but it is useful to have a record of where and when you met. You paths may well cross again and you make that connection.
Your Resource Network is made up of the people that you have met and you know them well enough to recognise they have a particular skill or offer a valuable service. You don’t want to spend more time in developing a relationship with them, but they are useful to introduce to other contacts when appropriate.
Your Inner Network is made up of the people that you have met, have had some sort of follow up and are building a relationship. They share a similar target market to you and probably provide a service that is complementary to yours. We will call them your Inner Network & it is spending time with these people that starts to make networking really work. One really efficient way of doing this is to ensure you belong to the same networking groups.
Your Advocate Network is the small group of people you would go out of your way to find introductions and referrals for. The people you advocate are the people you have already developed a relationship with and you know, like, rate and trust them. It is spending time doing things for these people where you get the highest networking returns.
Successful networkers have up to 30 people in their Inner Network & about 6 Advocates. Do you know who these people are for you?
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Inner Network. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Inner Network. Sort by date Show all posts
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Thursday, January 8, 2009
A networking system gives predictable results
If you have set objectives for your networking then you can quantify the actions you need to undertake to achieve your results. This simple mindmap shows a four step networking system. The ultimate goal of this is getting other business people to recommend and advocate you. After all that is what networking is all about for many people.
1. Target Market
Identify the people you are trying to reach with your products or services. More in a previous entry, 'How to identify your typical customer' and this podcast, 'Your target market – Who is your right person?'
2. Proposition
This podcast, 'How to explain what you do', gives you some advice on how you can always answer quickly, confidently and effectively when someone asks, “What do you do?“.
3. Inner Network
This podcast, 'How to focus on the right people when networking', explains how to concentrate on building your Inner Network. Build close relationships with others who provide a complementary service to the same target market as you. This will help your networking to become a regular and reliable source of new business.
4. Advocates
This podcast, 'How to motivate your network to advocate you', explains how to set about motivating others in your Inner Network to advocate you.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
1. Target Market
Identify the people you are trying to reach with your products or services. More in a previous entry, 'How to identify your typical customer' and this podcast, 'Your target market – Who is your right person?'
2. Proposition
This podcast, 'How to explain what you do', gives you some advice on how you can always answer quickly, confidently and effectively when someone asks, “What do you do?“.
3. Inner Network
This podcast, 'How to focus on the right people when networking', explains how to concentrate on building your Inner Network. Build close relationships with others who provide a complementary service to the same target market as you. This will help your networking to become a regular and reliable source of new business.
4. Advocates
This podcast, 'How to motivate your network to advocate you', explains how to set about motivating others in your Inner Network to advocate you.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Networking and the 4 Ps of Marketing
In a presentation last week from Gill Hunt of Skillfair I was reminded of the 4 Ps of Marketing - product, price, placement, promotion. In traditional marketing these are taught as the four elements essential to get right in any marketing. The world has changed with the Internet, but they can provide a useful checklist to help in our networking.
Promotion is often the initial driver for a business owner or professional to start 'formal networking'. This can lead to too much emphasis initially on trying to sell to the people you meet. You quickly learn that networking is about building relationships with others in similar markets to you - your 'Inner Network'. The best way to get your network to promote or advocate you is to get in the habit of advocating them first.
The other 3 Ps are useful in working out where to network and who with. Where to find the people who will become part of your Inner Network. If your product is providing a solution to a business problem then you can work out the places you should be networking. It is in those groups where the other members provide similar value (price) services to yours. They should be working regularly with the types of businesses you work with.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking tips
Promotion is often the initial driver for a business owner or professional to start 'formal networking'. This can lead to too much emphasis initially on trying to sell to the people you meet. You quickly learn that networking is about building relationships with others in similar markets to you - your 'Inner Network'. The best way to get your network to promote or advocate you is to get in the habit of advocating them first.
The other 3 Ps are useful in working out where to network and who with. Where to find the people who will become part of your Inner Network. If your product is providing a solution to a business problem then you can work out the places you should be networking. It is in those groups where the other members provide similar value (price) services to yours. They should be working regularly with the types of businesses you work with.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking tips
Monday, August 24, 2009
Who should be in your Inner Network?
At an event last week someone asked me who would be an ideal connection for me? I explained that it would be someone running another network or providing complementary services to large numbers of Service Business Owners and Partners in Professional Firms. He said that gave him a great insight into the people that would be ideal connections for him.
