Networking is still not about selling

I have blogged before that networking is not selling yet I still meet people at networking events that are intent on selling to the room. I was at an event the other day where a couple of people were complaining that they had got clients the first couple of times they attended, but those sorts of people didn't come any more.

What a shock. They were probably put off by people selling to them all the time. As I often write networking is not about selling directly. If you build relationships in the right way then you don't have to sell. Your network does it for you!

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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What is important in your World?

In response to my post 'What you say is less important' Christopher Neufeld said "An excellent point, although it should take note that you need to get the other person to open up and start discussing what is important to both of you."

He is right about the need to engage with someone in order to start a conversation or get them to 'open up' as he put it. The things that really engage someone are those that are important in their world. I was speaking at a recent event for the owners of independent retail and catering businesses about generating business in the run up to Christmas. The brief was excellent because it summarised the main concerns they have right now which meant the speakers could address those immediately and engage from the start.

It's the same in a One on One or small group. To engage and start a conversation ask questions about the issues they have. It's those conversations that create the connections that start the networking process.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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Which email grabbed my attention?

I received an email earlier this week which included "I have an event coming up ... can you promote to to your network". As you might imagine I get many such requests. The same day another email arrived which included "I am just putting together next month's newsletter, do you have an event in November you would like us to promote?" I know that he has an event that he would like me to promote, but he has offered to do something for me first.

He understands that in business networking it is important to give first before you receive.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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How recently have you been in touch?

I was involved in a discussion yesterday about the importance of the Christmas Trading period to many in the retail and leisure trades. With the year many of them have had it could well be make or break time. Now is the time to act to ensure they maximise their business in the next couple of months.

One thing that came up in the discussion was the goldmine that many of them are sitting on without realising it. The gold in this mine is their existing customers. Many businesses concentrate on looking for new customers all the time and forget those people they have already done business with.

Make sure you keep in regular contact with people you have already done business with. Give them some added value and they may well spend more with you. Do it consistently and they will be amongst your best sources of new business from the people they know and influence.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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A good beginning, middle & end

In a One2One meeting last week the other person was describing an unsatisfactory experience at a networking event. I asked what had happened and she said "people turned up at the appointed time, refreshments were served, there was a speaker and then at the time it was supposed to finish people began drifting off".

I remember in English lessons at school being taught the importance of a good beginning, middle and end in writing a story. It struck me that my friend had described something with no satisfactory beginning or end. The importance of a good beginning and end applies to any good networking or other business experience.

In my experience people like to know what to expect at the start. They also like to know it will finish on time. They can then enjoy and make the most of it.

Good Networking!
Dave Clarke
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Habit one in blunt terms from Brad Burton

I wrote recently about applying Stephen Coveys 7 habits of highly successful people to business networking. Habit one is 'Be Proactive' or as Brad Burton puts it in the title of his new book, 'Get off your Arse!'.

I interviewed Brad for this article on The National Networker and asked him about the title amongst other things.

Brad shared this "I’m not one for controversy. Look the basics of any business is getting off your arse its that simple, no point in looking at an excel document, I encounter many Spreadsheet millionaires, each week its easy making money on spreadsheets I’ve done it 100’s of times. But unless you get off your arse that spreadsheet is never going to happen. And it’s an honest call to action to anyone in business of any size to look at the way you are doing things and begin to do things differently, not just for the sake of doing things differently...".

More from Brad in the full article at the National Networker here >>>.

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

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How can you be targeted with your networking?

The question of who to network with and where came up a couple of times this week. Once in a One2One Meeting and also in some networking training I delivered to a group of Non Executive Directors and Consultants.

If your existing network is not generating enough word of mouth to achieve your business targets then joining the right networking groups could be a sensible option. If you are clear about your target market you can begin to be targeted with your networking. You can establish who else is likely to have access to and influence with them, find where they network and join the groups they belong to.

Take the time to get to know the members and the ways you can help - support, information & introductions. When asked present your proposition confidently & consistently. Things to include are your target market, the problems you solve and stories to illustrate your expertise. Over time as you build your reputation and relationships the support and help you provide gets reciprocated.

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

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Beautiful Wife, Marvellous Mother, Loyal Friend

Today I attended the funeral for Susie Sharman, the wife of my colleague Kim Sharman. It was a lovely celebration of Susie's life and her influence on family, friends and others she came into contact with.

She leaves the World a better place as a result of her life and will be buried tomorrow with these words on her headstone:

Beautiful Wife
Marvellous Mother
Loyal Friend

A great way to be remembered and you can read more at www.rosiebear.co.uk

Dave Clarke

Keeping track of your referrals 2

I wrote yesterday about the importance of keeping track of your referrals. You may think that is limited to direct contact of some sort, but I have also found that much of the business generated via the internet has its root in referrals and word of mouth. I was phoned a few weeks ago by someone interested in opening a new NRG Group in an area we don't cover. I asked how he had found us & he said Google. When we met I asked the question again. Whilst it was true that he had found our website via Google it was because someone we both know had suggested me to him. I was able then to thank the referral source and update him with what had happened.

Many of the people who found us via google also turn out to be via Word of Mouth. More than half of the  searches  that found our website include NRG suggesting someone recommended or referred them in the first place.

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

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Keeping track of your referrals

I facilitated a networking breakfast on Friday 7 at the end one of the visiting members asked if she could say a few words. She shared that the NRG business networking group she belonged to had been a great factor in her success. Much of her business was a result of the relationships she had made in the group. It was not all, however, down to direct referrals. It was sometimes 2, 3, 4, 5 or even 6 steps removed, but by tracking back to the initial source she knew which relationships were critical to maintain & nurture.

If you don't keep track in this way you run the risk of upsetting your referral sources by not keeping them up to date with the results of the positive Word of Mouth they are generating for you. You could potentially miscalculate the return on investment on some of your activities and end up dropping some for the wrong reasons.

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

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business networking | business networking events | business networking podcast

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