Networking Is Not Selling

I’m buzzing. No, I’m not on some kind of drug, but I did manage to take a whole week off from business, from the daily routines of meeting, greeting, and networking with others, as well daily routines of answering the perpetual email stream that flows in at a rate of 200 per day.

Vacationing to me is having new adventures, doing a little sight seeing, and always, but always, reading! For several years I’ve been a huge proponent of Law of Attraction. Long before The Secret, long before it was the ‘trendy’ thing to do. One day I realized that one of the key components to the success we’ve endured in our business http://www.itakethelead.com is a law of nature; like-minded professionals attract other like-minded professionals.  

If you ever have the opportunity to pick up “Excuse me, Your Life is Waiting” I’d grab it! Lynn Grabhorn is witty, fun, and really keeps me engaged with her stories. This is a yearly read for me.  While I was reading through, I realized that Lynn offers some sage advice for anyone who networks. Have you ever felt in a slump…had one of those off days…and attended some kind of networking function anyway? How’d it go? Kind of what I thought…..you’d have been better off curled up with the cat and blanket watching the tube!

Advice from Lynn:” Since we’re sort of dead batteries until we get charged, I found the best way to get a buzz started was by doing something physical that would jump-start me into a nice feeling. So lacking cables, I use a smile!”

“That’s right, a meaningful little smile, the kind that feels like butter melting on a hot roll; the kind of smile you couldn’t help but break into at the sight of newborn kittens tumbling all over each other, or a baby giggling just for the sake of giggling. Not a phony grin, but a loving, tender smile as if a youngster had just brought you their most cherished treasure. As you take that felling and pull it up from the inside, you’ll feel yourself smiling the deepest point of your being. Now you’re at what I call the Gentle Inner Smile, a warm lovely sensation that feels like a soft buzz or a delicate whirling.”

I arrived back home to a chilly temperature of 30 degrees, snow on the ground, and ice layered on the windows of the neighbors’ vehicles. As a matter of fact, today was supposed to be my first day back at networking, but going out in the cold was not looking very appealing. So I prepped for the meeting by getting a soft buzz going.  It worked, and the meeting was a total success….maybe because I was on top of my game!

By Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach

Hey gal, do you know what you really need to know to market your business effectively?  If you’re like most women in business, you started your business because you are in love with an idea or a product, and are firmly convinced that everybody else in the world will be just as enamored of the product or service as you are. 

After all, most of us believe that we are savvy buyers, and if we like something, then we believe that every other rational person in the world would like it, too.

Not so fast, Oprah.  That’s not how it works.

Women entrepreneurs do have some natural advantages in business.  Very often, we are excellent at the soft skills such as communication, connection, empathy, and persuasion.  Those skills (and not blonde hair and a big rack) are why many women are so successful in sales positions.  But those skills often aren’t enough make a business work in the long term (or even to get it off the ground).

As a marketing coach, I’ve worked with hundreds of women entrepreneurs, and I see the same mistakes being made over and over again by smart capable women who were very successful while working in the corporate world. 

While this may come as a shock to some of you gals, there is no product, service, or idea that has ever been developed for sale that appeals to everybody.

Not everybody wants to be thinner, richer, smarter, blonder, sexier, taller, better hydrated, fresher-smelling, chemically enhanced, or more physically fit than they already are.  Not everybody wants a six-step all-natural skin-care regimen, a five-piece poly-cotton wardrobe that can be packed in your handbag for those spontaneous weekend trips to Hawaii, or kicky funky costume jewelry ensembles to match every mood and outfit.  And not everybody wants to take advantage of once-in-a-lifetime-ground-floor opportunities, make money from their down-lines, or cash in on the latest investment trends.

The question we need to ask ourselves is this:  Who really wants what you’ve got, and who is ready, willing and able to pay for it?  And finally, who will be thrilled with it?

