It's not something you do only when you're looking for your next job, big contract or when you're desperately trying to make a sales quota and your other opportunities have run dry. No, networking is about building trust in relationships over the long-term.
Unfortunately there are a lot of folks who come onto the scene every now and then to mine their networks only when they need something. Then when they've found what they're looking for they disappear again until the next time they have a need.
I see this behavior most frequently among job seekers. They become really active when they need their next job. Once they land that job nobody hears ever from them again. This is certainly understandable in the first few months of a new role. Eventually it's important to maintain some level of consistency in your networking efforts or you'll just be seen as a taker. If your network sees you as a taker then you can soon expect them to stop helping you.
The job market is a very different place than it was a generation ago. Statistically you can expect to need to look for a new job every 3-5 years, and 80% of jobs are found through networking (I'm looking for a real source that quantifies this 80% numbers, it's the most commonly used number, but I don't know where it came from). With those kinds of numbers it's easy to see how important networking is, and it's not going to work if you only do it when you need it.
Networking is a lifestyle, and I believe it's something you need to work into your regular schedule in a way that fits your style. In my opinion the most powerful form of networking is the networking you do one on one. Sure, being involved in your trade association, the Chamber of Commerce or another community organization is important, but if you're only going to do one thing make sure you meet with a regular number of people one to one.
Do you do the Starbucks thing most mornings? Once or twice a week invite somebody to join you for your morning cup of coffee. Enjoy eating lunch out? Lunch is my favorite way to get to know someone, and I eat lunch everyday anyway so I'm able to make a traditionally non-productive part of my day incredibly useful. Happy hour after work? It really doesn't matter which of these you use. Leverage one or more that you already do most consistently.
Define a set number of face to face meetings you'll schedule each week. At a minimum I recommend the one and one approach. Schedule one meeting (coffee, lunch, drinks, etc.) with someone already in your network who you enjoy spending time with, and can build a deeper relationship with. Schedule a second meeting with someone new that you've never visited in-depth with before. This might be someone you've known for a while that you've just never had an opportunity to sit down with one on one. Better yet this is someone brand new to your network, and the goal here is build your network (just one person at a time). The easiest way to find these folks is to tell those already in your network when you meet with them that you're doing this. Ask them to suggest someone you should know. It's that easy. Do this consistently over time and you're guaranteed to have a strong and always growing network.
Start a habit like this today, and keep it up over time. You'll thank me one day.
How well defined is your niche? Do you know who your ideal target audience is?
From what I've seen very few people have a truly well defined niche. If they do have it defined it's often still too broad. For example someone who claims that their niche is small businesses in Austin. While this may seem well defined it's still represented by tens of thousands of organizations.
Defining and refining a niche for most of us is an ongoing and possibly never ending process. It's still important to work on it. The more clearly you're able to articulate who your market is the easier it is to ask for referrals, and the easier it is to find groups of them to network with.
Not only should you be looking for groups of your well defined target market to network with. You should also be looking for others who work in complimentary fields who serve the same or a similar niche as you. Building relationships with these complimentary individuals can be hugely rewarding. Not only do they already have relationships with YOUR prospective customers, but they also have proven that they can help to serve them in other ways.
The more often you can serve as a resource for your customers the more often they'll think of you when they have a need. As an added benefit your referring them to your new referral partners will also put you high on the referral partner's radar the next time they run across one of their customers who needs you.
1) Work hard to understand and define your niche.
2) Identify organizations and meetings where your niche congregates.
3) Remember to also build relationships with those in complimentary fields to fully leverage the networking effect
What is your niche? How can you more powerfully reach it and develop relationships in that space?
This simple networking tip will help you build even stronger relationships and get more referrals all in one basic step. Yet most people neglect to take this simple action.
When someone gives you a referral it's critically important to thank and acknowledge that person. Hopefully you're already in the habit of doing that, but that's not the end of line. After you've met with a referee it's almost more important to reach back to the referrer and close the loop. You need to do this even if their referral didn't generate a future opportunity. But why? You've already thanked them, why isn't that enough?
Here are 5 reasons why closing the loop is so powerful:
It gives you the opportunity to say thank you... Again!
Show that you value their referrals, and you value the relationship that was entrusted to you.
You get to fill them in on what happened. They were probably wondering anyway.
Give them feedback about why the referral was or wasn't a good fit.
Ask for more! Now that they know how this referral worked out there's a good chance they may have others.
On the other hand if you don't take the simple effort to close the loop you leave doubt in the mind of your referrer. They may question whether or not you even cared about the referral they made. That seed of doubt is poison for future referrals.
You can even close a loop more than once. This isn't always necessary, but with a particularly good referral it's a nice gesture to provide several updates to your referrer. For example let's say that someone referred you a substantial contract opportunity. You might follow-up the first time letting your referrer know that you had a really great conversation and are continuing to persue this opportunity. It seemed to be a good fit. Then again once the contract is signed and you start doing some of the work. Then there may be a future milestone that creates a great opportunity to reach out one more time. Maybe the contract renewed after a period of time because it's going so well, or maybe you just want to share how much you're enjoying the work and the opportunity they created.
Put yourself in the other persons shoes. Wouldn't you like to know what happened with your referrals? If you always heard back and got great feedback each time wouldn't you be more willing to refer that person again in the future?
Who can you reach out to today to thank and close the loop on one of your more recent referred opportunities?
There is so much more information around us these days. It can be difficult to stay in the loop and on top of everything that's going on. It wasn't very long ago that you could get almost everything you needed by reading the morning paper and a handful of books. Now with the Internet, blogs, social media and self publishing the amount of information is mind blowing. So how do you stay on top of it all?
In Tim Ferriss' book The 4-Hour Workweek he recommends a "low information diet." If you're reading this post you're either like me and don't agree with this strategy, or you just haven't read the book yet (which is kind of the point of this post).
Personally I think it's really important to stay current. Knowing what's happening around you can help you better plan for the future, and it almost always gives you something to talk about. Isn't it nice to have some context and an opinion on a current event when someone brings it up rather than having to ask what they're talking about?
I've heard it said before that "Leaders are Readers." There's a lot of truth in this statement. Business books can be a great place to make a connection. Just like having knowledge about a current event, having read the same book as someone else can make for a really interesting conversation. You can also add a lot of value for someone by recommending or buying a particular book for someone who you know the information would be useful to.
I know, I know. We're all so busy. Now we're supposed to fit even more reading into our already hectic schedules? And that's exactly what I really wanted to talk about. I've always tried to read at least 1-2 books a month, but over the last few years I've not had the personal time to get that done. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with having 2 little girls. So, I've cheated! I started by borrowing a variety of audiobooks from friends and the library... Then I found Audible.com and my life has changed! I wish I'd known about this a long time ago, which is exactly why I wanted to share it with you.
Now every minute I spend behind my windshield is productive. I just go to Audible.com, pick out a couple of books I'm interested in (I almost always have a healthy "wish list" to pick from), and download the books to my iPod. With this strategy I'm actually getting through more books than I did several years ago, before the kids, when I could find time to sit down and read a book. Often it's more interesting as well. Many of these audiobooks are read by their authors which gives you the tonality and inflection that can never be fully conveyed in the written word.
One other resource I JUST learned about on Sunday thanks to good 'ol Skymall is getAbstract. This is another subscription service that provides executive summaries of over 5,000 books! The summaries are available as either 5 page .pdf documents, or .mp3 files. How cool is that?
The ideal information setup is probably some combination of the above services. Currently I primarily use Audible, but for the books that I find I really enjoy I often will also buy a regular paper book. Now I'm considering the addition of getAbstract to help me choose which books to invest in without wasting time and money on the duds.
[Full Disclosure: All of the links above are affiliate links, and if you choose to use any of these services I will receive a small commission. However, I would make these same recommendations with or without the cash incentive. Besides, most of the earnings will likely just fund my own business book habits]
With our Get Hired! event coming up tomorrow I thought it only appropriate that I write a post about Job Networking. Networking isn't just what you do at mixers and job clubs. It's really a part of every conversation and activity you're involved with; since you never know where that next opportunity is going to come from.
We all have certain strengths and abilities. Often times we discount the value of these abilities especially when they come really naturally and with almost no effort. They're just part of what you do. It's important to remember that these talents of yours have value. Frequently a lot of value. But you don't always get to demonstrate these skills as part of your regular job searching activities. Maybe if you're in sales, but I digress.
For so many reasons I think it's important to somehow get involved in something you're deeply passionate about outside of your job search. You should be doing things like this when you have a job, so why wouldn't you do them when you're looking for your next gig? This is easiest if you start with something you absolutely love. It might be a favorite non-profit, your church, your kids activities, a favorite sport or hobby. It really doesn't matter as long as it's an organization you care about. Approach one of the organizations leaders and tell them how you'd like to help. Make this easy for them. Don't just ask to help, which creates work for them to figure out how they can use you. Instead figure out a way that you can really demonstrate some of your highly valued skills and offer to do that for them. That way they can just say yes, they don't have to think and you get to show your stuff rather than getting stuck doing some menial task that you can't get excited about.
So now you're probably thinking. Why Scott? It's really important that I find my next job, and I need to focus on that and you want me to spend 5-10 hours a week volunteering my time?
Yes! Looking for a job can be really difficult work. It sometimes leads to depression especially in our society when you may define yourself by what you do. Besides, sending off a few more blind resumes probably isn't going to help you anyway. The psychological boost you'll get from making a difference will be invaluable during your search. Your attitude is so important and you impact your attitude most by what you do. Why not do something really worthwhile? It also will help you develop and deepen new relationships. Don't do this work in isolation, get out and be visible about it. Talk to people, tell them about the things you're doing and how much you enjoy it. Let them know that this is the kind of work that you love doing, and you're looking for your next opportunity to do it full time. Not only will you be demonstrating your skills, you'll also be keeping them sharp. It'll make interviewing easier as you'll have current examples you can point to in a positive light.
I'm yet to meet anyone who's sorry they took on this type of project. It may or may not directly lead to your next position, but it sure can't hurt.
Usually I think most people already have some ideas of where they want to be involved and how, but if you need some additional help there are a bunch of great resources to help you find this type of work. Here are just a few:
Oh yeah, and this doesn't have to have anything to do with a job search. If it's a good idea when you're looking for work isn't it also a good idea when you're not?
I've noticed lately that too may people are missing out on the opportunities that a good e-mail signature provides. Setting up an e-mail signature that automatically pops up every time you send a message is really easy and only takes a few minutes to create if you don't already have one. The advantages are numerous.
Here are just a few examples of why you want to make sure you always include your own e-mail signature, and be sure it includes your contact information.
1) If someone is going to e-mail a virtual introduction about you they can just cut and paste your signature. Save them the trouble of having to look-up your contact details and retype them.
2) When your e-mail is received on someone's Blackberry or iPhone it's now just one click to call you.
3) If your e-mail is forwarded to someone else they easily click on the links you've provided to learn more about you and your company.
4) It lets your friends know where else they can find you. Would they have otherwise known you were on Twitter?
Are you effectively using your own e-mail signature?
I'm not suggesting it's perfect, but here's what you'll find at the bottom of each one of my e-mail messages:
Failure has an overly negative connotation in our society. Probably because we typically think of the BIG failures, but I want to talk about the little failures in this post.
Nobody is right every single time, and that's ok! Unfortunately too many are afraid to be wrong and won't take the risk. Failure is normal and has less downside than you would think. Especially if you are able to keep the failures small. It's when we make mistakes and things don't work out the way we had hoped when we learn the most. Of course if you don't even try then you'll never know, and you can't try again if you never make a first attempt.
If failure was not an option you would have never learned to walk or talk. If failure was not an option you never would have dated. If failure was not an option you would never try anything new.
Sometimes failure is more subtle. If you create something that is really good is it possible that you're failing to make it great?
More often than not the true path to success is paved with failure. So here's my quick recipe for making the most of your failures and turning them into success. If you're watching carefully you'll see that I'm doing an awful lot of this myself:
1) Take lots of small risks.
2) Learn and adjust quickly when things don't work the way you'd hoped.
3) Quick! Try again.
4) Repeat as needed.
"Success is 99% Failure" - Soichiro Honda, Founder of Honda
I very seriously hope I'm not proven wrong, but it appears this Swine Flu thing has been blown way out of proportion. In fact I'm trying to distill the marketing lesson from this whole episode since as near as I can tell "Swine Flu" just has way better branding than any other previous flu. I was amazed to learn that 30,000 - 36,000 Americans die from season flu each year.
This is a good reminder though. A few years ago a wrote a similar post: Networking in the Cold and Flu Season (Sick of Networking?)
There was a really useful and rather amusing video I referenced in that post from the Centers for Disease Control: Why Don't We Do It In Our Sleeves?
I hadn't heard about this at the time, but more recently have heard that this is what they're teaching our kids in school. Good stuff. Hopefully you do it in your sleeves, otherwise you should watch the video.
Personally I think the real lesson this time around is this: If you're not feeling well and think you have some type of cold or flu... Stay Home!!!
It's a hard thing to do as we're all crazy busy and have too much to get done, but it's the right thing to do. Not only will you keep others from sharing in your disease, but you'll probably recover faster given the opportunity to rest.
Oh, and a very special thanks to Oscar Davila (@KeepAustinWierd) for throwing together this image for me. It's not what I was thinking when I put the request out to my Twitter friends, but his revised headshot is even funnier than what I had in mind. Thanks Oscar!
From the business networking vantage point this is one of the funniest videos I've ever seen! (Thank you Scott Lawrence for the link)
Now in all seriousness there is an interesting point here. Does your business card stand out? Please comment about the cards that you've received over the years that stand out most for you. Oh, and I suppose you can comment about this goof ball in the video too!
Jason Stoddard wrote an incredible response to my "Brain Picking is Rude" post that he's agreed to allow me to share as a Guest Blog Post. This is lengthy, but well worth taking the time to read it especially if you liked my original post:
***
Great catalyst to conversation, Scott.
This subject is especially close to home with me. As an entrepreneur and advertising and marketing professional specializing in core creative, concept development, strategy planning, and execution there is not a day that goes by that I am not directly or indirectly asked by another for a brain-picking session (over lunch, of course.) I am nothing more than my ideas, and in this, my ideas are my product. Whether it is my Mother calling me about constituent-facing communication for her for-benefit, or a passing stranger indirectly asking me to identify choke-points in their marketing programs off the cuff at a happy hour or mixer, the presumptuous nature of the engagement is generally the same.
Michelle Greer and I enjoyed a "conversation" on this very topic over gchat on the heels of her Austin-American Statesman Texas Social Media award. Michelle receives more "brain-picking opportunities" than most because of the nature of her professional service and her willingness to serve others. Though Michelle's challenges vary slightly from mine, there are like variables.
Most of us are compelled to share and pay it forward, but unless we do so on our terms, we ultimately devalue our positioning and standing in the marketplace of ideas.
Scott correctly identified the three major challenges individuals and organizations experience when informally engaging or being engaged others: reciprocity in idea diffusion, monetizing time management with organization, and encoding and decoding of concepts, values and general communication.