In this podcast I talk about building close relationships with others who provide a complementary service to the same target market as your ‘Inner Network’. This will help your networking to become a regular and reliable source of new business.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
In this podcast I talk about building close relationships with others who provide a complementary service to the same target market as your ‘Inner Network’. This will help your networking to become a regular and reliable source of new business.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
How to get your Network to Advocate You
In 'How to get what you want from your networking in 2010' I wrote about setting yourself targets for your networking activities as part of an overall strategy. The ultimate aim of your business networking is to create a network of advocates who regularly promote you and your services without being asked or paid and when you are not there.
The number one way of getting your network to regularly advocate you is to advocate them first.
Remember habit 4 of Stephen R Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is think Win/Win. Applying this in networking means developing a giving mentality and becoming an Advocate for others.
In this podcast I explain this and some of the other ways of motivating others in your Inner Network to advocate you.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
The number one way of getting your network to regularly advocate you is to advocate them first.
Remember habit 4 of Stephen R Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is think Win/Win. Applying this in networking means developing a giving mentality and becoming an Advocate for others.
In this podcast I explain this and some of the other ways of motivating others in your Inner Network to advocate you.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
How do you manage your contacts?
After yesterday's post on 'how good are you at staying in touch' a couple of contacts asked how can you 'manage' your contacts. It's becoming a problem for them because they use a combination of Outlook and other software and online networks are adding complexity.
Here are some things that I do to help manage the interactions with my network:
1. I use our internal contact management system in the member area of the NRG-networks website.
2. In Outlook I arrange my contacts into categories so that I can ensure I am spending enough time with my Inner Network & Advocates. I talked about these categories in a podcast, How to start building your network.
3. I arrange my online contacts into lists or groups on the different platforms.
4. I use an Outlook plug in from Xobni.com which shows me whether a contact is on Linkedin, Facebook or Twitter together with their latest updates.
I would be very interested in learning how you manage your contacts.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
Here are some things that I do to help manage the interactions with my network:
1. I use our internal contact management system in the member area of the NRG-networks website.
2. In Outlook I arrange my contacts into categories so that I can ensure I am spending enough time with my Inner Network & Advocates. I talked about these categories in a podcast, How to start building your network.
3. I arrange my online contacts into lists or groups on the different platforms.
4. I use an Outlook plug in from Xobni.com which shows me whether a contact is on Linkedin, Facebook or Twitter together with their latest updates.
I would be very interested in learning how you manage your contacts.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Does it help to think of your inner network as a channel?
In a recent 121 meeting with a member of NRG-networks in London I was explaining the idea of a networking inner circle. Probably about 6 or 7 close relationships with business people who provide complementary services to yours in similar markets. By meeting regularly to share experiences, support and contacts you can quickly build a very powerful and regular source of well qualified referrals.
We discussed how to formulate a networking strategy to build this close network. It involved much more clarity around networking objectives and key messages.
Towards the end she said "That's just like channel marketing. I understand that completely!"
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
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We discussed how to formulate a networking strategy to build this close network. It involved much more clarity around networking objectives and key messages.
Towards the end she said "That's just like channel marketing. I understand that completely!"
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | virtual board
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Get more referrals by dominating your niche
In a recent NRG business networking event Chris Bose delivered an excellent talk on how to get more prospects for your business from your website. You can read the full text on his website. The elements of his process for getting more prospects are very useful in the context of generating more referrals in networking.
A good website is aimed at being found by relevant people and converting them to prospects and not just hits. In the same way successful networkers build relationships with potential advocates in the right market sectors rather than just randomly connecting with lots of people. They then motivate their Inner Network to generate referrals.
Niche Domination means aiming your website at only the targeted people who are interested in the specific stuff that you sell. In networking you want your network to remember the specific target market you solve problems for and the more precise you are the better.
If you need help in finding your niche then analyse who you work with today, who you enjoy working with and where the money comes from!
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
A good website is aimed at being found by relevant people and converting them to prospects and not just hits. In the same way successful networkers build relationships with potential advocates in the right market sectors rather than just randomly connecting with lots of people. They then motivate their Inner Network to generate referrals.
Niche Domination means aiming your website at only the targeted people who are interested in the specific stuff that you sell. In networking you want your network to remember the specific target market you solve problems for and the more precise you are the better.
If you need help in finding your niche then analyse who you work with today, who you enjoy working with and where the money comes from!
