Tag Archives: networking

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Sales and Networking Resolutions for 2012

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Welcome back for the final installment of New Year’s resolutions.  To keep yourself motivated to do what you resolve to do,  be aware that the key to success with any resolution,  personal or business,  is willpower.  Once you’ve set your goal,  then it’s all about execution.  Willpower—call it commitment or perseverance if you like— is the x-factor that most often separates winners from losers  (although good luck helps, too!).

Invite success by instituting systems that will keep you on your path.  Always develop strategies and an action plan for each resolution/goal.  Write up your resolutions and action plan timetable and tape it to your office wall.  Enter action plan activities and tasks into your calendar.  Attach notes to your file cabinet or refrigerator.  Reward yourself when key milestones are reached.

Resolve to network with purpose

A colleague named Lisa is very proud of her networking schedule.  She brags about attending five or six events every week.  The girl is everywhere.  A colleague named Erika is out and about less often.  She attends an event about once a month and works on getting to know the right people and building relationships over time.

So which Freelance consultant has the better reputation and bigger billable hours?  Erika does,  by far.  She works with name brand clients and she always seems to have a job in  (or has just completed or is about to start).  The last time Lisa and I spoke,  she told me that she hadn’t had a client in about six months.   So what’s up? Apparently,  Erika has figured out a networking strategy and activities that bring opportunities.  Lisa’s  “networking strategy”  seems to leave her with nothing but a bar tab and a tax write-off for event admission charges.

It’s interesting,  because it was Lisa who schooled me on the importance of having a networking agenda:

  • Get a client
  • Get a referral
  • Get information

Unfortunately,  the girl does not follow her own advice well enough.  While it’s advantageous to have a presence among peers and potential clients and also check out a fresh venue now and again,  it’s more important to know who will be in the room and understand why you should spend time and money to be there.

Swanning around town is not a viable networking strategy.  The process obviously is random and we never know when and where our next good client will appear—maybe in Pilates class?—but you still need to institute a system and go fishing where the fish you can catch will be.  Review your networking strategy and its ROI.   How did it contribute to your sales pipeline and what was your conversion rate?  Which events might you add or delete?

Take time also to refine the verbal package that is your elevator pitch.  Are you communicating the right info about your talents and services that grabs the attention and respect of potential clients? Do you know what their hot-button issues will be in 2012?

Resolve to show more than tell

Clients want relevant information about your services and how they will drive objectives.  They need to be assured that bringing you in on a project will make them look smart to both subordinates and superiors.

Rather than just droning on about how wonderful you are,  show prospective clients what you can do for them.  Set up this process by doing some research on the organization and its mission and customers.  Get a working knowledge of how your expertise will be useful.

If possible,  tell a story of a similar project you’ve successfully worked on,  to paint a picture that helps the client visualize how what you do fits with their needs.  With that approach,  you may even be positioned to up-sell services they didn’t know they wanted.  Present yourself as a trusted resource who is there to promote the client’s interests.

Good luck with your resolutions and thanks for reading,

Kim

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Christmas Party Networking

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Christmas season is upon us and your party invitations are in the mail.  My favorite part of Christmas is the parties and I usually have a good time.  Christmas parties are an excellent way to catch up with dear friends and meet new people as well and for those reasons they set the stage for networking.  Catch some Christmas spirit and be sure to wrangle two or three invitations (I’ll bet that will be easy for you).  As you add parties to your calendar,  give some thought to the following:

Guest list

Ask your host who’s likely to be in attendance to find out who the VIPs will be and decide whom you’d like to meet.  Do an internet search and peruse the LinkedIn page,  using what you learn to devise a savvy ice breaker plus a couple of questions that will allow your VIP to do what s/he enjoys most—talk about him/herself.  Ask the host to make introductions.  The party is social and not business,  so frame your approach as relationship building,  although it’s probably not taboo to talk a wee bit of business.  Go with the flow.  If it’s not awkward,  ask to get together after the new year to continue your business discussion.  In the second week of January,  make contact.