Though I am currently working through my own personal solution, here are the solutions I've established to date:
Resolution: It is absolutely essential that the "pickee" set the expectation, process and methodology for exchange the very minute the "picker" attempts to engage. Establishing an expectation is essentially setting the protocols of the engagement. If said expectation (read: protocol(s)) is disagreeable to the "picker", the "picker" has the opportunity to voluntarily disengage; whereas if said expectation (read: protocol(s)) is agreeable, they have voluntarily chosen to engage on the "pickee's" terms.
1) Reciprocity, Idea Diffusion
Do a quick search on a "for benefit organizations' blogs". Many of these blogs/web sites contain a "wish list" established by the executive director of the organization to further embolden the organization's tangible, albeit them ancillary, goals and objectives. Not unlike these "for benefit" organizations, individuals that are often queried or asked for a brain-picking session would do well to establish their own "wish list" so that when asked for an engagement (read: brain picking session) the "pickee" can direct the "picker"to the list and establish early-on that in order to maintain a reciprocal relationship of honor, respect and value, there IS something of very little monetary value that the "picker" can do, or procure in order to respect the time, energy and value of the "pickee." The onus is then on the "picker" to follow-thru, post-engagement should they choose to engage in the first place. In the event the "picker" does not follow through, the "pickee" should physically and/or mentally note that the "pickee" is probably not a good match for future engagement.
2) Monetizing time management with organization
We've all heard the cliche "time is money" and it is cliche because it is true. Streamline your in-person meetings, and in doing so, you'll be closer to both effective communication and monetizing the investment of time.
Enclosed below is a pre-meeting survey. It is nothing earth shattering, but based on my resolution and belief that it is the "pickee's" responsibility to set the expectation, I usually include said survey when I am asked to meet with anyone, including my Mom. Is it too formal? Maybe. But at the same time, in a market that is often laid back to a fault (Austin), it sets the expectation that if you want to meet with me, I am going to do everything I can to make sure we get things done--indirectly communicating that "getting things done" is my top priority.
***
Please let me know the following (in advance) so that we maximize our time together.
meeting time:
place:
expected length of meeting?
Is the meeting related to [picker's business], [pickee's and picker's mutual interest], [pickee's personal interest] and/or all/both?
top level motivation to meet with me, specifically:
top level expectation to meet with me, specifically:
Have you met with anyone else for the same reasons?
If so, did it fall-short, meet or exceed your expectation?
What did you learn?
What three things do you hope to garner from this meeting (please be very granular)?
1.
2.
3.
Of these three things, what is immediately actionable?
Would it be beneficial to develop a brief "first thought, best thought" action plan before closing our in-person collaboration?
do any of the action items require additional resources (people, finance, time, assets, collateral, etc.)? If so, identify and explain as best you can.
Looking forward to collaborating.
[Salutation],
***
By way of anecdote: someone recently requested a lunch and responded to this survey with "The time it takes to complete this survey would be better served just talking about it over lunch."
I responded, "The pre-meeting is more important than the meeting itself as it gives us the chance to get to the core of the matter. I want to assist you the best way I know how. This is a first step to that end. Please complete the survey." The same person cancelled the lunch meeting later the same day. I gained no less than 1.5 hours in my week and garnered a closer understanding of the person making the request: they did not voluntarily commit to the protocol/expectation I set, so chances are we were not a good match for exchange/collaboration.
Additionally, it should be noted that the head can endure no more than the ass can support. In other words, a typical lunch is an hour, and of this hour, you should spend no more than 30 minutes discussing the impetus to meet in the first place. Based on the response to the survey, you can usually determine if 30 minutes is enough time to accomplish the objective of the in-person. The balance of the time should be spent enjoying the meal, enjoying the company, discovering other points of mutual interest, and allowing your mind and body to decompress and reflect; afterall, immediately after lunch is the second-best of time of day to maximize productivity, second only to early morning (or late evening for you night owls). If more time is warranted, pre-schedule that time before the initial meeting for a second and possibly a third meeting. Again, the onus is on the "pickee" to set and reset the expectation. You'll find the initial get-together a good indicator of the balance of time needed to satisfy the motivations and expectations of both parties. Engage accordingly.
3) Encoding and Decoding of concepts, values and general communication.
Goethe said "...reading any translation is like viewing a tapestry from behind."
In college, Dr.Cheatam (the then Dean of the Dept. of Communications at Texas State) taught me that all communication is nothing more than encoding and decoding; the closer the respective people are to like terms and definitions, the more effective the exchange.
Do you remember playing a game of "grapevine" as a kid? Your experience with the game is not unlike any communication--as statements of fact go through multiple exchanges and iterations, there is a greater probability the communication (idea diffusion) will be compromised. And even in a one-to-one conversation there is a very good chance communication can and will be misinterpreted. For this reason, regardless of the communication medium, it is a best practice to consistently ask the person you're communicating with "do I understand you correctly, when you say...?"
Diversity of perspective is valuable, but it should be conceded that in all expressive and receptive communication, the same diversity can be a liability because respective people come from their own culture, history, bias, profession, trade, nomenclature, priority, value system, style, etc. when engaging other people. If social life (and subsequently idea diffusion) is all about understanding and being understood, you'll find you're better able to distill any conversation down to a very precise premise and actionable plan if you consistently define both the protocols of the engagement and the language employed to diffuse those ideas into dynamic action.
I hope this is helpful. Should you have questions, concerns, need clarification or simply wish to say hello and extend the conversation, don't hesitate to reach out.
Towards understanding and being understood,
Jason Stoddard
I've wanted to write this post for a while, but have been hesitant for fear that I wouldn't be able to fully articulate what I mean. I'm still not sure that I'll be able to accomplish that, but let's give it a shot! As always I appreciate your thoughts and comments.
When someone finds some level of success or is known for their expertise in a certain area they will invariably get a request for a meeting from someone who wants to "pick their brain." I've had many conversations about this issue with a number of people who are frequent victims of brain picking. Most don't mind being a resource and helping others. What they do mind is the lack of value placed on their time and knowledge. The going rate for a brain picking sessions these days seems to be 1 free meal, typically lunch. These same individuals are often in positions that they can bill hundreds of dollars an hour for their time.
Here's the rub. A big part of networking and relationship building is this exchange of ideas and expertise. So how do we make brain picking more enjoyable for everyone? Maybe if we started massaging each others brains rather than picking them we wouldn't have this issue?
I want to talk about both sides of this issue so this post can serve as a resource for the picker and the pickee. It's probably easiest if I start with the picker...
So, you want to pick someone's brain? There's certainly nothing wrong with that, but let's find an appropriate way to get what you want without offending or otherwise upsetting your pickee. As I mentioned the biggest issue here is the lack of appropriate respect and value placed on the pickee's time and experience. If you take a slightly more respectful approach than usual, and also ask upfront how you might be able to add value I think you'll be way ahead of your average brain picker. Try this on for size: "Mr. Big Dog, you may barely know me, but I have a ton of respect for the work you've done on salivating puppies. I've been working in the related field of drooling kittens and I think your expertise woud be invaluable to me. I know your time is worth way more than this, but would it be ok if I treated you to lunch to ask a few questions?" Follow that up with something along the lines of: "I want to do more than just pay for your meal. How can I help make this meeting worth your time?"
Due to some pretty rampant lack of respect and gratitude that is probably more than enough to get you an appointment with just about anyone you'd like. Hopefully you're not willing to settle for only slighly above average. Let's shoot for the top. The next problem is that it's very common for the picker to come unprepared for the meeting they themselves scheduled. Don't do that!!! Make sure you've researched the background and hopefully some of the writings of your chosen expert. Asking a question that they've already answered in writing someplace that you could easily find it is not going to make a very good impression. Be sure to come to the meeting with at least 2-3 well thought out, open ended questions that will help you get to the answers you're looking for. That's it, no rocket science here, just come prepared.
Once you're in your meeting be sure to follow-up your offer for help when you set the meeting. Spend at least a few minutes trying to understand how you might be able to assist the individual you're meeting with. Just start a conversation about their current projects and needs. If you listen carefully you'll be surprised at the ideas you'll have to offer just a little bit of help, or point them in the direction of a helpful resource.
Finally, once your meeting is over please, please, please remember to follow-up and say thanks. A quick hand written note will do the trick everytime. Follow these very simple steps and I think you'll find doors start to open much more readily than they have in the past, and if you get the follow-up right I think that you'll find that they stay open as well.
Now, if you frequently find that you're the pickee here's my advice. Have your potential picker read this blog post! It might help. Beyond that I suggest that you be ready to ask for some type of favor in return. Ideally this is something they can do for you prior to your scheduling a meeting. It shouldn't be a monumental task, just something this person can easily help you with given their skills and position. Do this correctly and you'll probably find that those who would have wasted your time won't deliver and this will save you from ever having the meeting in the first place. On the other hand it will also give you the opportunity to find the standouts. There are great folks out there who are interested in your expertise, but would also love to find a way to help you. Give them the opportunity.
After a recent speech I gave someone came up to me afterward and thanked me for showing her that she'd been way overdoing the bonding and rapport step in her sales process. I didn't talk about this specifically, but can understand how she came to this conclusion and she made a great point.
In Sales 101 you learn that one of the early steps in the sales process is "Bonding and Rapport." The classic example is that upon entering your prospect's office you notice something personal; a fish on the wall, a diploma, certain pictures, or some other type of award. You then begin a small talk conversation based on this artifact in their office. I often find that in a networking context this can be even more pronounced as some will dig for some type of mutual interest or other connection point.
This Bonding and Rapport process isn't bad in and of itself, however I think it's frequently overdone. You're certainly not setting yourself apart by trying to start some type of conversation about the most obvious item in someone's office... just like nearly every other sales schmuck has before you. It also eats into the valuable and limited time you have to be face to face with someone regardless of the context.
I'm sure there are many who will disagree with me on this point, but I find that it's better to just get to the point. Whether this is a sales call or just a follow-up face to face meeting with someone you met at a Chamber of Commerce event you're both there for a reason. Personally I think you build more credibility and value by quickly getting down to business and the purpose of your getting together. Certainly I'm not suggesting that you never work on the personal side of a relationship with someone. I am suggesting that you not lead with it. If you're doing a good job of listening and asking good questions you'll probably find some connection points over the course of your conversation anyway. Besides there's often a good window of time once the business portion of your meeting is wrapped up for you to talk about the family or a favorite hobby.
If you've read a book or two on networking you've almost certainly read that: "People do business with people the know, like and trust." I think this is what leads people to spend so much time trying to get other people to like them. While I generally agree with this statement I also believe that unless you can provide a viable solution very few people are going to do business with you just because they like you.
What do you think? Am I overreacting? Where does bonding and rapport and the development of a more personal relationship enter into your sales process?
At our March NetStorming event Amy Hardin of AcSELLerate Sales Development Systems talked about "Selling Up the Relationship Curve." There was also a follow-up teleseminar, the recording of which will be made available to our members this week.
Here is the overview of Amy's presentation which you can also download in this handy 1-page PDF: Relationship Curve.pdf
4 POSITIONS ON THE RELATIONSHIP CURVE:
• Vendor
• Solution Provider
• Consultant
• Trusted Advisor or Partner Advisor
REALITIES:
• Most professionals want to be a Trusted Advisor or Partner Advisor to their clients.
• Most professionals position themselves as Vendors or Solution Providers during the sales process without knowing it.
• Positioning yourself as a Partner Advisor with a prospect starts from the very first interaction.
• It is very difficult to climb the Relationship Curve (it’s a slippery slope) to Trusted Advisor status if you, the professional, initially position yourself at a lower point on the relationship curve.
• When the sale to a prospect is based on presenting price, features and benefits, you (the professional) are automatically selling and positioning yourself like a Vendor or Solution Provider.
• Your product or service shouldn’t dictate how you sell and position yourself.
DYNAMICS THAT CHANGE THE POSITIONING:
• Stop acting & sounding like your competition. For example:
1. If you sell on company reputation, service excellence, diversified portfolio, depth of knowledge, ethics and integrity, superior strategies, customized solutions, comprehensive financial planning and advice, etc., etc.—your competition is saying the exact same thing! Mission statements do not differentiate you or your company.
2. Stop telling everyone how bad the economy is and how tough business is. The worst player in your industry can say that.
3. Please don’t use a flipchart to sell. College kids who sell steak knives door-to-door use this tool.
4. While PowerPoint presentations have their place, recognize there is such a thing as Death By PowerPoint. Presentations don’t close deals.
• Develop 3rd Level Questioning Skills
• Implement a Sales Process that keeps the professional in control of the sale.
• Learn to set meetings that are purposeful, accomplish the objectives and require decisions.
• Increase the number of key relationships within your client companies.
• Deepen the relationships with your clients/client companies.
• Change your mind set about selling: You are an expert, not just a salesperson.
• Don’t plead for appointments or the chance to stop by a business.
• Change your objective for the sales call. It should be a peer-to-peer conversation.
• The objective of the Trusted Advisor sales professional is not the old ABCs of Selling (Always Be Closing). The new ABCs of Selling are Authentic Business Conversations.
• The sales professional who is a Trusted Advisor understands that their objective is to lead an excellent discovery process and to help your prospect make the right decision.
Sales Professionals as Allies in Building Decision Maker Relationships
One compliant that I frequently hear is that there aren't enough decision makers at such and such event. This is often followed by a complaint about there being too many sales people.
Depending on the caliber of sales people at a particular event this can be a valid complaint. The naive sales person frequently thinks that a networking venue is a sales venue, and will try to sell at the event. It's these folks that probably keep a lot of executives away from certain networking events.
Fortunately not all sales people act like this. In fact a true sales professional if treated properly can create far more opportunities than these supposed decision makers that everyone is looking for. Think about it. Let's say you run into the CEO of your ideal prospective company at a networking event. What are you going to do? Too many suddenly become that sleazy sales person we just identified in the last paragraph. Some impression you just made. How likely is it that you're going to now get their business and some referrals to their peers? That's what I thought.
Now let's take a look at the high quality sales professional you just met at the same event. How many decision makers do they have real relationships with? [Hint: It's probably more than the CEO we just met]. If this is a true professional they also know a TON about the decision maker's company as well. In fact, there's a good chance they have a better idea of whether or not that organization is a good candidate for your product or service than you do!
Obviously this is an oversimplified example, but I think it's a relatively common scenario. So, who's the better contact? The decision maker or the sales professional?
Now I'm a pretty good sales guy myself, but it's far more powerful to have somebody refer/sell me to a decision maker than for me to sell myself in a chance encounter. And who better to sell the value of me and my solutions than a good sales professional who already has a well established relationship?
Far too many people overlook the incredible value that a good sales professional can bring. The best part is it's really easy to get their attention, and get them to want to help you. Bring them deals! These are professionals and they should be able to easily articulate what kind of opportunities they're looking for. All you have to do is ask, and they'll tell you. Now go out and help them find it. Build a strategic relationship and you'll be amazed at the number of opportunities they have the ability to create for you.
Think about this before you write off yet another sales professional at the next event you attend.
Networking is all about relationships, and the benefits come from the give and take between the people in those relationships.
