"Networking is an extremely powerful and effective tool when growing any business. It is having a sales force without paying for a full time staff, launching an advertising campaign without having a marketing budget, and establishing yourself as an expert in your field without having to become a media darling. The basic goal is to provide professionals, resources, and clients to networking members without incurring outrageous costs. Listed here are a review of the most common networking resources and how to implement them into your own business."
Friends, Family AND CLIENTS
PRO: Family, Friends Clients are the most common resource for any new business owner to tap into. They have a history with you, know what you are capable of, and can vouch for your character, thus giving you a “foot in the door.” Another bonus is that they truly want to help you do whatever they in order for you to succeed.
CON: The people who care the most are often the biggest naysayers when it comes to venturing out on your own. They will be the first to doubt your ability and determination, and the first to come down on you should you fail to live up to their expectations and fulfill the promises they made on your behalf. They want you to be “safe”…and starting a new business is anything but safe.
MAKING IT WORK: Be sincere when asking for help from friends and family. Also, be specific when asking them for what you need. When they come through for you, send them thank you cards, and keep them up to date on how your business is growing. To keep sending people your way, they want to know that they are actually helping you, that you are fulfilling your promises, and that your business is growing. Lastly, take all of their advice with a grain of salt. Some advice will make sense, but other bits will go against the grain. Thank for their advice and referrals, but stick to your instincts.
PREVIOUS CLIENTS
PRO: Previous Clients already have a history with you. They will be glad to see you striking out on your own; they will be willing to let you solicit to them; and they will be willing to help you with advice and referrals for getting off the ground.
CON: This group can be difficult to win away from your previous company since they have a history with that business as well. Also, they might possibly be a little jealous of your entrepreneurial spirit and thus a bit reluctant to see you succeed where they might fear to travel.
MAKING IT WORK: Be attentive and offer excellent customer service. Call them periodically and ask how you might be of assistance. Ask for referrals whenever possible. Get friendly with their salesmen, managers and other employees and offer incentives to these people for buying from you or referring business to you. Send cards and gifts on special occasions to let them you value them. This kind of customer service will win their loyalty and get them to make referrals.
PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING GROUPS
PRO: A Networking Group can offer encouragement, support, and a ready-made clientele list. They will hire you to accomplish tasks for their business. They will make referrals when you prove your worth. They will act as your sales force and vouch for you even when the customer has not met you. They will be loyal to you before being loyal to other acquaintances because of the groups existing terms of cooperation. In effect, they will be your best clients, your respected colleagues, and eventually your friends.
CON: A networking group will test your mettle first. If you do not prove your worth, they will not send new business your way. If you prove to be reliable, they will boot you from the group and not refund your fees. Many times, they will only refer clients to you if you do the same for them. Also, it will cost money to join a networking group.
MAKING IT WORK: Make yourself valuable by doing the following: Treat professional networkers as valued customers and respected colleagues; always stand by your word; prove your reliability time and again; go above and beyond what is expected of you; volunteer for status in the group; and refer as many clients to others as possible. By doing so, your networking group will feel the need to repay you in kind and your client list will grow exponentially. Write off any associated fees as advertising expenses.
(Check out BNI, your local Chamber of Commerce, related trade groups, and specialty business groups (like groups for women or minorities).)
SOCIAL BOOKMARKING
PRO: Multiple visits to your website can help your business by utilizing search engine optimization. The more views your site acquires, the more your site moves to the top of search engines like Google and Yahoo, giving you an edge over your competition. Submitting your website to social bookmarking sites achieves the desired views to move your website into premier positions.
CON: These sights largely promote writers and bloggers. Therefore, you need to spend time in both writing and updating your blogs, as well as in helping other social bookmarkers promote their material in order to stay fresh and on top of your market.
MAKING IT WORK: Create an informative blog on your website related to what your business does or the services you provide. This will set you apart as an expert in your field, and give something to your bookmarking network that they can legitimately promote. The more time you spend adding “friends,” visiting and approving sites, and making comments, the more your networking group will do the same for you.
(Check out Stumbleupon, Digg, Propeller, Facebook and MySpace for social bookmarking sites. Also create a profile on LinkedIn since this website is quickly becoming one of the main business networking resources on the net.)
TESTIMONIALS AND COMMENTS
PRO: Testimonials and comments set you apart as a reliable professional in your field and gain the trust of readers. It gives future customers the chance to learn about you while also having other people verify your knowledge.
CON: This is not a 100% guarantee of trust since some people may assume that you made up any testimonials on your site. Negative comments might actually hurt your credibility as well.
MAKING IT WORK: Ask your acquaintances and colleagues to provide a testimonial about you, your business and your products. Select the best ones for your website and promotional materials place them in a prominent position. By doing so, you portray your professionalism upfront and give visitors a sense of confidence in your skills. Use negative comments as constructive feedback to improve your blogs, and delete them when necessary or inappropriate.
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