Networking

So you’ve tried direct mail, advertising, you’ve got a web site, maybe you’ve even tried networking as a marketing strategy. These and many other marketing strategies are all good and if performed properly will most likely bring you favorable results. A word to the wise here though, some of them can run you a fortune in marketing costs. And in my experience, cost has a lot less bearing on effectiveness than one would like to believe. Now being a fan of Jay Conrad Levinson and his concept of “Guerrilla Marketing”, I am always on the lookout for innovative and inexpensive ways to market. And what I have for you here certainly fits that bill.

I believe Napoleon Hill in his 1930’s classic book “Think and Grow Rich” was the first person to coin the phrase “Master Mind” and he defined it as: “Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.”

Hmmm So basically it’s building a team that leverages their collective brains and brawn to help one another get what they want.

So let’s not beat around the bush here. Are you ready for the secret marketing strategy? Well here goes It’s quite simple really there is strength in numbers. Two minds are exponentially more capable than one mind alone. In this equation, one plus one does not equal two, it more closely resembles eleven. We’re talking about leverage here. The secret is simply to gain leverage by creating your own mastermind. Not just any mastermind though; One that specifically focuses on marketing - a “Marketing Mastermind” so to speak.

So my proposal to you is to take that exact concept of a mastermind as Napoleon Hill defined it, and niche it to focus primarily on marketing.

So real quick what should this mastermind look like? My suggestion would be 4 to 8 members from different, non-competing industries, meeting weekly to discuss how they can help each other market their respective businesses - Plain and simple.

Now it’s not my intention here to educate you in any detail on how to set up and effectively participate in a mastermind group, as there are plenty of resources out there already that can do that for you, it is simply to share with you what’s possible by leveraging this concept to support your marketing efforts.

Personally, I see this strategy as a phenomenal way for organizations, especially smaller ones with little spending money for marketing, to use the power of leverage to broaden their capability and effectiveness.

While the benefits of doing this could be endless, let me just share with you five of my favorites:
1. Plain and simple, it keeps you in the conversation of marketing.
2. It can provide you with unbiased feedback, brainstorming, and marketing advice based on experiences of what has worked, or hasn’t worked for your mastermind teammates.
3. You will significantly expand your reach and go beyond who you know and tap into who your teammates know. Now depending on what the group agrees to, you may gain access to the client list and/or mailing list of the other members. Additionally, you can explore the possibilities of joint marketing initiatives and joint venture arrangements where multiple parties share in the results.
4. You’ll be held accountable to get done what you say you will get done. This alone inspires people into action and action ultimately leads to results.
5. The list can go on and on and on however, best of all, masterminding is free!

So need I say more? I sincerely hope you’ll take this strategy on and try it on for a while. What do you got to lose? - It’s free. Remember, there’s power in numbers so build your “Marketing Mastermind” and reap the rewards today!

© 2006 Online Marketing Muscle — All Rights Reserved.

Online entrepreneur Dean Mercado, “The Motivational Marketer,” is creator of the acclaimed ‘Pumped Up Networking’ system geared to explode your business through professional relationships. To learn more about it and to sign up for his FREE eZine the ‘Marketing Minute’ - a weekly multimedia eZine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes, visit http://www.OnlineMarketingMuscle.com.

Share This

One of the most cost effective ways of generating leads and referrals. However it’s important that you ‘work’ these opportunities in the correct way. The following techniques should make a great difference to your success rate at networking events.

In The Beginning

It’s important to know exactly what you want out of a networking event, as well as why you’re attending? Is it to refine your skills, build relationships, make sales or research the competition? Will you encourage people them to visit your website? Sign up for a workshop? Set up a time for a further meeting?

In fact, you may find you’ll benefit most from networking when you have one intention and stick to it. That way you won’t become sidetracked and instead can concentrate on the job in hand, for example, to build potential joint ventures.