If you've paid any attention to this blog, or really any writing about networking you know that one of the key and most important ingredients is giving. Many refer to the benefits derived from networking as "Givers Gain." I'm here to tell you that giving is critically important, but that's not really the point of this post. Instead based on a variety of recent experiences I think it would be more valuable for me to spend some time talking about the "take" side of the give AND take equation.
Through feedback and conversations from our first NetStorming event it is very evident that the biggest challenge most networkers have is the "take." They want to benefit from their networking efforts, but they don't want to offend anyone, and they don't want to seem greedy. So how do you go from being a good giving networker to making sure that you gain the things that you want?
I believe the key is the ask. It's really hard to get (or take) what you want from networking without asking for it. What you're looking for in your networking efforts may be obvious to you, but it's not always obvious to others. Even when it is obvious, for example you're looking for new clients or a new job, the specifics may not be as evident as you think. I know lots of bankers, and generally it's pretty obvious what a banker is looking for right? In reality it's not. Are they looking for deposits? From what size company? Merchant accounts? New Loans? On what? Real Estate, receivables, lines of credit, or some other facilities? There are probably 100 different things they could be looking for. If they were to ask for all of them they would likely get none of them. If instead they were to ask very specifically it's much more likely that someone will be able to help them find what they're looking for. Everyone has and uses money. It's important to narrow the request down so much that it brings a small handful of people to the top of mind. Only then can an introduction be made.
Don't make somebody else do all of the work. Ask specifically for what you know someone can or should be able to deliver. The best ask or request should take the person you're asking no more than 5 minutes to do for you. Here are a couple of examples:
Ask someone for one or two introductions. Name the person that you want them to introduce you to and why. Now, if they're willing, all they have to do is send a quick e-mail or make a phone call.
Request a testimonial from someone, but do most of the work for them. At least suggest a couple of items they can highlight. Now all they have to do is write around your suggestions.
Ask someone for advice, but be so specific that follow-up questions aren't necessary. Now all they have to do is quickly answer your question.
In our NetStorming format many people struggle to clearly define what they're asking for. This causes the rest of their time to be spent by people asking follow-up questions rather than providing advice, guidance and/or introductions. The better you can definte your need or question the more likely you are to get what you're looking for.
Finally, there's a big difference between asking and demanding. When you ask someone for something you should never expect them to help you. You're simply providing them with the opportunity to help (which many of us love). Many times they'll be able to help, but sometimes they won't. Do not expect or worse yet demand that they help you. Even if you've done a huge favor for someone, it's unfair to expect them to return that favor. This creates a toxic networking environment. You may never know why someone can't or won't help you. It's ok, it's just part of the process. Simply move on and ask someone else, and don't be afraid to ask that person for help again. It's possible it was just the specific request you made that they weren't able to help with, or it could have just been bad timing.
Help your fellow networkers help you. Ask them clearly and concisely for something that they can do for you in just a few minutes. Afterall, wouldn't it be much easier to help them if they did the same for you?
A substantial part of networking is the exchange of ideas.
Frequently the people we build networking relationships with become sounding boards for our ideas. These exchanges are one of the many valuable results of our networking efforts.
Unfortunately I've seen too many instances where one party brings up an idea looking for ideas or suggestions for improvement and instead is met with nothing but dissent.
My friend Dave Shaw and I were talking the other day as we worked together on the 'NetworkInAustin Gives' project with the Capital Area Food Bank. He shared with me his firm's policy of "Eat it or Beat it." They apply this policy to all of their ideas. If you don't like an idea you can't just attack it or dismiss it, you must come up with something better (Beat it). If you can't come up with something better then the original idea is what will be used (Eat it).
I absolutely love this idea! Rather than critiquing others ideas, if you don't like it come up with something better. Otherwise the original idea must not have been such a bad one after all if it couldn't be easily bested.
Dave's "Eat it or Beat it" policy keeps everything moving forward. Progress is so much better than being stuck arguing about a particular decision.
In the last few weeks I've managed to elicit a couple of e-mails where I was told I'd made that persons day. These weren't just any old friends either. One was a VERY well known best-selling author.
It struck me that it is incredibly simple to make someone's day. Each of these incidents literally took a total of 2 minutes of my time. Think about the last time somebody made your day. How much effort did it take on their part? My guess is almost none! Why not try to make someone's day every day?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Say "thank you" in a very specific way
Nominate someone for an award you know they deserve
Call an old friend
Make an introduction
Publicly praise someone (you can even do this in an e-mail... Copy their boss and others)
Write an unsolicited testimonial
Did I mention say "thank you?"
I think you'll find that making someone's day rarely takes longer than 2 minutes. You have 2 minutes don't you? Go make someone's day RIGHT NOW! It doesn't matter who it is. Just go do it.
I don't know about you, but I love the new year: That imaginary fresh slate, the new goals, the strategizing and planning, oh and Football! What's not to love?
Hopefully some of you who are reading this are setting specific goals around your networking efforts. You can and should do this, and if you're not sure how to go about it then you're definately going to want to check out the first NetworkInAustin.com monthly event on Monday, February 9th. There Thom Singer and I will present: Networking In The New Year - How to build your own 2009 networking strategy.
This post actually relates to all goals, not just your goals specific to networking. I saw something on the news the last couple of days where they were talking about how much failure there is in New Years Resolutions and goals. Just look around you. Your gym is probably packed, everyone is ordering salads at lunch all of a sudden and networking events will likely be busier than usual...
Then comes February, or maybe it's just January 10th. What happened? So many of those good intentions get washed away and everyone settles back into their old routines. I have a theory here. I think that these resolutions carry really high expectations: I'm going to go to the gym 4 times a week, or I'm going to give up all ice cream. Whatever it is the bar is set. Then they miss... Once. After that one miss it's all down hill and since we missed that once we may as well miss again and before we know it we're right back where we started.
I say, quit trying to be perfect! So you screwed up once. So what?! Keep moving forward. Heck, build a few screw ups into the plan. I'm going to give up Ice Cream, but I'll have one bowl Sunday night and if I really deserve it I might just have 2. 6 days on plan is a heck of a lot better than 0. Give yourself a break. Don't worry about being perfect and keep moving toward your goals.
To quote the title of a book who a good friend said was her favorite business book of 2008: Screw It, Let's Do It!
A few weeks ago I blogged about the concept of Passionate Involvement. On November 5th there is an incredible opportunity for you to find your own passion and get involved. Next Wednesday Greenlights for NonProfit Success, The Junior League of Austin, Leadership Austin along with Comerica Bank and Vinson & Elkins will present the Fall 2008 Board Summit.
This event will be held from 5:45 - 8:00pm at Vinson & Elkins (2801 Via Fortuna #100) and Registration is only $35.00
You'll have the opportunity to network with 150+ business professionals and listen to business and community leaders talk about nonprofit board service.
The best part is you'll have a low-risk opportunity to learn about 20 diverse, pre-screened local nonprofit organizations that are actively looking for board members just like you.
There are so many reasons you should attend this event. Do yourself a favor and Register Right Now!
Here is a little more information and links to the websites of each of the 20 participating nonprofits: AIDS Services of Austin, Inc.
Mission: AIDS Services of Austin responds to the HIV needs of the Austin area by providing services that enhance the health and well being of individuals and the community in the face of an evolving epidemic.
American YouthWorks
Mission: Building productive lives and better communities.
Anthropos Arts
Mission: Anthropos brings professional Latin and jazz musicians into low-iincome public schools (Grades 6-12) to lead students through free music programs: workshops, individualized lessons, concerts, and master classes.
Austin Child Guidance Center
Mission: To improve the mental health of children and their families through early intervention, diagnosis and treatment to help them develop the emotional skills for meeting life's challenges.
Big Brothers, Big Sisters
Mission: To help children reach their potential through professionally supported one-to-one relationships.
Breast Cancer Resource Centers of Texas
Mission: To be a centralized source for breast cancer information, education and support that enables women to become active, knowledgeable, participants in their healthcare.
Camp Fire USA Balcones Council
Mission: Camp Fire USA builds caring, confident youth and future leaders by engaging children and their families in inclusive, coeducational activities.
Citizen Schools
Mission: To change the life trajectories of low-income students. We challenge them to be producers, leaders, and stewards of their own futures. We strive to move them onto a “success track,” heading toward high school graduation, college attainment, and positions of leadership in their careers and communities. Citizen Schools also seeks to lead the nation to reconsider the traditional school day and to re-imagine a new “learning day.”
Crime Prevention Institute
Mission: To break the cycle of crime and strengthen individuals, families and communities by supporting individuals with education, information, resources and case management as they transition from incarceration to communities.
Down Home Ranch
Mission: To build a rural, self-reliant community for adults with intellectural and developmental disabilities, offering training, housing, recreation, and dignified employment, as well as opportunities for growth in mind, body, and spirit.
EmanciPET
Mission: To provide services and advocacy that will result in a more humane and effective approach to controlling our pet population.
Girls Rock Camp Austin (GRCA)
Mission: Girls Rock Camp Austin is dedicated to empowering girls and women of all backgrounds and abilities through musical eduation and performance.
Heart House of Austin
Mission: Heart House is a safe place for under-served children to be every day after school where free programs teach them how to be successful in school and in life and to think critically and be self sufficient, kind and responsible citizens.
Launch Pad Job Club
Mission: To present programs that lead to employment of its members through networking, training, and maintaining a positive attitude.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Mission: Cure Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.
Mobile Film School
Mission: The Mobile Film School is committed to bringing media arts education to rural and underserved communities; creating long-term mentoring relationships by pairing students with seasoned industry professionals and educators, and cultivating a unique appreciation of local history and culture using storytelling in film.
SAHELI for Asian Families
Mission: SAHELI helps and empowers Asian victims and survivors of domestic abuse, improves their access to services and increases community awareness of various forms of violence and oppression.
Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering
Mission: Enabling Texas students to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) by creating partnerships among educators, industry, government, and families to inform, educate and motivate students with particular focus on underrepresented populations.
The Care Communities
Mission: Provide practical, compassionate, non-medical care through our volunteer care teams to people with AIDS or cancer so they may live in their homes for as long as possible.
Waterloo Counseling Center
Mission: To provide affordable mental health counseling services and training with an expertise in gender and sexual diversity.
Wonders & Worries
Mission: Wonders & Worries helps children cope when their parent or caregiver has a chronic or life-threatening illness.
YMCA of Austin
Mission: To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all.
The number of social/online networking tools is, to put it bluntly, overwhelming. From Business Blogs to Twitter, LinkedIn to Facebook, Plaxo to MySpace and everything in between the choices are astounding. Hopefully you're using at least one of these tools, even if it's only casually.
The trick is to develop your own strategy in how you utilize these tools so they don't take over your life. If done incorrectly the time you spend on e-mail and your social networking activities will consume ALL of your available time. That would be bad, unless that's your business.
So how do you develop this strategy? First an understand of what you're trying to accomplish would be very helpful. Personally I have three primary goals when utilizing these tools.
Maintain or deepen connections with people I've already met.
Build visibility for myself and the things I work on and am passionate about, and attract other like minded people to me through these efforts.
Find appropriate contacts and make connections through referrals/introductions.
Initiate new professional relationships that make sense.
Once you're clear about your goals you can start to think about how you'll use each tool.
I'll share with you 2 of my own examples:
I've already written about My LinkedIn Networking Philosophy I encourage you to read that. Very generally LinkedIn is a way for me to maintain contact with people I have a genuine connection with. That way if they change jobs or move I don't lose track of them because all of their other contact information changed. I have a way of being in the loop. It also helps me see relational connections. For example if I want to meet the CEO of a prospective company and they're on LinkedIn I can see our mutual connections and potentially ask those individuals to make an introduction for me.
Twitter is quickly becoming my new favorite tool. I avoided this one for a long time because from the outside it sounds just plain goofy and like it will be a colossal waste of time. Turns out it's the best relationship deepener I've ever seen. People I know well who I follow on Twitter I now know really, really well. Even more impactful are those that I kinda know, and have the ability to get to know at a much deeper level. It's a little hard to explain just how this works. I highly recommend you just quickly create an account, follow a few people and see what you think. You're welcome to start with my profile just to get an idea: www.twitter.com/scottingram
Over time I will go deeper into the use of each of these tools (stay tuned!). In the mean time your best bet is to just begin to play with a couple of these sites. Here's a little bit of generic guidance on the order in which you should explore these sites and why.
If you are a business professional this is my opinion of the order of importance of these tools:
LinkedIn - If you're a professional you MUST be on LinkedIn.
Facebook - It's less geared toward professionals, but it's much better at helping you reconnect with people in your long ago past. High School, College, etc.
Twitter/Business Blogs - In terms of priority these are tied. However, what they each bring to the picture is very different.
Plaxo/Myspace - For the professional I think these are fairly irrelevant. Plaxo doesn't really add any value beyond those listed above (it used to in the past when it was about keeping contact information up to date). As for MySpace it's maybe not my place to say this since I'm not even on it, but I don't see how it adds value for the professional. Please feel free to comment if you disagree.
All others - Beyond these core tools there are probably hundreds of others. The learning curve and critical mass is typically steep enough that unless there is something in a very specific niche that would be helpful to you it's probably not worth your time to explore these. Again, I'm open to suggestion and hope you'll comment if there are other tools that have been helpful to you.
I encourage you to look beyond this post. I've written at least a little bit about most of these tools, especially business blogging (as that's what you're reading now) and you can navigate these topics using the categories listed below.
In my opinion the most important part of networking is giving and adding value to those you're networking with. If you don't have a mindset of helping others in your networking efforts then you're not likely to see a very good return on the investment of your time, money and energy.
You won't be able to help everyone, but as long as you work hard to make a difference for others those networking deposits will pay dividends back to you.
I can't quote it directly, but on a recent vacation I read: The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea. In this book it says something like: To give and not expect to receive is unnatural. This is an important networking lesson that even very good networkers frequently forget. I'll talk more about this book in a future post, but I do recommend it. It's a nice quick read and breaks down what networking is really about into a very readable fictional story.
Now that you've done a great job of giving through your networking efforts it's time to receive right?
It's not quite that easy. Most people are not mind readers, and many times if they were to guess what you need based on your title or some other piece of information it might not be what you really wanted.
So ASK for what you need! I know this sounds impossibly simple, but so few people do it. You have to tell people what you're looking for or there's no way they can help you get it.
The more specific you can ask the better... "I need to grow my business" or "I'm looking for a job" is not nearly specific enough. The more you can focus in on exactly what you need the more likely somebody will be able to help you find just that.
Just look at the difference:
"I need to grow my business." or "I'm looking for an introduction to the sales manager of a high-tech startup company based in Austin."
"I'm looking for a job." or "I'm looking for an HR generalist position with a company that has between 50 and 100 employees."
Aren't you be in a much better position to help someone who asked the latter questions? Give your networking partners the same opportunity. Ask as specifically as you can and you're much, much more likely to get what you want.
What do you want? How can you ask specifically for that? Who can you ask that question of right now?
It's probably no surprise that one of the questions I'm asked most frequently is some form of: "Where's the best place to network?" To which there is certainly no standard answer. So much depends on what you're trying to accomplish, your industry, the type of people you'd like to meet, etc. etc. However those answers that people are looking for are typically more about specific organizations, events or groups to get involved with. Finding the BEST place to network is actually a little different and is an even more personal choice.