Respect the occasion

Be mindful that a Christmas party is a social event.  Even if the gathering is sponsored by a professional or business association,  dial back the all-business mode and get to know folks and let them get to know you,  too.  Refrain from treating a Christmas party as just another business meet ‘n’ greet.  Overt selling is to be avoided.

What not to wear

I belong to a club that hosts a black-tie optional Christmas party every year.  About half the men wear a tux.  A white dinner jacket with black tuxedo trousers is likewise very chic and appropriate attire.  A dark suit with tie is acceptable.  The ladies wear after-six formal dresses,  usually long.  A lady can also wear a tux  (work it like Marlene Dietrich).  Ladies should avoid showing too much cleavage or too much leg,  or wearing a very tight dress,  no matter how physically gifted,  when business networking is part of the agenda.

Moderate alcohol intake

 Last year,  I was invited by a friend to attend a Christmas party that was hosted by a prominent marketing company whose client list includes politicians who hold office at the state and federal level.  My friend has worked with the company off and on and he’d like to do more.   He complained that lucrative assignments had been withheld from him.   However,  as I watched him guzzle about six drinks in 90 minutes,  I wondered why they gave him any work at all.   His foolish behaviour also soured the introductions he made for me  (and I’m suffering for it,  because I don’t know anyone else to bring me back this year,  without the lush).   In other words,   make the most of your networking and pace your drinking.  Two or three drinks are all you need.  The idea is to relax and not get tanked,  or even visibly tipsy.  An unexpected VIP may walk through the door and you don’t want to look and sound ridiculous.  Moreover,  you don’t want to upset your host.

So far,  I’ve attended three Christmas parties.  I had a lovely time at each affair and I was fortunate enough to meet and enjoy the company of one person with whom I plan to follow up.  Two more parties are on my calendar and I intend to make the most of them.  

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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The Ideal Network

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We’ve all encountered people whose primary goal is to create a vast network of  “contacts”.  These folks supersize.  They have an enormous collection of Facebook friends and they exchange business cards with everyone they meet,   inviting one and all into their LinkedIn network.

But what do their  “contacts”  actually mean to them?  Do such collectors of contacts follow networking best practices and act as a resource? Would they actually even recognize many of their  “contacts”  if they ran into them at the grocery store?  Too often,  the answer is no.

I’ve had the experience of being sucked into the clutches of a few super-networkers and found that when I emailed an easy and uncomplicated question,  my inquiry went unanswered.  Needless to say I severed the association but I’m sure my absence is neither missed nor even noticed.  Who can keep track of or maintain contact with 500 connections?

Well I’m happy to report that at last there is data that supports what has long been my gut feeling about networking.  Apparently,  when it comes to our network of relationships,  size matters and smaller is better.

Robert Cross,  Associate Professor at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce and Robert Thomas,  Executive Director of the global consulting firm Accenture’s Institute for High Performance,  contend that the most effective networks focus on high-quality relationships,  ideally with people who come from diverse levels of the corporate and/or socioeconomic hierarchy.  Cross and Thomas found that a properly functioning network consists of about 12-18 people.  The ideal network provides guidance,  exposes us to fresh approaches to decision-making and problem-solving,  challenges us and also gives us validation and encouragement.

A diversity of professional and personal interactions pays numerous dividends,  socially and professionally.  We get to meet and rub shoulders with those who’ve lived different lives and therefore have different values,  perspectives and experiences.  We learn how to become more flexible and resilient.  Our decision-making capabilities improve because we incorporate additional information and we become better leaders and better business people.