Business Cards

Apart from yourself, these are second most important equipment for any networking event. However, don’t just hand your business card out to all and sundry. In fact, until you know whether or not the person opposite fits a match to your needs, don’t be tempted to exchange cards. No match, no card.

Also keep a pen handy, that way you can write something memorable about the person you’ve just met on the back of their business card before moving on i.e. what was discussed, their interests, needs etc. This can provide a great memory jog for after the event.

Never apologise for your business card. As long as it contains your correct contact details, then your business cards are performing. Remember, ‘business cards do not maketh the man Or woman.’

First Impressions

What will make more of an impression, your job title or what you actually do? Remember that with any product (and the product here is ‘you’) people want to know about the benefits not the features.

So instead of saying ‘I’m a Financial Planner’, try ‘I help people take control of their finances’. Doesn’t that immediately sound much more empowering and interesting?

Think about how you would introduce yourself, so that you a) tell people what you do, and b) include a perceived benefit.

However the best way to make an impression is to listen. Remember it’s not about you, but them - keep talking about your business and how great you are and you’ve lost them. However by taking a real interest in the person opposite and how your business can help them, well then you’re well on the way to gaining a good contact and maybe even a client.

So what kind of things could you ask or talk about? Here are a few questions to get your started:

* How did you become involved in this kind of business?

* How do you see this event helping you in your business

* What marketing have you found most effective in your business or industry?

* What would a typical client say about you?

* What is your number one need at the moment?

* What business trends do you see affecting you right now (or next year)?

* How do you identify potential customers?

Then see if you can leave a potential contact with something more. For example, do you have a report you could take along, a copy of an article or press release about your business? Something different, something ‘extra’ that could make you stand out and differentiate you from the competition.

It’s Not A Race

You don’t have to meet everyone. Three to four productive discussions will yield far better results, long term, than nineteen ‘grip and grins’. Believe me if you’re intent on meeting as many people as possible it tends to give away two things, a) a sense of desperation, and that b) you’re clearly at the event for one reason: to find work And quickly!

The Follow-Up

Follow-up within 48 hours of making a contact, either by email, phone or letter. It displays your level of commitment, credibility and professionalism. Yes, we’re all busy people, but honestly how long does it really take to write a quick email? How often have we met people who have promised to ‘get in touch’ and never do? Don’t be one of these.

Andrew Ludlam is a client attraction expert, and Director of Maverick Marketing Solutions. If you’re deadly serious about maximising the potential of your business, then I urge you to visit http://www.maverickmarketingltd.com and sign up for the monthly ‘Maverick Marketing Solutions Newsletter’… where you’ll also receive the FREE white paper “Six Magnetic Ways To Attract More Clients To Your Business In The Next 90 Days..!” (Value $37)

Warning! This could be the last business marketing website you ever need to see…

Share This

Networking on the Internet is the same as networking in
person, or is it? Let’s take a conversational tour together
on this topic.

At an in-person networking event you wouldn’t just attend
not to network. Or would you? Normally everyone is there
for a purpose, even if they haven’t totally defined that
purpose, they have a vague idea why they are there.
Wouldn’t that work the same for iNetworking? Yep.

Yet…

Weekly I receive emails and phone calls how someone wants to
connect with me in some way.

Yet…

They have no idea on what. No suggestions, no inklings, no
possible thoughts, nada. I’m always baffled when I receive
these. I don’t have time to educate people because they
surely do need it. A few emails even add their web site URL
link or suggest that I visit their web site to learn what
they do and “figure it out for them.”

For the folks reading this who have done this and wondered
why their email doesn’t get a response or gets a quick
response of “sounds great,” or “you can sell my new product
or become my affiliate if you’d like” — knock, knock,
anyone home up there. People have told me that when they
receive get these responses back, it confuses them. Talk
about confused, how about the person receiving them.

It’s so much easier to either don’t write or say what you
really mean. Simply, say why you are writing, this is what
you do, this is what I do, and here are some possibilities
for us? You can even set this up in a signature file in
Outlook and make it a quick send.