In my opinion and experience the best relationship are forged when you're doing something you are absolutely passionate about working shoulder to shoulder with other individuals who share that same passion. These experiences often times create the deepest of life long relationships. So the obvious question here is: "How do I get there?"
The first step in what I'll call 'Passionate Involvement' is either the most difficult step, or absolute no-brainer easy depending on your experience. You first have to ask yourself what you are most passionate about. Is it your church? A favorite hobby? Your industry? A non-profit organization? A political cause? Serving some subsection of the community? Figure out for yourself what you're most passionate about that absolutely gets you fired up.
The next step is finding other people who share this passion. Most frequently there will be some organization where these like minded individuals congregate, donate or otherwise take part and get involved. In many instances there may be several of these organizations. Spend the time to get to know these groups and determine where you think you best fit.
The third and final step is the most important, but if you haven't done a good job with step one it won't be meaningful and may even be difficult. This is where you get involved! Whatever that is for you. Ideally you want to figure out how best to leverage your talents and skills and apply them to your organization or cause. Your ultimate goal is probably to work on a board of directors or to be equally involved in the inner-circle if your particular passionate outlet doesn't have a board.
Please don't expect to complete steps one and two and immediately be nominated to serve on the board. You're going to need to make some contributions before that will happen, and it may take years before you attain a seat on that board depending on the organization. However, if this really is your passion those years you spend contributing will be tremendously fulfilling and you'll be making incredible connections with new friends all the way along. Again, you'll know you've not made the right choice if at any point you're not being energized by your involvement. Sure there will be frustrations and challenges like anything else, but as a whole your contributions really should be quite fulfilling.
How are you passionately involved? Please feel free to share your passions and involvement success stories for others to learn from.
If you've been reading my blog for any length of time you know that I consistently write about finding ways to add value to your network. A couple of ways that you can quickly add lasting value to those deserving individuals in your network are through award nominations and testimonials.
If you pay attention to it you'll notice quite a few requests for nominations for a variety of different awards through out the year. Here are just a few examples:
Austin Business Awards - Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce
Austin Under 40 - Young Men's Business Leage (YMBL) and Young Women's Alliance (YWA)
Entrepreneur of the Year - Ernst & Young
BiG IDEA Awards - BiG AUSTIN
Best Places to Work - Austin Business Journal
Keeping an eye out for these calls to nominate and spending just a few minutes to think about the one or two people in your network who are really deserving of this type of recognition. Investing just a few minutes of your time to fill out a nomination form can bring some great recognition and publicity to your nominee. Please don't make the mistake of thinking that somebody else will nominate them. Worst case scenario there is nothing worse than for them to receive multiple nominations. How do you think these awards get won?
The most deserving of recognition in your network might not fit a particular award category. That's ok, you can always write an unsolicited testimonial. Again, this act takes just a few minutes but can be incredibly valuable to the person you're testimonializing. Best practice: make the testimonial public. An easy way to do this is to write the Testimonial on LinkedIn. That way the person you've written it for has the choice of whether or not to display what you've written (they'll be thankful either way). If they do choose to add it to their profile both your entire LinkedIn network and their network will be made aware of your kudos.
The next time you see a nomination request take 2 minutes to think of someone you can nominate.
Right now, choose the one person in your network most deserving of a testimonial (the name should pop into your head almost immediately). Now take just 5 minutes to write a quick testimonial and send it to them. I promise you'll make their day.
One of the biggest traps many networkers fall into is the "busy" trap. Often times this is in direct proportion to the success of their networking efforts. However, being "busy" is not a good reason to neglect your relationships and let your network whither and die. If you fall too deeply into this trap you'll have that much more work ahead of you when you're not busy and really need your network's help. If you suddenly need a new job for example it's too late to 'start' building your network, it needs to already be in place.
The most common symptom of busy networker syndrome is not attending events regularly or at all. In the beginning your absence might be conspicuous. Over time though people won't even think about you. Out of sight, out of mind. It's really hard for people to think of you for referrals and other opportunities when they're not thinking of you at all.
In the worst stages of busy networker syndrome the afflicted will fail to nurture any of their relationships. They're too busy working to quickly touch base with even their most important contacts. They are soon completely forgotten, and in extreme cases written off because they fail to return phone calls and e-mails from those who don't represent a current paying client.
I paint a dire picture and in most cases it doesn't get this bad. The really good news is that it's easy to fix.
Beginner networkers or those building a new network in a new town or new industry frequently over commit on the number of events the can attend in a sustainable way. In and of itself this isn't that big of a problem. As their network begins to grow and time is less available it's important to determine which groups and events are the most important. Focus on those singled out, and commit to attending regularly even if regularly for you means monthly or even quarterly.
If you've been out of the loop nearly everyone will be happy to see you back. Again, determine where you should be focused and how much time you realistically have available. Then get those meetings on your calendar well in advance.
Busy networker syndrome happens to all of us from time to time. I can tell you that in some ways I've been there myself for a while with 2 little girls under the age of 3. The important thing is to recognize it when it's happening. Make sure you're not neglecting your core network, and work to do the best you can with the time that you do have available. [Hint: You may need to make some time]
Your networking efforts are not just about events either. You've already built relationships and those need to be nurtured. Pick up the phone and make a quick call to catch-up. Send an 'I was thinking about you' note. Put together an impromptu happy hour and invite your core network. It almost doesn't matter what you do, just keep the lines of communication open.
If out of sight is out of mind then the solution is really quite simple. Don't be out of sight, in fact be as visible as you can be. Work to be highly visible and top of mind.
It's one thing to use the standard "I'd like to add you to my network on LinkedIn" boilerplate when making a LinkedIn connection request to somebody you already have a relationship with. I'm sure many would disagree, but if we already have a real life relationship I'm not going to be upset that you didn't change this message.
Using this to connect with somebody you've never met, and have never had any previous interaction with on the otherhand is rediculous. Yet I get them all the time. It's what prompted my previous post about My LinkedIn Networking Philosophy.
Today I bring you the best connection request I've ever received. With permission here is Sherry Lowry's request from late last week:
Scott, I'd say at this point i may be more of a FAN than a friend, and I'd like to change that.
Interim, I'd also appreciate adding you to my professional network on LinkedIn -- and ALSO buy coffee when you have time to connect live in Austin.
I like everything i've learned about you - and none of it has been first-hand. It seems well past time to know more DIRECTLY about you and what you want next in your own future.
Granted Sherry and I have a number of mutual connections so this wasn't the coldest of cold introductions. However, she's obviously taken the time to understand my networking philosophy and made the entire request about me and not herself.
Work to incorporate these 3 points into any cold connection request or introduction:
A connection point that you both share and/or why you think it makes sense to begin a relationship
Specifically how you think you can add value to them (What's in it for them?)
Suggest a specific next step. This could be an e-mail dialogue or scheduling a time for coffee or a phone call.
I'm looking forward to my phone conversation with Sherry tomorrow morning.
How do you introduce yourself into stronger connections?
In my experience the biggest reason most people network is to create opportunities (If they're doing it right they're creating opportunities for themselves AND for others). Not to mention a whole slew of other positive side effects.
In this networking context there's a lot of good, but there's also some bad and some ugly. One of the toughest parts of networking is knowing how to handle bad news or negative press about someone else in your network.
This stuff can really go a couple of ways. In some cases the information will be about someone you don't know very well. In which case you probably want to take a closer look at that person and think about your future relationship. Is this person ethical? Do they come from a place of integrity or would it be better for you to distance yourself from them. Personally I've removed a couple of connections on LinkedIN after hearing very negative things about some folks who I'd met with a time or two, but didn't really have a deep relationship. I also did my due diligence and verified the negative claims before taking this action.
Other times the bad news will be about people you have a much deeper relationship with. Because of your depth of relationship hopefully you'll already know that they're one of the good guys. So what do you do when you hear nasty stuff about them? You tell them! Wouldn't you want to know if somebody was talking trash about you? Maybe a client of yours is upset with you because of an incident outside or your control or even outside of your knowledge. Wouldn't you want an opportunity to reach out to the client and fix the issue, even if it wasn't your fault. So they aren't out there telling some horror story to everyone they meet about you?
Tell your core network what you're hearing about them. Not just the bad. Tell them when you hear somebody bragging on them as well. Give them the opportunity to thank that person so they'll continue that behavior. We love it when people say great things about us!
What are people really saying about you? The only way to really know is to have a great network out there listening for you who will report back.
Ordinarily I am rediculously diligent about having business cards with me. With stashes in my coat pockets, glove compartment, laptop bag, etc. It's nearly impossible for me to be without cards.
Of course this Sunday I was caught in a perfect storm of not having cards. I went for an early morning cycling trip on Loop 360 here in Austin. Met with a small group that had invited me in the past and got a chance to get to know a couple of really great guys during the ride. When we got back to the parking lot where we'd all started it was time for the card exchange. There I was.... No Cards! I'd brought my bike in my wife's van where I didn't have a stash.
The situation was easily rectified. I did get cards from the other guys and followed-up with my own contact information. However the experience taught me (again), that you never know where you're going to be when you need a couple of cards.
The solution is pretty straight forward. Stash those puppies everywhere you can think of: At home, at your office, in your coats (purses for the ladies), in your cars, everywhere! I'm never a fan of the mangled card in the wallet, but a mangled card with your phone number and e-mail address sure beats the heck out of no card at all when you really need it.
New business relationships are one of the most exciting parts about networking. You never know where it is going to lead. Will your new friend open the door to huge untapped opportunities, or will it prove to be another learning experience?
I always take a 'give and see' approach. I'm not sure if I've always done this. It's likely that I have, but only recently have I noticed that I even have a strategy around new relationships like this. I tend to be a little different than what the traditional networking advice will tell you to do. I'll spend a lot less time than most learning about the personal side of the other person. Family, kids, hobbies, etc. Not that those things aren't important, I just tend to get to them a little later in the relationship.
In my very first meeting or two with a new connection I'm rediculously focused on how I can help them. If I met them in a business context then there's probably a business reason why they were out networking in the first place. So what is that reason? I'll look as hard as I can for some way to provide value. Sometimes this is a referral, other times it's just advice or an introduction to someone else who can be more helpful than me because of their own background, industry or connections.
Once I've figured out how to help I do it. This is the deposit or the 'give' that I mentioned earlier. If I've promised a referral or introduction I make it. Quite often there are a couple of follow-up items for me to execute based on our first meeting. Then... I wait and see.
There are several levels of response that give me a pretty good indication of how good or helpful my new networking friend is going to be.
Level 1 and sadly the most common level is nothing. Without my prompting I won't get anything back. They become a communication vacuum and I don't hear anything from them proactively. You can guess what kind of category I put these folks into. [This is only a mental category, it's not like I have a loser field in my contact manager or anything... Hmmm?]
Level 2 is a minimal response. They might send a real quick e-mail thank you, but that's where the buck stops. This is a satisfactory response as it's much better than nothing, but it's hardly what you're looking for especially if you've made a solid introduction or referral for them.
Level 3 is the beginning of good quality networking. They will communicate and keep me in the loop. If the referral I made didn't work out they'll give me the heads up and let me know why (so I can be of better help next time). If it did work out they give me the heads up and let me know why. They will typically show some level of appreciation. (Most times a thank you is enough, this isn't necessarily a monetary step).
Level 4 may or may not communicate as well as a Level 3. What they will do is make an effort to reciprocate. They'll make an introduction, referral, or provide some form of value within a reasonable amount of time. Sadly, too many Level 4 networkers then drop the ball and don't follow-up, or otherwise disappear in the early stages of the relationship when extra time and attention are typically necessary.
Level 5 is where you can almost instantly identify the great networkers. These folks either did the same thing that I did in the beginning and worked to understand how they could help me. If they didn't they work quickly to catch-up and make sure they know what they can do. Then they execute themselves. They do all of the things they promised to do and follow-up appropriately.
Without making a deposit, or finding some way to give to the other person in your new relationships it's really hard to identify what type of networker you're dealing with. Your networking efforts will be far less effective than they could be and you could end up spending months on a new relationship only to find out they're a Level 1 or 2 and aren't likely to help you in growing your business.
I always struggle with making this point and not having people take it the wrong way. It's important not to prejudge any relationship, and to be forgiving of those who don't perform the way you'd hoped. It doesn't mean you malign or mistreat the relationships that don't immediately bear fruit. Some relationships just take longer. However, you DO want to make sure you invest more of your time and energy into developing relationships with the Level 4 and 5 networkers. The more you value them, the more they'll value you.
Don't believe me? You probably already have a couple of good Level 4 or 5 networkers in your own circle. Find a way to help them out and watch what happens.
Being in a position where you have no network is like not having a safety net. There's nobody there to catch you if you fall. The early stages of networking are like building a safety net. These are the critical relationships where if you misstep or faulter you have a support structure to help you get back up on your feet and moving in the right direction again. This comes through friendships, mentors and other meaningful networking relationships with people who care about you.
If you're serious about networking then the safety net is just the start. The smart ones among us build that safety net long before they need it. Sadly many realize they should have been networking and building their own safety net after they've already fallen, and it's too late. Most frequently this happens in a layoff or other job loss situation. If you've been building relationships in and around your industry then it's easy to bounce back. If not it generally takes significantly longer to climb back up to where you were.
Over time as your continue to strengthen your safety net through deeper more meaningful and broad based relationships your net not only grows stronger, but begins to develop some bounce to it. It's at this point that your network isn't there just to protect you from whatever life throws your way. Now it's creating opportunities.
Before the networking safety net was built a fall resulted in a major set back, not to mention some major bumps and bruises. Now the strength of your safety net more resembles a trampoline. You're able to use it to gain alititude and move to the next level through promotions, increased sales or upward job transfers.
If your network is weak start building your safety net today. You never know when you'll need it, but work hard to strengthen that network and you'll quickly find it will take you to new heights.
I'm not quite religious, but pretty regular about sending hand written thank you notes. Most frequently I'll do this after a first face to face meeting, but there are numerous other times I'll use as an excuse as well.
These thank you's are something I've done for years for a variety of reasons. I always thought there were powerful, but I couldn't always prove it.
Anecdotally I always thought they easily put me in the top 1%. In the past I frequently asked people how often they received thank you cards. For most it's a VERY rare event. In fact the one time that you would think it's almost obligatory to send a thank you note; after a job interview. The numbers are almost depressing. I've recently asked hiring managers I know how often they're getting thank you notes. The most common response I heard was: "rarely."
So the thank you note for me was just an easy way to stand out. Nobody else is doing it so it's easy to top the "everybody else." Plus it gives me another opportunity to put myself in front of somebody so that they'll remember me, like me, think of me, whatever. E-mail just isn't enough anymore. It doesn't require any real effort.
Recently the real proof in the pudding came. As part of my regular process I sent one of my hand written cards. Several days later I received the following e-mail from one of the executives I had met with:
Not to start an endless circle of "thank-you," "No, thank YOU," I must say that your note was the first hand-written thank-you note I have received in a business context in years. It is rare to see a hand-written note in this age of emails! You are to be commended for that gesture.
We look forward to receiving your proposal…
There you have it. Real proof that this stuff works. I'm sure it wasn't the only reason, but I also ended up getting their business in a very competitive situation.