Take a look at who you know and who you consider to be a member of  your network.  Who looks out for you and who do you look out for?  Cross and Thomas recommend that we cultivate relationships in these categories:

  • People who share or expose you to new information or expertise,  e.g.,  giving the heads-up on happenings in your business environment.  This could be a client or someone from the chamber of commerce or other business group.
  • Peers in other industries,  who can open your eyes to what other organizations consider to be best practices or smart business strategies.
  • Powerful people,  who can open doors,  make introductions,  cut through red tape,  provide useful inside information and mentoring.
  • Those who know and validate validate your work and can provide feedback and challenge you to get better (maybe a client,  peer  or boss).
  • Peers in a business similar to your own,  but who are based in another geography and therefore allow you to discuss business strategy and not worry about competition.
  • People who provide personal support,  good friends and family you can call on when things go wrong and you need to talk.
  • Outlets for spiritual and physical well being:  fitness,  meditation,  religion,  volunteering,  sports and hobbies.

As you review and perhaps revamp your network,  look to include people who bring good energy,  people who bring out the best in you.  Build relationships with people who see opportunities and know how to reach for them.  If you’ve been gestating an important goal you’d like to achieve,  think about who in your network can help you get there?  Is there someone you should reconnect with?

Most of all,   remember that networking is about building and maintaining relationships,  whether or not there is an immediate need to call in a favor.  Reciprocity rules,  so maintain contacts,  reach out and reconnect to good friends and colleagues and be generous when they are in need.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Seven Resolutions for 2011 Part 2 of 2

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Here are the remaining four resolutions that should help you construct the framework for a prosperous year.  Nothing especially novel or profound is being suggested.  To the contrary,  I’ve presented nothing that you don’t already know.  Consider these resolutions to be  a gentle reminder.  You decide which deserve follow-up. 

4.   Revisit your networking  strategy

Get the most out of networking by following a basic agenda,  one that keeps you focused on the real purpose for being there and takes the experience beyond just a random meet & greet.  This agenda works best face to face,  but it can also be used when engaging in online social networking.  The recipe is:  Get a client.  Get a referral.  Get educated.  In other words,  when you’re out there networking,  do your best to get something tangible.  At the very least,  get some information that might help you land a client or receive a referral.  Sweeten the pot for those whom you’d like to know better by offering them something of similar value,  to make helping you worth their while.  Networking flows best on a two-way street.  With this criteria  as a guide,  consider which social networking platforms you use and why you use them.  Is the ROI worth the time spent to keep up?  Next,  consider if you are participating in the right amount of face to face networking and assess the quality of your usual haunts.  How much time and money have you spent at these events and how has being in those rooms impacted your billable hours?

5.   Review your client list

Which clients pay you the most money?  Can you make that happen again this year?  From which clients might you be able to get more money?  Can you dare to raise your hourly rate or project fee for any of them?  Conversely,  which clients are more trouble than they are worth,  high maintenance headaches who do not pay enough to make up for the misery incurred?  Are there clients you should fire?

6.   Develop a prospect list

Who is your dream client?  It’s time to devise a strategy to reel in that big fish.  Identify your decision maker,  or key influencers who might get you in the door.  Maybe you know a colleague who can either make an introduction to the right person or tell you at which networking activities you could meet whom you need to meet?  Make a plan.

7.   Review professional development needs

Will enrolling in graduate school,  taking a seminar or earning a certification increase your credibility and make your services more marketable?  Is there a professional organization that would benefit you,  one that offers good peer networking and useful skills updates? Ask around.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Most of All, It’s Who Knows You

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Networking and other business promotional activities,  whether self-generated when you for example speak to the local Rotary Club,  or engineered by a PR specialist  who gets  you a quote in the New York Times,  serve to make you known to those who might use your services.  The next step in the continuum is to create conditions that encourage prospects to become clients.

Effective PR and self-promotion showcase you as an expert.  Mine the benefit by reinforcing  your position as a source of valuable and timely information.  Rather than just making the rounds at networking events as a way to cash in on your notoriety,  accumulating piles of business cards from random “contacts” as you go,  focus instead on developing meaningful relationships that have the potential to deliver billable hours.

Join a LinkedIn group and trade relevant information with peers who share a common  affiliation by starting discussions and/or commenting on others’ discussions.  Peruse the Answers Forum and weigh in on the sometimes compelling questions put forth by LinkedIn members from around the world.