Once we can identify who is most likely to buy from us, and who is seeking our solution to a specific problem, then all we have to do is let that person know that we exist.  This is much easier, much cheaper, and much faster than trying to sell ourselves to someone who just plain isn’t already ready or willing to buy what we’re selling.

And while that may be bad news for some network marketers, in terms of marketing your product or services, that’s actually pretty good news!  Because marketing to everybody is time-consuming and expensive, and I have yet to meet an entrepreneur who is willing to spend much more than 10% (if that) of their annual revenues on marketing.

Of all the many reasons to focus on a specific target market as your ideal client, the one I like best is that really happy clients become your unpaid marketing department.  Seriously, though, by focusing on a certain type of problem/solution for a specific type of client, you enhance your problem-solving skills and get really familiar with that category of issues (and therefore more valuable in the eyes of that client).

Once you are crystal clear about who your clients really are, the key elements of your marketing plan such as your niche, “elevator speech” or self-introduction, and the tactics you need to use to reach your clients, become so much easier to identify, which in turn helps you determine what you need to do to market yourself effectively.  And of course, marketing to a smaller pool of prospects is easier, quicker, and less expensive than marketing to a huge pool. 

So unless you have an unlimited marketing budget and nothing but time, money, and energy to spend, my advice as your marketing coach is that you focus on the easiest, quickest, and least expensive sale – your ideal client.  That, my friend, is how you leverage all your natural assets, and make a spectacular success of your business.

About the author
Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach, is the author of “How to Create a Killer Elevator Speech” and “How to Double Your Business in 30 Minutes a Day.” A dynamic speaker and unconditionally supportive coach, Ronnie helps small businesses attract more clients.  Ronnie’s web site is a comprehensive resource with free articles and valuable marketing tools for small office/home office business professionals.  Visit her web site at www.VeronikaNoize.com, or call her at 360-882-1298.

What Women Really Need to Know to Market a Business © Veronika Noize 2005.  All
rights reserved.

This last week, I had the opportunity to hear one of i Take The Lead Portland’s most popular Special Guest Speakers: Dotty Scott.  Dotty has a knack for taking a complicated subject and making it easy for us non-techies to understand.  This particular presentation provided some great tips on Blogging for Business.

She’s is one of my favs!!  Shy, introverted, and one of the best networkers I know, Dotty took a part-time business and has successfully built it into a thriving, full-time enterprise!  Premium Websites http://www.premiumwebsites.net  The best part? Dotty did this by networking in person as well as by using Social Media sites, such as Facebook and Linked In!!

James Klingensmith, owner of i Take The Lead Colorado http://www.itakethelead.com was vising us all here in Portland this last week, from Denver.  He LOVES to network and truly understands the value and how to make it happen!  As a matter of fact, he has his own radio blog show, that I’m going to listen to this week.

This week on this radio show, James will be interviewing  Jodi Tripp – No More Naked Phones http://www.nomorenakedphones.com  

Tuesday, October 12th at 2:00 PM PST

James says: “We want to learn more about your business, so today we will take your calls ON AIR. We will also answer your tough networking questions.

As you might know iTTL is the fastest growing referral organization in the Denver, Seattle, Rogers AR Metro Areas.

We are dedicated to promoting your business. Get your questions ready and Call in.”

Here is the Call in Number: (347) 934-0911

Listen in here is the link…

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/itakethelead/2010/06/15/networking-101

How do you network? Do you belong to a formal referral group? A Chamber of Commerce? Attend multiple Meet Up events? All of the above?

I was reminded today, after seeing a mortgage professional at one of our i Take The Lead http://www.itakethelead.com meetings, what networking is, and what networking is not. Networking is not about showing up at a formal membership-driven referral group meeting, unannounced, with the intent of taking business cards and soliciting the other attendees.