Do you send cards? Were you aware that you could have this kind of an impact for $1.00 - $2.00 and two or three minutes of your time? If the averages I've seen hold true than I can almost guarantee you're NOT. Why not? Make it a part of your standard process to start sending hand written cards to new people you meet.
You can thank me later... preferably in a hand written card!
P.S. If you meet with multiple people. Let's say you get a meeting with a CEO, CFO and HR Manager... Send cards to everyone individually! Each person is just as important as the other. Don't make the mistake of only sending a card to the person YOU perceive as being the most important. You wouldn't want to negate your efforts.
If You Need to Make a Sale This Month... Today Is Not The Day to Start Networking
If you don't already have an established network and you need sales right away, putting all of your eggs in the networking basket is going to leave you very disappointed (broke?).
Networking is a long-term business development strategy. In many cases that flood of referrals you're looking for is years away.
I don't share this to discourage you, but to inject some reality. I truly believe that relationship marketing is one of the most powerful strategies out there, but it's like an investment that you put just a little bit of money into a couple of times a week. After the first week there probably won't be enough in there for you to retire. But, over time with consistent deposits and compounding you'll be amazed at your balance.
I think many people start networking to grow their business because their afraid of sales. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and pick-up the phone. There's no faster way to immediately generate sales, unless of course you already have an established network who can help with some referrals and introductions.
The real difference is in the lasting effects...
If you pick up the phone and consistently make cold calls several times a week for 6 months I guarantee you'll make some sales, or depending on your business at least start buildling a very good pipeline.
If you consistently start working to build your network several times a week, after 6 months if you're networking effectively you should start generating some sales and building a referral pipeline.
In the short-term cold calling will wildly outpace the results of your networking efforts. But what if you completely stop doing both?
Your cold calling efforts will immediately stop producing results.
Your networking efforts will most likey continue to produce results.
Relationships don't die, and it's tough to build relationships making cold calls.
The right approach is a balanced approach. If you're just starting out you're going to need to start focusing on things that are going to produce revenue immediately. That balance might be 90/10 or 80/20 cold calling vs. networking. Over time as your network grows, your relationships deepen and the referrals beging to flow you'll be able to turn the equation over to 10/90 or 20/80 cold calls to networking.
Just don't expect it to happen overnight. Keep networking, but don't be afraid to pick up the phone.
I've been having a number of conversations lately about success. (I feel an idea brewing)
These conversations have really gotten me to thinking about how and why I've been successful. It really didn't take me long to boil it down to 3 key ingredients: Relationships, Persistence and Integrity
If you've read my blog at all or understand the true meaning of networking than the relationships point is obvious. Without all of the great people I've met over the course of my life I couldn't possibly be where I am today. I think this is probably true for most highly successful people. It's just not possible to get to the top by yourself. There is always help along the way.
You've just got to keep going. Persistence is probably the hardest success ingredient. Too many people give up before the hard work they've been doing starts to pay off. Related specifically to networking it's not unusual at all for me to just start to see the results of seeds I planted 2 and 3 years ago. As long as you're persistent, care for those seeds you planted and don't abandon them it's amazing the opportunities that grow. There are always rough patches, you just have to realize that they all end. You've just got to keep going and stay in the game... It certainly isn't a sprint.
Integrity for me is pretty simple. It means doing what you say you're going to do and doing the right thing. There's also the Rotary Four-Way Test:
Is it the Truth?
Is it Fair to all concerned?
Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?
Without Integrity your success is built without a foundation... It won't take much to take you down.
What does success mean to you? How would you define it and what are your secrets?
I'm a big believer in focus. I think that you can only be successful when you're focused. If your attention is spread to thin then your likelihood of success in any one area is diminished. Whereas if you're focused on only one or two primary objectives your odds for success increase dramatically.
Personally my focus has been almost exclusively in two areas lately. My new career with ADP and my family. Emily is pregnant with our second child (coming next year), and somehow Colette is already 20 months old. Even though I'm working less than I've ever worked in my life (40-50 hours a week) family obligations have quickly taken up the extra time... Which is absolutely fine with me!
This is the primary reason I've not been blogging nearly as regularly as I have in the past. I'm hopeful that I'm able to post a little more frequently than I have of late. However, Colette doesn't seem to be a big fan of sleeping which really limits my opportunities.
The way that I network has really followed the same path. I find myself much more focused on the relationships that have proven over and over again to be the most productive. Making it a priority to contribute to a smaller group of people allows me to make larger contributions, and the rewards are far greater than when I spread myself too thin.
What are your priorities? Do you have too many? Take the time to evaluate what's truly important in your life. What areas are most important, and where do you want to concentrate your success?
There has been a lot of news lately here in Austin created by John Mackey the CEO of Whole Foods. It began with open attacks on his blog against the FTC who it appears is trying to block the Whole Foods acquisition of Wild Oats. Things quickly went down hill when it was discovered that Mackey has posted comments anonymous comments about both Whole Foods and Wild Oats on public message boards.
At a time when I'm constantly talking with folks who are thinking about starting their own business or company blogs this can't be encouraging news. However, I think it only serves to reemphasize the points I've made all along about what you should and shouldn't blog about.
I love blogs because they tend to have a much more personal feel to their writing. More personality comes through due to the more informal nature of the medium. But, there's a fine line between being personal and real and making inappropriate comments that are instantly public. These days it's not just blogs. If you're in any type of high level position ANYTHING you put in writing could become public in the future. Too few people think about that reality when they send an everyday e-mail. It's just too easy to forward that e-mail.
Think before you write! Whether it's your own blog, and e-mail or any type of communication it's important to think it through. My general rule is to not write anything I wouldn't want my mother to see. (I found out recently that she actually reads my blog so it's a good thing I've always followed this rule) Also consider the worst case scenario. If I were to write something disparaging about one of my colleagues and they were to read what I wrote what would happen? It's too easy for this to happen, so it's probably best not to write it in the first place.
Blogs, e-mail and online forums are all incredible ways to communicate. We shouldn't stop using them because we're afraid of them. We just need to use some common sense and be respectful (even if we think we're anonymous).
In my experience the hardest part of keeping up with those in your network is job movement. Much of the time all of the contact information I have for a particular individual is 100% related to their job. Company name, work phone number and a work e-mail address. If they leave that job I suddenly have no way to reach them.
Job changes happen ALL the time! I don't know exactly what the statistic is these days, but I'm sure it's safe to say that the average tenure at one company is only 3-5 years. So how on earth do you figure out where these people in your network went if they change jobs and you don't have any relevant contact information?
The answer is LinkedIn. One of the most valuable things about LinkedIn for me is also one of the simplest. It's the notification that someone has added a new position or made another change to their profile. The other side of the coin is important also. If you change jobs you want your network to know that you've made the move. All you have to do is update your profile on LinkedIn and notify all of your connections.
If you're not already on LinkedIn, then please setup an account today. It's free and a very valuable service. You can find some great information about how best to use LinkedIn on Scott Allen's Blog: LinkedIntelligence. I have another friend who is in the process of writing a book about how best to used LinkedIn that I'll let you know about as soon as it comes out.
To get the most out of LinkedIn you'll want to connect with those in your network (this is what LinkedIn is all about).
Finally, make sure that your profile is up to date and that your correct e-mail address is listed so you can be contacted by those in your network.
LinkedIn is a great tool. Like any tool, it only works if you use it. If you're not on LinkedIn spend 20 minutes and setup an account, start your profile and make a few connections. If you're already on LinkedIn spend 20 minutes learning how to better use it, or make a few more connections.
P.S. If we're not already connected on LinkedIn you can find my profile here: Scott Ingram's LinkedIn Profile. Please only make a connection request if we actually know each other. I do not connect randomly to people I haven't met (we're not actually part of each others network). Of course those situations can be corrected if you reach out and work to build a relationship with me.
It's often difficult to keep up with all of the things that are happening with people in your network. But, there are some great tools that can help you keep up.
One that I've been using for the last six months is Google Alerts. This handly little tool allows you to select a key word or phrase and will notify you when something new about that topic hits the web. You can set the notifications for daily, as-it-happens, or weekly.
First I recommend that you do this for yourself. Setup an alert for your own name. I've been surprised a number of times at being quoted in blogs and other news publications that I wouldn't have known about otherwise. Next think about your best clients and customers. I've been able to make some really fun congratulatory calls to clients when I've been notified about awards, acquisitions and other honors. What about your top prospects? Do your competitors, or even their incumbent vendors know what's going on with these folks. This is an incredible opportunity to stand out.
My own Google Alerts consist mainly of full names and company names, but it's also a useful tool for keeping up with speific industry news that might be useful for you.
Everytime you take the time to get to know someone over a cup of coffee, a meal or a visit to their office you have a huge opportunity to learn. You can learn about that person and their background and what makes them tick. You can learn about what's made them successful now and in the past. You can also learn more about their industry and what distinguishes their organization from another.
This will serve you in a number of ways. First, you'll be able to develop deeper relationships as you show an interest in the person you're meeting with. Second, the more you know the more valuable you become... to your clients, prospects, colleagues and friends.
I'm not sure that I've ever had a formal mentor. But, I've had hundreds of mentors. You can learn something from anyone, no matter who they are. They might be the CEO of a large company or the lady that arranges your flowers. It doesn't matter.
We're all so busy these days that most of us don't notice the difference between similar companies. In my last post I commented on an experience with my dry cleaner. With them I found a small difference. Think about the dozens of companies that you do business with on a regular basis. What's the difference between them and their competition? What about you and your competition? What makes you different? Do your customers and prospects know the difference?
Most of the time you'll find that the things that make a big difference between one company and another are the little things. By little things I mean rediculously little things. Things like people who follow-up when they say they're going to. Simply being thanked for my business or receiving a quick note in the mail. Heck, just remembering my name apparently does it for me.
What little things can you do to separate yourself from your competition in a BIG way?
Of course this applies to your networking relationships as well.
I've had a few personal experiences lately that have reminded me just how important people are in the companies I choose to do business with.
Take my dry cleaner for instance. I've really never had any type of loyalty to one dry cleaner or another. Seems to me they all cost about the same, they all usually get my clothes cleaned, what's the difference?
I'm not much of a regular when it comes to taking my clothes in to get cleaned. I can usually make it a couple of weeks between visits. Even with my inconsistent and somewhat rare visits the woman behind the counter (Theresa) actually remembers my name. She sees me walking up from the car and is usually pulling my clothes off of the conveyor hanger thing by the time I hit the door. Now I wouldn't think of changing cleaners.
Let's look at this from the business perspective. My dry cleaner hired someone who has taken a little extra initiative and learned many of her customer's names. This doesn't cost anything extra, but creates a level of service that is beyond that of any other dry cleaner I've ever done business with.
The first ingredient in a great business is great people.
Confirming your appointments is a good practice to get into anyway. For the next 3 weeks it's going to be almost a necessity.
If you haven't noticed already everyone's schedules are a little fouled up with the early change to daylight savings time. This change was enacted by Congress just 2 years ago and many software programs that automatically account for daylight savings time are off by an hour. I noticed it myself last week when I was trying to schedule an afternoon appointment. Somehow my Rotary meeting that always happens at noon thought it was starting at 1pm.
There are just too many ways that times could have gotten crossed for the next couple of weeks. Perhaps your software moved something to the wrong spot. Maybe the person you're planning on meeting got tripped up by their software.
The easy fix is simply to call ahead and confirm the time of the meeting.
I've recently rediscovered my local library. Until a few months ago it had been years since I'd been to a library. I can't believe how much is changed. I'm also a little disturbed at how much money I've spent at Amazon.com and other local book stores over the years when I could have just as easily used the library. Especially since I almost never re-read books. (Networking tip: If you DO buy books, loaning or giving one to someone is a great way to extend a relationship)
I'm sure this has been around for quite a while and maybe I'm the only one that hasn't known about it. But with the technology the Austin Library has with their online catalog and the ability to put holds on books I feel like it's better than Netflix and Blockbuster combined.
You can pick out the books that you're interested in and even have them set it aside for you at the most convenient library for you. Plus if you're going to be late you can always renew the material online or worst case pay 25 cents a day vs. Blockbuster's $4 late fees.
If you're not a regular already, do yourself a favor and reaquaint yourself with your local library.
Think you're too busy to read? They also have a great collection of audio books. So rather than listening to some radio talk show and feeling yourself get dumber as you drive you can listen to a great book you don't have time to read and get smarter!
Thom Singer and I presented a new program called: "Networking in the New Year: Developing Your Strategic Plan" to the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce last night.
We promised to make the slides from the presentation available for the folks in attendance. So if you missed the presentation you can get an idea of what we presented: Austin_Chamber_Presentation_5.ppt
Here also are some quick links to some of the other resources we mentioned in our presentation last night:
Once again we had a great turn out and we appreciate all of you who took the time last night to learn how to improve your networking skills and develop some of your own strategies.
Unfortunately you're not able to post comments on my blog. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about our presentation please write your comments on Thom's Blog.
Thom and I are both professional speakers and speak regularly to a wide variety of audiences. We are both available individually (if you have a preference), or together as we presented last night. If you have an event or organization that you need a speaker for please contact us.
The difference between a great networker and a bad networker can be minute. The good news is that you can really set yourself apart by doing very basic things.
Ok. Now that you're back you can see the Liz had an experience with a great networker and a bad networker in the exact same scenario. The only difference between great and bad was the 3 minutes it took to write a quick thank you note to Liz.
Now I'm sure that Liz would have been just as satisfied with a quick 30 second phone call or even voicemail simply acknowledging the help she provided and a simple "thank you." That's literally all it takes. That's the difference.
Thank you notes are one of the most powerful tools available today. Between the card, envelope and stamp you'll probably spend a whole dollar ($1.00). Literally I don't think you can possible get more bang for a buck.
How do you feel when you get a hand written note in the mail? It's probably the first thing you open and the last thing you forget as you go through your mail opening routine. You can have that kind of impact for the investment of $1 and a few minutes of your time.
This is very unscientific, but based on my experience networking here in Austin I'd say that 3% of networkers regularly use thank you notes.
With the new year comes that feeling of a fresh start. A chance to start with a clean slate and make something happen. What will you make happen for yourself this year? How will networking play a role for you?
Networking is powerful because of the opportunities that will come your way because of the relationships you've built. Relationship building is an ongoing process. You'll need to build new relationships and grow your existing relationships. Doing that will be a lot easier if you have a plan. Do you have a plan?
You might want to start with a goal. It could be a certain number of new relationships, a target number of referrals or a weekly or monthly number of events you'd like to attend.
How will you get there? Decide how you'll meet the new people you'll build relationships wtih or which meetings and events you'll attend regularly.
Successful networking is like farming. It doesn't work if you put a lot of energy into it in January and February and neglect your crop for the rest of the year. You'll need to apply consistent effort over a long period of time. Come up with your own strategy to nurture your network of opportunities. Make sure it's a plan that you can easily maintain over the long haul (think MANY years).
I love working with people who think big. I came from a meeting this morning where everyone in the room is always thinking bigger. All of these folks are also very successful and respected.
You do yourself a disservice by thinking small, or working on small incremental gains. The real magic: big ideas, big gains and big profits all come from thinking big.