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Monday, November 3, 2008
Join a networking group and save 2 years
A number of NRG-networks members shared some experiences recently on how long it took them to get results from networking. Each of them owned a specialist consulting business operating with Corporate Customers. Typically it had taken them a couple of years to work out the importance of being structured and targeted with their networking.
At the end one of them said the reason that he liked our NRG groups so much was that they were structured so he could identify and build his Inner Network much more quickly than in other groups he had tried and in a lot of random activity. In fact it had taken him 2 months to achieve what had taken him 2 years elsewhere.
If your networking seems to be going nowhere take some time to work out what the right groups are for you and your business. A good question to start with is "Where do the owners of other businesses with similar markets to you network?"
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
At the end one of them said the reason that he liked our NRG groups so much was that they were structured so he could identify and build his Inner Network much more quickly than in other groups he had tried and in a lot of random activity. In fact it had taken him 2 months to achieve what had taken him 2 years elsewhere.
If your networking seems to be going nowhere take some time to work out what the right groups are for you and your business. A good question to start with is "Where do the owners of other businesses with similar markets to you network?"
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Ways of helping your advocates to refer you
I spoke at an event last night about the NRG Networking Advocacy Model*. The model suggests that effective networking is a result of building trusted relationships with your Inner Network. Others that share the same target market as you and provide a complementary service to yours. Over time you will actively refer and introduce some of these as you get to know, like, trust and rate them. Some of these will form your Advocate Network, the small group of people who regularly go out of their way to find introductions and referrals for you.
The speakers at the Referral Institute Conference last week all reinforced this view of networking. Sarah Owen addressed the subject of helping others to advocate you as you advocate them. The very act of advocating someone else is motivation for them, but only if they know! Unless you educate them on this and what you are looking for they will probably miss opportunities.
In your One2One interactions have you made sure they really know what you do and where? Can they pass on why you are good and what you love about your business? Do they know how you want to be promoted and who specifically you want to meet? Is there anything else that would make you stand out?
They may be saying things about you that you could use yourself.
*My previous post 'The Advocacy Model: Develop Advocates' has more detail and links to further posts on this subject.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
The speakers at the Referral Institute Conference last week all reinforced this view of networking. Sarah Owen addressed the subject of helping others to advocate you as you advocate them. The very act of advocating someone else is motivation for them, but only if they know! Unless you educate them on this and what you are looking for they will probably miss opportunities.
In your One2One interactions have you made sure they really know what you do and where? Can they pass on why you are good and what you love about your business? Do they know how you want to be promoted and who specifically you want to meet? Is there anything else that would make you stand out?
They may be saying things about you that you could use yourself.
*My previous post 'The Advocacy Model: Develop Advocates' has more detail and links to further posts on this subject.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
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
Friday, November 6, 2009
Do you spend too much time meeting new people?
In a couple of seminars and One2One sessions this week we have discussed the amount of time spent on Networking. We have then broken that down into time spent in different aspects of networking:
1. Meeting new people
2. Getting to know existing contacts better
3. Spending time with your Inner Network
4. Building trust with your close contacts or advocates
Most people agree that before people buy from you or refer you they need to know, like and trust you and that takes time. You need to meet first, but then you need to keep meeting the people you like to really get to know them and build that trust.
The people I discussed this with during the week were spending nearly all their networking time on meeting new people with almost no time left for the most important relationship stuff. Getting to know the people they like and have already met. Then building trust with the ones they know and like.
Do you need look at your networking time?
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
1. Meeting new people
2. Getting to know existing contacts better
3. Spending time with your Inner Network
4. Building trust with your close contacts or advocates
Most people agree that before people buy from you or refer you they need to know, like and trust you and that takes time. You need to meet first, but then you need to keep meeting the people you like to really get to know them and build that trust.
The people I discussed this with during the week were spending nearly all their networking time on meeting new people with almost no time left for the most important relationship stuff. Getting to know the people they like and have already met. Then building trust with the ones they know and like.
Do you need look at your networking time?
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Building your Pride
A couple of people recently have asked for advice on selecting people for their Inner Network. At the Referral Institute Conference last week Dawn Lyons and Jill Green spoke about the lessons you can learn from the different roles played by the members of a Pride of Lions in organising around a common goal.