What Doug (the guest) did not stop seem to understand:  What networking is. That particular referral group has a mortgage lending team, Kevin and Tammi, who’ve been members of that group for 3+ years. Their fellow members have a great deal of respect for the couple.  Kevin and Tammi both continue to get new referrals despite the setbacks of today’s economy; these referrals almost always lead to new business. While they’ve received many benefits, Tammi and Kevin have provided many referrals that have led to huge payoffs for the other members.  It’s been a win-win relationship since day one.

Networking is about building relationship, connecting, and serving.

It’s commonly believed that most introverts are shy, but I happen to be a shy extrovert. Introverts often avoid social situations because being around people drains their energy. They need time to be alone to ‘recharge.’ Extraverts, on the other hand, seek out others and enjoy being social.  

I love people and interacting with people. I am at my best when I am connecting with others; I become energized. However, over the years I’ve been painfully shy when attending functions with multiple people that I do not know.

Do you ever have to force yourself to attend networking events? Some simple suggestions to keep in mind:

#1 Invite a friend. I do recommend mingling with others, but at least you know you have  one friendly person you can seek out if networking becomes too awkward for you.  

#2 Very often, I happen to be the host; however, when I’m not, I pretend to be the host. What I mean by that is that as a nurturing spirit, I’m most comfortable when I am helping others feel comfortable.  Try it. Walk up to others, extend your hand and introduce yourself. You’ve just made a new friend.

#3 Have a Game Plan. Set goals. For instance, you may decide that you have been successful, if you make 3 new contacts.  Perhaps your goal is as many as 10 new contacts. Plan ahead and stick with your plan.

Remember that Networking is about connecting and serving.  Be ready to serve. Above all, have fun

I always look forward to reading Abigail’s latest “words of wisdom.” Please scroll all the way down, if you find that taking vacations seems to be a ‘foreign concept’ in your world.  Abigail can help you create the kind of business that will allow you to take time off! She is fantastic!

A generation or two ago, most people worked hard for 40 hours each week and had time each evening for dinner, visiting with neighbors, supervising their children’s homework, and bath time. For the past two decades, not taking vacation time has become a desperate attempt to keep our jobs, despite no proof to support the practice. Today, Americans work more days per year and more hours per day than workers in any other industrialized nation. We have no national vacation policy, unlike other industrialized nations. Only 10% of employed Americans take two weeks off at a time for vacation.

What’s Preventing Time Off?

We all have 24 hours in a day. How we allocate them is completely individual. When clients tell me they cannot take time off, their reasons fall into very predictable buckets.

1. Money – If you are paid hourly, then time not working is less dollars in your pay package. The majority of my clients own their own business so that’s a lame argument. When they have a net income goal that they are not meeting, we need to look at their marketing, their conversion rate from lead to client, their follow up to retain existing/prior clients, and their expenses.

2. Fear – These days many salaried people are terrified of taking time off in case they lose their job. There are thousands of people who made this decision and lost their jobs anyway. If you believe your boss “won’t like it” when you take time off, think about who will be around to enjoy when you are 65. It probably won’t be your current boss.

 3. Poor Planning – For business owners, if their business is set up so it cannot function without them on hand, it’s definitely time to look at their systems, policies, and protocols so they are set up to allow a month-long cruise with no worries about the business continuing to prosper. Or, help them make their annual revenue in 11 months of the year so they have the twelfth month free. A clockmaker friend of mine spends the month of February in Hawaii, because he generates his desired annual revenue March through January.

4. Avoidance of Other Things – This is more common that most of us want to admit. If there are problems in the marriage, it’s easier to work longer hours. When you have a teenager with attitude, it’s less stressful to go to the office on the weekend. After you welcome the new puppy in the family, it’s definitely better to avoid being the first one home to clean up any accidents and take the puppy for a walk. We don’t like to admit that we are working longer hours to avoid other things, but it’s a very probable cause.

Just because we can – does not mean we should

Technology allows us to be connected 24/7 around the world. We’ve become so infatuated with our “toys” that they now dictate our lives. They come with OFF buttons! Learn to use them! I promise there is no law, rule, or commandment that says we must be connected every hour of every day. Even God, in the middle of creation, managed a day of rest. If it’s good enough for the Big Guy, it’s good enough for us mere mortals.

