Does your network sell for you?

I was interviewed last night by Richard White of The Accidental Salesman on the theme, "Does your network to sell for you?".

This was done as a live webcast and will be available as a download to members of Richard's Accidental Salesman Club.

We spoke about some of the mistakes that people make when networking and I shared the NRG four stage model of going from first meeting someone to have them become an advocate:
1. Make contact
2. Follow up
3. Build relationship
4. Develop advocacy

Read the full article at this link, "Does your network sell for you?".

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

Morgan PR and the Great Blogging Adventure: NRG giving!

I saw this post today from someone who came to our Reading Group's networking lunch & seminar;

Morgan PR and the Great Blogging Adventure: NRG giving!

It made me feel really good. How often do you leave positive feedback & testimonials?

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

Getting serious about Word of Mouth

A couple of weeks ago I attended a seminar at a PR Company in Reading. The theme was "Grow your own business through effective sales, PR & Marketing". There were some good tips on traditional sales, PR & Marketing. Social Networking, however, was completely absent from the presentation. I asked one of the presenters if they saw it as important. I was left with the impression that Web 2.0 was not something they had embraced.

The same week I saw a presentation from Steve Clayton of Microsoft on "Web 2.0, Social Networking, Blogging & more". He underlined the importance of utilising the technology and getting serious about Word of Mouth Marketing.

As Philip Calvert put it in a recent NRG Business Networking Seminar, "If you're not on Google, Facebook & Myspace you don't exist!"

How are you utilising Social Networking in your Word of Mouth strategy?

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

Who else sells to your target market?

I had a couple of conversations this week where I raised this question.

In the first the person trained people interested in starting their own beauty therapy or related business. There are many college courses helping Women start in business developing links with those may be a good start.

In the second the person had a busines that halved the cost of fixed to mobile telephone calls. When I asked who else sold to his market he said everyone. I asked if it might be a good idea to focus particularly on developing relationships with others that sold complementary telecoms related products and services to his target market.

Who else sells to your target customers?

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

Do you have a clear proposition?

Do you ever struggle to understand someone else's proposition. It may well be someone you like and trust, and would love to help.

At a seminar today presented by NRG members, Tim Cumming and Anna Thomas they shared a very simple way of developing your message. It's not designed to be the message you give, but to help you develop the appropriate ones.

You just fill in the blanks:

We help [1.] to [2.] by providing [3.] which are more [4.] than most.

1 = audience
2 = outcome
3 = benefit
4 = differentiation

For example "We help business owners to build a steady pipeline of new business by providing facilitated business networking experiences which are more effective than most"

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

Social Networking in Plain English

I found this great video via Thomas Power's Ecademy Profile:



The video is by Lee LeFever of Commoncraft.com.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

Your advocates help build your reputation

I received a message from a contact today.
He had received a response to an email;

"I would be delighted to take up your offer of a meeting. Someone I met last night was singing your praises and that has spurred me into action!"

Who is talking positively about you when you are not there?

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

Do you network to find advocates or customers?

During the seminar before an NRG Business Networking Lunch today we were discussing different approaches to networking. I explained that networking to build trusted relationships and develop advocates was far more productive than networking for customers.

One member shared his experience to support that view. When he first started networking he was looking for customers directly. He had some limited success. When he changed his approach to helping others and building relationships first his results increased dramatically.

He also won more customers from his networking contacts!

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
Get 7 networking secrets for business success

Crash course in networking

I received a telephone call just before one of our lunches from a journalist. He was writing a piece for Management Today about networking and wanted to pick my brains.

What are the key things about networking, he asked. Decide what you want to get out of it (be strategic), I said. Also, don't expect results immediately - it's all about developing relationships and that takes time.

His article is in the August edition of Management Today and is called Crash course in networking.

Martin Davies
NRG Business Networks

Where building relationships can lead

At NRG we recently surveyed our members to find out what our members got out of the NRG relationship. I was (pleasantly) surprised to find that over half our members were actively collaborating with other members.

Then one of our more mature and wordly-wise members sat me down and explained things to me.

"You make a big thing about developing relationships don't you" he said.

"Absolutely, it is fundamental to successful networking" I said.

"Well, think about it - if your members do spend time getting to know other members in depth surely you shouldn't be surprise when a lot of them want to work together, share projects, jointly go to market - in other words, collaborate!"

Silly me - why didn't I think that through!

Martin Davies
NRG Business Networks