Opportunities to network are everywhere. Joining the local Chamber of Commerce gives you the opportunity to meet individuals who may be in the position to refer others to you, and to whom you may also make referrals. (This last part is the key -- remember, it's not all about you, even if you are desperate to build your home inventory service business.)
Understanding that knowing each other will benefit you both, you can network successfully, with effective results – more business for your business and theirs.
The first step is identifying the type of individual who would best be part of your network. For a home inventory business owner, that might be insurance agents, cleaning service business owners, owners of disaster service recovery businesses (i.e., national franchise Paul Davis Restorations), real estate agents, new home builders, estate attorneys, financial planners, and more...
All of these individuals have contact with the types of clients who might need your services. In addition, your clients might also need their services. This gives you the perfect opportunity to create a natural referral network.
Meeting these individuals is the next step. You can take advantage of the networking opportunities of the Chamber of Commerce or you can simply call and introduce yourself to someone who meets the definition of the type of person you’d like to have in your network, and ask them out to lunch – in order to find out more about what they do and how you can help them get more business. Rarely will someone turn down the opportunity to find out how they can get more business for their business.
Be sure to emphasize how you want to help the other person, not how you want the other person to help you. At lunch, ask him or her, “How can I know if someone I am talking to is a good prospect for your services?”
Learn how to identify prospective clients to refer. The favor will surely be returned, although that is not the reason you want this information. If you are able to help someone else to get more business, they will be grateful forever.
If you meet a prospective networking partner at an event, after you introduce yourself, invest 99.9 percent of your time asking that person questions about him or herself and about his or her business. People like to talk about themselves, and knowing more about that person can help you develop a stronger connection — which is what networking is really all about.
Stay At The Top of the Mind
Networking does not always have to be done in person. As you look through the newspaper each day or week or as you read magazines each month, look to see what bits and pieces of news or information affects those in your network. If it has to do with them, their profession, or their personal interests or hobbies, clip it out and send it along with a short note.
Keeping your name in front of others is essential in networking. Send your networking prospects a notepad every month or so to keep you on their mind. If you publish a newsletter, arrange with the individual to display your newsletter in his or her offices (and offer to do the same for him or her).
Create personalized thank you notes. Send them every chance you get. Thank the person for allowing you to get together for lunch. Let them know how much you learned, and that you’ll be on the lookout for prospects who may be in need of their services.
Also send thank you notes to new clients and to referral sources. Thank you notes to clients can be one way to build your network. Each client has a “sphere of influence” – people that they know who might need your services. Their sphere might include other service professionals of the type identified as potential members of your network.
Work Together
Also consider a joint project with your networking partners. For example, you might team up with an insurance agent and disaster service recovery firm and create a booklet, “Putting Your Life Back Together After A House Fire” in which all members of the network contribute short articles and resource guides to help the individual/family understand the process after a house fire. (What to expect, what to do, how to prepare before a fire -- that's where you come in!).
Each person’s contact information appears in the booklet, and each member of the network distributes the booklet to individuals who may be in need of it.
You could also send a news release on your booklet topic to the media and receive additional exposure in that way.
Joint promotions are also a good way to use your network.
Collect the corporate brochures of your networking partners to distribute to your clients who may be in need of their services. The corporate brochure contains a great deal of information that is useful for you, also. You can find out about the experience, education and training of your networking partner, plus contact information (phone, fax, website and e-mail information), the range of services that the individual provides, and more.
Knowing this type of information will help you keep an eye out for articles in magazines and newspapers for your networking partners. Keeping in touch is the best way to effectively use your network. Remember, “out of sight is out of mind.”
The most effective networkers are those who try to help others. The benefits of these relationships will naturally come back to you, so focus on helping others build their businesses. If you do this, your networking will pay off in terms of more referrals and more business!
- Add them to your mailing list for your newsletter
- Send them note on special accomplishments — birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, business goals met.
- Jot and mail thank you notes to your network for any referrals they send your way.
- Clip and mail articles from magazines and newspapers, along with a short note – “thought you’d be interested in this…”
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