Everything is a mirror. If you want to iNetwork state who
you are, what you offer, or give clues and ideas of
possibilities. Don’t place the burden on the receiver to
figure it out.

This brings us to rule number one in iNetworking. Be
prepared. Don’t be the one that has a great service or
product but doesn’t know who the gatekeepers are or who the
buyers and strategic partners are for your products or
services. Gatekeepers are people that know your more of
your buyers, strategic partners are people that you are
going to do something joint and temporary with to provide
better value for both your customers.

If you went to an in-person networking event you wouldn’t
forget your business cards, or would you? If you attended
an in-person networking event would you not bring the flyers
for your next workshop, not know the benefits of your
product or service, or not know who is your ideal client.
If you did, it would be a social event and not a networking
event.

The same holds true with iNetworking. Have your business
card set up for an easy email send, set a signature file in
Outlook or whatever email software you use, have your
workshop flyer in pdf (Adobe) format, in an auto responder,
designed for a embedded text email and HTML email (embedded
means not as an attachment but as the email itself). In
other words, have all the same materials that you would
create for an in-person networking event available for
deliver via the Internet in multiple delivery formats.

Last week I was at the Women’s Business Center networking
breakfast event. A woman stood up and apologized for not
having her workshop flyer and business cards. She forgot
them on the kitchen counter. Not to be unkind but if this
happens, turn your car around and go back home either to get
the information or do something else more productive. I too
have on occasion during my 20 years in business left things
behind, it only took me once to attend and not have the
necessary material and its embarrassment to learn to never
do that again.

Making a pitch via email to someone that can be a possible
gatekeeper, prospect, or strategic partner is important, if
you don’t have the time to put into a well written and
clearly presented email, turn the car around and do it when
you do have time. If you never seem to find the time, then
look at your priorities, they sound a little off kilter to
me.

I’m not saying you need everything perfect nor have all the
answers but I am saying that you need to know what you want
and say it.

iNetworking isn’t any different than in-person networking in
many respects. In both, you are building a relationship,
it’s just not in person, nor local, it’s international in
many cases. You wouldn’t say in the first three minutes at
an in-person networking event that you want them to be your
affiliate, or would you?

iNetworking is about building relationships. I’ve developed
some wonderful networking buddies on the Internet over the
years and they watch my back and I theirs. It isn’t all
about sales. Yet, each of us knows we need to scratch each
other’s back. And we do. But not until after the initial
time together.

Let’s summarize these points for clarity. iNetworking is
the same as in-person networking in that you need to have a
clear intention or purpose for making contact, even if the
reason is to get to know what each of you do. iNetworking
works its magic best when it includes at least one phone
call after the initial contact.

Since I write Internet articles, I set up many relationships
with publishers and editors. I don’t hesitate to write
them. I compliment them on what they are doing right and
sometimes give them an idea or two on what other sites are
doing to support their writers. They are always grateful
because they don’t have the time to do this. And the
relationship grows from there. I prefer to follow it up with
a phone call or two. I learn about their challenges and I
share the same.

It doesn’t matter who calls whom, be ready with your spiel.
What you do or provide and how you some possible working
arrangements. There is a list of 100 by my phone. Allow
time to iNetwork but look for people who are ready.

Don’t make people guess. Spit it out clearly in your email,
edit and edit again if need be. Sometimes I go through six
or seven edits to make sure mine are clear. Give others the
opportunity to network with you. Here’s my challenge to
you. Who can you reach out to at this exact moment and
begin iNetworking? They are waiting to hear from you.

(C) Copyright, Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.

Catherine Franz is an avid iNetworker. She’s made many
mistakes over the year and now sees others making the same
mistakes. That is her mission in life, to share information
that will help make the world a better place. For more:
http://www.abundancecenter.com or Catherine’s blog:
http://abundance.blogs.com .

Share This