Networking for Fun...and Profit

I've never been one of those hard core sales people we so often hear horror stories about. You know what I mean...

I've always built a clientele through relationships and networking, sometimes through direct measures and other times indirect. In other words, some groups I've joined specifically for industry contact and other groups for "friend of a friend" contact.

Many years ago, I ran my own insurance fraud investigation agency in south Florida. My job was to check out people who put in worker's compensation claims or "whiplash" auto accident claims to see if they were legitimate or not. My target clients were therefore insurance adjusters, insurance claims managers or law firms that defended the insurance companies from fraudulent claims. This industry has what's known as "claims associations" in which there were monthly luncheon meetings with an educational speaker, a board of directors and a twice a year party or golf outing. I attended the Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando claims associations meetings religiously every month and even worked my way onto the Board of Directors for the Miami Claims Association. You might say that I was pretty well know in those circles. Now folks, that's a lot o' networking there and it led to a successful business. But how did I find my best clients? By going to the twice a year parties and hanging out with all those people on a casual basis. Did I do good work for them? Of course I did. But I got my foot in the door, met with potential clients and gained their trust.

Contacts can be made outside the business world as well. On another occasion, I felt drawn to attend a particular church in Ft. Lauderdale. I did not know anyone who attended it and had no one to go with me, so one Sunday morning I decided to attend by myself. I sat alone that morning but it felt like the right place to be. During the announcements, it was said that there were committees that needed volunteers so the first thing I did after the service was sign up on the fundraising committee. I eventually became that committee's chairman and down the road I was elected onto the Board of Directors for the church. I made many new friends there who have referred business to me. This is a great example of some indirect networking.

Here are some pointers you can use in networking situations:

• Work that room. It's not about how many business cards you give or get. Nor is it about instant gratification. It's about beginning and strengthening relationships. It's about earning trust and goodwill.




• Choose your weapon. What's your style? Do you prefer a social setting for your networking or does a more structured approach work better for you? Both types can be very effective and fruitful if you plan ahead and network consistently.




• Get out of your comfort zone. Sometimes it's not easy to meet new people, especially when they're part of a large crowd of people. Overwhelmed, you can wind up back in your comfort zone, talking with the same people time in and time out. Break your pattern; stretch your envelope. Set an easily achievable goal - perhaps to meet just one or two new people.




• Hey! You got the time? Determine how much time you can devote to marketing yourself through networking and then commit to it. As with any means of marketing, regularity and repetition rule.




• Make your list. Research the organization sponsoring a networking event. Find out who will be in attendance. What few among them would you like to meet or see again? Measure your networking success by the quality of the time you spend with those people; not on the quantity of people you glad hand.




• Tell everyone what you do. Without being pushy, without monopolizing their time and only when the time is appropriate, let everyone you come in contact with on a regular basis - your neighbors, the merchants you frequent, members of your social, fraternal, service or civic club, your banker, members of your church - know what you do. But don't ask for anything from them - referrals, etc. - until you have done something for them.




• It's who you know, not what you know. That's okay as far as it goes. It will help you get your foot in the door. But to get the sale, create customer loyalty and earn referrals from your customers, you'll need to know your stuff and deliver results. Customers appreciate referrals based on competence and trust rather than solely on name recognition, social acquaintance or academic association.




• Join pertinent business, civic, service or industry organizations. Many of these organizations offer a variety of networking opportunities. They range from seminars, conferences and workshops to business mixers to "Rolodex sharing." Some even offer more focused peer and affinity groups.




• Get rid of those butterflies. Remember that, although you hope to eventually gain something from networking, it's in giving that you will succeed. Take the focus off of you, your expectations and your agenda. Instead, focus on the person you'd like to meet or with whom you're talking. Learn about their business and look for ways you can help them. Your nerves will settle and this once frightening encounter will become much more comfortable and manageable. With some practice you may even begin to like the process.




• Volunteer. Get involved on a committee, in a service organization, at your church, on a board in your city or town. Donate your time to a charitable cause. Read to children in your library's or school's literacy program. Mentor a child or share your expertise with budding entrepreneurs. In each of these activities you'll meet like-minded people and you'll all work toward the same goals. Demonstrate your talents and value by working to achieve those goals. You'll achieve peer status with those you work with and referrals will flow naturally from the relationships you build.




• Referral swapping, anyone? Some well established organizations exist for the sole purpose of facilitating referrals among the business people who belong to them. Some of them are local and some are national in scope (for example BNI). They meet regularly and their members live by the rule that you must give in order to get. Be a giver. You won't be sorry.




• Networking should be a win-win situation. Expand your circle of contacts by helping your customers solve their problems and build their businesses. You'll earn the right to ask them to help you build yours. And they'll be happy to oblige by making referrals, offering expert advice and introducing you into their circle of contacts. That's networking!

Happy Networking, Everyone!

Celeste Peterson

http://www.celestialtravelbiz.com/