Networking is about helping others as a way of growing your business, but it is important to build your pride with others committed to the same approach and with access to the right markets. People who will share your passion for what you do and who you can be passionate about too.
After the conference Dawn emailed me with some more on the subject of building your pride:
"The key to building your own pride is to first realize you have the right to select your pride members. Select wisely! Select pride members who are:
1) professional
2) they understand how to refer you
3) they believe in and are highly skilled in referral marketing
4) they have a want to and a desire to help you
5) you also enjoy referring them to others
Start slow and build your pride to 4-8 members and watch your referral business grow!"
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
Networking is about helping others as a way of growing your business, but it is important to build your pride with others committed to the same approach and with access to the right markets. People who will share your passion for what you do and who you can be passionate about too.
After the conference Dawn emailed me with some more on the subject of building your pride:
"The key to building your own pride is to first realize you have the right to select your pride members. Select wisely! Select pride members who are:
1) professional
2) they understand how to refer you
3) they believe in and are highly skilled in referral marketing
4) they have a want to and a desire to help you
5) you also enjoy referring them to others
Start slow and build your pride to 4-8 members and watch your referral business grow!"
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Joining a networking group can be like joining a Gym
A couple of people have asked me recently, "What will I get if I join one of your networking groups?". My answer is that we concentrate on recruiting quality people and facilitating quality networking. What you get will be a direct result of how you follow up and the effort you put in. Consider the analogy of joining a gym or fitness club.
We are approaching the time of year when many people join a gym with the aim of getting fitter or losing some weight. However, we all know that paying the money is not enough. You only get results if you put the effort into training, and often you need a personal trainer to really get going. The same is true of networking and you have to put the effort into getting to know people and investing in relationships first. Understanding how networking works is a good start. As Bob Burg said:
"All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to
— those people they know, like and trust."
Business Networking is about finding other business people who operate in similar markets to you, and building relationships to earn that trust. Once you understand and commit yourself to making it work you can actively do the things that will make your networking effective and productive.
Over the next few posts I will revisit some of these things for you:
http://business-networking.blogspot.com/2008/12/do-you-know-what-you-want-from-your.html
* Have you got a System?
* Who do you know already?
* What is your Target Market?
* Is your Proposition clear?
* Who is in your Inner Network?
* How do your grow your Advocates?
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
We are approaching the time of year when many people join a gym with the aim of getting fitter or losing some weight. However, we all know that paying the money is not enough. You only get results if you put the effort into training, and often you need a personal trainer to really get going. The same is true of networking and you have to put the effort into getting to know people and investing in relationships first. Understanding how networking works is a good start. As Bob Burg said:
"All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to
— those people they know, like and trust."
Business Networking is about finding other business people who operate in similar markets to you, and building relationships to earn that trust. Once you understand and commit yourself to making it work you can actively do the things that will make your networking effective and productive.
Over the next few posts I will revisit some of these things for you:
http://business-networking.blogspot.com/2008/12/do-you-know-what-you-want-from-your.html
* Have you got a System?
* Who do you know already?
* What is your Target Market?
* Is your Proposition clear?
* Who is in your Inner Network?
* How do your grow your Advocates?
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
How do you get people to advocate you?
One question that I get asked by people is how to get regular business from networking relationships. Getting other business people to recommend and advocate you is what networking is all about for many people.
This podcast explains how to set about motivating others in your Inner Network to advocate you.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
This podcast explains how to set about motivating others in your Inner Network to advocate you.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
Friday, October 31, 2008
Networking saves time and money
I was involved in a meeting with owners of small businesses last week. One of the topics was the importance of networking in a recession. The consensus of each of the owners was that, for them, networking is the most cost effective way of building a route to market. Once trusted relationships are in place opportunities are consistently uncovered and shared. You do not have to keep hunting for that one off elusive piece of business.
Your return on investment keeps multiplying as you maintain the relationships.
Another benefit of networking that is little appreciated is this:
Over time your costs actually decrease!
Once you find the right networking groups and your inner network you spend more time with fewer people.
Compare that to the costs involved in other marketing.
You only continue to get results by continuing to spend more.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
Your return on investment keeps multiplying as you maintain the relationships.
Another benefit of networking that is little appreciated is this:
Over time your costs actually decrease!
Once you find the right networking groups and your inner network you spend more time with fewer people.
Compare that to the costs involved in other marketing.