Your big thoughts will become even bigger and more real when you share them with others in your network. What may have seemed impossible at first will become more and more attainable if you ask the right friends for help. They’ll help you find the tools, connections and inspiration you need to get there. Of course you’ll have to ask to get their help to get it.
I just got an e-mail this afternoon that absolutely made my day:
"Scott, it's no wonder why you are as successful as you are. I've never met someone willing to give so much and ask for so little in return. I have a lot to learn from you. Don't be surprised if I become a Network-In-Austin-groupie! Thank you for your help and support."
It only took this wonderful human being 2 minutes to add this little note to the rest of her e-mail. That's all it took for her to have me walking on a cloud.
Who's day can you make today? Tell someone that they've made a difference for you. I promise they'll be grateful for it. You might even make their day.
If you don’t regularly exhibit some evidence of your existence people will quickly wonder whether or not you’re still around.
In the last few weeks I’ve had an awful lot of conversations with people asking if I’d seen this person or that person. In most cases it had only been a few months since either of us had seen the people in question. The good news for these folks is that at least people were still thinking about them. That’s much better than the alternative.
If you have people like this in your network I suggest you do as I did. Pick up the phone and call them. There’s almost always a reason why they haven’t been as visible. This is a great opportunity to find out why. They may have had some recent successes that have just kept them too busy. Other times there might be a problem that you can help them with, or at least refer them to someone who can.
You have to find your own ways of remaining visible. You might not have as much time to attend all of the networking events you once did, but it’s important to let your existing contacts know that you’re still alive and kicking.
Here are some ideas:
Write a regular blog to keep people abreast of what’s happening in your life.
These days it seems that everyone is trying so hard to set themselves apart. That makes it even more difficult to get noticed. But, don’t think that you need to have a multi-million dollar ad budget to get noticed. Sometimes it’s the little things that really make the difference.
I have to admit that this post was prompted by a bad experience that I had. Several months ago I was working with one of my clients and accidentally learned that they had started using another vendor that I had referred to them prior to our meeting. I’m glad they chose to work with that vendor, but I was a little surprised simply because the vendor had never told me that they landed the account.
This was a substantial account, probably worth 5 figures to this vendor. Now, I don’t expect to be lavished in gifts or sent exorbitant referral fees (although that can be nice). All I really expect is a simple thank you.
The next time it made sense for me to refer this vendor I gave it a serious second thought. Are you losing business simply because you didn’t say Thank You? I will tell you that I did make the second referral because they were the best fit for that client, but if I’d had another alternative it’s very likely that I wouldn’t have referred them again.
Just saying “Thank You” goes a really long way. Who should you thank today?
It's been entirely too long since I've put any pictures of Colette up on my blog. She changes so fast it's amazing, and she's such a great teacher.
Right now she's 8 months old and at the trying to figure out how to crawl and/or walk stage. She seems much more focused on standing and walking than crawling. Crawling doesn't seem to interest her very much and she'd much rather pull herself up by whatever nearby object will support her... When I'm around that's usually me!
There are truly some valuable lessons to be learned in watching her. Like when you start something that's brand new it's REALLY hard. She's been working on this stuff for weeks and still can't crawl, stand or walk yet. How many of us would start a project, spend weeks working on it and still have the dedication to see it through even if we saw ZERO results. But we all know that she will walk, and before long she won't even think about it. She'll pop up and go running off someplace without a second thought.
As adults we so rarely challenge ourselves to push through the challenges of learning a tough new skill like this. For me it's been very empowering to watch. Realizing that new skills are always difficult in the beginning, but if you stick with it long enough what now seems extremely difficult or maybe even impossible will be just the baseline with enough focus and dedication.
Sound like something you might be able to apply to your networking skills or some other skill that can help you take your business to the next level?
Now just look at that smile... If that doesn't just light you up I don't know what will (although I might be a bit biased)
I think I’ll probably write some more about this in the future, but generally speaking I think 30 second elevator pitches are useless. I think it’s time we start looking beyond the elevator anyway. Besides, nobody talks in elevators… they’re almost as quiet as a men’s restroom.
Stories are so much more powerful. Think about the movies for example. Hollywood can throw hundreds of millions of dollars at a movie and it can still fail. Most of the time this happens because there’s not a good story behind the movie, and no amount of special effects and well known actors can overcome this core problem. Great stories are the same reason that Pixar hasn’t had a miss yet. Every one of their movies starts with a really great story.
So what’s your story? A good story is powerful, can help you get your point across much more clearly, and help you build credibility… and if you craft it right it won’t take much more than 30 seconds, although a couple of minutes is perfectly acceptable.
There are two kinds of stories that should serve you well when you’re out networking. A good business story should help someone understand more clearly what it is you do. The easiest of these is a customer success story. How did you help one of your customers? Who are they? What was their challenge? What were the results that you helped them produce?
The second type of story is a personal story. I’ll never stop saying it: “Networking is about relationships.” Telling a personal story is a great way to connect with someone you’re starting to build a relationship with. This can be about anything. The idea is to give your fellow networker a better glimpse of who YOU really are.
I have quite a few short stories about myself that I’ll often tell people when I’m getting to know them: How and why I started NetworkInAustin.com. Why Emily and I moved to Austin/Why we left California. How my wife was literally referred to me.
What’s your story? Think about how you might be able to better describe what you do, what makes you different, and who you are by telling stories. Besides, who doesn’t love a good story?
I’m a big fan of the tour. I really enjoyed watching all of the stages over the last 3 weeks. I don’t know how I did it before we got our Digital Video Recorder. If it weren’t for that fancy little device, that came free with my satellite service, I wouldn’t have been able to watch it. Thanks to the miracles of technology I could watch a 4 hour stage in about an hour.
The most obvious lessons are those that Floyd Landis taught us about never giving up on yourself. Even if you have one bad day and you think there’s no way you’re going to be able to pull yourself out of the hole the race isn’t over yet. It definitely was an inspiring thing to watch.
The more subtle lesson that I watched play out throughout the entire tour was that of focus. Lance Armstrong’s former team Discovery (formerly US Postal), had a pretty miserable showing in this year’s tour after having won it for the last 7 years. I believe the root of their breakdown was lack of focus. They didn’t decide who their leader was going to be. Their philosophy going in was that whoever emerged as the leader would then be supported by the rest of the team. Obviously that didn’t work.
Discovery and US Postal had so much success the 7 previous years because they had absolute focus. Their only job was to make sure Lance was wearing Yellow in Paris. It was simple and powerful and worked every time! Of course it didn’t hurt that they had Lance as their leader, but they depended on each other. Without his team Lance couldn’t have one.
What are you focusing on? Are you spread too thin to be effective, or are you focused on what’s going to make you successful?
After just over a year of blogging I’m even more convinced that regular blogging can be one of the most powerful marketing and public relations tool for small business. Even big business... Dell just launched their own blog: One2One. The story behind Dell’s blog is really quite interesting. It’s worth spending a few minutes researching. The Statesman talked about it briefly in yesterday’s business section.
People do business with people, and a good blog gives a business personality. It’s an opportunity to make a more personal connection with your customers and prospective customers beyond the standard: About Us, Products/Services (boring!) information you find on most websites.
Have you started blogging yet? I’m even more excited about the prospects of this blog after the first year. It certainly created some amazing opportunities for me in the first year. Don’t forget, if you’re a member of NetworkInAustin.com you can start your own blog within your account. Plus we’ll help you promote your blog so you get even more traffic.
My good friend Jude Samson just started his own small business blog for Levelfield. Check it out: Clarity – Levelfield’s Small Business Blog. He has a great post on there about building a referral program that’s well worth reading.
For many networkers lunch is probably their most productive time of the day. While everyone else is taking a break to eat they’re going to work. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.
Many entrepreneurs, business owners and sales professionals know this and take full advantage of their lunch. Lunch may provide an even greater opportunity for someone looking to advance their career, or trying to find their next job opportunity. Sadly most people will have lunch with the same people, day after day after day. This is truly a missed opportunity.
If you’re looking to advance your career have lunch with people in other areas of your organization. Get together with folks in other departments and learn about what’s happening in other facets of your company. Go to lunch with your superiors and learn to see the enterprise from their perspective. Learn more about those who report to you, or others in the organization and see if there’s a way that you can help them advance their career. You’ll quickly become a more valuable employee with a better understanding of the bigger picture. This will improve your chances of advancement, or at the very least insulate you from the next downsizing event.
Next look outside your organization. Ask your counterpart at a competitor to lunch. Learn about their successes and challenges. See if you can’t build a relationship where you can help each other out. These can be invaluable should you ever find yourself without a job or if a better opportunity presents itself within your industry you’ll be one of the first to know.
This certainly isn’t rocket science, it’s just lunch. Don’t be afraid to ask ANYONE to join you for lunch. You’ll find that you’ll rarely if ever be turned down.
Two things have happened in the last 2 days that prompted this particular post. First I got Susan Morrow’s Networkers’ News in an e-mail where she and others noticed that people are becoming more selective about their networking efforts. Then I read Thom Singer’s most recent blog post about Focus.
I’ve been going through this process myself recently. I’m attending substantially fewer networking events than I have in the past. There are 2 reasons for this. One, I’m much more focused on my family and trying to spend more time at home with Emily and Colette. Two, I’m getting far more referrals from my existing relationships by focusing on those who have given me referrals and helping them to be more successful.
There may be such a thing as too focused. You’ve probably noticed that it’s been several weeks since my last blog post, and since my last newsletter.
In a future blog post I’ll try and talk more about the phases of networking that I’ve noticed. Essentially it seems to be that there’s a cycle that moves from quantity to quality. Initially you spend a lot of time meeting people and growing your network (quantity). You probably attend a larger number of networking events during this phase. Once those relationships begin to produce; you are able to learn who can help you the most, and who you’re able to help the most (quality). Here you are likely busier doing business and will find yourself cutting back to the highest quality networking events that you attend.
Focus is what brings about the higher quality. By focusing on relationships you’ll build higher quality relationships. When you focus on networking effectively you’ll find for yourself which events, groups or organizations give you the most bang for your buck (time and money).
The more focused you are the more effective your networking efforts will be. What are YOU focused on?
Today is the first anniversary of my first blog post. The Business Networking in Austin Blog was born 1 year ago today!
102 posts and 29,202 words later here we are. I was right about what I said in my first post; it has been “quite an adventure.”
Looking back through my blog over the course of the last year I’m amazed at how much has happened in my life. It was here that I posted our first ultrasound pictures of Colette, and then her birth announcement. I’ve written dozens and dozens of networking tips (who knew I had that much in me?), and there’s plenty about me and the continual growth of NetworkInAustin.com
From my own blogging experience I also believe that a business blog is by far the most effective form of online networking. I’ve played with LinkedIn and a variety of other online networking tools, but nothing competes with my blog. I’ve been contacted and interviewed for multiple articles because the writers found my blog while searching Google. Business book authors have sent me copies of their book to review. Most importantly I’ve been able to develop relationships with other bloggers who have helped promote me, and help me improve my blog.
This is just the start. I think 100 posts a year is a very doable level of blogging (obviously, since I just did it), and the rewards have been well worth the effort.
Really good networkers are usually very easy to spot. Why? They realize that the key to being a great networker is giving first. The best way to know what to give someone is to ask them. How can I help you?
I ask this question as part of almost every conversation I have. 9 times out of 10 I don’t get an actionable response. This is a tremendous lost opportunity… for both of us. I don’t know what I can do for you, and you miss out on a referral or two.
Lawrence Jackson once gave me a document that was the perfect answer. I asked him this question and he fired off an e-mail with EXACTLY what he was looking for. You can see that document on his NetworkInAustin.com profile: Lawrence Jackson - Friends Forever Enterprises
I’m actually going to work on this myself. In fact, I may even post the resulting information here on my blog?
Just going through the process is a very useful process. If you take the time to write down specifically what it is that you need you won’t draw a blank the next time someone offers you their help.
Of course this is a two way street. First, know how to answer the “What can I do for you?” question. Second, be a good networker and ask others how you can help them. If they can’t answer you might want to refer them to your favorite networking blog. (That’s one way you can help me).
It should go without saying that you should be respectful of the other professionals you meet through networking. Most of these rules are pretty common sense, but I see most of them broken on an almost daily basis. It doesn’t take much to hurt a perfectly good relationship. Be respectful.
Show up to your appointments on time, even a couple of minutes early
Expect that you’re going to encounter some traffic and leave a few minutes early to account for it. Traffic is a pretty lame excuse.
If you’re running late for a meeting, call
Even if you’re going to be just a couple of minutes late to an appointment call and let them know. Especially if you’re meeting someone someplace. They were probably there early and will quickly wonder whether or not you’re going to even show up.
Show up!
Honor your commitments and make your appointments. It amazes me how often folks don’t make appointments and never even call. This is beyond common sense, but it happens all the time.
Don’t answer your cell phone
When you’re sitting in front of someone that has taken the time to meet with you there is almost never anything more important than them. Don’t answer your cell phone! It’s probably the most disrespectful thing you can do. If you are waiting for a call to close a $12 Million dollar deal or your wife is about to have a baby, simply tell the person up front that you might need to take that call.
Don’t take anyone for granted
Networkers start at different levels. Just because you’re not talking to the CEO doesn’t mean they’re not important. I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve heard of folks losing big deals because once 7 years ago they blew off a new junior person in an organization and now the run the show and will never forget what you did to them.
Do what you say you’re going to do
If you tell someone you’re going to do something after a meeting… Do it! Be sure you don’t set false expectations. If you’re not going to be able to do something, then say so.
If you screw up, apologize and give people a second chance.
Even the best of us sometimes screw up some of the most basic rules occasionally. When you do, own up to your gaf. Be humble and apologize.
By the same token. If someone is disrespectful to you and makes the effort to own up to their mistake and apologize; please give them a second chance. Whether or not they get a third chance will be up to you. :)
If you haven't already been by to check it out NetworkInAustin.com has a Networking Resources area. Here you'll find articles, links to member blogs, a book list and the Weekly Referral Newsletter archive.
Members are encouraged to write articles about networking that would be useful to other networkers. I just received a great one today from Ragen Chastain. Ragen owns a business organization and outsourced administrative assistance company called Total Administrative Solutions. She has built a very successful company almost exclusively through networking.
P.S. If you're a member of NetworkInAustin.com and would like to write an article about the lessons you've learned through networking please e-mail me.
If you haven’t already noticed, I’m a big fan of analogies. Not sure what prompted this one (high gas prices in Austin?), but I think you’ll enjoy it.
This particular analogy can be used quite broadly, but for this example I’m going to focus on networking and/or marketing to grow a business.
Think of your business as your vehicle. The speed you’re traveling represents revenue or profits, the higher the MPH the larger the dollars coming in. The gas pedal is your personal marketing and networking efforts.
When you start from a dead stop you have to apply more pressure to the accelerator just to get moving. At first the progress is slow and your engine has to work hard. Once you’ve applied consistent pressure you’re able to build speed fairly consistently until you finally reach a comfortable (legal?) speed you’d like to maintain. Fortunately in the business world there are no speed limits!