Demonstrate that you are  a knowledgeable professional who is willing to dispense  information that could benefit others.  You may be invited to have an off-line discussion and that may lead you to a client.  It happened for me a couple of months ago.

When you step into the role of teacher/speaker, by all means meet and greet session attendees following the program.  Engage those whom you meet and aim to deepen interactions beyond the mere trading of business cards.

In order to reap the benefits that accrue from your PR / promotional strategy,  you must work for your network so that your network will work for you.  Ivan Misner, chairman of the networking organization BNI International,  recommends that while in conversation with a new contact,  ask what business challenges he/she is confronting right now.  This communicates genuine interest and guides your  follow-up with that individual,  with either an introduction or information.  It’s an excellent way to make people want to know you.

Help can be easy to give.  Forwarding the link to an article that addresses a subject  likely to be of interest  is a  savvy  way to demonstrate that others’  needs are important to you. The recipient is invariably flattered and will appreciate both the info and your thoughtfulness.  Selective,  individual forwarding of online resources  adds value and elevates networking to relationship building.  Post links to articles that address  subjects of interest to a wider audience onto  FaceBook and Twitter.

Seek to build a diverse network of relationships,  professional and personal.  Be available to connect with people in fields where you may not expect to find clients,  with people of different socio-economic or educational backgrounds and from various ethnic,  religious or racial backgrounds.

Not only do we not know where or under what circumstances we will meet our next client,  but a diverse network of relationships  exposes us to different ways of evaluating and tackling  our challenges and may also help us to discover unexpected opportunities. Reaching  out  and extending oneself  beyond the usual parameters is good for business.

Thanks for reading,
Kim

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Fishing At C- Level

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Gotta be a big game hunter like Teddy Roosevelt.  Gotta find high level decision makers who can green light projects and not string you along.  Gotta bait the hook and fish for C- level execs,  so you can close some deals and pay some bills.  Oh yeah!

OK,  so how to do it? Let’s start by looking at the size of your C-level’s  organization.  If your client sweet spot is companies with fewer than 100 people,  you are likely to find the CEO, CFO, Executive Director or Development Director at a Rotary Club or Chamber of Commerce event.  If you’re fishing in organizations with 100 – 1000 + employees,  you may also find C-levels at Rotary and Chamber meetings,  but you’ll have more luck at university sponsored business forums or prestigious networking association events.

In general, when looking to meet C-levels in larger organizations,  it is wise to attend marquis events:  special speaker programs,  awards luncheons and industry specific programs.  C-levels rarely attend holiday parties or networking breakfasts (except for those sponsored by their prestigious networking group and those are usually private).

What if you need contact names and titles? Sometimes,  you can find company leaders on the website.  Other times,  you can call the main number and ask to be transferred to the head of a certain department.  You can also try to meet someone from the organization at a conference or  networking event and chat them up.  Such encounters may or may not pay off.  Employees may fear pissing off a C-level by revealing the name.

You can also use  ZoomInfo, which is a resource discussed in The ROI on 2.0 posting of December 8, 2009.   For a fee,  ZoomInfo will allow you to basically access a company organization chart and find out who leads which business unit.

Once you get specific names and titles,  then internet search,  read the ZoomInfo profile,  LinkedIn profile and anything else you can locate to determine where you might find those people and what their hot buttons could be.  Where might they go to meet peers and network or stay current on industry and business issues?

When you attend programs where targeted C-levels might be found,  skillfully devise the set-up.  Arrive early.  At the check-in desk,  scan name tags to learn who will be in the house.  If you see a name tag that’s on your wish list,  prepare an ice breaker.

I’ve found that comments about the speakers and program focus are excellent conversation openers.  Also, take notes at the program.  This will allow you to 1).  pose an intelligent question during Q & A,  which is wonderful for visibility as it encourages conversation with others,  including the speaker;  and 2).  can segue into a conversation with your C-level at the break.  Oh, and try to sit with this person at lunch.  However,  I caution you to not be too obvious.  Do not appear to stalk.