You only continue to get results by continuing to spend more.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success
business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Business Networking in 5 Simple Steps
There are 5 essential steps to building business through business networking;
1. Set your networking objectives
2. Identify your target market
3. Develop your proposition
4. Define your inner network
5. Build your advocates
Go to the full article, Business Networking in 5 Simple Steps, for more and a complimentary ebook to help you build a plan based on these 5 steps.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
ps Visit the new home of the business networking blog for the latest posts
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Who else is needed when you do business?
Last week I was with a group of Professionals and Small Business Owners in Birmingham learning more about Referral Marketing at the Referral Institute's UK & Ireland Conference. The theme of the day was about how you can dramatically increase your referred revenue. One topic covered by Trey McAlister was about understanding 'Contact Sphere Professionals'. These people are in a position to regularly refer each other.
It is worth spending some time identifying this group for your business. Who else is often needed when you do business? What opportunities do you uncover as you go about your work? What other opportunities could you uncover as you go about your work?
This process of identifying them also gives you an idea of the opportunities you have for referring and building your inner network. As you do this for them you are demonstrating how they can do the same for you and others. You are advocating them and providing the motivation for them to do it for you.
You really can get all the business you need through a close knit group of like minded business owners like this. That is provided you are all committed to the success of each other and are all in a position to regularly provide opportunities to each other. You need to meet regularly to strengthen your relationships and exchange opportunities. Why not find a convenient networking group that you can do this in?
You are also adding value to your client relationships by showing them you have their success at heart and not just your own.
Good Networking!Dave Clarke
It is worth spending some time identifying this group for your business. Who else is often needed when you do business? What opportunities do you uncover as you go about your work? What other opportunities could you uncover as you go about your work?
This process of identifying them also gives you an idea of the opportunities you have for referring and building your inner network. As you do this for them you are demonstrating how they can do the same for you and others. You are advocating them and providing the motivation for them to do it for you.
You really can get all the business you need through a close knit group of like minded business owners like this. That is provided you are all committed to the success of each other and are all in a position to regularly provide opportunities to each other. You need to meet regularly to strengthen your relationships and exchange opportunities. Why not find a convenient networking group that you can do this in?
You are also adding value to your client relationships by showing them you have their success at heart and not just your own.
Good Networking!Dave Clarke
Friday, April 23, 2010
Do you meet the right people when you go networking?
In a conversation with the partner in a professional firm last week he said "I know networking is about building relationships and not selling directly, but I never meet the right people". I asked him who the right people were and he tried to explain. He found it difficult and rambled on a bit.
I suggested (gently) that he might like to give it some thought because then he would have an idea where he might find the 'right people'. He asked if I had any tips that might help and I said he could start with where his referrals came from today. He mentioned a couple of sources which was great because now he will be looking for networking groups with others like them.
I also suggested that when he finds that group he should invite his current referral sources too. That way he will be building his Inner Network* and strengthening the relationships with his current Advocates*.
*Explained in more detail in the NRG Advocate Marketing System.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
I suggested (gently) that he might like to give it some thought because then he would have an idea where he might find the 'right people'. He asked if I had any tips that might help and I said he could start with where his referrals came from today. He mentioned a couple of sources which was great because now he will be looking for networking groups with others like them.
I also suggested that when he finds that group he should invite his current referral sources too. That way he will be building his Inner Network* and strengthening the relationships with his current Advocates*.
*Explained in more detail in the NRG Advocate Marketing System.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
A simple equation for networking successfully
'Can you make networking really simple?' was the headline last week when I wrote about making networking simple. Someone asked me if I could give them a simple equation for successful networkng. Here is what I gave them:
First of all you need to know what you actually want from your networking. Then you can do the things that will ensure you achieve your goals.
At NRG-networks we encourage people to use the NRG Advocate Marketing System. The 5 simple steps include the essential components in this equation - your plan and a structured approach;
1. Set your networking objectives
2. Identify your target market
3. Develop your proposition
4. Define your inner network
5. Build your advocates
Read more about this business networking system here.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
plan + structured approach = successful networking
First of all you need to know what you actually want from your networking. Then you can do the things that will ensure you achieve your goals.
At NRG-networks we encourage people to use the NRG Advocate Marketing System. The 5 simple steps include the essential components in this equation - your plan and a structured approach;
1. Set your networking objectives
2. Identify your target market
3. Develop your proposition
4. Define your inner network
5. Build your advocates
Read more about this business networking system here.
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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