Here’s the important point. Once you’ve reached your desired speed you must continue to apply pressure to the accelerator just to maintain your speed.
If you spend a lot of time an energy building a network and then take your foot off the gas you will begin to slow down, and eventually stop! You’ll get the best results for your business if you are consistent over a long period of time. In networking there is no cruise control. You have to personally exert the effort; you can’t just set it and forget it.
In order to maintain a constant speed you must keep your foot on the Accelerator!
I just finished clearing out over 400 e-mail messages from my inbox. My e-mail inbox works much like an inbox on my desk. If there's a message in there it means I haven't dealt with it. So having 400 e-mails meant that I had 400 things to do. Yuck!
As I was going through my messages I kept thinking that I can't be alone in this e-mail inundation. That means that all of the people that I send e-mails to are just as overwhelmed as I am.
Generally e-mail is my prefered mode of communication because I can deal with it whenever I feel like it. Most often that's really early in the morning. Other times it's in the evening, or on days like today it's in the middle of a Sunday. It's great because nobody is going to get upset with me for having dealt with their issue on a Sunday like they would if I made a phone call.
Unfortunately we're all so bombarded by e-mail that much of it doesn't get the attention it deserves. Plus with all of the spam filters and Internet service providers out there you can never be sure that your e-mail even made it to it's final destination.'
The solution: Don't just rely on e-mail to communicate and follow-up. For those items that are really important, pick up the phone and make a call.
Keep using e-mail. It's a great tool, but don't forget that phone sitting on your desk. It's still one of the best business tools we have at our disposal.
Having a relationship with your competitors is much more likely to help you than it is to hurt you. I’ve written about competition a few times on this blog (see the competition category), and I often speak about it as well. There is so much good that can come out of being on good terms with your competitor. Something recently happened here in town that showed me yet another benefit of this type of relationship that I hadn’t thought of before.
I’m going to tell this story and leave the names of the individuals and companies out to protect the innocent (and the guilty).
Company A had 2 local sales reps who were both excellent networkers. They both spent nearly 2 years building a very strong client base. During that time they both had a good relationship with one of the sales reps from Company B. Recently Company A had some major problems and couldn’t fulfill their promises to their customers. The 2 reps from Company A quickly saw what was happening. They both have a lot of integrity and quickly left the company to pursue other opportunities.
Both of these reps had spent a substantial amount of time building relationships through networking, and valued the relationships they’d developed with their customers. Because they wanted their customers to be taken care of they spoke with the sales rep they knew from Company B. They both knew that this former competitor could take care of their customers so they referred ALL of their former clients to the sales rep that worked for Company B.
Can you imagine having one of your competitors giving you ALL of the business they had spent the last 2 years developing? It gets better. Company B has over a dozen local sales reps. Only this one individual knew BOTH of the sales reps from Company A since they invested time networking and the other sales reps at Company B did not. Because they went out and networked and built relationships with their competitors they received ALL of the business from the former Company A sales reps.
Pick up the phone. Call one of your competitors today and find a time that you can get together for lunch. You’ll find that they’re people too, and you never know where that relationship might lead.
Consistency is probably the most important element of any marketing strategy.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the various things that I do. Almost all of it comes down to helping people market and build their businesses or careers. Of course networking is my personal favorite marketing strategy, and the work I do with Levelfield as their referral program coordinator is about helping people develop successful marketing tools.
The number of marketing tools and strategies out there is absolutely endless. None of them work if you don’t implement them and do them consistently over time.
I’m not saying that every marketing strategy works. Something what works exceedingly well for your friend may not work in your industry or with your target market. Most people spend too much time trying to find the marketing magic bullet. There is no magic bullet. The best strategy is the one that you do consistently over time, and continue to refine as you learn more about that strategy.
If you’re like me and most of the people I know; the best way to learn is by doing. Reading more and more books and not acting on any of the information you learn will NOT help you get more clients or find your next job.
Now STOP reading my blog and go sell something! (but, feel free to come back later… AND be sure to act on the things you learn here.)
Yes, you’re right! I’ve not been blogging as consistently as I used to. Having a new baby girl has had a fairly significant impact on my own level of consistency. Thanks for your patience as I work on become both more effective and more consistent myself.
In one way shape or form I have always been in sales. Whether I was willing to admit it or not this has always been the case. This is probably true for most people, especially if you’re reading this blog. We’re all in sales at some level even if we’re just selling ourselves in a job interview, asking for a raise or promotion, or just trying to convince our significant others to change the channel!
Like a lot of people I’m not completely comfortable with my role as a sales person. Of course it’s critical to my success. If I can’t sell, I can’t generate revenue, my business goes under, my family starves… I digress.
Fortunately my approach to sales has insulated me from my more obnoxious used car selling brethren. I’m a consultant!
There’s a huge difference between a sales person and a consultant. A sales person is always trying to close you. Who wants to be closed? A consultant works with you to find solutions. Given the choice who would you rather work with? You’ll notice a huge difference in your own mindset when you consider yourself a consultant, and not a sales person.
Anyone can use this consulting approach, and networking will help you become a much better consultant. As a consultant I can help you find a solution to your problem, and it may not be something that I sell. I also have dozens of other product and service providers that I can refer you to who can help you solve your problems.
Tired of having your sales prospects run and hide from you when you come calling? Use this consulting approach and your clients and customers will look forward to your calls and visits.
After years of networking, referrals still don't always make sense to me. They never seem to come from the people I'd expect them from. The lesson I've learned is that it's most important to take care of those people who DO refer you.
Referral partners don't always work out the way we think they will. I'll be the first to admit that I've spent dozens of hours getting to know certain individuals who I thought could refer me a lot of business. I've bought them lunch after lunch, learned about their business, their families and their interests. I worked hard to make sure I gave them value. Usually in the form of referrals to help them grow their own businesses. Even still, some of these folks have NEVER referred me. Not because we don't have a great relationship and trust each other. It just hasn't happened.
I went through this experience over and over while I was building my IT consulting business in California. Fortunately I've learned from my mistakes since I've been here in Austin.
I'm always surprised by where my referrals come from. The individuals that refer me are almost never the people I would expect. Here's they key: If someone refers you once they are far more likely to refer you again... and again... and again!
Pay close attention to where you referrals come from. Spend the bulk of your time cultivating relationships with those people who DO refer you, not on those who COULD refer you. Of course I'm not saying you shouldn't be building new relationships with people who are in a great position to refer you. I'm simply suggesting that you invest in the people who are already helping you.
Add value however you can. Certainly the best way to thank someone for a referral is to turn around and refer them. That's what most people are looking for, but don't assume. Take the time to get to know the great people who refer you. What makes them tick? Look for things that you can do for them that may not be obvious. Only by asking and building an even stronger relationship will you learn how you can really help someone.
If you're anything at all like me one of the key reasons you network is to get referrals. Do a good job of taking care of the people who take care of you, and you'll get more and wonderful referrals.
One of the things that separates good networkers from great networkers is their ability to ask specifically for what they need.
Good networkers know that you have to give to get. On the surface they're great, especially in the eyes of those they're giving those precious referrals to. Where the fail is in asking for what they need.
I don't mean asking generally for referrals, I mean asking specifically for referrals.
Too often we're afraid to ask specifically. We think we might miss out on those referrals for the other things that we do, or people will forget the full scope of our capabilities. In reality the opposite is true. If you ask broadly for what you need it's likely you'll get nothing. For some reason Dentists and Chiropractors seems to be the worse offenders of the broad ask. If I hear one of these lines again I'm going to scream: "A good referral for me is anyone with a spine." "The best referral this week is someone you know with teeth."
Let me make this very clear. I know hundreds of people and have their direct contact information readily available with me all the time in my ridiculously huge phone. I'm pretty sure that almost all of them have a spine, and the same goes for teeth. How many referrals do the generic chiropractors and dentists get from me? ZERO!
Now, if they ask a more specific question: "I'm looking for a parent you know whose child is suffering from repeated ear infections." Now I might know a person or two that fits that category. Don't be afraid to ask specifically, I promise you won't miss out on all of the referrals to people with spines.
The more specific the better. A great networker friend of mine recently asked if anyone at the table we were sitting at knew someone at a specific company here in Austin. He was immediately handed 3 cards.
From my own experience I don't want to have to work too hard. It's not that I'm lazy, it's just much easier if you're specific. Remember all of those contacts that live in my phone? If you can narrow that list down to 2 or 3 I'm much more likely to give you their information, and maybe even a personal introduction. If you can't narrow your request down to less than a dozen people that I know it's just going to be too much work for me. I'm sure I'm not alone. There are many networkers who are much lazier than I am. :)
I've created a simple task list for you the next time you need something: 1) Ask for what you want! If you don't ask nobody will be able to help you. 2) Be as specific as possible when you're asking for what you want.
Most people network because they're looking for some type of referral. I use the term referral generically, because there are several different types of referrals that vary in quality and value.
The most basic form of referral is a sales lead. Personally I find these to be the most frustrating type of referral. Typically a lead consists of a name and contact information of someone who might need what you offer. In most cases it would be inappropriate for you to use the name of the person who gave you the lead. Meaning that this sales lead isn't much better than a cold call. It may have a little more value depending on the information you receive from the referrer. The lead may prove to be better qualified than a random cold call you might make.
True referrals vary in quality. At the very least it would be an improved lead where you are given the name and contact information for a prospect, and permission to use the referrer's name. A better referral would one where the referrer talked to the referee about you. That way they're at least expecting your call, and probably know a little bit about you and your capabilities. The best referrals include some type of introduction. Whether it be a simple virtual introduction via e-mail to a professional in person introduction.
We all love referrals. For many of us our businesses wouldn't exist without these personal recommendations and introductions.
As much as I like referrals, I truly love making connections. In my opinion helping someone make a connection, if done correctly, is the highest form of referral. When I help someone make a connection I'm introducing two people who probably wouldn't otherwise meet, who can massively impact each other. For example, I recently introduced someone who represents a company that sells and services copiers and printers to another gentleman who provides IT services. They were a perfect fit, and are able to refer substantial business back and forth.
Connections are the referrals that keep on giving. This week think about 2-3 people who've recently helped you. Help them to make some connections. Most of the time they'll be so thankful they won't know what to do for you... That's why you'll need to stay tuned for my next post about asking for what you need.
It dawned on me a few weeks ago that I've accidently been getting speakers at the events I attend to promote me for free! I've been using this approach for years without even being aware of what I was doing.
This is actually a very simple tip that anyone can use, and it actually helps the speaker. As a speaker myself I love it when people do this for me...
It's simple really. At your next event find out who the speaker is and what they're going to be talking about. Then show up early, and look for the speaker. Wait until they look like they're comfortable, don't rush up to them when they're still trying to figure out AV issues or coordinating with the host. Now just introduce yourself. Your goal here is to make the speaker feel welcome and comfortable. At some point in this short conversation try and share a brief personal story with the speaker that relates to their topic.
Most good speakers will mention you during their speech, and work your story into their presentation. This helps the speaker because it allows them to make a more personal connection with an audience they may otherwise not know. They know that other folks in the audience probably know you, and by sharing your story it builds credibility for them and promotes you! Don't you just love win/win networking tips?
Please make sure you don't abuse this approach. Be sure any story you share is true, and relevant. You'll also want to use this with speakers and topics you're generally interested in. Don't expect the speaker to plug you. They might just talk about your story and not mention you at all. Just know that you were able to help the speaker feel more at ease, and make a better connection with the audience.
Give it a try at your next event. You don't have anything to lose, and at the very least will have a new way to connect with speakers that may otherwise seem intimidating.
Super Bowl XL was last night. Advertisers paid between $2.5 and $2.6 Million Dollars for 30 seconds. Can you imagine writing a check like that... Pay to the order of: ABC $2,500,000.00
Now that's a lot of zeros to write on a check! $5 Millions Dollars an hour isn't too shabby. Maybe we're not charging enough for memberships here on NetworkInAustin.com?
With very few exceptions I actually watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. That and it makes for a good excuse to drink beer, and eat food that I really shouldn't eat. As a guy who invested over 3 hours in watching commercials on a Sunday night I must say that I was disappointed. Most of the commercials were pretty lame at best. Although I will admit that I liked the Budweiser commercial with the Clydesdale pony who secretly got a little help from some more experienced friends. I feel like that pony a lot of the time.
All of this got me to thinking. These companies are spending two and a half million dollars just for the air time of these commercials. That doesn't include the creative work, talent, production costs, etc. This probably means that the average 30 second spot is costing between $3 Million and $4 Million Dollars. Is it worth it? Probably not, I don't even remember 90% of the commercials. Those that I do remember don't make me any more likely to buy the product. I'm certainly not planning on buying a Whopper because a bunch of women dressed like hamburger parts jumped on top of each other.
What if these companies invested that money in relationships? How much could you do for your top customers with 3 Million bucks? I'll bet you could setup one heck of a referral program with that kind of dough.
To be honest this post is more of a preemptive strike on my part than anything else. It's now Thursday evening and I think I've gotten a total of 12 hours of sleep all week. Fatherhood is tiring business, even when Emily is doing most of the work. This lack of sleep has caused me to make some pretty goofy gaffs and blunders. Well, the lack of sleep is a good excuse anyway. Everything from introducing someone I spent two hours with the prior week by the wrong name, to getting up in the middle of one of my member's speeches to pace in the back of the room for fear I would fall asleep and snore loudly if I didn't.
We all make mistakes. I generally find that it's best to be humble, and have a good sense of humor. Admit when you're wrong, and be willing to laugh at yourself. It's also nice to be forgiving of others. Hopefully they'll return the favor when it's your turn to goof. At least that's my hope.
If you're lucky you'll make one of your goofs in front of a national audience and be imortalized in blogs and viral e-mails for all eternity. You know they say all publicity is good publicity. Even if you are a USC Cheerleader at the Rosebowl who cheers for a UT Touchdown on their way to winning the National Championship.
Testimonials are a lot like gifts. They're a lot of fun to give, and they're also pretty exciting to receive. Especially when you're not expecting them. In fact, the best testimonails are those unsolicited testimonials that a client surprises you with.
I'm particularly proud of one I received very recently from my friend Stan Tyler of Champions Edge (Thanks for prompting this post Stan!):
"I agree or suspect you are on to something re b2b, but what I think is more apparent is what really is obvious from the viral-ness is your ability to network is based on your good strong relationships with many people, from that foundation we/they will take your idea and 1) read it, 2) trust you to bring quality, and then as a result 3) share it with my/their networks.
I was telling someone earlier today on a call that I now have an absolute knowing that my number one business development tool is being interested in others and by being interested in them I can then provide value. The second cut of that is “providing value” often is being the connection for people to someone who will do great work for my friends/network (period)
I have known this but it has really come home in a stronger way by being around you...
Thanks for how you serve me."
Giving a testimonial is one of the best ways to show your appreciation for someone you've done business with who's done a great job for you. It ranks right up there with giving a referral. Sometimes a well written testimonial is better than a referral. If your testimonial helps someone establish a higher level of credibility and is something they can use on their website, brochures, mailings, etc. It can be of immeasureable value.
Here's my personal challenge to you. Write a testimonial for someone who's not expecting it TODAY. Pick that one person who is always going above and beyond the call of duty in their service to you.
