Networking has become a part-time job for some small business owners looking to increase their client base. You could attend networking events from 7:00 a.m. to evening events that end at 9:30 at night. That's a long day and in the middle of it you are supposed to do the business that pays the bills. How do you find the best places to network?
Where do your target clients and referral sources hang out? If your business does business with other businesses, do your prospective clients attend Chamber of Commerce meetings, trade association meetings, join leads groups (such as LeTip or BNI), or do they join Meetup groups, do they come to charity events or golf outings? Do they attend informational meetings on particular topics such as transportation issues, cyber-security, finding the best employees, or what's happening with state regulators that impact your target clients' businesses? These are venues where you can make connections with your target clients.
Attend these events regularly and do something to make your name known. This can include attending meetings on a regular basis and always meeting new people while renewing relationships with people you have previously met, joining committees, sponsoring charity events, speaking at a meeting or holding a workshop through one of your group's events. If, after giving a group your best shot for a year, you find that you are not getting any new business, quit the group and try a different group. Not every networking avenue will lead to positive results. But, you have to give each group a legitimate shot. Of course, you can attend one meeting and immediately conclude that your target market is not there and never will be. In that case, don't waste your time, find a different group quickly.
What about social media? Does your target client use social media? You may find that the business owners that you are trying to network with do not use social media at all. Or maybe they just use LinkedIn. Or they join something that you haven't yet heard about.
If your target clients are consumers, you may find networking with referral sources is a better idea. In that case, you need to show up where they meet and get to know them. Networking to consumers may include using social media and finding online groups that are your target market. If social media is where your target market hangs out, you must contribute in some way to get your name and expertise known. This can include commenting on other contributors' articles, sharing articles that you have found helpful and sharing your own articles (maybe from your blog or YouTube channel).
If you are not sure where your target customers go to network, ask your existing customers how they found you (you should be doing this anyway). You could also ask prospective customers how they would make their buying decision if they were buying your product or service to learn how to gear your networking efforts to the most productive places.
There's more to networking than finding the places where your target client hangs out but it is a starting point. Don't network mindlessly. It's not just a matter of how much time you are putting into networking, it's how smart you are networking.
Call me at 201-251-8001 or email me at RGronsky@Gronskylaw.com for a FREE Report on "5 Expensive Mistakes That Entrepreneurs Make That Can Kill Their Business." And sign up to receive my newsletter at http://www.Gronskylaw.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Robin_Gronsky/30071
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9314288
أزال المؤلف هذا التعليق.
ردحذف