“The successful networkers I know, the ones receiving tons of referrals and feeling truly happy about themselves, continually put the other person’s needs ahead of their own.”
Bob Burg
As we come out of lockdown it is time to reconnect fully with current customers and to start to market to new clients. The most powerful and effective way to do that is to network.
Quickly building rapport and then trust, is key to developing a strong relationship with potential new clients and is exactly the purpose of professional and industry networking events. A new client will assess if you are trustworthy and credible with in thirty seconds of meeting you. On the other hand, you can also assess that person, and decide if you would like to do business with them, or not.
Does the thought of networking send shivers down your spine? Are you an introvert and love your products and services, but feel uncomfortable meeting new people to market to? Then potentially you are missing out on thousands of dollars worth of revenue and the opportunity to gain loyal customers that you can then resell to, upsell to, and cross sell to easily, because you have already proven yourself.
You already have their trust. Networking skills ands abilities are not natural, and even extroverts struggle at times in new networking environments. They have then had to learn how to network more effectively and successfully.
If you are keen on going to a networking event but are nervous, find and take a networking buddy to be your support person. Preferably, another businessperson or one of your employees. Always buy at least two tickets to an event and perhaps take one of your VIP clients especially if they would benefit from being introduced to other business people. Paying it forward and helping others to connect will assist you in developing another word of mouth sales funnel and confirm that you are a great person to deal with.
An example, of how powerful it is to network with other likeminded individuals is the Persuader Powerhouse referral marketing group based in Bathurst. They meet each week to learn more about how to run their businesses better through sharing information and experiences. They give and receive regular word of mouth referrals, and they support each other through tough times. Significantly, they often attend local networking events together which creates a confidence and positive vibe in the room that other people really notice. The group is mostly made up of introverts and with that confidence they just shine when networking.
Though other marketing methods have their place, Networking is so powerful because you can connect with the right people immediately, and when it leads to a sale you know where that sales lead has been generated from.
The secret to successful networking to challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone and just show up. Regularly attending networking events, is continuous marketing, and the leads just keep rolling in!