For a couple more great testimonal examples read the enorsements on my: LInkedIn Profile
P.S. Stan deserves his own testimonial as well. If it weren't for Stan you might not be reading this blog right now. Stan helped me take NetworkInAustin.com from a vague idea to a profitable business in roughly 45 days! Stan is an incredible business coach who I can't recommend highly enough. If you're wanting to make 2006 your best year ever you'll want to call Stan right now. Thank you Stan for how you serve me.
I had a really interesting conversation with someone I respect very much earlier this week. He's a much more experienced father than I, and we were talking about raising kids. He told me that'd he'd recently read that as much as we try and teach our kids right and wrong and help them make good decisions we don't necessarily have as much of an impact as we would hope. In fact, the single thing that has the biggest impact on kids as they grow up is their peer group.
Talk about an 'aha' moment. This is not just true when we're kids, but throughout our lives. I thought back through my own history and upbringing, and know this has been absolutely consistent throughout my life. In the periods of my life where I made poor decisions and did rather stupid things I was ALWAYS with other kids who regularly acted this way. At the times that I was at my best I was closest to others who were at the top of their game as well.
The more I think about it the more I realize how much of an impact this has at any stage of our lives. No wonder the stereotype of folks in nursing homes is that of bitter, cranky old people. That's what they're around.
I'm sure I've read it several times before, I just can't recall where, that we will become just like the people we're closest to. If we're aware of how significant of an impact our peer group has on us we can make this concept of proximity work in our favor.
Your networking efforts will give you a chance to meet some very successful people, and probably a lot of not so successful people. Surround yourself with those who are successful. If you're new to business and/or networking don't surround yourself with people who are down on themselves, their abilities, and their prospects. Otherwise you will become them. Surround yourself with success and you will become successful.
Over the last few months I've made a very conscious effort to surround myself with doers. People who don't stand around talking about what should be done. Rather, people who go out and get things done. These are the networkers who do what they say they're going to do, are where they say they're going to be, and are always committed for the long haul.
Think about your current peer group. Who are the 6 or 8 people that you spend the most time with. If you were like them would that be ok? If so, congratulations! You're primed for success. If not it might be time to re-evaluate who you are letting influence you whether your conscious of it or not.
Thank you Catherine for such a great tip. I couldn't have said it any better myself:
"When networking in a professional association, be sure to show up 6-8 months in a row, before you expect results. After meeting you a few times, people will begin to warm up and share really meaningful information – some of which might provide business for you. A good goal is to have three meaningful conversations per meeting. Thoughtfully exchange cards and do some follow up – a personal note or email. Do this over the course of a year, and you have 36 new business associates!"
If you'd like to submit a networking tip for an upcoming Weekly Referral Newsletter, please send it to: info@networkinaustin.com
Archives of the Weekly Referral Newsletter are available on the Networking Resources page.
In my last post, Investing in Networking, I compared networking to investing. You may want to read that post before reading this one. The way you invest in networking is by investing in people and relationships.
Each time you can make an impact in somebody else’s life you’re investing in them. You might be able to give them a referral, connect them with a mentor, or provide some other type of resource or advice. It’s these investments that will pay dividends in the future. Just be sure not to expect it from them. Forcing your expectations on these people you’ve invested in will quickly spoil your relationship with them.
I’ve made many many investments in people. Sometimes it’s a small piece of advice that may or may not have been useful for the person I gave it to. Other times I’ve gone out of my way to help someone on their own road to success. In every case I’ve always gotten back more than I’ve given. Even if what I got back was the satisfaction of having helped make a difference in someone else’s life.
I can’t tell you how many people have, and are making investments in me. The generosity I’ve seen, especially here in Austin has been amazing. Those of you who know me know that my memory isn’t always the greatest. That being said, I don’t ever forget the people who have helped me. It’s very important for me personally to make sure that those who have invested in me not only get back at least what they invested, but also interest on their investment.
It almost always works out… You might want to read my previous post about “Networking Karma.” Things don’t always come back exactly the way you’d expect, but a lot of times they do. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been on both ends of these investments where one person did so much more for the other it didn’t seem like it would be possible to ever repay them. In almost every case it’s worked itself out. These are the ultimate win/win situations.
Business networking is very similar to investing in many ways.
Networking like investing works best as a long term strategy. If you invest for the long term, and contribute regularly your chances for success increase exponentially, and so do your gains for that matter. It is extremely rare for anyone to double their money in 30 days or 90 days. Building a strong business network that pays dividends is also a long term strategy. It’s not something that you can work really hard on for 1 month and expect to get more business than you know what to do with.
The most successful investors are those who invest consistently over time. The same is true of successful networkers. They’re committed, and show up consistently over a long period of time.
Most good investors are diversified. They choose several different investments in several different industries to insure that if one of them should fail the growth of the others should more than make up for that one loss. Good networkers build relationships in diverse areas. They’re involved with their local chamber of commerce, an association group or two, and maybe a non-profit board or pure networking type group. They find that having a diverse network allows them to add more value for everyone in each of their individual groups.
Investors can increase their likelihood of success by doing their research. They learn all about the particulars of the companies they invest in. They look to understand the industry and the opportunities and threats they face. Networkers increase their likelihood of success and their value to other networkers by doing their research. They talk to those in their network to understand what they need, and what their challenges are. They constantly read to understand what’s happening in their local economy and in their industry.
Experienced investors know that there will be ups and downs, successes and failures, and eventually they’ll come out ahead. Experienced networkers know that economies change, people come and go, and over time as they build and solidify their relationships they will be successful.
Look at your networking efforts as a long term investment strategy. Network consistently over time with a diverse sampling of your community. Do your research, and know how you can add value to those you meet. Know that there will be set backs, and incredible surges. Do all of these things and your investments in networking will pay off.
Too many of us have the self limiting belief that the holidays are a slow time. Nobody does business during the holidays they’re too busy thinking about holiday parties, and aren’t focused on working. I used to buy into this, but have realized that it’s self perpetuating garbage. If we all sit around thinking that nobody else is really working then of course the holidays are going to be a slow time for us all.
This is a great opportunity that only comes around once a year. Think about how much easier it is to get in touch with all of those busy people in your network when they’re not being bombarded with calls and projects because it’s their supposed slow time.
You may not be able to generate as much business as you would like in the month of December, but you can really prime the pump for the beginning of a spectacular year that starts that way in January.
Start by picking up the phone. Reconnect with your network. Spend a few minutes and learn about their goals and desires for the coming year. How can you help them accomplish those goals? Hint: This is a big referral opportunity. You’ll be able to help them by helping others in your network get more referrals. In a slow month no less.
This is also a great time of year to be working on your strategic alliances. Sit down with those people in your network who you have the most synergy with. If you’re a graphic designer you might want to get together with your printer or web developer. Work together to figure out how you can truly leverage your relationship into more consistent referrals for each other.
Don’t sit around this December complaining about what a slow month it is. Take advantage of the opportunity to reconnect with your network and build stronger relationships that will lead to more referrals in 2006.
Yesterday I attended the InnoTech conference at the Austin Convention Center. All in all it was a great show. There were some fabulous speakers, and I think most of those who attended got a lot out of it. Especially at the bargain price it was offered for.
I just don’t understand why I always feel like I need to walk down the center of trade show aisles so that I’m not accosted by obnoxious sales people. A good sales presentation is a dialogue between two or more parties, and a good sales person knows that they should be asking a lot of questions. Why does this get thrown out the window at trade shows?
When I first walked in I had a very nice conversation with Jan Triplett of the Business Success Center. I already knew Jan, and she did a great job of introducing visitors to her booth to each other. Jan is the poster child of what good networking is all about.
Then it went down hill. Apparently I walked too close to another booth. A woman launched into a good 10-12 minute presentation about a $10,000 product that I have no need for, nor would I ever likely have a need for. She might have known that had she asked me a single question about who I was and what I did.
After that I spent the rest of my time at the show avoiding other vendors not wanting to get sucked into the vortex of another mindless sales pitch.
Those of you who’ve been reading my blog for a while now know that I don’t often complain or get upset like this. It just frustrates me to see people like this who miss the point and ruin it for the good exhibitors. Unfortunately I think too many of these people were “professionals” who work trade shows for a living. Somehow they’re the worst ones?
Selling is not difficult. It just takes some common sense. If you simply treat other people the way you’d want to be treated in a sales situation it’s easy. Respect other people, and learn about them and what they need. A good sales person should be the very first person to recognize when a particular product or service is not appropriate for someone, AND SAY SO!
Enough of my soapbox… Other than that incident I had a great time and met a lot of wonderful people. I’m looking forward to developing relationships with several of them who particularly impressed me.
Remember, networking at events like InnoTech is absolutely useless if you don’t take the time to follow-up with the people you met. All of the people I met yesterday (who I exchanged business cards with) will hear from me by the end of the week.
Since I’ll be speaking at Freelance Austin this afternoon I’ve decided to post all of my notes on my blog instead of bringing handouts. That way those in attendance can always go back and find what it was I talked about, and those who couldn’t attend can get the general idea of what was said.
Let’s start with the reasons why anyone in business whether they’re a freelance artist or writer or the CEO of a large organization should consider starting a business blog.
Demonstrate your expertise Showing that you are an expert on a particular topic is far more powerful than simply saying you’re an expert. Develop content Your blog will force you to write regularly. This writing easily lends itself to articles, books and marketing collateral. Make a personal connection Blogs don’t have to be dry and boring. By injecting your personality you can create personal connections with your readers. Low to no cost Blogs are one of the least expensive forms of marketing available today. The primary investment will be of your time. Networking with other bloggers As a business blogger you’ll instantly have something in common with other experts with whom you can network. Search engines love blogs Reiterate your core keywords and draw new customers to what you’ve written. Communicate with customers and prospects Keep your customers up to date on your company and new products. Attract new customers with new information. Show that you're current There’s nothing like a blog post dated yesterday to show that you’re still alive and kicking and ready for more business! Build credibility through consistency Blogging consistently demonstrates that you are reliable and committed.
I’m sure there are more that I’ve missed. To learn more about business blogging take a look at the “Business Blogging” category on this blog. This will bring up all of the posts that I’ve written about my blogging experience and blogging in general. If you have any questions or comments I’d love to hear from you. E-mail me at: scott |at| NetworkInAustin.com.
Blogging is not difficult, but it does take some real commitment to build a successful business blog.
The most important element of a good blog is consistency. If you’re not committed to writing regularly for a long period of time I’d recommend that you not start. You’ll be disappointed in your results and will probably have wasted your effort. It took me about 3 to 4 months before I started getting substantial traction with my blog. This is a long term marketing strategy; don’t expect it to pay off tomorrow.
I personally recommend that you plan on posting at least 1 new post each week. More is always better and the ideal for a busy business professional like you and I is probably 2-3 times per week. Don’t start too fast, concentrate on consistency. If you’re going to post twice a week, start with twice a week. Don’t start out writing 3 posts a day everyday for the first month and burn yourself out.
Your posts don’t have to be long. My average post is probably just 300-400 words. This way the people that are coming to read your blog won’t feel overwhelmed, and will be more likely to read more than one post. You can always take the short blog post you’ve written and turn it into a longer article for your website or for other publications.
What if I’m not a great writer? Don’t worry, just start. By posting to your blog consistently over time you will become a better writer. Focus more on adding value for your readers, make it personal and share your opinions and things about yourself. The occasional typo or grammatical error will be overlooked. You should still use a spell checker just in case.
Get involved in the blogging community. Read other blogs and participate. Build relationships with other bloggers. You’ll find that you love it when people contact you about your blog. When you contact other bloggers because you’ve been reading what they’ve said they’ll feel the same way. This is a great networking opportunity and you’ll often find that these bloggers will talk about you and your blog which can help make more people aware of your blog, and you should do the same for them. For example. I was just reading my friend Thom Singer’s blog this morning where he coined the term: “Neblogging” to describe exactly this advantage.
If you’re going to start your own business blog make it a long term commitment. Have fun and trust that your investment of time will payoff.
A friend of mine forwarded a request for the Austin Business Journal’s “Ask the Experts” feature. The question posed was: “How can you find a target market that will provide your best growth opportunity?”
I’m going to answer this question two different ways. First I’ll discuss choosing a niche, second I’ll talk about finding a target market that will allow you to leverage one opportunity into the next. Several years ago when I was still in Southern California I was at an event where the speaker was a SCORE counselor. His topic was business planning, but he didn’t spend a whole lot of time talking about writing a business plan. Instead he completely changed my concept of what a niche market is. I wish I could remember that SCORE counselor’s name, because I’d love to give him the credit he is due.
His definition of a niche market was one that was small enough that you could afford to communicate with them at least on a monthly basis. For most small business that is a VERY small number. He shared his own example of being a former PG&E employee turned financial planner. His market was all of the PG&E employees in one particular building. The total number of individuals was just under 1,000. He knew he could afford to market to these individuals at least once a month.
At first I thought the guy was a little nuts and was limiting himself. Then I understood the real power of such a tightly focused niche. He could complete dominate that niche and within a relatively brief period of time have the largest share of that market. How could any other financial services company possibly compete with him? Even the big boys wouldn’t be able to touch him. Why? Once he started working with a number of individuals it would invariably come time to make changes to their 401K plan. When people started asking around they’d get the same answer from several people: “Bob with XYZ Financial helped me out, he’s great.” Imagine the credibility he had when more than one person referred him. Plus he understood his market better than anyone else possibly could. As a former employee he was able to work with them using the PG&E memo format that they were so accustomed to.
The power of having such a narrowly defined, specific niche is incredible. The best way to ask for referrals is to be as specific as possible. With a niche that’s 100% defined this way it’s easy to ask for referrals. In ‘Bob’s’ case he could simply ask: “Frank, do you regularly have lunch with any co-workers? Would you be willing to tell them about the experience you’ve had with me?” It’s that easy.
Personally I have taken a slightly different approach. I always look to get as much leverage from my target market as possible. In all of my business ventures I have always targeted businesses that provide services to other businesses. If I can provide incredible service that is beyond the expectations of my client I know they’ll be willing to refer me. When all of their clients are made up of other businesses I have a large pool of potential clients that they can refer me to. This has always provided me with an unending source of new business, and I never have to make a cold call!
Currently I’m working to build relationships with businesses and individuals that provide marketing consulting and services to other local businesses. These relationships give us both a lot of leverage in creating a win/win strategic alliance. We are able to help these companies add more value for their clients by referring them to us, and we’re able to do the same by referring our clients to them, or by paying a referral fee.
Look at your own business. Could you get more benefit by more narrowly defining your target market? Are there ways that you could get more leverage in working with your existing target market? Spending some time thinking about these issues should prove to be a great investment of your time.
If you have any questions, or if there’s any way I can help you answer these questions please feel free to contact me. I’d love to sit down with you.
Now I just need to fit all of what I just said into just 75 words for the Business Journal. Wish me luck.
. In this book it says something like: To give and not expect to receive is unnatural. This is an important networking lesson that even very good networkers frequently forget. I'll talk more about this book in a future post, but I do recommend it. It's a nice quick read and breaks down what networking is really about into a very readable fictional story.