Protect What is Most Valuable

Your technology tools can be lost, stolen, or destroyed. If you’ve followed basic levels of security and back-up protocols, you can easily replace the tool, recover your information, and be functional in a matter of hours.

Human beings, you, your family, friends, and co-workers are not replaceable with downloaded memory. As I have pointed out frequently, if you do not take extremely good care of yourself, no one else can or will do it for you. Only you can control how your physical, mental, and emotional well-being is cared for. Many of us take better care of equipment than of ourselves.
Take The Long View
Are you nicer, calmer, more creative, and helpful to your clients when you are rested and refreshed, or when you are half sick and exhausted? Will your clients be happier finding a new supplier for your goods or products when you have burned out to the point you need to close down your business?

Make yourself and your own well-being a priority. Take time off to relax, refresh, and recharge. Your body, your business, and your relationships will all benefit.

I keep this question posted to my bulletin board as a reminder. 

     “How thin can you spread yourself before you are no longer “there?”

 © 2010 Straight Edge News           All Rights Reserved.

Abigail Dougherty, PCC, is the founder of Straight Edge Solutions, a Professional Certified Coach, Business Process Expert and Motivational Speaker. To read more articles by Abigail and learn more about her work, please visit her website, StraightEdgeSolutions.com or contact Abigail at Abigail@StraightEdgeSolutions.com.

For those of you who prefer to vacation off-season, now is an excellent time to confirm that your business will run smoothly without your attention for a week or two.  Send Abigail an email so you can set up a time to talk about how to prepare for your gift of time off.

Abigail Dougherty
Straight Edge Solutions

Abigail@StraightEdgeSolutions.com

Are you likable ? You may have great knowledge and be fully capable in your industry, but if others do not like you, they will not refer to you.  Some simple tips on becoming more likable may help you put the pieces of the puzzle together:

• First impressions are lasting impressions. Always put your best foot forward. Yes, dressing appropriately, wearing deodorant, bathing, and using mouth wash are suggested acts for leaving a positive lasting impression.
• Be interested in others.
• Listen. Are you busy thinking about what you’re going to say next, or are you actually listening?
• Ronnie Noize, Google’s #1 Marketing Coach http://www.VeronikaNoize.com  says that Networking is about connecting and serving. Connecting others is a great way to be of service. Those can be some of the most powerful referrals.
• Never, ever, ever confuse networking with selling. No one likes to be sold.

If you are networking, chances are you own a business.  You will want to read the following article by Abigail Dougherty.  Becky

As I’ve admitted before, my definition of a “business” book is broader than most publishers’. Because I read over 200 nonfiction books a year, it means I’ve read several on leadership, sales, marketing, management, etc. The more I read, the clearer it becomes that there is no single precise formula for success in business. Most of the books agree on six key attributes needed to be successful. They might name them differently, but the fundamentals are the same.

Skill

This is usually the easiest one. Sane people do not start a business unless they have a certain level of qualification in that field, either by experience, education or certification. If you are a carpenter, travel agent, coach, lawyer or dog groomer, somewhere along the way you’ve picked up the necessary abilities to do that work.

Vision

Going into business for yourself requires a vision of what you want from life that is greater than the relative security of working for a paycheck. The vision could be about freedom, about creativity, about flexibility of where and when you work, and who you work with. It could be as simple as the change you want to bring to the world. Without vision we cannot run our business; it will always run us. 

Personality

Of all the attributes for business success, this, to me, is the most controversial. Sometimes charisma is mistaken for the ability to lead. Sadly, leadership isn’t always combined with integrity and competence. When it is, it’s a fabulous combination for success. Too often, key qualities are missing and we see the business fail in a headline-blazing fashion.

