The very thought of meeting strangers and making small talk with people we don't know can send even "marketing people" running for the hills. But of all the marketing tools that I use, networking is still the one that often surprises me as the results can be quite amazing.
When I say "networking" I mean off-line for the moment. Online social networking is great, but it doesn't beat face-to-face relationship building, at least in the first instance. By all means continue business relationships online and meet lots of potential customers and suppliers, but it's invariably the people that you know that you build long term bonds with.
Traditional business networking involves either joining regular business networking groups, or attending events, launches, AGMs, training, exhibitions, trade fairs, even golf days. The networks that suit you will depend on who your target audiences are.
For example if you're selling to the general public, events, sponsorships, trade fairs or launches all offer the opportunity to network with potential customers. Sometimes, even business events will generate consumer opportunities as we're all consumers outside of our business lives.
I was at a business networking event recently with a fellow networker who was launching a perfume business and she was questioning whether a "business" network was appropriate as her customers were not other businesses. But when it boiled down to it, there were quite enough of the right target audience in the room who may need to buy gifts for wives and girlfriends and plenty of females who wanted to buy for themselves. People really do buy from people and this is another reason why business networking works even for B2C - and I did buy some perfume that day.
Often networking isn't just to find customers, but to find other businesses to collaborate with, contacts who may lead you to customers or simply to share the experience of being in business and find solutions together. I've met plenty of other marketers through meetings like this, many of who I've done business with at some point, even if only to refer other customers to them because they have a particular area of expertise.
There are some golden rules which are worth noting, but my best advice is to be yourself as far as possible. It doesn't work otherwise as you can't build long term relationships being somebody else.
Good networking tips are:
- Always take business cards. This is strangely easy to forget, probably as we're dashing out of the door we forget to check (spoken from experience I'm embarrassed to admit), but without them people can't get in touch or follow up.
- Prepare an elevator pitch, less than 1 minute if you can about what you do, and what's different about your business so that you differentiate yourself from everyone else. For example, if you're an Accountant, what can you add? I'm an Accountant who specialises in taxation, or who provides a small business package for a fixed sum. And what are the benefits to the product or service that you offer? So you don't have to worry about getting your self assessment in on time... This might take a bit of practice and it might change over time, but it's well worth doing.
- Have objectives before you enter the room. Are you there because you want business leads, somebody to work alongside, a new supplier? Or maybe you just need to meet some like-minded people. The clearer you are the easier the process is.
- After the event make sure you follow up if you promised to do something. This is often the best start to a long-term business relationship as if you deliver it builds trust.
- Don't forget that you can network anywhere. You meet people at the shops, in restaurants and at events - they're all great opportunities to talk to people. Just remember that elevator pitch when somebody asks "what do you do?".
For further inspiration, there are also some excellent articles about business networking on the Business Link website, worth a read.
Karen McNulty
MarketingPlanWiz and BusinessPlanWiz
www.twitter.com/karenmcnulty