Remember that your C-level is also there to network and has an agenda.  If you are lucky enough to sit at the right lunch table,  relax and join the conversation.  Everyone will introduce themselves and there will be some mild talk of business.  You will meet a few more C-levels who may be good prospects.  Think relationship building and not selling.

Now for the ask. You need follow-up with your C-level.  Follow your instincts on the flow of your interaction.  If the program is short,  you’ll have to act fast.  In a day long program,  you may want to approach at the afternoon break.  Whatever the timing,  tell  C-level that your product/service has the capability to impact specific success factors or other business concerns that he/she is likely to have.   Ask if the need is being addressed and who might your competition be?  Request an appointment in or out of their office to discuss mutual alignments.

Be calm and professional,  get your point across and don’t arm twist.   No matter what happens,  you’ll learn whether you have a chance with this person and organization or not.  If not,  well,  you’ll know and will waste no further time on pursuit.  In 6-12 months,  you may cross paths again and maybe get another chance.  If yes,  you are on your way—don’t blow it! Focus on big picture outcomes and benefits and make your best pitch.

Thanks for reading,
Kim

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The ROI on 2.0 Part II

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This week  we take a look at the corporate-style social networking tools.

Plaxo began as an online address book for those who use Microsoft Outlook.  Plaxo Pulse is the social networking iteration—think Facebook added to LinkedIn.   On Plaxo you can create an extensive business related profile,  plus share videos and photos with professional colleagues,  personal friends and family. You can also add links to favorite websites  such as your blog,  YouTube,  Netflix,  Amazon and other social networking sites,  for easy access.

Zoominfo is an online listing service that provides comprehensive info on businesses and individuals.  It is likely that you are already in the Zoominfo database, with a nascent profile waiting to be “claimed”.

Information is compiled by scanning online listings,  press releases and websites,  which are searched and updated 24/7,  to provide the most current data on people and businesses.  You can scroll through the database,  find your name, create a profile and upload a photo.

Zoominfo power search can give a real boost to your ability to do business.  The very impressive PowerSell feature will help you prospect within just about any organization at any level, while the JobCast feature helps hiring managers ferret out qualified candidates. These services are not free,  but they just might pay for themselves when you are able to identify and contact the decision maker who can seal the deal for you.

LinkedIn is of course the big Kahuna for business networking, the gold standard against which all others are measured.  Professionals of every stripe are here, along with Freelancers and business owners.  I think of LinkedIn as an adjunct website.

You can create a profile and  make and receive recommendations that testify to your professional competency and that of your contacts. You can join networking peer groups within LinkedIn to trade info,  talk shop,  get to know people in a similar industry or with similar interests,  or re-connect with alumni from your alma mater.

You can link your blog to LinkedIn (as I have done), alert contacts to your speaking engagements and events you will attend,  research companies for prospecting and even demonstrate your expertise on a range of business topics in the Answers forum.

I’ve heard a lot about how referrals and introductions are made via LinkedIn, but I’ve yet to either meet or know of someone who has done this, nor have I experienced it myself. Still,  I find it sort of useful to participate,  although my ROI expectations are modest.

If you decide to delve into multiple 2.0 sites,  I recommend that you use Google Alert or a similar service, to let you know when someone has posted a comment to one of your profiles,  so that you can respond ASAP.   Quick response is key.  I also recommend that you use a service that will automatically post updates to all of your profiles.  You might like ping.fm.

So ROI can be derived from social networking, perhaps for some more than others.   We are in it now and there will be no turning back the clock,  so why not make the best of it?

Do what makes sense for your business,  but be mindful of the time you spend on the upkeep of this stuff.   At the end of the day,  I still say that there is no substitute for face to face networking.  It can be augmented, but not replaced, by 2.0.