Creativity

This is the ability to find, engage, and listen to our customers so we can understand what they WANT to solve problems or save themselves pain. Creativity includes being able to keep that dialogue going as tastes or the problems they face change. Being a buggy whip maker in the age of automobiles could limit your business success, unless you are Jedediah’s Buggy Whip Maker, who has carved out a unique niche in what most believe is a dead industry. Creativity helps you get through any barrier to your success. That might mean going over, under, around or through the obstacles that pop up. This is where Master Mind groups are invaluable. Often we are too close to the problem to see the solution that is obvious to someone in a different industry.

Determination

I was listening to an interview of a well-known speaker who, early in his career, was asked to work with an inner-city youth group to help them develop self-esteem. He was wise enough to help them acknowledge that they faced challenges, that people have faced similar challenges in the past, and that similar challenges will continue in the future. This speaker’s message to these youths was, “Now you know the challenges, succeed anyway!” We can all produce a litany of excuses for not being successful. We’re human: as long as we are alive we will have challenges. We can use them as our excuse to not succeed or we can use determination and creativity to succeed anyway.

Action

It’s probably not surprising that action is often the hardest step for business owners. Purposeful action to attract clients, to book business, to earn revenue, and to ensure the clients become your fan club is significantly different from activities. Business owners too often believe that it’s their job to do everything in the business. Successful business owners figure out where they add the most value to the business and find ways to delegate the rest to a third party, an employee or a virtual assistant. Remember, delegation retains your control. Abdication means you’ve abandoned part of your business to someone else’s priorities.

What’s Your Formula?

Skill, vision, personality, creativity, determination, and action are all essential building blocks of business success. How much of each that is required for your success is completely individual to your business and your market. No matter how your formula reads, ACTION is the essential ingredient to ALL success.

 “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing.  Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”

Leonardo DaVinci

 © 2010  Straight Edge News

WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE? Check our website: Straight Edge Solutions.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Abigail Dougherty, PCC, is the founder of Straight Edge Solutions, a Professional Certified Coach, Business Process Expert and Motivational Speaker. To read more articles by Abigail and learn more about her work, please visit her website, StraightEdgeSolutions.com or contact Abigail at Abigail@StraightEdgeSolutions.com.

My good friend, Ronnie Noize, Google’s #1 Marketing Coach http://www.veronikanoize.com wrote the following exceptional article for anyone who’s interested in finding new clients.

The first challenge of most business owners is to find prospects who turn into clients, but how and where to find them can be a puzzler.

Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet that instantly generates a slew of clients. What usually has to happen is that we surface a number of suspects (people we SUSPECT may be interested in products and/or services such as ours), and from that pool we find our PROSPECTS, or people who are prospective purchasers if all needs and conditions are satisfied. Finally, when the decision to purchase is made, we have clients (or customers or patients or members or whatever you wish to call them).

What may be different from one business to another is the process for attracting suspects, cultivating prospects, and acquiring clients. In some cases the process is relatively short and simple, in others, the process may require multiple steps to qualify the prospect and nurture the relationship to fruition.

The key to success is to meet your suspects halfway–showing up where they are looking for or thinking about the solution to the problem you solve or the experience you offer, so that even if they don’t know that YOU exist, you have the basis to begin a relationship.

Here is a short list of quick and easy ways to surface likely leads (suspects and prospects who turn into clients) for your business:

1. Offer a valuable piece of educational material on your website. This piece of information could be a free report, ebook, audio, newsletter, assessment, or other tool; all that really matters is that it is of sufficient perceived value to entice your visitor to exchange her name and email address in exchange for it. Caveat: Make sure that you require a double-opt in process, rather than an immediate redirect to the free stuff so that you capture valid contact information, or you won’t be able to follow up.
2. Speaking at a meeting, seminar, or other public event. As the guest expert (which speakers usually are), you are in a position of visibility and credibility that is a powerful combination for prospecting. Invite your audience to give you feedback, request a copy of your presentation, or redeem a free or reduced price consultation with a feedback card that you bring to the presentation. Or you may simply hold a drawing for a book or other prize at the end of your presentation, using the drawing entry forms or even business cards as leads.
3. Referrals from your current clients are usually much more likely to buy than cold leads, so consider putting referral programs in place. There are three ways to get referrals, and you should be using all of them. The first way is to earn referrals, meaning that your clients are so thrilled they can’t stop telling others about you. The second way to is ask your clients, colleagues, and Power Partners for referrals, and to take responsibility for following up so you don’t burden your referral partners with the work of referring. The third way to generate referrals is to reward those who refer in both a public and a generous manner. Perhaps you thank them in your newsletter, award points that they can redeem for cool prizes, or better yet, send them personal thanks by mail.
4. Post special offers and/or specific programs in your online communities. Examples include Craigslist in the small business ads or classes sections; or in listservs such as Yahoo or Google groups; online communities such as LinkedIn, Biznik, and Facebook; or even online forums and bulletin boards.
5. Live meetings and events provide the perfect opportunity for eyeball-to-eyeball connecting, and can be fun, too. This doesn’t have to be a networking meeting per se, although those can be terrific for meeting new folks. Also in this category are association and trade meetings, conventions, rallys, and other meetings that offer opportunities for interaction between participants.
6. Drawings or giveaways at trade shows, conventions, or other live events can generate loads of great leads, as well as plenty of folks who are not at all interested in what you offer, so be sure that your prize is something that is of specific interest to your target client, or that the pool is already pre-qualified in some way. One way to pre-qualify is to use entry forms that gather pertinent info rather than simply using business cards.
7. Direct mail to a qualified list of suspects can be very profitable, as long as the list is qualified and the offer is strong. Lists can be obtained in a variety of ways, but one way that I really like is the endorsed mailing to a Power Partner (a non-competing professional who shares your ideal client). This strategy combines direct mail with referral, and can be very persuasive. The endorsed mailing can be as simple as a letter from the Power Partner to her clientele introducing you (and your special offer) and explaining why she’s recommending that her clients work with you.
8. Advertising is often the first thing business owners consider, and for most folks traditional advertising is a total waste of money because it is not measurable. Advertising can be a good lead generator when it is what is called direct response advertising, so that you can see a return on your investment by the number of responses you receive. This would include a coupon, special offer, toll-free phone number or other response mechanism that can be measured and evaluated. Remember that pretty ads may win awards, but direct response ads win leads.
9. Recorded messages on toll-free information lines are a wonderful way for the shy suspect to investigate your product or service without the pressure of having to speak to a sales person, so do consider using this as a tool. The free message is not about how to buy from you, but usually a message educating the suspect on the pitfalls, dangers, or unexpected outcomes of choosing a vendor before knowing all the facts, or some other piece of information that is necessary to make a good decision, followed by a special offer and call to action.
10. Coupon mailers can entice new clients to try your services at a fraction of the cost of regular mass direct mail. This is an especially good option for retailers or recurring services businesses like dentists and garages. Caveat: If your offer is for a price reduction on a regular product or service and you run the offer consistently, you will teach your prospects to wait for the coupon to buy. However, if your coupon is for a discount on an additional item or free bonus or premium, you will not canibalize your regular sales, attract new customers and keep your margins high.
11. Directories such as the yellow pages are often best for emergency services, but a solid offer in a directory ad can bring in the new folks like clockwork. I like to test messages and offers with a Google adwords campaign before committing to a full year in a directory, so that I can be confident that my ad will actually work without just crossing my fingers and wishing.

Of course, there are lots of other ways to attract new clients, but there is a reason that these are on this list: They work. Now go out there and find new clients!

SoHo Marketing Guru 
Business Coaching & Development LLC
951 Officers Row · Vancouver, WA 98661 · USA
360-882-1298 voice · 866-560-1510 fax