Thanks for reading,
Kim

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The ROI on 2.0 Part I

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By this time,  nearly every Freelancer has hopped onto the social networking 2.0 bus.   As a matter of fact, a large cohort of Americans has established an online presence in some fashion, possibly even your grandparents.  Your loyal Diarist can be found on LinkedIn.

Still,  among Freelancers and other business owners, nagging little doubts about the meaning of all this will sometimes surface in our conversations.  What does social networking really do for business?   Have you ever gotten so much as a referral,  let alone an actual piece of business, through social networking? Do you know anyone who has? What is the ROI on 2.0?

It appears that much depends upon the business you are in.   Are 12-25 year olds your target market? Are you an athlete or a rock musician looking to build and connect with a fan base? Are you an author of books aimed at the teen and young adult market,  trying to grow your book sales? Do you operate a retail business that sells clothing,  anime or video games to the teen and ‘tween crowd? Then MySpace is where you want to be,  because this is where your target market hangs out.

Visual and performing artists of all types,  plus restaurants and nightclubs,  most often gravitate to Facebook. This site is also popular for personal networking,  providing a nice way to stay connected to family and friends.   Facebook is about the visual.  Here you can post photos of your latest group of paintings or sculptures;  display the bar scene on Tuesday nights at your establishment;  or show off pix of your new haircut,  the baby,  or your new puppy.  Maybe you sent out Thanksgiving greetings to those you have “friended” and will do the same at Christmas and the New Year.

To create in the moment on the ground buzz,  go to Twitter. You can put the word out about performances at your nightclub,   special events at your store,  book signings,  the waves in Perth, Australia or skateboarding at the Xtreme Games.   Wine shops can announce tastings and let customers know that Beaujolais Nouveau c’est arrive.

I even read about a woman in Belfast, Ireland who tweets these great recipes.  In 140 characters,  she will hook you up with good ideas for dinner! Twitter is best used to augment the connections you’ve made on MySpace and Facebook with microblogging. Here’s how to keep your young, short attention span crowd in the loop about interesting happenings at your business that will keep your business at top of mind.

More 2.0 next week,
Kim

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Going up! Expert Elevator Pitch

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I don’t want to brag, but…oh, yes I do and so do you! We just need to figure out how to tell people how amazing we are, how talented and lovable, without being obnoxious.  Bragging is a turn off and nice boys and girls don’t.

But how do you let colleagues and prospects know what you’re good at? How do you network if you don’t know how to put your story across?

Every Freelancer needs a first rate elevator pitch.  A Freelancer must be able to position him/herself as an expert, a capable problem solver who can get the job done and is therefore worthy of important assignments.

A basic elevator pitch can be broken down into three  parts:

1). What you do

2). For whom you do it

3). Outcomes and benefits derived

What You Do

Concisely describe your service in straightforward and uncomplicated terms.  Challenging economic times can bring the temptation to be all things to all people–let’s face it, if there’s a legal way to get paid we’ve gotta bring it on.  Still  clients,  prospects and referral sources want to know what you are known for.  Help them out and develop a niche.

For Whom You Do It

Who are your typical clients? What are they looking for when they call you? What kind of pain are they in? Prospects and referral sources need to know who you typically do business with. They need to know who might need you.

Outcomes and Benefits Derived

What’s in it for the client who hires you? Describe the problems you solve, the money you help clients make or save, how you make them look good.  Mention an advantage  or two that distinguishes  you from competitors.  Stay on top of what is going on in your client’s industry so you’ll know how to position your services in relation to the hot issues.

Practice your elevator pitch until you’re comfortable with your phrasing.  Make sure it sounds natural for you and that it will spark the interest of your target customers.  A basic elevator pitch should take you less than a minute to present. Your pitch can serve as a  self introduction and will also allow you to transition into a more meaningful discussion of  your services should an interested party want more info.

Use your bragging skills, artfully packaged in a good elevator pitch, to establish your reputation as a results-oriented professional and an available source of useful information in your area of expertise.

OK,  so now that you know how to create and deliver an expert elevator pitch,  it’s time to do some savvy networking!

More later,
Kim